Kevin Harvick announced his intentions to retire from full-time racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2023 season one month ago. Harvick, 47, is the 2014 Cup Series champion and looks to close out his racing career with a bang.
The driver of the No. 4 car for Stewart-Haas Racing will transition to the FOX Sports booth for the 2024 season alongside Mike Joy and former teammate Clint Bowyer. This is a move that many expected for some time.
While Harvick is not going to be leaving NASCAR in general, it is still disappointing to many that he won’t be on the race track. This includes many young drivers who admire him as a person.
Related: Kevin Harvick is one of NASCAR’s biggest storylines for the 2023 season
Several NASCAR drivers praise Kevin Harvick following his announced retirement plans
Harvick has been around the NASCAR Cup Series since the 2001 season when he was tasked with the impossible job of replacing Dale Earnhardt Sr. at Richard Childress Racing following his tragic accident at the Daytona 500.
Since then, he has accumulated 60 Cup Series victories which ties him with Kyle Busch as the ninth most-winningest driver in Cup Series history. Harvick has been a superstar, specifically since the 2010 season.
However, most drivers in the Cup Series praise Harvick for what he does off the track. In a recent article by NBC Sports Nate Ryan, several drivers talked about their relationships with Harvick.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott praised the 47-year-old driver for being in the JR Motorsports building and helping him, whether it was through questions or learning experiences.
23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace talked about how Harvick invited him to dinner to talk about life and wanted to help him out. It is clear that Harvick has left his mark on both Elliott and Wallace, alongside the teammates he has mentored throughout the years.
Harvick’s current teammates Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece each expressed how he has been there for them and helped propel their careers to this level. Both have improbable journeys in NASCAR due to Harvick.
Even Joey Logano, a two-time Cup Series champion, had high praise by saying he has a better relationship with Harvick than he does with 90% of the drivers in the sport.
On the race track, the veteran driver might come off as aggressive. He won’t be afraid to let his anger out after the event too. However, there may not be a better human being and supporter off the track than Harvick.