Kevin Harvick claimed his NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Stewart-Haas Racing, but was there anything that could’ve stopped him from departing Richard Childress Racing in the prime of his career?
“I would say if I win a championship, I stay [at Richard Childress Racing],” Harvick said on “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.”
“I think that after 13 years, you’re just asking that question to yourself and, ultimately, that was really the reason for going to Stewart-Haas Racing. I love Richard Chidress, loved everything that he did for my career. Loved the people, loved everything about what I was in, but, ultimately, it came down to that question.
“I think that if I win one, I stay. But the interesting part about that is I would’ve stayed for another reason, too. I asked to be part-owner of the [No.] 29 car, and, ultimately, they didn’t agree to that. I wanted to be more involved in the daily things that happened, but I would’ve stayed for that, too.”
Harvick spent the first 13 seasons of his NASCAR career at Richard Childress Racing (2001-13) driving the No. 29 car. Over that span, he won 23 races and finished third in the Cup Series standings in three of his last four seasons with the team.
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Of course, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt won six of his seven Cup Series championships at Richard Childress Racing. Meanwhile, Childress, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017, was the first owner to have a car win a championship across all three levels (NASCAR, Xfinity and Truck Series).
In his first season at Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick won the 2014 Cup Series championship in a year that saw him reach victory lane five times, post 14 top-five finishes and 20 top-10 finishes. The following year, he was the 2015 Cup Series runner-up and finished in the top 10 in the sport in each of his first eight seasons at Stewart-Haas Racing.
Harvick’s last season on the Cup circuit was 2023, with Stewart-Haas Racing later closing up shop after the 2024 season. Harvick, who drove the No. 4 car and won 37 races with the team, was one of two drivers to win a Cup Series championship at Stewart-Haas Racing, the other being co-owner Tony Stewart in 2011.
Harvick became FOX Sports’ Lead NASCAR Analyst in 2024, now calling races with Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer while also hosting “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.”
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