2014 Sprint Cup champion will be second reigning champ to cast a ballot
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Kevin Harvick received several perks after securing his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship last season — the trophy, the oversized check and the ability to etch his name in the stock-car racing history books. This spring, he’ll cash in on another bonus: Having his say in which drivers take their rightful place in the sport’s annals.
Harvick will take part in NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day this May, becoming the second reigning Sprint Cup champion to cast a ballot to help determine a class to be enshrined. Harvick is scheduled to participate in Friday night’s induction (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network) of the 2015 class at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Harvick, entering his 15th season in NASCAR’s top series, demurred when asked about his own chances of one day being selected for enshrinement, but said he imagined his Voting Day duties would be educational.
“Well, I’m not going to rate my own credentials, but I can tell you that I’m excited to be a part of the process, having a vote and being able to experience that and learn more about our sport,” Harvick said Tuesday during Stewart-Haas Racing‘s portion on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour presented by Technocom. “I think there’s obviously that you can constantly learn about, and to be able to take that in and experience that is going to be a lot of fun.”
Alterations were made to the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel in December 2013 to add the reigning Sprint Cup champion to the list of vote-casters. That change meant that Jimmie Johnson, just weeks removed from winning his sixth title in NASCAR’s top division, was involved in the discussions and balloting process that determined the Class of 2015.
The responsibility wasn’t lost on Johnson, who reflected on his Voting Day experience to the NASCAR Wire Service last year.
“That was a huge honor and an amazing day to be a part of,” Johnson said. “To sit in a room with so many people that care for our sport and know about our sport and then discuss what took place in eras of time when I certainly wasn’t around … it was a very awesome and unique experience and something I think that is a huge honor and in years to come.
“It’s only going to help drivers in the garage area understand the history of our sport and grow closer and more attached to the people that built this sport. And in a big way, I wish that the garage area could sit in on that discussion and see the respect that the peers and the people on the voting panel have for our industry and for the people involved.”