Kevin Harvick, a winner of three NASCAR national-series championships, who is currently competing in his final season in the Cup Series, has been named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list.
Harvick is 10th on the all-time Cup wins list with 60 victories, two behind Kyle Busch for the active drivers’ lead. The 47-year-old took home his first and only Cup Series championship in 2014.
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He is the seventh driver on the active Cup Series roster to be named to the elite list this spring, joining Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. The 75-driver list includes the original 50 Greatest Drivers, who were selected for NASCAR’s golden anniversary in 1998. Plus, 25 new honorees as part of the diamond celebration.
The Bakersfield, California native is a winner in all of NASCAR’s “Crown Jewel” events highlighted by an iconic photo-finish victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500. He’s grabbed three victories in the Brickyard 400 and two apiece in the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500.
Big surprise from his biggest fans.
Congratulations on being named to NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers List, @KevinHarvick! pic.twitter.com/4HgT9fB2Qf
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) May 8, 2023
Harvick rose to prominence through the former NASCAR Southwest Series and ARCA Menards Series West. His breakthrough came in 1998 as he won five races en route to the 1998 West championship. He competed full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1999 before teaming with Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series at the turn of the century.
Harvick immediately found success at the Xfinity level, winning three races in his rookie season and took home the title a year later.
During his 2001 title run in the Xfinity Series, Harvick had to make an abrupt, career-altering move, taking over for Dale Earnhardt in the Cup Series after the seven-time champion’s tragic death.
Running the No. 29 for RCR, it only took three Cup races for Harvick to win his first race, outdueling Jeff Gordon in a photo finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Harvick won 22 more Cup races with RCR between 2001-2013 and the 2006 Xfinity championship before moving to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.
MORE: All of Harvick’s Cup Series wins
Harvick immediately clicked with his new No. 4 team and crew chief Rodney Childers which led to the team capturing five wins and the 2014 Cup title.
He has won 37 races at SHR and currently sits fifth in points, a third of the way through his final season.