Challenges in the Life of Kevin Harvick in a Detailed Timeline

Life is full of challenges, and Kevin Harvick faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Kevin Harvick is a semi-retired American professional stock car racing driver and current commentator for NASCAR on Fox. Known for his aggressive driving style and consistent performance, Harvick secured the NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2014. Throughout his career, he has accumulated numerous race wins and established himself as one of the sport's most prominent figures.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2002: 2002 Racing Season

In 2002, Kevin Harvick concentrated on the Cup Series, started his first Daytona 500, was fined for a post-race incident, suspended for rough driving in a Truck race at Martinsville, rebounded and scored his first career Winston Cup pole position, and won his third Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

2004: 2004 Racing Season

In 2004, Kevin Harvick had a bizarre incident at Bristol when his arm went numb, missed the Chase for the Cup, had conflicts with Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne, placed third in the voting for Most Popular Driver, and won the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

2005: Missed Chase for First Time

In 2005, Harvick missed the chase for the first time and finished a disappointing 19th in the final standings.

2009: Wins in Nationwide and Truck Series

Despite not winning in the Cup Series in 2009, Kevin Harvick had a total of 5 wins across the Nationwide and Truck series. He won the Nationwide Series race at Bristol and the Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Gil Martin became the new crew chief for Harvick. Harvick asked for a release of his contract at the end of the 2009 season.

2009: Winless Since 2009

In 2021, Kevin Harvick went winless for the first time since 2009, marking the end of a long streak of seasons with at least one victory.

2009: First Points Finish Outside Top 10 Since 2009

In 2022, Kevin Harvick finished the season 15th in the points standings, marking his first points finish outside the top 10 since 2009, highlighting a significant change in his season-long performance.

2010: Intentional Wreck at Ford 400

During the 2011 season, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were embroiled in a feud. Harvick intentionally wrecked Busch at the 2010 Ford 400 at Homestead.

May 2011: Probation and Fine for Incident at Darlington

In May 2011, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were placed on probation and fined $25,000 by NASCAR after a post-race incident at Darlington. Harvick intentionally wrecked Busch at the 2010 Ford 400 at Homestead.

2014: Nationwide Series Schedule and Daytona 500 Result

In 2014, Kevin Harvick ran a partial schedule in the Nationwide Series, competing in a minimum of 12 races for JR Motorsports. Despite a second-place finish in his Budweiser Duel, he failed post-race inspection and started the Daytona 500 in 38th. Harvick ran upfront during the Daytona 500 but was caught up in a last-lap crash and scored 13th.

2016: 2016 Season Summary

In 2016, Harvick had a challenging start in the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Chicagoland but secured a win the following week at Loudon. He faced a setback at Dover but dominated and won at Kansas. He finished 3rd at Homestead-Miami. If NASCAR used a full-season points format, Harvick would have won his 3rd championship in 2016.

2018: 2018 Season

In 2018, Harvick started the season with a DNF at the Daytona 500, but followed with dominant back-to-back wins at Atlanta and Las Vegas. This marked his 100th career win across NASCAR's top three series. He faced an L1 penalty after his Las Vegas win due to a rear window issue. Despite the penalty and his crew chief's absence, Harvick won his 40th career win at Phoenix, achieving three consecutive wins for the first time. He continued to perform well, securing his fourth win at Dover and fifth at Kansas, tying his most wins in a season. Harvick also won the All-Star Race for the first time in 11 years. He secured his sixth win at New Hampshire and seventh at Michigan, marking a highly successful season.

2019: 2019 Season

In 2019, Harvick started the season by winning Duel 1 at Daytona, but finished 26th in the Daytona 500 after a late crash. He then achieved six consecutive top-10 finishes, including three top-fives. He experienced ups and downs, with strong runs and poor finishes due to issues like loose wheels and wrecks. Despite challenges, he secured wins at New Hampshire, Michigan, and Indianapolis. Harvick's playoff performance was consistent, advancing to the Round of 12 with impressive finishes. He made his 677th career start, surpassing Dale Earnhardt's total starts, and secured his fourth win of the season at Texas, making his fifth Championship 4 appearance. He finished third in the standings for the third consecutive season.

2019: First DNF Since 2019

In 2021, Kevin Harvick experienced his first DNF since the 2019 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race, highlighting a period of consistent race finishes prior to this setback.

2020: No Guest Analyst Role

In 2020, Kevin Harvick was not one of Fox's guest analysts, and the "Drivers Only" broadcast was not done due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: 2021 Cup Season

In 2021, Kevin Harvick started the Cup season with three consecutive top-ten finishes, joining Michael McDowell as the only drivers to achieve this. However, his streak ended at Las Vegas with a 20th-place finish. He finished 37th at the Circuit of the Americas due to a collision, marking his first DNF since 2019. Harvick criticized NASCAR for the poor visibility during the race. Despite not winning a race for the first time since 2009, he still made the playoffs through consistency.

2022: 2022 Season

In 2022, Kevin Harvick started the season with a 30th-place finish at the Daytona 500. Despite consistent finishes, he had four DNFs but broke a 65-race drought with a win at Michigan, becoming the 15th different winner of the season. He then secured his 60th career victory at Richmond. During the Southern 500, his car caught fire, relegating him to last in the Playoff standings. A crash at Kansas resulted in his third consecutive DNF, leading to his elimination in the Round of 16. His crew chief was suspended and fined for a post-race penalty at Talladega, and the team was docked points. Harvick finished the season 15th in the points standings, his first finish outside the top 10 since 2009.