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A16 SPORTS
Friday 13 January 2023

Harvick: 'It's just time,' racer says of 2023 final season

By JENNA FRYER Harvick shoved Johnson in
AP Auto Racing Writer the chest following a 2015
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — playoff race when Johnson
Kevin Harvick received the tried to speak to him about
same answer nearly ev- an on-track incident.
ery time he asked another "We've had issues, we've
athlete how they decided been great, we've had
to retire: Harvick would just friendship, we've been
know it was time. through it all," Johnson told
The driver thrust onto the AP. "I think there's a great
global stage when he was deal of respect between
named Dale Earnhardt's re- both of us. I truly admire his
placement just days after path and what he's over-
Earnhardt's fatal 2001 crash come. Coming from the
will make this 23rd season West Coast as the starting
his last in NASCAR. The 2014 point, climbing through the
Cup champion heads into ranks, we lose Dale and
his final year tied for ninth he's thrust into that posi-
on NASCAR's all-time wins tion... there's just a lot of
list with 60 career victories, Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship series auto race, layers there and I respect
13 consecutive playoff ap- Sunday, Nov. 16, 2014, in Homestead, Fla. his work ethic and dedica-
pearances and he's one of Associated Press tion and career."
the final active drivers from Harvick, who added a
the sport's halcyon days. And then there's Piper, his spotlight was a blur. Har- pressure to do things his second Busch title in 2006,
"From talking to all the peo- 5-year-old daughter who vick won in his third start, own way and carve out counts the Daytona 500,
ple I've talked to, it always now wants Dad's attention less than a month after his own legacy that really Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard
came down to the same, when she's in her own go- Earnhardt's death, and split ramped up around 2006. 400 and Southern 500
'Oh, you'll know, you'll know kart. his time between his new Some of Earnhardt's spon- among his crown jewel
it is time, you'll know the "You know, Keelan, he Cup ride and the Busch Se- sors began pulling off the victories. Harvick also won
right moment,'" Harvick said needs that father figure ries championship he was car and Harvick now had NASCAR's first race back
in an interview with The As- in his life, especially as he chasing. to stand on his own and during the pandemic, held
sociated Press ahead of his goes down the racing Harvick competed in 69 prove his worth. in front of empty grand-
Thursday announcement. route," Harvick told the AP. NASCAR national races "We'd gotten through the stands at Darlington Race-
"It's great to be able to go "And then Piper probably that season with a pair tough years of transition- way in May 2020, when
out on your own terms and asks to go to the go-kart of Cup victories and five ing from what Dale liked to NASCAR became the first
plan it how you want it to track more than he does, wins en route to the Busch what I liked, and through all major sport to return to
go, but the biggest thing and having to send her to title. He was busy but grew those battles and conver- competition.
that sticks out to me is my the track by herself really jaded by all the attention, sations, you put your guard Harvick told the AP his own
kids. frustrates me. the endless Earnhardt com- up and become a jerk," handling of the 2013 part-
Being home with them and "You don't want her not to parisons, and the pressure Harvick told the AP. "Look- ing with Richard Childress
seeing the impact that you have the opportunity to of replacing a superstar ing back at it now, you can — in the works for a full year
have with them when you learn like he did. She makes during a yearlong grieving see that you could have before he moved to Stew-
are home, being able to twice as many strides in a period that had engulfed handled things differently, art-Haas in 2014 — is the
be part of that daily pro- day while I'm there than NASCAR. but it was digging my heels biggest regret of his career
cess and be that father fig- she would in a day when Perhaps that is what made in thinking 'I need to do this and is grateful the relation-
ure, it's just time." I'm not there. So there's Harvick so tough. my way now' and that cre- ship is repaired.
Harvick at the end of this just a time when you have He fought with his rivals of- ated some tensions. But I He's forged a strong bond
season will turn his atten- to ask yourself 'What's the ten in his early career and wouldn't trade anything at SHR with co-owner Tony
tion to Kevin Harvick Inc., most important thing for was suspended for a Cup other than Dale's death be- Stewart, crew chief Rodney
his growing management me and my time and my race in 2002 for his actions cause all those things that Childers and his entire No. 4
business, the enjoyable family right now?'" in a Truck Series race at came in the next five years team. Harvick and Childers
time he's spent in the tele- Harvick had already over- Martinsville Speedway a were part of surviving and are currently the longest
vision booth, some bucket come the NASCAR odds day earlier. That incident being successful and build- active driver-crew chief
list racing, and most impor- of breaking into the South- forged a relationship be- ing something and learning pairing in the Cup Series at
tant, his young racing fam- ern-based sport from Ba- tween Harvick and the late what was right and what 10 years. Among their 37
ily. kersfield, California, when Jim Hunter, a NASCAR ex- was wrong." wins is a pair of victories last
Harvick and his wife, DeLa- Richard Childress Racing ecutive who helped Har- His approach led to strained season that snapped a 65-
na, were adamant they said he'd be a Cup rook- vick navigate the politics of relationships, including a race winless streak — the
would not raise racers but ie alongside seven-time the sport. period with seven-time second longest of Harvick's
the slow early days of the champion Earnhardt in Harvick for days refused to NASCAR champion Jimmie career.
COVID-19 pandemic gave 2002. But when Earnhardt discuss his role in the brawl, Johnson. Both had come It was Stewart, the three-
father and son too much was killed on the final lap of only relenting when he fi- to North Carolina from Cali- time Cup champion and
free time and 10-year-old the 2001 season-opening nally accepted that son fornia and both crashed Hall of Famer, who encour-
Keelan is now karting on Daytona 500, Harvick's ca- Keelan needed to hear on Hall of Famer Ron Hor- aged Harvick to make
the international level. The reer was upended. him accept responsibility — naday Jr.'s couch as they an early announcement
young racer spent part of He was in the rebranded even though Harvick had struggled to make it in NAS- about his retirement and
2022 racing in Italy — some- No. 29 Chevrolet five days zero remorse. CAR. enjoy his final year. Stewart
times traveling abroad after Earnhardt's death — Harvick doesn't know if his But as Johnson surged to shunned all sendoffs and
without either parent — less than a week before grittiness developed from title after title, and Har- appreciations in his final
and Harvick figures he saw the 25-year-old's planned those first difficult years af- vick fought through lean season, something Harvick
his son race only three times wedding to DeLana — and ter Earnhardt's death, but years with RCR, the re- told the AP that Stewart
last year. that hectic season in the acknowledges an internal lationship fractured and now regrets.q