Kevin Harvick Confirms Dale Earnhardt Jr. Accurate in Assessment That SHR Driver Will Be More Aggressive and Settling Scores in 2023
Kevin Harvick will be hanging up his helmet at the end of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. When he does, fans will remember him for his 2014 championship and 60 wins, including the 2007 Daytona 500.
They’ll also recall the rivalries and conflicts with numerous drivers throughout his career. This week, while talking with the media before his last Great American Race, the 47-year-old admitted there wouldn’t be any new rivalries developing in his final year. That’s because the Stewart-Haas Racing driver plans on immediately repaying any of his fellow competitors whenever he’s been wronged and confirmed what Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggested last month about amping up the aggression level in the No. 4 car.
Kevin Harvick won’t care in 2023 and will drive aggressively, according to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
While Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t always get along, including the SHR driver directing some harsh remarks at the NASCAR Hall of Famer in 2017, the pair rekindled their friendship in recent years, as evidenced by the announcement last month that they were joining Jeff Burton and Justin Marks as new co-owners of the CARS Tour.
Around that same time, Harvick also announced that he was retiring after the 2023 season. Junior shared what he thought of the driver’s career on social media.
“Incredible career for @KevinHarvick,” Earnhardt wrote on Twitter. “His path to becoming a champion wasn’t an easy one. I always respected his talent and approach through the years. I predict absolutely ZFG in the final year. Imagine he will be fun to watch.”
Harvick validates what Earnhardt said
On Sunday, Kevin Harvick will be racing in his 22nd Daytona 500. He’s had success on the 2.5-mile track recently, with a couple of top-five finishes in the last four races.
Before his final appearance on the sport’s biggest stage, Harvick visited with reporters and answered a variety of questions. Among them — is there any truth that he will be more aggressive in his final year?
“Dale Jr. summed it up best for me,” Harvick said. “He said, ‘This is your NFG Tour. I said, ‘You’re right.’ If we have to settle scores, we settle them immediately. We aren’t waiting until next week. If it rolls, we’re settling it.”
Austin Cindric confirms SHR driver more aggressive at Clash
Kevin Harvick has raced once in 2023 in the Clash at the Coliseum and already proven he’s taken his aggression level to the next level. Reigning Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric confirmed that this week when he visited with reporters and shared the story of his firsthand experience with the veteran driver at the exhibition race in California.
“My most recent encounter with Kevin was at the Coliseum and I got dumped twice in one heat race,” Cindric said. “It’s been fun getting to know him. I would categorize him as a polarizing figure just because I feel like he speaks his mind. I feel like that does a lot for the industry.
“I have gotten an ass-chewing from Kevin at COTA last year. That was an interesting experience. I feel like understanding where he sits and where his career is at, I think it’ll be fun to see how he races this year. And by that, I don’t think he’s going to care about anyone else all year. And I think the Coliseum was a good gauge of that.”
The 2023 season was already going to be a memorable one for Harvick and the No. 4 crew. Sounds like it’s going to be even more entertaining and unforgettable than expected.
