USA Today via Reuters
Oct 23, 2022; Homestead, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) waves to the race fans along the front stretch before the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Oct 23, 2022; Homestead, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) waves to the race fans along the front stretch before the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Recently, NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick announced that he was retiring at the end of the 2023 season. Naturally, there was an out-pour of tributes for the 2014 Cup Series champion. Among them was a touching tribute from Stewart-Haas Racing team owner, Tony Stewart. The 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion had competed against Harvick in the past, so there was healthy mutual respect between them.
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Stewart mentioned in his tribute, “Kevin, I remember my first impression of you. Just another punk racer with a fiery reputation. Damn… I’ve never been happier to be wrong. Like myself, I think you’re often misunderstood. You’ve done things your way and never apologised for it. When others misunderstood us, we understood each other. That mutual respect as a competitor grew into a friendship. That friendship has allowed me to get to know the man behind the visor.”
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What else did Tony Stewart say about Kevin Harvick?
According to him, Harvick was a consistent driver and was very calculating and a fierce racer. However, in addition to that, he was also a very family-oriented man. Stewart looked back at Harvick’s Cup debut, where he faced ‘unimaginable circumstances’. Stewart noted that the 2014 Cup champion stepped into the car gracefully, and evolved into a fearless racer. He said that from a competitive standpoint, he could not think of anyone better than Harvick.
via Getty
HAMPTON, GA – AUGUST 29: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Bass Pro Shops / Mobil 1 Chevrolet, speaks to the media prior to practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on August 29, 2014 in Hampton, Georgia. Stewart hit and killed sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. during a dirt track race August 9, after Ward Jr. had exited his car. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Stewart declared that Kevin Harvick was one of the smartest and most versatile drivers he ever competed against. No matter the circumstances, he was always competitive. The ex-NASCAR driver also confessed that if the Stewart-Haas Racing team got everything right, Harvick would often take the car to the top. Tony Stewart also admitted that when Harvick finally donned the SHR overalls, he was relieved. According to him, Kevin Harvick was a natural choice because he was aware of his talents and made Stewart’s job easy.
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WATCH THIS STORY: NASCAR Community Gets Nostalgic as Kevin Harvick Announces His Retirement
