![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210211151625/GettyImages-1129400408.jpg?width=600)
via Getty
AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 09: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway on March 9, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/20210211151625/GettyImages-1129400408.jpg?width=600)
via Getty
AVONDALE, AZ – MARCH 09: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway on March 9, 2019 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
Meeting the President of the United States is a rare opportunity that most people can only dream of experiencing once in a lifetime. Yet, for NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick, this dream became a reality not once but twice during his career. As he reflected on his recent uncomfortable exchange with former President Donald Trump at the Coca-Cola 600 race in Charlotte, Harvick found himself reminiscing about another yet very different encounter with a former president.
Is Kevin Harvick drawing parallels between his experiences with the two former presidents?
Poll of the day
Kyle Larson & HMS Are Planning to Return to Indy 500 Next Year. But Should They?
Yes! It Is Great for NASCAR
No, It Was a Disaster This Time
Kevin Harvick had an interesting encounter with Donald Trump, who was in attendance for the Coca-Cola 600 last week. In his recent podcast episode, The Happy Hour, Harvick shared the story of how Clint Bowyer was ‘thrown off the roof‘ by Trump’s Secret Service. He said, “Clint goes bebopping out of the booth, down the steps, and just starts to go towards Trump. I mean, there’s Secret Service everywhere, and they all but threw him off the roof.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Then Harvick takes a trip down memory lane as he vividly recounts the moments he met President Bush, whose passion for motorsports was very evident. Putting emphasis on the entire pit road situation, Harvick revealed, “But it was the mid-2000s, whenever that was, they just, they didn’t let anybody on Pit Road. Really? Drivers, a couple of people from NASCAR, Secret Service, and the president.”
He continued, “And it was the greatest pre-race show I’ve ever been involved with in my life because there was not one person on Pit Road. And he came and talked to the drivers and gave the command, I believe, that day. But President Bush, he was a cool one, too.”
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/5e486b4ebf853.webp?width=150&blur=15)
Harvick vividly describes how President Bush went above and beyond in sharing the significance of each element with the Oval Office when Harvick visited the White House. He said, “When we went to the White House that year, after whoever won the championship, they used to take all ten of us, and we went into the Oval Office, and he explained every piece of art, where his desk came from, why he chose it, and every piece of art, some of it was from the Smithsonian, different museums around the country, and why he picked the carpet, and they get to decorate everything themselves.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
President Bush was so engrossed in the conversation, that Bush’s personnel had to remind him to stop himself. But what stood out the most to Harvick was President Bush’s genuine interest in engaging with NASCAR drivers.
Also breaks down the pit drama that unfolded at the Coca-Cola 600
Trending
Kyle Busch’s Wife Samantha Surprisingly Embracing Indian Culture Has Fans Going Gaga Over Fashionista Status
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-1240218799.jpg?width=300)
NASCAR Rumor: Courtesy of a $38.76B Sponsor, Tony Stewart’s Dark Horse Secures a Seat With Brad Keselowski at RFK Racing
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/GettyImages-627072846-1.jpg?width=300)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Enraged at Bubba Wallace After He Shot Himself in the Foot, Leaving Michael Jordan in Agony
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Untitled-design-91-21.jpg?width=300)
NASCAR Fans Urge Kyle Busch for a U-Turn Amid Rumors of Rick Hendrick’s Underachiever’s Exit
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Rick-Hendrick-and-Kyle-Busch-1.jpg?width=300)
Despite Alex Bowman’s Confidence, $12.67 Billion Sponsor Could Leave Him Hanging Out of HMS if the Tides Don’t Turn
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2022-03-12T201334Z_1117556456_MT1USATODAY17881011_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-RUOFF-MORTGAGE-500-PRACTICE-QUALIFYING.jpg?width=300)
The Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway was not just raining and thunder and high-speed rating. It was an intense drama that unfolded in the pit stalls between Chris Buescher and Denny Hamlin.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
FOX analyst Kevin Harvick dissected what exactly happened in the pits and external factors that affected that drama, like the pit stall position and the layout of the track. Harvick highlights the close quarters and the limited space for the cars to move around in the pits, especially on a track like Charlotte with shorter pit stalls. “The pit stalls are short in Charlotte, so Denny Hamlin was running in front of Chris Buescher.”
The main problem was the placement of Bueshcer’s pit stall, which was placed right ahead of Hamlin’s, creating a chain reaction effect that made it difficult for both drivers to navigate their way in and out smoothly. The Charlotte race saw a lot of controversy this season, and as NASCAR heads to Illinois, it’ll be good to see how the weekend turns out to be for the drivers who haven’t bagged a single win this season.