Twenty-five years ago at Twin Ring Motegi Speedway, a father-son duo raced as fans watched in awe. It was Dale Earnhardt and Junior going side by side and setting some big standards for the generations to follow. And, today, Kevin and Keelan Harvick are continuing the legacy and are becoming a crowd favorite.

Just a year since Harvick hung up his fire suit, and, it seems we’ll soon see him in the car again. But this one comes different. Guiding the pathway for his son Keelan, Harvick, just like any other father is planning to carve a niche for him. And, now, that the two have announced a venture together, Harvick has some special advice for the next-generation NASCAR champ.

At 12, Keelan is an unstoppable force already

Coming off an impressive 2024 season, Keelan Harvick had secured 27 victories in 49 races. With the same determination and drive that defined his father’s career, Keelan is proving he is no less. It was just a year ago that he took baby steps into late-model racing, and finished eighth in his Limited Late Model debut at Florence Motor Speedway. Fast forward three months and the young racer is not just competing—he is winning in a commanding fashion.

Definitely, Harvick is a doting father, and just as Keelan made an entry into this world, he invested in a team. This comes when it has owners, like, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks. So, at this point, Harvick understands the tracks better and it also helps Keelan to land better opportunities under Hunt Brother’s Pizza and big banners. So as the father and son duo is set to compete at Kern Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., in May Harvick had some casual warnings for his son. He said, “So you know, my big thing to him is you better not wreck me. Because if you wreck me, I’m paying for both cars and our program is paying for both cars. If you wreck me, we’re gonna have a big problem. You better make sure it matters.” 

We know Keelan tends to wreck, given that he is very competitive and still very young. So, definitely, the father-son rivalry is going to be fun as they prepare to go head-to-head in the CARS Tour West Pro Late Model series. Harvick will be driving the No. 29 Hunt Brothers Pizza late model (this number is forever linked to his legendary career). Meanwhile, Keelan, fresh off his first Limited Late Model victory at Florence, will drive the No. 62 Hunt Brothers Pizza late model. For Keelan, the number is not just a choice—it’s a tribute to his grandfather, John Paul Linville, keeping a three-generation family legacy alive on the track.

Additionally, if we take a look back at Keelan’s power drive at the Icebreaker Limited Late Model event in Florence. He didn’t just take the pole, the 12-year-old started to control the complete race. Even Kevin Harvick said, “He, won his first Limited model race… So that was pretty cool to be able to see that in our own car. But I started driving the Pro Model, I started driving the Super Late Model, I started driving the late model stock. We went to Florence where he’s been racing, and that was partially I raced there first because I wanted to know the lingo of what the track was like..” So, maybe Harvick’s concern is real, Keelan might wreck him! 

During his recent race at Florence, Keelan was unstoppable. Lap after lap, he pulled away, leaving the competitors in dust. By the time he crossed the finish line, he had built an astonishing four-second lead over second place.

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Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick puts his bet on the Daytona 500 winner 

The Daytona 500 is all set and within a few days the track will roar with the familiar sound of the engines. Just before the race is scheduled, fans are now arguing about who is the probable winner of the race. Even Kevin Harvick has got his very own favorite and it seems that he is hyping the driver up with all his might. 

Speaking of the same, Harvick said, “My best bet would probably be Ryan Blaney. I love the speed. I love the enthusiasm. I think he’s a good superspeedway racer. He’s proven that through the years. I think it’s like we talked earlier. I think it’s just time that those marquee races, those marquee moments—I mean, he’s going to capitalize on some of those as we go through, you know, capitalize on some of those as we go through; it may not be this year, might be this year.”

We know Ryan Blaney’s been good in the superspeedway, particularly at Talladega Superspeedway. He has 3 wins, in 2023, 2020, and 2019. Even at Daytona, the Penske driver has 2 wins, one in 2018 and the other in 2021. But do you see the pattern here? Almost 5 years in a row he has a superspeedway win. So maybe Harvick is right, Blaney is indeed going to capitalize and make it a Penske year again.