Denny Hamlin Recalls the Humbling Kevin Harvick Moment That Made Him “Respect” His Bitter Nemesis After a Decade

2023 marks the final lap of an illustrious career as the 2014 champion takes his last ride. Despite securing a spot in the playoffs this season, Kevin Harvick faced an early exit, vanishing from contention in the very first round. Now, as the Cup Series paddock lands in Miami, there’s an air of nostalgia surrounding Harvick’s swan song. A poignant touch to this farewell tour is provided by the #4 Ford, adorned with a classic red and white Budweiser scheme.

It’s a nostalgic nod to the paint job that graced his car when he clinched the championship in Homestead—a fitting tribute to his glorious past. At the pre-race press conference, emotions ran high as long-time competitor Denny Hamlin opened up about his favorite on-track moments with the retiring legend, humorously admitting that none of these moments were in his favor.

From fiery clashes to respect, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick’s intense track history has shifted gears

Fierce rivalries often define this sport, igniting the passion of fans and drivers alike. One such rivalry that has captured the attention of racing enthusiasts for years is the heated competition between Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. These two drivers have locked horns on the track numerous times, and their competitiveness has always run high.

One memorable clash took place at Bristol in 2014 when Hamlin hurled his HANS device up the track towards Harvick’s #4 car after Harvick spun him. Then, in 2018 in Martinsville, Harvick and Hamlin engaged in an on-track showdown, pushing each other with Harvick break-checking the other sending Hamlin tumbling out of the top 10. Off the track, they’ve shared their fair share of heated moments as well.

However, time has a way of mellowing even the fiercest of rivalries. With Harvick bidding farewell to the sport and Hamlin making his way toward claiming his first championship, it seems that the adrenaline-fueled clashes of the past have given way to respect.

Reflecting on their past battles, Hamlin shared, “Every time I try to think of one, it was definitely not in my favor, that’s for sure. Just kind of the battles we’ve had when we were the two of us were winning all the races.” He mentioned their frequent one-two battles, and among these, a particular race at Loudon stood out.

Hamlin recalled, “One, in particular, the Loudon one was really interesting because, he knew what I was thinking, but I thought I was playing a chess move ahead of him, and he clearly was onto it. Like, the way we kind of battled there at the end, it was a lot of fun and certainly gained a lot of respect for him as a driver off the track.“

It was the 2019 New Hampshire race, where the duo made contact as they exited the final turn, Harvick crossed the line just 0.210 seconds ahead of Hamlin. It was a race marked by intense competition, with Harvick’s late bump giving him the edge over the #11.

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Denny Hamlin’s unforgettable lunch date as he shares his favorite off-track moment with the retiring legend 

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Further, when asked about his favorite off-the-track memory with the Stewart-Haas Racing maestro, Hamlin began, “Gosh, I haven’t had a lot of interactions with Kevin off the track, but one would be kind of when I was vetting Kurt [Busch] with some of his previous teammates.”

“I went to lunch with Kevin,” Hamlin continued, “and just talked with him a little bit about business, and stuff with him.” This lunch meeting was a unique moment in their relationship, as Hamlin mentioned, “It was the first time that I had lunch with a competitor that wasn’t generally just a friend of mine.”

Hamlin concluded, “So that was a good conversation, and, you know, just learned a lot from that during that moment and felt like, uh, you know, we talked about how our crew chiefs work and how similar our career path and all that stuff that we had, so it was really cool.”

With only three races remaining on the calendar, can this future Hall of Famer secure a final victory before he leaves the Cup Series cockpit in Phoenix?

Read more: Sarcastic Denny Hamlin Mocks “Silly” Leadership for Turning NASCAR into “Game of Chance” Amid Massive Schedule Overhaul