“Don’t Let Kyle Busch See This”- Racing Fans Demand Kevin Harvick’s Return as He Falls Short of Penultimate Goal Despite Surpassing All NASCAR Icons

While motorsport has been ruthless toward drivers expecting a long and decorated career in the past, the story is far from true for Kevin Harvick. While the community believed Kevin Harvick would not break the 1200 mark for all-time starts and retire earlier, the 2014 Cup Series champion beat all odds to not just outrank the legendary Richard Petty but also beat Joe Nemechek for the prestigious record of the most all-time starts across all three categories! But unfortunately, while Kevin Harvick still holds that record to this day, it might not last for much longer.

Kyle Busch is steadily climbing the ranks of all-time starts and is poised to overtake The Closer. Before we dive into the NASCAR community’s reaction to how close Kyle Busch is to Kevin Harvick’s elusive record, let’s take a trip down memory lane to recall how Harvick got there.

Kevin Harvick’s mighty climb to the top of the all-time starts leaderboard

It all kicked off in the 2020 season when Harvick started with a tally of 1,151 National Series starts to his name. Only a season earlier, Harvick had knocked off the icon Mark Martin with 1,143 for the third spot on the esteemed list. With Richard Petty’s 1,185 Cup Series impeding the way of Kevin Harvick’s record-breaking run, the No. 4 driver pulled all the right moves over the next three seasons.

But Harvick still had a lot of work cut out for him, with Joe Nemechek steadily adding to his tally of 1,186, which turned into 1,197 starts by the time the 2020 season ended. However, the 2020 season was all about Harvick’s mega climb. At the end of the full season, Harvick had surpassed Richard Petty on the leaderboard for All-time starts and was inching closer to Joe Nemechek with only 10 starts short of Nemechek’s 1,197.

Joe Nemechek stopped adding to his tally after the 2020 season with a few qualifying appearances in the 2021 Truck Series opener at Daytona in 2021 and the Xfinity Series race in 2022. After 32 seasons of competing against some of the finest, Nemechek left his record within arms’ reach for Harvick over the next few years.

Kevin Harvick would finally break that record in April 2021 under the spotlights at Talladega Super Speedway, crossing the line to bag his 1,198th career start across all three NASCAR categories. Harvick then continued to add over 100 races to that tally until his retirement.

WATCH THIS STORY: Hamlin’s Take: NASCAR’s Betting Dilemma

He sealed his career with 1,299 career starts. Just one shy of that jaw-dropping 1300 mark and it’s safe to say this statistic didn’t sit well with the NASCAR community on Twitter!

The NASCAR community is in splits over Kyle Busch’s threat to Harvick’s breathtaking record

Trending

Ricky Rudd Boldly Predicts Shane van Gisbergen to Lose His NASCAR Crown With Cup Series Promotion

Richard Childress Discloses His 6-Word Promise to Kyle Busch Amid Unending NASCAR Misery

NASCAR Lawsuit: France Family Blocked Michael Jordan’s Acquisition of Tony Stewart’s Ruins After SHR Deterioration

After Painful NASCAR Exit, Tony Stewart Shutting Down Prized Venture In Emotional Decision Shocks Fans

Richard Childress Disappointed With NASCAR’s Motives Forcing Him to Possibly ‘Lay a Lot of People Off’

While Kevin Harvick’s record would seem impossible to reach for most modern-day drivers, the same doesn’t apply to Kyle Busch! With 1,214 race starts at the end of this season, Busch is steadily climbing the ranks to dethrone Kevin Harvick and is right behind him in the second spot with an 85-start difference. This is why when NASCAR took to Twitter to highlight Kevin Harvick’s mammoth achievement, the community was split between rooting for Harvick’s return for one final race or Kyle Busch’s charge to take over that coveted spot.

A fan jokingly asked NASCAR to hide the post from Kyle Busch’s eyes, fearing the record would be taken away from Harvick if Busch decided to enter multiple categories to leapfrog the record. He added, “Don’t let Kyle Busch see this he’s about to run full-time in every NASCAR-affiliated series.” On the other hand, a Twitter user could just feel Kyle Busch’s glory days were near once again, “Kyle Busch is coming for that. He’s gotta be close”

A keen-eyed NASCAR fan also pointed out that Harvick’s record has limited days remaining. The user shared, “That’ll hold up until around the end of the 2025 season, assuming Kyle Busch runs 5 Xfinity and Truck series races each of the next two seasons.” Whilst Kyle Busch had stated he would retire from the Xfinity Series after securing his 100th victory which came at the 2021 Nashville race, his entry into four Xfinity races in 2023 could spell trouble for the all-time starts record holder.

But the fans couldn’t help but wish for Harvick to return for one final race so he could make it to the esteemed 1300 club. Whilst another user shared, “Looks like he needs to make one more start.” Another echoed the desire to see The Closer battle it out once more. “There needs to be one more”

READ MORE: Veteran Insider Publicly Snubs NASCAR Greats With Shocking Kyle Larson Verdict

It’s safe to say that Kevin Harvick’s record has the NASCAR community split, especially as he misses out on the 1300 club with one race start remaining. However, Kyle Busch could end the Harvick army’s excitement. But the question remains, how soon will Busch achieve the mega feat?