“I’ve Officially Screwed Up” – Kevin Harvick’s Return to Racing Derailed by Mother Nature at North Wilkesboro

It seems like Mother Nature has played spoilsport again. After preventing the zMAX CARS Tour at North Wilkesboro Speedway during the NASCAR All-Star race weekend, thunder and lightning have resulted in yet another delay, but this time for the NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick. However, this hasn’t dampened the excitement, as the doubleheader is featuring plenty of star-studded names, with the likes of Kevin Harvick, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones, Sammy Smith, and Layne Riggs set to participate.

After the drama and tension from Throwback 276 at Hickory Motor Speedway, drivers will hope to have a cleaner race this time around, while Kevin Harvick, who made a blunder during qualifying, will be forced to start in the middle of the pack.

Kevin Harvick is excited to get behind the wheel once again

The event, featuring Late Model Stock Car and Pro Late Model Tour races, was originally supposed to be held during the All-Star weekend on May 15th. However, with rain postponing the zMAX CARS Tour from returning to the historic facility at that time, the event was postponed until the Olympics break. While many NASCAR drivers are using this time to go on vacation, get married, or enjoy a well-earned rest, plenty of drivers across the three national series are itching to compete on the 0.625-mile track.

With qualifying completed before weather caused a delay at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Kevin Harvick is set to begin the race at P20 of 33 drivers. In a video uploaded on X, the future NASCAR Hall of Famer said, “Here we are, and I’ve officially screwed up qualifying so I get to start in the middle of the field. But that doesn’t matter, we’re having fun anyway. We’re back in Wilkesboro and for us in the CARS Tour, this is just fantastic. To see these bright lights, great for our competitors. We’ve got a great crowd. The weather has been a little iffy, but I think we’re going to have a good night of racing. I’m excited to be back in the car, hopefully, I don’t screw it up anymore, but we’re going to have some fun regardless.”

The lightning hold, that had stalled the double-header event, was lifted at 8:15 pm EST. The CARS Tour then underwent its customary pre-race ceremonies, and Kevin Harvick will hope that rain stays away so that fans can enjoy uninterrupted racing. Harvick, who starts at P20, will be one spot behind Trackhouse Racing’s development driver, Connor Zilisch. Brenden Queen will be starting on the pole for the main event, while Connor Hall will hope to extend his championship lead with a victory.

The CARS Tour, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks, has done wonders in promoting short-track grassroots racing. The likes of Brenden Queen, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch have already competed in NASCAR, a testament to how successful their grassroots racing initiative has been. As for Kevin Harvick, the 48-year-old is looking to enjoy his post-retirement racing adventure at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Harvick outlines expectations for a double-header at North Wilkesboro

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The CARS Tour has played an instrumental role in the revival of North Wilkesboro Speedway after the track went nearly two decades with barely any action. In 2022, the CARS LMSC Tour conducted a month-long revival event, proving that the track has plenty of racing left in it. Fast forward to the present day, and the 0.625-mile track has become a staple for NASCAR and the CARS Tour and played host to the All-Star race in 2024. Recently, the track has also been freshly repaved, which will provide a better experience to CARS Tour drivers.

Highlighting his expectations from the race at North Wilkesboro, Kevin Harvick told FloRacing’s Rob Blount, “I learned that I’m slow. That’s what I learned the most and you know it’s hard to come in here and compete with these guys when they race all the time. The track is obviously a lot different but it’s still North Wilkesboro and for us, we’re very fortunate to have a race track like this that believes in what we do at the CARS Tour. You see that, this is a tough weekend to come and have a makeup race with a rain date, and to have this many cars show up says a lot about our competitors and we appreciate that.”

A year after he announced his retirement, Kevin Harvick will be piloting the #62 Late Model Stock Car at North Wilkesboro Speedway. While he hasn’t been a regular on the circuit, Kevin Harvick will be participating in the CARS Tour for the first time since he participated in a Southern Super Series event at Five Flags Speedway. Despite finishing 13th, Kevin Harvick will be optimistic about his chances this time around, even though he is starting the race from the middle of the pack.

What are your thoughts about Kevin Harvick’s chances at North Wilkesboro? Let us know in the comments!