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Kevin Harvick Lets Slip His ‘Hendrick’ Motivation Behind Ditching Richard Childress for Tony Stewart

ByViren Mirpuri

Oct 31, 2024 | 11:12 AM EDT

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Is Hendrick Motorsports' dominance in jeopardy with only one driver likely to make the Championship 4?

It was just Kevin Harvick’s first year at Stewart-Haas Racing when he won the Cup Series Championship. The former No. 4 driver has always been one of the most popular names in the sport and after he retired, he continued his popularity as a podcaster. Kevin Harvick’s career has seen it all, from being a rookie driver to an experienced veteran Cup Series champion and now to being the host of one of NASCAR’s most popular podcasts. Harvick has proved that he is an asset to the NASCAR community; however, there was a time when he was not so confident.

Before Kevin Harvick joined SHR in 2014, he was driving with Richard Childress Racing. In his previous team, he showed promise by making it into the finals; however, the best place finish that he had was 3rd. It was only after he moved to the now-closing team of SHR that he could push forward and win a title in 2014. From being a rookie to becoming a Cup Series Champion, Kevin Harvick recently explained what he believed he needed to win a title.

What was the turning point in Kevin Harvick’s career?

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When Kevin Harvick sat down with Bob Pockrass, he opened up about how his championship with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) didn’t just change his career but gave him peace of mind. Pockrass asked if winning the Cup Series Championship had changed him, either personally or professionally. Harvick’s response was: “I think personally, it just allowed me to move on from the question of, ‘Is this the year you can win a championship? Can you win a championship?'” That title had been the main thing on his mind during his time at Richard Childress Racing (RCR), where he had some great runs but could never quite clinch the championship.

Harvick shared that his move to SHR was all about taking control and finding the right resources to go all the way. “The reason I went to Stewart-Haas Racing was to win a championship,” he explained. But Stewart-Haas Racing’s alliance with Hendrick Motorsports was key to making it happen. “At that time, I felt like I needed something with an ‘H’ in it—’H’ being for Hendrick—to have the resources, horsepower, and all the things that come with that alliance,” Harvick laughed, reflecting on how the team’s setup provided the edge he’d been missing.

Moving to SHR wasn’t just about joining a new team, though—it was about having a say in the team’s direction and being part of the decision-making process. “The ownership gave me a lot of say in what we did, who we did it with, and everything that came with the race team,” Kevin Harvick explained. And in his first season with SHR, everything fell into place. “You know, I think it’s… it’s that the pieces of the puzzle are hard to put together, but when you can put all those things together, it clicks,” he said, recalling that magical 2014 season when he won his championship.

In our piece on champions talking about their titles. One of the questions: How did your championship(s) change you, if at all, personally or as a driver? … Here is Kevin Harvick’s answer: https://t.co/9QcALidrGB pic.twitter.com/peeHGjXupI
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 31, 2024

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Winning that title gave him the freedom to focus on new goals. “For me personally, to accomplish that in the first year just allowed me to focus on other goals instead of being so intensely honed in on just one championship,” he said. Though he didn’t secure another title, Harvick noted that they had “lots of opportunities” to do so. Winning that championship had lifted the weight off his shoulders, and even though he didn’t win another, it felt like everything had come full circle. There’s no doubt that Harvick believes in Hendrick Motorsports.

Kevin Harvick expects at least one Hendrick Motorsports driver to reach the Championship 4

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As the pressure mounts for Hendrick Motorsports, heading into the final Round of 8 race at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick offered his take on the team’s chances of making the Championship 4. With three drivers—Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott—still in the hunt, Hendrick is in a unique spot. While they came into this round as one of NASCAR’s most competitive teams, Harvick sees a potential scenario where only one Hendrick driver advances to Phoenix.

On his Happy Hour show, Harvick and his co-host Mamba Smith discussed the delicate situation. Smith highlighted how Hendrick’s fate is partially tied to the No. 20 car of Christopher Bell. If Bell has a mediocre day, he could allow one or two Hendrick drivers to make it through on points. However, if Bell runs into trouble, the door might open for more than one Hendrick driver. But as Smith put it, if Bell does just “a mediocre job” and keeps his points intact, only one Hendrick car might break through. Harvick echoed this view, agreeing that Hendrick’s path to the Championship 4 is narrow this weekend.

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Is Hendrick Motorsports' dominance in jeopardy with only one driver likely to make the Championship 4?

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When it came down to choosing who might advance, Harvick leaned toward Byron over Larson, despite Larson’s impressive six-win season. He explained that historically, Byron has had better performances at Martinsville and could have the edge. However, he did take into account that these high-stakes races are often unpredictable, where drivers and teams can defy the odds. Harvick’s instincts lead him to bet on Byron, making him Hendrick’s likely representative at Phoenix. Now, it’s just a matter of watching how these drivers perform under the intense spotlight in Virginia.

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Who do you think will make it into the championship 4 this year? Share your predictions in the comments below.

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