Kevin Harvick Lets Slip of Former Boss Richard Childress’ ‘Wild and Crazy’ Presence in NASCAR: “He Loves to Have S**T Stirred Up”

Short-track racing seems to bring out the worst in drivers, and with the Richmond race coming up, more of the same can be expected. While modern-era drivers are well-mannered even while expressing their frustration at their rivals, Kevin Harvick back in 2003 didn’t hold back in expressing his emotions to Ricky Rudd.

Harvick is one of those who likes to stray away from the drama, but during his time at RCR, he never shied away from confrontation. Even if it came at the cost of losing the races at times. The reason behind his flamboyant and aggressive personality was his owner, Richard Childress. During the recent episode of the Happy Hour podcast, a former SHR driver laid down his boss’s true character traits. One that was unapologetic and outright passionate about racing.

Kevin Harvick explains what it was like to race under Richard Childress

During the podcast show, Harvick was asked about his incident with Ricky Rudd back in 2003. Driving the No. 29 RCR car, he was shoved into the wall by Rudd in a race when he was third in the points race. This saw him finish the race in 16th place, but he was quick to retaliate against Rudd. While the melee was avoided, Harvick lashed out some not-so-sweet words at the Wood Brother driver.

Talking about what sparked this reaction from him during the race, Harvick credited his behavior trait to his former owner, Richard Childress. He further went on to explain, “People don’t realize how wild and crazy Richard Childress is. I mean, he loves to have sh*t stirred up. He at the racetrack is as intense a dude you will ever going to meet.”

Back in the day, RCR was a powerhouse team, and Richard Childress didn’t like to get a rubbing from rival teams. Harvick even spoke about how competitive and passionate the 78-year-old NASCAR veteran was back in the day. “He expects you to have that fire and enthusiasm about caring, about winning or losing. It is an eye for an eye, if somebody runs you over, he expects you to run them back over ASAP, and he is going to encourage it.”

However, this was not the only confrontation Harvick had over his 20 years of racing in NASCAR. While there are a bunch of them, his rivalry with Kyle Busch still tops the list.

Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch, one of the most heated rivalries in NASCAR’s history

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During the 2011 NASCAR season, the tension between the two reached its peak. The heated battle started when Busch got turned by Harvick in Turn 2. This continued in Turn 3 as the two made contact, and this time Rowdy had to give in. The real drama unfolded after the race, when Harvick tried to confront Busch.

Harvick stopped his car and tried to reach for Busch’s window. But the JGR No. 18 driver was not in the mood for dialogue and made a quick escape. In doing so, he bumped Harvick’s car, which then hit the pit wall. Apart from feuding on the track, they were also competing as owners in the Truck Series, which added fuel to the fire.

However, things were getting out of hand, and both drivers had to squash their beef. Ever since then, Harvick has toned down his aggression, which helped him bag his only championship in 2014 with SHR.

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