Kevin Harvick Matches NASCAR Legends Dale Earnhardt & Richard Petty’s Historic Feats in Phoenix

Four races into the calendar and Kevin Harvick isn’t having the best of the seasons. In fact, for a driver of his talent and resume, 2022 has been quite underwhelming.

However, after the race in Phoenix which his teammate won, Harvick entered a very exclusive club that has only two members. And the two members aren’t just any NASCAR greats, they’re the ‘very best’ – Dale Earnhardt & Richard Petty.

The club in question is of having most consecutive finishes inside the Top 10 at a specific track. With his sixth-place finish on Sunday, Harvick has now finished 18 times inside the Top 10 in Phoenix, tying the said record with Earnhardt and Petty.

Kevin Harvick insists things will get better with time

In a recent interview with Racer, the Stewart Haas Racing driver described their approach to the opening few races of the season as “a mindset of survival.”

“We’re learning a lot about these race cars in regard to wear and tear on the parts and pieces, how to fix things, how well you can fix things and the tendencies of the car,” he added.

Kevin Harvick argued that the mistakes are inevitable simply because of the radical change in things like gear shifts, pit stops, and more. He believes there are “a lot of things to learn.” 

He recalled even in 2021, SHR had to run in races with a less than ideal car, and still, they managed not only survival but solid finishes.

The former Richard Childress Racing driver believes that instead of banging the fist on the table in frustration, everyone should be patient. “There are going to be weeks this year where the car is just not going to be very good, and you have to figure it out and grind it out,” Harvick added.

“Those things just come with time.”

Also Read: New Dawn for Gene Haas as NASCAR Driver Chase Briscoe Adds to Positive F1 Development in Phoenix