The NASCAR Olympic break is over, but it seems not everyone has returned to the track just yet. Kevin Harvick, though retired from the Cup and Xfinity series, decided to take a little detour from his vacation and jump back behind the wheel on August 3rd in the CARS Tour race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. This race, part of Dale Jr.’s brainchild and co-owned by Harvick himself, along with Justin Marks and Jeff Burton, saw Harvick piloting his No. 62 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet in the Window World 125 Late Model Stock Car event. Originally scheduled for May, this race was rescheduled due to weather, making Harvick’s return all the more anticipated.

Given Harvick’s impressive résumé—30 years of racing, 2 Xfinity Series championships, and 1 Cup Series title—you’d expect him to be a top contender, right? But it looks like the break from NASCAR may have thrown him off a bit, or it’s the track that plays Harvick. Despite his seasoned experience, Harvick finished the race in 10th place, a surprising result for a driver of his caliber.

Kevin Harvick’s “respectable” result from the CARS Tour at North Wilkesboro Speedway

It was time for NASCAR on Fox’s Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, and although the former RCR driver was on vacation, he did the episode remotely. In the episode, after discussing the highly controversial No. 3 RCR win in Richmond, Kaitlyn Vincie, Harvick’s co-host, asked, “Kevin I know you’re busy, and I know you’re on vacation right now, but you did make your return to North Wilkesboro behind the wheel of a late-model stock car at a very cool racetrack. As I mentioned, how was it?”

“Yeah, how’s your pride?” jokingly chimed in Mamba Smith, another co-host who was referring to Harvick’s P10 finish. Harvick also took the second question as a joke and replied, “Oh boy, my pride’s good,” and continued, “I finished 10th, so that was somewhat respectable, but I had a lot of fun. You know, those cars are just so different from everything that I’ve raced for the last 20 years. So, I confirmed just the exact same thing that I did in the super late model: if I’m going to race, I’m going to have to race more.”

Although Harvick had a tough time in the race, it motivated him to get back behind the wheel more often. What’s more, Harvick has already begun his planning as he looks determined to win more races in the series that he co-owns. Harvick explained, “I started putting together my schedule for next year, and I’m going to run 14 or 15 races as we go through the year, whether it be the Super Late Model, the Pro Late Model, or Late Model Stock. We’re going to race next year because I just can’t get throttled every time I go. If I’m going to go, I need to be competitive.”

Kevin Harvick ended by acknowledging his finishing position but was happy to still be in the game. A top-10 finish is not bad at all, but knowing Harvick’s caliber, fans expect more from him, and so does he.

Kevin Harvick and Wilkesboro

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Before Cars Tour’s recent race in August, Kevin Harvick made his last appearance at North Wilkesboro during practice and qualifying for the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 17 and 18. Stepping in for Kyle Larson, who was at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion took the wheel of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. In true Harvick fashion, he didn’t just fill in—he competed fiercely, finishing 11th in the Window World 125 on May 17, 2023, at North Wilkesboro.

And this time also a close finish. Maybe it’s not the event or series; it’s the track that does it for Harvick. Adding to it, even Harvick believes that he still needs to polish his skills. The RCR legend completed the 125-lap race with a difference of 3.146 seconds from the race leader, which was quite respectable for a driver from a different format. Returning to grassroots racing after his FOX media commitments wrapped up, Harvick found himself struggling to keep pace with the regulars.

“I learned that I’m slow. That’s what I learned the most,” he shared during the post-race interview. Harvick started 20th out of 33 drivers, and he gained 9 positions in the unfamiliar series race, which is quite impressive. Despite the weather delays, Kevin Harvick had fun at the race as he concluded, “The track is obviously a lot different but it’s still North Wilkesboro… I’m looking to have some fun.” Harvick finished ahead of Zilisch in 15th, but the race was more about learning and enjoying the competition than dominating the track.

With that said, do you think Kevin Harvick will do well in the CARS Tour series next time he gets behind the car? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.