Max Verstappen Sends a Priceless Gift to “The Closer” Kevin Harvick on Retirement, Son Keelan Fanboys Over 2023 F1 Champ

23 years in the making. Kevin Harvick’s time at the top tier of NASCAR and in racing came to an end with the season finale at Phoenix. For the last few months, tributes were showered on the driver at every track that he raced on. During Sunday’s Championship 4 race, the crowd was in its best spirits to give the icon the farewell that he deserved. Every time he passed the stands, a wave of cheers filled the air that made us question if it was Harvick or Dale Earnhardt Jr behind the wheel.

The #4 driver made sure that he put on a good show for his fans, leading a few laps in stage 2 and eventually finishing P7. With emotions and tears following the race, it wasn’t just the NASCAR fandom that was grateful to Harvick for his inspiring career.

Formula 1 Champion Max Verstappen tips his hat to Kevin Harvick

Mobil 1 Racing, who is associated with the Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, gifted the retiring legend a race-worn helmet that was also signed by the European driver. Accepting it along with his son, Keelan, Harvick was extremely pleased with the gesture. Expressing his surprise, he said, “Look at that! Man, that is unbelievable!”

Mobil 1 has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing for many years now, including the 2014 season in which Kevin Harvick was crowned champion. Their gift to the driver after his 826th and final Cup Series start was a fitting honor for his illustrious career. Appearing on the scene, Keelan Harvick was equally exuberant with receiving the helmet. The young driver had already made it known that he wants to race in the European circuits when he is older. Max Verstappen’s helmet should have only made that desire run deeper.

Kevin Harvick can be heard deciding to send one of his own helmets back to the Formula 1 champion. He said, “What we should do is send him one back. I’ll send him one of mine. You want to do that? Let’s do that.”

The exchange between two champions of motorsports reflects the respect that transcends boundaries. Kevin Harvick’s career has been a satisfying, compliant-free ride for him. Come 2024, he will be following in the footsteps of Dale Earnhardt Jr to join a media house as an analyst. He will be taking up the mic for Fox Sports next year.

Kevin Harvick is satisfied with his fulfilling run in the Cup Series

During the pace laps before Sunday’s main race, Keelan Harvick and his sister Piper were heard on the #4 team’s radio. Congratulating and wishing their father on his final race, they made the driver choke up in emotion. Finishing the day with a stellar run that gave him a top-10 finish, he sounded satisfied with the day and his years at the top. He said, as reported by racer.com, “I’ve just got to thank all the fans and NASCAR, my family, and everybody for all the support. It’s been a great ride, and I can’t complain.”

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Harvick’s career comes to a full circle with 60 wins, in which he has conquered Indianapolis, Daytona, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500. Talking about how the race day summed up his career’s achievements, he continued, “This whole year has been incredible with the fans and the garage and everybody [with] all the support. We wanted to tell a story of 30 years, and I think we did a pretty good job at that.”

After the event, the driver had to stay on the pit road for a long while with many drivers including Tyler Reddick and Ryan Preece coming over to spend their moments with him. Kevin Harvick will definitely be missed on the grid in the years to come, for his impact on the sport has been such. Thankfully, he will still be on the tracks as an analyst for the foreseeable future.

Read More: “Huge Max Verstappen Fan”: Former NASCAR Champion Surprises His Son at the Star-Studded Miami GP