The Perfect Lap at Phoenix by Kevin Harvick; The Greatest to Ever Conquer The Track

As the NASCAR Cup Series makes its way to Phoenix Raceway on March 11, all eyes are on Josh Berry. After all, the last time the #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang was at the mile-long low-banked tri-oval, the NASCAR community bid farewell to one of the sport’s greatest stars, Kevin Harvick.

So now that Tony Stewart’s camp is on the back foot and in dire need of making a rebound, perhaps Harvick’s advice on how to approach the speedway could come in handy for not just Berry but for Briscoe and Noah Gragson as well. With that said, let’s take a look at how the man who holds the all-time Cup win record at Phoenix Raceway mastered the track.

The Phoenix Raceway’s greatest champ’s take on the racetrack

While this year’s United 500 will witness Harvick move up to the broadcasting booth, there’s no insider more suited to shed light on the track’s dynamics. During his career, the former RCR and SHR driver has bagged 9 Cup wins at Phoenix Raceway, as well as four consecutive wins, three of which came right after he made the shocking move to Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of 2013.

But that’s not all; Harvick also has 20 top-fives and has led over 1700 laps at the racetrack. Even in his last Cup race, the championship round at Phoenix, Harvick kept improving his statistics by bringing in the 31st top-ten of his career by finishing 7th. If that doesn’t make Kevin Harvick the perfect person to help newcomers like Shane van Gisbergen (and SHR’s young squad) get up to speed, then we don’t know what will.

“I’m going to make it simple for you.” Harvick shared on the latest episode of NASCAR on FOX‘s new show, Harvick’s Happy Hour. He took the viewers and the co-hosts through the ideal racing line at Phoenix, he said, “You’re going to drive to the line into one; you’re going to aim for the line on the bottom of the racetrack. You’re going to let off the break, either touch partial throttle or floor it.” 

As the car enters turn two and lines up for an exit, Harvick sticks to the white line until catching the two cone markers into turn three. From there, the former SHR driver reveals a wide exit with the steering angled right for the outer wall at turn three. He continues down to turn three, “Put the left front tire on the trough. As soon as you lift off the break, floor it. Drive to the start-finish line.” 

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After taking a look at how Phoenix Raceway’s greatest victor approaches the tri-oval, it’s safe to say Harvick hasn’t lost touch with his racing lines at all, and very well could have been competitive himself if he were still racing this year. But for the new NASCAR on Fox broadcaster, Harvick wouldn’t have life any other way.

“It’s fun to be around in a different way that is not competitive” – Kevin Harvick is loving his time

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For Kevin Harvick, the 2024 season has so far been a vastly different perspective than what he was used to. With a career spanning over two decades, the former SHR and RCR star now has the opportunity to benefit from witnessing all of the action without having to partake in any of the mental gymnastics that come with it!

Reflecting on his excitement to watch Phoenix from the Fox Booth instead of from within the Ford Mustang, Harvick was delighted to be able to relax and take it all in. He stated, “I’ve enjoyed watching. After all those guys have run into each other, we hear them chirping after the race, and you don’t have to chirp back; you don’t have to worry about who’s mad.” Now that Harvick was out of competition, the 48-year-old could slow down and appreciate the little things in life.

Harvick added, “I just get done and put my headset on the counter and worry about where I’m going to eat dinner and worry about how fast I can get to the airport because there’s just no pressure from that competition mindset, and I think I lived in that for so many years and going to Phoenix, it will bring back a lot of great memories and a lot of fun that we’ve had through the years, but when I was done at Phoenix in the fall and I was able to get done with that chapter and move on to the next one, it’s been fun.” 

The NASCAR on Fox representative seems to be thoroughly enjoying himself in the new broadcasting role, appreciating the opportunity to view his beloved motorsport from a new perspective. He concluded, “Being able to be involved in the sport that I love and really have built my life around, it’s fun to be around in a different way that is not competitive.” 

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It’s safe to say Kevin Harvick couldn’t have ended his career on a higher note at Phoenix, but now that he enters his beloved racetrack in a new seat, do you think the man who has taken over the #4 at SHR will succeed?