Kevin Harvick is already one of the oldest full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers — he turned 44 in December — and the next time he’s in a contract year, there’s a good chance he’ll easily be the oldest on the track.
The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing driver was previously under contract through the 2021 season, but Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, he confirmed that he signed an extension taking him through the 2023 season, shortly after which he’ll turn 48.
The 2014 Cup Series champion has expressed an interest in the broadcast side of NASCAR following his eventual retirement from racing, but that’s clearly not an option for a few more years.
Four more seasons (at least). Kevin Harvick confirms that he has signed an extension with Stewart-Haas Racing through 2023. pic.twitter.com/6e6QsqzeyD
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 8, 2020
Harvick explained his decision regarding the two-year contract extension to the media Saturday:
“The TV and radio stuff is definitely something that I’m extremely interested in doing. But I talked with some of my friends over the offseason just about where I was at with things, and everybody told me the same thing: If you’re not done with that competitive side of it, just keep chasing that side. And I’ve got everything around me I need to be competitive, so just gonna continue doing that.”
Harvick has raced for Stewart-Haas Racing since 2014, and has won 26 of his 49 career checkered flags with Tony Stewart’s team. He has also advanced to the Championship 4 race in five of the six years under the current format, including in the 2019 season when he finished third in the final standings behind champion Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
However, Harvick did seem to imply that he’ll be calling it quits when his new contract expires, which lines up with a new TV broadcast contract. He said, via NBC Sports:
“That timing works well for me from a media standpoint just because of the fact you have the TV contract coming up (in 2024). I think at that particular point you’ll have a fair amount of experience in the new car. You will have hopefully been through the engine change, the vehicle change. There were a number of things that go along with that. I really like racing with the group of guys and the organization that I’m at.”
While Harvick fans are surely happy with their driver confirming he’ll be racing for four more years, his wife, DeLana, might feel a little differently and tweeted her response to the news becoming public:
There are a few of pops’ friends on my 💩💩💩 list 😂🤣😂🤣 #youknowwhoyouare https://t.co/CD3jlpCC7o
— DeLana Harvick (@DeLanaHarvick) February 8, 2020
But his crew chief, Rodney Childers, is obviously digging it:
It’s been hard to hold the excitement in.. 😜 But I’m so excited about keeping this going with such a special group of people.. 👊🏼👊🏼 https://t.co/bS00pr09Pp
— Rodney Childers (@RodneyChilders4) February 8, 2020
The 2020 NASCAR season begins Sunday, February 16 with the Daytona 500.
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