Kevin Harvick’s retirement tour will get another dose of nostalgia in the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro with a throwback number and paint scheme.
Harvick’s Busch Light Ford will sport a paint scheme design similar to the one he used throughout the 2001 season and won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was Harvick’s third career start at the sport’s highest level after he reluctantly inherited the car after the death of Dale Earnhardt.
Along with the scheme will be the same number from the Atlanta race. Harvick will not run the No. 4 as he traditionally does with Stewart-Haas Racing, but instead, in a non-points event, sport the No. 29. Harvick used the number for 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing.
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“When I sat in the 29 for the first time, it really wasn’t by choice, but I definitely wouldn’t have done it any differently,” Harvick said. “Dale’s passing changed our sport forever, and it changed my life forever and the direction it took. Looking back on it now, I realize the importance of getting in the Cup car, and then I wound up winning my first race at Atlanta in the 29 car after Dale’s death. The significance and the importance of keeping that car on the racetrack and winning that race early at Atlanta — knowing now what it meant to the sport, and just that moment in general of being able to carry on — was so important. I had a great 13 years at RCR and really learned a lot through the process because of being thrown into Dale’s car, where my first press conference as a Cup Series driver was the biggest press conference I would ever have in my career, where my first moments were my biggest moments.
“With this being my last year as a Cup Series driver, we wanted to highlight a lot of these moments, and many were made at RCR in that 29 car. So, with the All-Star Race going to North Wilkesboro — a place with a ton of history — we thought it made sense in a year full of milestones and moments to highlight where it all started.”
The Busch Light logos on Harvick’s car for the All-Star Race will be from the 2001 timeframe.
“As a proud sponsor, Busch Light has been along for the ride throughout Kevin Harvick’s celebrated career in NASCAR,” said Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing for Busch Family Brands at Anheuser-Busch. “Kevin’s final All-Star Race is the perfect time for us to revisit a bit of history and bring back the iconic No. 29 paint scheme with our 2001 logo as the ultimate ‘cheers’ to one of Kevin’s most memorable wins. We’re looking forward to seeing some nostalgia on the track come race day.”
Harvick is a two-time winner of the All-Star Race, having captured the $1 million prize in 2007 with Childress and in 2018 with Stewart-Haas. He has competed in every All-Star Race since his Cup Series career began.
The May 21st event will be the first time the All-Star Race is held at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
“I don’t know the last time the All-Star Race was the most anticipated event of the season,” Harvick said. “Fans are going to show up in droves. North Wilkesboro is a great short track, the asphalt’s worn out, and I think it’s going to be a fantastic event.”