Kevin Harvick will make his final start in his home state Sunday with the NASCAR Cup Series visit to Sonoma Raceway.
Harvick, the 2017 winner at Sonoma, is retiring at season’s end. The driver of the No. 4 for Stewart-Haas Racing hails from Bakersfield, Calif., and will make his final left-and-right turns at Sonoma with a mind on winning and soaking in the moment.
“I’ve learned this year that you can take advantage of the year and get away with thinking both ways,” Harvick said. “For me, Sonoma is one of the places that I’ve raced at for so long and really spent a lot of time up there in my West Coast days with the Southwest Tour car and all the different things that I’ve been fortunate to race there.
“We’ve won a few races there and I think going up there and seeing all of the California fans for the last time is obviously something you’ve got to stop and pay attention to. I’m looking forward to that. I know the track has a lot of exciting things planned that week, along with the West Coast Hall of Fame and everything happening there. It’ll be a big week to take it all in.”
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Although the season is his last, Harvick has made a conscious effort on the team’s performance and celebrating his career. There has been specialty merchandise and paint schemes. And with only a few tracks on the circuit – like Sonoma – only being visited once, Harvick knows he needs to relish in all the final moments.
“Fontana was the first place that I went to and was like, ‘Wow, this racetrack’s going to be gone — nobody’s going to race here again. You’re not ever going to set foot on that racetrack again,’” said Harvick. “And for me, that’s one that’s obviously pretty close to home, growing up in California, and growing up at California Speedway on that racetrack.
“Phoenix was a little bit of the same way, but we get to go back there again, and that being the last race is obviously pretty fitting for me, personally. I’m at a point in my career where I’m just taking it all in.”
The weekend will be special in two other ways for Harvick. Sunday will be his 806th career start in the Cup Series, which will move him to ninth all-time. Harvick will surpass Jeff Gordon on the list.
To begin the weekend, Harvick was inducted into the West Coast Stock/Motorsports Hall of Fame.