December 8, 1975
Kevin Harvick
(Photo: Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway via photopin cc)
Born in Bakersfield, California, USA.
He currently competes full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is the former owner of Kevin Harvick Incorporated, a race team that fielded cars in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series between 2004 and 2011. He is the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and a two-time Xfinity Series champion. Harvick holds the all-time record for Cup Series wins at Phoenix International Raceway with eight wins. Harvick is also the third winningest driver in Xfinity Series history with 46 wins.
Harvick began kart racing at an early age in 1980. Over the next decade Harvick achieved considerable success on the go-cart racing circuit, earning seven (7) national championships and two (2) Grand National championships.
In 1992, he started racing late models part-time in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series and he competed there while still in high school. While in 5th grade Harvick gave a glimpse of his future career plans when he completed a class project poster listing his goals as competing in NASCAR and racing at the Indy 500. Harvick's father, a firefighter and fixture around the Bakersfield racing scene, built him his first car to compete in the lower NASCAR Series by using the money he earned to run his own garage, Harvick Motorsports. When Harvick could not race, such as in the winter, he competed on his high school wrestling team at Bakersfield's North High School winning a sectional title in his weight class his senior year. Growing up Harvick also participated in baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Originally intending to attend college and major in architecture, Harvick took classes at Bakersfield College. However he found his heart was in racing and dropped out to continue his racing career full-time.
Kevin Harvick married wife DeLana on February 28, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had met the previous year at Michigan Speedway where at the time she was working in public relations for fellow driver Randy LaJoie. DeLana had worked in a similar capacity for Jeff Gordon previously and had even dabbled in race driving herself. Her father is former NASCAR Busch series driver John Paul Linville.
The couple live in Oak Ridge, North Carolina with their son Keelan. The Harvicks also own a vacation home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. His wife, DeLana is an active participant in Harvick's career, co-owning and managing Kevin Harvick Incorporated until its sale, as well as frequently appearing on Harvick's pit box during Sprint Cup races.
Harvick has made several TV talk show appearances during his career on shows such as Late Show with David Letterman, Live with Regis and Kelly, Jim Rome is Burning, and The Tony Danza Show. He was also on the first season of FX's NASCAR Drivers: 360. It took an in-depth look at NASCAR drivers outside the track and the preparation it takes to be a NASCAR driver. Harvick has also been on MTV Cribs. He is an avid fan of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. He also stated during the ESPN broadcast of the 2011 5-hour Energy 500, while there was a rain delay, that he was a fan of the New York Yankees baseball team. On Aug. 10, 2011, Harvick threw out the ceremonial first pitch between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. He owns a Learjet 31 Private Jet with the tail number N229KD
On Feb. 19, 2011, Harvick's new sponsor, Budweiser hosted "The Roast of Kevin Harvick", which had some of Kevin's opponents and teammates give their thoughts and opinions on the Sprint Cup driver. Harvick was nicknamed "Happy Harvick" ironically due to his occasional temper outbursts and in fact his pit sign being a smiley face is a play on this nickname. He was called the "Bakersfield Basher" in his early years for his aggressive driving style.
Because of his last-second passes to win many of his races and his ability to start deep in the field and finish towards the front, he was nicknamed "Mr. Where did he come from?" by NASCAR on Fox announcer Mike Joy. In the 2011 season, commentators began referring to Harvick as "The Closer" for his late-passing wins.
Born in Bakersfield, California, USA.
He currently competes full-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is the former owner of Kevin Harvick Incorporated, a race team that fielded cars in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series between 2004 and 2011. He is the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and a two-time Xfinity Series champion. Harvick holds the all-time record for Cup Series wins at Phoenix International Raceway with eight wins. Harvick is also the third winningest driver in Xfinity Series history with 46 wins.
Harvick began kart racing at an early age in 1980. Over the next decade Harvick achieved considerable success on the go-cart racing circuit, earning seven (7) national championships and two (2) Grand National championships.
In 1992, he started racing late models part-time in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series and he competed there while still in high school. While in 5th grade Harvick gave a glimpse of his future career plans when he completed a class project poster listing his goals as competing in NASCAR and racing at the Indy 500. Harvick's father, a firefighter and fixture around the Bakersfield racing scene, built him his first car to compete in the lower NASCAR Series by using the money he earned to run his own garage, Harvick Motorsports. When Harvick could not race, such as in the winter, he competed on his high school wrestling team at Bakersfield's North High School winning a sectional title in his weight class his senior year. Growing up Harvick also participated in baseball, basketball, football, and soccer. Originally intending to attend college and major in architecture, Harvick took classes at Bakersfield College. However he found his heart was in racing and dropped out to continue his racing career full-time.
Kevin Harvick married wife DeLana on February 28, 2001 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had met the previous year at Michigan Speedway where at the time she was working in public relations for fellow driver Randy LaJoie. DeLana had worked in a similar capacity for Jeff Gordon previously and had even dabbled in race driving herself. Her father is former NASCAR Busch series driver John Paul Linville.
The couple live in Oak Ridge, North Carolina with their son Keelan. The Harvicks also own a vacation home in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. His wife, DeLana is an active participant in Harvick's career, co-owning and managing Kevin Harvick Incorporated until its sale, as well as frequently appearing on Harvick's pit box during Sprint Cup races.
Harvick has made several TV talk show appearances during his career on shows such as Late Show with David Letterman, Live with Regis and Kelly, Jim Rome is Burning, and The Tony Danza Show. He was also on the first season of FX's NASCAR Drivers: 360. It took an in-depth look at NASCAR drivers outside the track and the preparation it takes to be a NASCAR driver. Harvick has also been on MTV Cribs. He is an avid fan of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL. He also stated during the ESPN broadcast of the 2011 5-hour Energy 500, while there was a rain delay, that he was a fan of the New York Yankees baseball team. On Aug. 10, 2011, Harvick threw out the ceremonial first pitch between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. He owns a Learjet 31 Private Jet with the tail number N229KD
On Feb. 19, 2011, Harvick's new sponsor, Budweiser hosted "The Roast of Kevin Harvick", which had some of Kevin's opponents and teammates give their thoughts and opinions on the Sprint Cup driver. Harvick was nicknamed "Happy Harvick" ironically due to his occasional temper outbursts and in fact his pit sign being a smiley face is a play on this nickname. He was called the "Bakersfield Basher" in his early years for his aggressive driving style.
Because of his last-second passes to win many of his races and his ability to start deep in the field and finish towards the front, he was nicknamed "Mr. Where did he come from?" by NASCAR on Fox announcer Mike Joy. In the 2011 season, commentators began referring to Harvick as "The Closer" for his late-passing wins.
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