Is it Closing Time for “The Closer,” Kevin Harvick?

Back on October 26th of 2022, Gene Haas stated that Kevin Harvick had indicated that he would not be returning after the 2023 season was complete.  To many observers this came as a surprise.  The 2022 season had been a rough season for “The Closer.”  While he was able to end his winless streak that went back to 2020, Harvick was eliminated from the playoffs after the first round. Everyone knew that his contract was up at the end of the 2023 season, so there was no surprise there.  What was surprising was that no official announcement had been made by Kevin Harvick or Stewart-Haas Racing.  Yet, still, Gene Haas was casually talking on pit road about it with reporters.

Since that time, Harvick has stated that he would have an answer for everyone prior to Daytona in February 2023.  He indicated that the chances of either outcome were 50/50.  This article will look at both possibilities, as well as what he should do.

Harvick Does Not Retire after 2023

To begin with, Kevin Harvick, despite a couple of rough seasons, is still very competitive.  The 2022 season was one of the worst seasons of his career.  Harvick finished 15th in points and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.  Yet, his 2022 results are results that many drivers would have loved to have had.

First, Harvick ended his winless streak at Michigan.  Then, at the very next race in Richmond, he became the only driver, so far, to win back-to-back races in the next gen car.  Finally, to finish up the 2022 season, Harvick broke the record for consecutive top ten finishes at a single track.  His finish of 5th at the Championship Race at Phoenix gave him 19 consecutive top ten finishes at that track.  That placed him above the sport’s three 7-time champions.

While Harvick is a guaranteed future member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he only has the one cup series championship.  For a driver as competitive as him, you know he would like to get a second cup series title.  Stewart-Haas Racing has struggled the past couple of years.  The issue with 2021 was the parts-freeze.  The issue with 2022 was learning the new car.  This seemed to be an issue for most as we had 19 different winners.  Furthermore, Harvick’s 2022 season wasn’t as bad as it seemed when one looks into the statistics.

Harvick turned 47 on December 8th 2022.  He has previously indicated that he did not see himself racing after age 50.  If he were to extend with SHR beyond 2023, he would be 48 for the 2024 season.  Given that he has stated that he doesn’t plan on racing after 50, this would mean that he could even extend for two years.  As long as he is still having fun and winning, it would be hard to see him wanting to retire as long as he is under the age of 50.

The Closer Closes out his Career after 2023

While Harvick is still a competitive driver that is capable of winning, there are other things to consider.  Many of these other considerations are ones which everybody must consider when it comes to retirement.  For Kevin Harvick, just like the rest of us, family is a consideration.

Harvick’s son, Keelan, is already racing.  In fact, Keelan Harvick wants to race in Formula One.  The NASCAR Cup series season is already a lengthy one.  It begins in February and ends in November.  Drivers and teams used to have more off weekends to have time to spend with their families.  This past season fans got to see a race on Easter Sunday.  Drivers lost that time with their families so they could spend it racing on dirt at Bristol.  This of course brings us to another consideration that will be on Harvick’s mind when making his decision.

After taking the family into consideration, Harvick will surely consider the direction of the sport. NASCAR seems to intend to expand the sports audience, by any means necessary.  While on the surface this isn’t a bad thing, it has led to some questionable decisions on NASCAR’s part.  First, we have seen an increase in road courses.  Harvick has expressed his distaste for racing at the Indy road course, rather than on the oval.  We also have the Bristol Dirt Race and rain tires.  These have been two more sources of displeasure for Harvick.

Finally, we have the safety concerns involved with the next gen car.  This car has been prone to giving drivers concussions, and NASCAR appears to only take a slightly better approach than the one the NFL made famous in dealing with its concussion problems.  While NASCAR hasn’t flat out denied concussions were happening, they continue to use terms like “concussion-like symptoms.”  Furthermore, they intend to continue to try and work on the problems as a sport, rather than let teams develop their own fixes.  While NASCAR recognizes the safety concerns, they seem to be primarily focused on maintaining parity.  I think we all remember how Kevin Harvick feels about the “crappy-a** parts.”

Conclusions

As a fan, personally, I would love to see Kevin Harvick return for, at least, the 2024 season.  It will feel like the end of an era when he retires.  I got into the sport in the mid 1990’s.  While it was Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon who got me interested in the sport, it was Kevin Harvick (and a few others) who kept my interest there.  Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, and so many others I’ve enjoyed watching race over the years have already retired.

Selfishly, I want to say Harvick should extend his contract.  This is something that fans really shouldn’t comment on though.  The drivers’ careers, health, and time with their families are what is on the line.  I know I stated earlier in this article that I would look at what Harvick should do, but I have changed my mind on that topic.

As for what Harvick will actually do, I am not sure.  Looking at it on the surface, it does seem to be up in the air.  I could see him extending his contract for another season or two, but I could just as easily see him retiring after this upcoming season.  It seems like we will have to wait a couple months longer to find out.  We will know the answer by Daytona.  Let us know what you think in the comments below.