Can Harvick Go Out On Top?
Written By: Justin Seger
Kevin Harvick is one of the all time greats in the modern era of NASCAR. Harvick is currently in his 23rd full-time season at the top level of NASCAR: the Cup Series. Kevin Harvick has had success at every level of NASCAR. He has two championship wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as 47 victories. In the Cup Series, Harvick has 60 wins, placing him 10th on the all time wins list, and is the 2014 champion of the sport. Earlier this year, Harvick announced that 2023 would be his last full-time season in NASCAR.
An announcement like Harvick's makes us look back at all of his success in the sport. He is the 2007 Daytona 500 winner and a previous champion of the sport. However, Harvick's career is not over yet. And while it is fun to remember all of his past success, what about his future success?
It is incredibly hard for an athlete to "go out on top". Because of this, every time we see one of the greats of a sport accomplish this, it is a special moment. Peyton Manning was able to do this with his win in Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos. Ned Jarrett was able to do it with his 1965 Championship in NASCAR. Jeff Gordon was close to it back in 2015. So the question now becomes: Can Harvick Go Out on Top in 2023?
The answer to this question is speculative, but I am going to give you my opinion on this topic. In a short answer: yes. Absolutely. Kevin Harvick can still go out on top. He still has the talent to pilot the car to perfection. In 2023, he sits 2nd in overall points with two Top 5's and three Top 10's after just four races. It is worth noting that Harvick has accomplished this while his teammates currently sit 25th through 27th in points with one Top 10 amongst the three of them. So Harvick is able to pull off results in the SHR cars where his teammates have struggled to start off the season.
Harvick is off to a hot start, but how does that translate to a potential second championship? His performance speaks for itself. At both Las Vegas and Phoenix, Harvick scored a Top 10 finish. Phoenix is his best track on the schedule; a stat which he was able to back up Sunday as he was the only driver who could keep up at the end with the Hendrick duo of Larson and Byron. So if Harvick can make it to the Championship race in Phoenix, he can win a championship.
So how does Harvick make it to the Championship round. Last season, he struggled simply to make it into the playoffs. First and foremost, Kevin Harvick is already sporting a 7.8 average finish. That might not seem as impressive after only four races, but if he keeps that up it would be his best average finish since 2020, a year that saw him win nine times. Harvick has proven that he can win at almost any track, and all it takes is one to get him into the 16-driver postseason.
When he does make it to the NASCAR Playoffs in September, how does he get to Phoenix? The Round of 16 plays right into Harvick's wheelhouse, with three tracks that he's won on (Darlington, Kansas, Bristol). The Round of 16 should be a breeze for Harvick barring the struggles he faced last season. The Round of 12 also has two tracks that Harvick has won at (Texas and Talladega). And as for the Roval, he might be winless at the track but Harvick only has one finish there outside of the Top-11. The Round of 8 sets up nicely for Harvick as well with Las Vegas, Homestead, and Martinsville. Harvick has not been to the Championship 4 since 2019, but he has almost always been in the conversation.
In my personal opinion, I think Harvick is primed for a deep playoff run in 2023. This is a contradiction to one of my preseason hot takes where I said Harvick would go winless in his final season. Harvick has already begun to make me feel differently. And I believe he could be ready to go all the way and, just maybe, go out on top. Do you think Kevin Harvick has what it takes to win it all in 2023?
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