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Motorsport.com learned that Harvick (47) will be retiring from competition after the 2023 season. He is likely to move into broadcasting to become a television analyst for Fox Sports’ NASCAR coverage, in 2024.
Harvick is not hiding the fact that the 2023 Cup Series season will be his last with Stewart-Haas Racing. However, Harvick is yet to rule out a possible extension.
Harvick stated that he could make a decision in either direction as recently as December but insisted it would not be before the beginning of the 2023 season.
Harvick will be an analyst as part of the Fox deal in 2024. He would join Mike Joy, former NASCAR driver and teammate Clint Bowyer.
Sources say Harvick will also be expected to make an appearance in Fox’s booth during each season for at least one race of the Xfinity or Truck series, and occasionally on Fox’s weekday program, “Race Hub”
Harvick’s addition would be made as Fox makes many other changes in this year. These include the retirement of Vince Welch, long-time Fox reporter and the appointment of Adam Alexander, current Xfinity Series lap by lap announcer.
Fox Sports used Joy and Bowyer to take the third slot after Jeff Gordon left. Fox Sports will continue to use the same format this season.
Fox Sports spokesperson said Wednesday night, “The network does not have anything to announce right now.”
It is no secret that Harvick has a passion for TV work.
His work has been praised by NASCAR enthusiasts, and he’s made several guest appearances at the Fox booth during the coverage of the three NASCAR National Series.
Harvick stated in an interview that he feels confident about being part of the TV world in the future.
Drivers who are open to listening
Fox could get Harvick as a driver who had a Hall of Fame-worthy track record and has no problems speaking out on important issues such safety and grassroots racing.
On Jan. 9, the CARS Tour asphalt Late Model racing series revealed a new owner group that included Harvick and retired drivers, who were also TV analysts, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, and Trackhouse Racing’s Justin Marks.
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Harvick is becoming more competitive as he reaches the end of his career. He won his first Cup Series title at 38, and has since secured 32 Cup victories.
Hall of Fame Career
Harvick was unable to finish a winless 65-race streak over nearly two years. However, he won back-toback races at Michigan and Richmond in 2022 to become one of only 10 series drivers to win more than 60 races.
Harvick, who had finished in the top-five of the series standings six more times before he joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, has been outside the top-five just twice, with three consecutive appearances in Championship 4 between 2017 and 2019.
Harvick has won the Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, Southern 500 and Daytona 500 “crown-jewel races”. Only three other NASCAR drivers have achieved this feat: Jimmie Johnson, Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Harvick has also won two Xfinity Series titles and 47 Xfinity Series wins. He also holds 14 Truck Series wins.
In 2001, Harvick unexpectedly entered the Cup Series.
Earnhardt was to race a part of the Cup Schedule that season for Richard Childress Racing, while also competing in full-time in the Xfinity Series. But Earnhardt’s death in a final-lap crash in the Daytona 500 drastically changed his life and career.
Richard Childress, RCR owner, selected Harvick to replace Earnhardt in the No. The No. 3 Chevrolet – rebranded to be the No. 29. Harvick won his first series win in a last-lap, side-by-side battle at Atlanta with Gordon just weeks later.
Harvick won another race at Chicagoland Speedway, and finished 9th in series standings. He also took home rookie of the Year honors for his spontaneous debut season.