The year 2001 was supposed to be the beginning of a building process for Kevin Harvick.
The young 25-year-old from Bakersfield, Calif. had his sights set on two different goals that season — win the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, and adjust to a partial Cup Series schedule.
However, one side of those plans quickly changed after the death of Dale Earnhardt at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February.
Needing a driver to fill the massive shoes of Earnhardt, Richard Childress Racing team owner Richard Childress made the decision to slot Harvick into the rebranded No. 29 machine.
Harvick was immediately thrown into the fire a week later at Rockingham (S.C.) Speedway, without a single Cup Series race under his belt.
Though the resiliency of Harvick and the RCR group showed out a mere two weeks later at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Edging the iconic No. 24 of Jeff Gordon for his first career win, Harvick brought the NASCAR world a sense of peace and relief.
Holding up three fingers out the driver-side window on his victory lap, Harvick had withstood the weight of the world, being the driver to replace the seven-time champion of Earnhardt.
An Xfinity Series title later that year would cap off the whirlwind of a season for Harvick.
Creating his own legacy amidst the shadows of the No. 3 came over time for Harvick. The pilot of the No. 29 for 13 seasons blazed a trail that included a Brickyard 400 victory in Indianapolis, and a Daytona 500 win at the historic 2.5-mile oval.
At the end of the 2013 season, Harvick decided to take a new path — one that would see ‘The Closer’ take on new heights in NASCAR’s premiere series.
Joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, Harvick had a fresh canvas to create a masterpiece for years to come.
That masterpiece was already completed in year one, after reeling off five victories en route to being crowned the 2014 Cup Series champion.
Now entering his 23rd full time season in the Cup Series, Harvick announced on Thursday that it would be his last.
After a career that’s seen Harvick score 60 victories (tied for ninth on the all-time wins list) and three NASCAR National Series titles, some may say it would be easy to step away.
However, Harvick detailed the logistics that went into retiring Thursday on SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio.
“There’s a lot that’s actually gone into it,” Harvick said. “I think when I first started a couple years ago, just trying to decide when was the right time, I started quizzing people and there was really no clear answer. I think it’s a little bit different for everybody. The biggest thing I didn’t want to do was retire and then un-retire.
“I wanted to try to do it the right way so that it was fair to my team and the sponsors and everybody to have sufficient time to run the race teams correctly and have the proper funding and do all the things that it took when I was done, because we’re just so tied to so many of the the sponsors and people and different things that it’s a snowball effect.”
With countless avenues affected by his retirement, Harvick believed it was only right to use 2023 as a final farewell tour.
“It wasn’t really all about me personally. I felt like there’s a lot of other things that are attached to it,” Harvick said. “In the beginning I wanted to do it the Carl Edwards way, and just walk up on the stage and say I was done. But I think after talking to people and just understanding them, the situation, and trying to be as professional as possible and be as fair as possible to everybody involved, when it comes down to the fans and the people and everything that you touch, it’s important.
“It’s like your first time of anything, you only get one chance to do your last time,” Harvick continued. “So we wanted to have a proper plan, and obviously we needed to talk to a lot of people and lay things out and really use the last year to pay respect to all the people and sponsors and fans, everything that’s been a part of my career, and try to do it the right way.”
What’s next for Harvick is clear — being with his family that’s become fully dedicated to racing.
Both his children, son Keelan, 10, and daughter Piper, 5, have developed an interest in carrying on the Harvick name in motorsports.
“With him (Keelan), gosh he races more than I do. That’s just the way that kids sports are now, and racing is no different,” Harvick said. “When you look at the time that it takes to plan and be in the right position for him, and he’s traveling internationally racing in Europe, there’s a lot that goes into it.
“I want Piper to have that same opportunity of whatever she does, to have the time to be able to explore, plan, and put her in the best position to be successful at whatever she does.”
With his plans solidified for the foreseeable future, the 47-year-old can take on 2023 with a sense of peace, giving thanks to the people who impacted him throughout his more than two-decade career.