Rackley WAR drivers Dawson Sutton and Kevin Harvick took the top two spots in the SoundGear 400, held on Saturday at Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Harvick, a former NASCAR Cup Series champion, reflected on his performance following the 125-lap CARS Tour West Super Late Model race.
Harvick took the lead on lap 23 and maintained his position till a caution came out on lap 92. Sutton, a 19-year-old race car driver, snatched the lead on the final restart and held on to it till the checkered flag.
However, Harvick was quite happy with how things turned out for him. He posted a clip from one of his post-race interviews on X (formerly known as Twitter) with the following caption:
“What a weekend! I can’t thank the fans, sponsors, and every single employee enough for making this event so special. Racing hard against @dawsonsutton26 was an absolute blast, and I’m proud to come home with P2. It’s events like this that remind me why I love this sport. Here’s to putting West Coast racing back on the map!”
The 49-year-old driver further added,
“Super late model racing is back on the West. Man, those cars are fun to drive. We want to see these cars succeed; we want to see the racers (and) the tracks succeed. West Coast racing is going in the right direction.”
For Sutton, who is expected to join Rackley WAR’s Craftsman Truck Series roster this year, beating a veteran like Kevin Harvick was indeed a great way to kick off the 2025 season.
“This is a great feeling,” Sutton said (via Toby Christie). “This Is a great opportunity overall. I’m just super thankful, and we’re going to celebrate this one with the team.”
On the NASCAR side, Sutton’s first race is scheduled for Friday, February 14 at Daytona International Speedway. Harvick, on the other hand, will run 14 more Pro Late Model and the Super Late Model events throughout the season.
Kevin Harvick to race against son Keelan on July 16
Kevin Harvick retired from NASCAR after the 2023 season ended, but he clearly did not give up racing. Last October, the Bakersfield native signed up for a partnership with Rackley WAR that will allow him to race in select Super Late Model and Pro Late Model races in 2025.
Harvick will be joined by his 12-year-old son Keelan. Keelan, who won 27 races in 49 starts in 2024 besides bagging the INEX Young Lions Asphalt National Championship, is all set to achieve newer heights of success in the world of motorsports.
“We’re expecting some pretty steep learning curves, so we’ll see if we get to that point,” said Harvick of his son’s upcoming ventures. “Anytime you get to see your kids accomplish something is pretty gratifying as a parent. As we’ve gone through the ranks, it’s been pretty fun to watch him pick up things in chunks.”
Having said that, the father-son duo will go up against each other in the Masters of the Pros 200 at Owosso Speedway on July 16. All additional details, like the full entry list and the name of the official broadcast partner, will be revealed at a later date.