“JRM and Dale Jr. need to be on racetrack on Sunday”: Kevin Harvick makes his feelings absolutely clear on Earnhardt’s Cup Series future

Kevin Harvick has expressed his feelings regarding Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s involvement in the NASCAR Cup Series with his team JR Motorsports. He is of the opinion that Dale Jr.'s team should be actively competing in the Cup Series for the upcoming seasons as a major competitor.

Last week, JR Motorsports made its Cup Series debut after enjoying a successful period in the Xfinity Series. The team won the 2024 Xfinity Series drivers' championship with Justin Allgaier after winning the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. The team made its Cup debut in the prestigious Daytona 500 with Allgaier behind the wheel of the #40 Chevrolet and finishing ninth.

Harvick believes that having Junior's team in the Cup Series would be beneficial for the sport and it is all down to the 50-year-old's commitment to the historic debut. He stated (via Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast):

"I want to see Junior Motorsports in the Cup Series. I think it's good for our sport scene, Dale Jr. And I know Dale pretty well now. And seeing his enthusiasm showing up in the garage, walking with that car everywhere. He holds an immense amount of pride for stuff like that."

As it stands, it remains to be seen when JR Motorsports will next be competing in the Cup Series. But the team will certainly have its sights set on retaining the Xfinity Series title this year.

Harvick, a NASCAR great and the 2014 Cup Series champion, has transitioned into a broadcaster with FOX Sports since retiring from full-time racing in 2023. He enjoyed a stellar racing career and won 60 Cup races, placing him 10th on the all-time list.

---

Kevin Harvick reminisced about the ‘confusing emotions’ of his career's first Cup win after Dale Sr.’s tragic passing at the iconic Great American Race

Kevin Harvick reflected on the emotional rollercoaster surrounding his first Cup Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001. The win came just weeks after the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. at the Daytona International Speedway. Harvick was driving the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. On his podcast, he said:

"With Dale's passing and being able to win my first race and win for the team in our third start together, it was pretty emotional and you can see the emotion with the team. But the crazy part was how loud the fans were. I mean it was just, nobody knew what to do, you didn't know whether to be happy, you didn't know whether to cry, you didn't know if you should be excited, talk about Dale, not talk about Dale, there were so many confusing things that were happening during that time period," he shared.

Kevin Harvick also spoke about the emotional nature of the race and shared his experience from the event.