Kevin Harvick is going into his last Cup Series season with the 'exact same' mentality as in the last 22 years

Kevin Harvick, the driver of the #4 Busch Light Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, is one person who will be missed on the grid in the highest echelon of stock car racing next year.

The 47-year-old veteran driver recently announced his retirement from the sport after what will be 23 years of non-stop competition. Harvick's dedication and talent behind the wheel of a car earned him the 2014 Cup Series championship trophy as a result.

This year's regular season opener at Daytona International Speedway marks the Bakersfield, California native's 22st appearance in the prestigious Daytona 500. As the name suggests, the 500-mile-long race is at its 65th run this year, and will see Kevin Harvick behind the wheel of his #4 Ford for one final time.

Marking his 791st start in the sport as a whole, Kevin Harvick elaborated on how his mentality going into the race is the same as it was during his debut in 2002, and said:

“My mentality heading into our last Cup season is to do the exact same things we’ve done for the last 22 years. That’s be competitive and make sure that every week you show up at the racetrack and do all that you can do for your teammates."

"I want to do whatever we have to do to get back to victory lane and be competitive. I love going to the racetrack with the guys that I have on our car, and everybody at Stewart-Haas has been so great."

The 65th run of the Daytona 500 goes live from Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2023 at 2:30 pm ET.

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Kevin Harvick explains what it feels like to compete in the Daytona 500

2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick is no stranger to competing at the highest levels of stock car racing, one of which happens to be the iconic Daytona 500. The #4 Ford Mustang driver, who is in final season in the sport, elaborated on what driving in the prestigious event feels like, and said:

“There’s nothing like coming to the green flag at the Daytona 500. The reason is hard to explain unless you’ve done it. There’s no other race like the Daytona 500, and I realized that when I won the Daytona 500 in 2007. You look at the names on that trophy and you go back and look at the history of our sport, and a lot of it has been made at Daytona."

"Whether it’s from the beach or the big track, it’s the who’s who of NASCAR. The Daytona 500 is the biggest race you’ll ever be a part of, and it’s the biggest win you’ll ever have. It’s definitely the heart of NASCAR and what we do.”

Watch Kevin Harvick try and wheel his #4 Busch Light Ford Mustang into Victory Lane at the Daytona Beach, Florida track on February 19, 2023.