NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick reveals what made him hang his helmet ahead of his final season in the sport

NASCAR Cup Series veteran Kevin Harvick broke the news of his retirement from the highest echelon of stock car racing at the end of the 2023 season. The 47-year-old Stewart-Haas Racing driver, who made his debut in the Cup Series over two decades ago, did not seem surprised by his decision, and neither were fans of the sport as many predicted the news to break sooner rather than later.

With the #4 Ford Mustang driver's contract with Stewart-Haas Racing also slated to end by 2023, all signs pointed in one direction - Harvick's retirement from full-time duties in NASCAR, the news of which is out now officially. The Bakersfield, California native is all set to start a new chapter in his life after racing as an entrepreneur and broadcaster, along with looking after his son Keelan Harvick's motorsport career as he competes in Italy.

Kevin Harvick's entreprenuerial moves broke cover a few weeks earlier when he was seen as part of the group that purchased the CARS Tour, a late model asphalt racing series alongside several other notable names from the sport such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Justin Marks.

Elaborating about how spending more time with his family, especially his children, was at the forefront of making a decision about his future in the sport, Kevin Harvick said:

“From the family standpoint, it’s a great time with Keelan being 10, he’ll be 11 in July, and where his racing career is headed. And with (daughter) Piper exploring the things she wants to do and the kids being in school at home, school gets a little bit harder as Keelan goes through the next few years. His racing has consumed a lot more of my time then probably I had expected in everything that he has going on. All signs pointed to 2023.”

Kevin Harvick opens up about his thoughts on retirement and how far back the idea goes

NASCAR Cup Series veteran and the latest of the older drivers to announce retirement this year, Kevin Harvick also spoke about how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced his decision to retire from the sport.

As the news broke about his departure from full-time NASCAR after 2023, Harvick elaborated on how he has thought about the decision for 4-5 years, saying:

“It was tough. It was as tough of a decision as I’ve ever had to make, I had been contemplating it for the last five years probably. You look five years ago and there were really no signs that said you should stop today because of this or that or really anything. So, I just kept driving. These last couple of years it really became a decision of do you retire at the end of 2022 or the end of 2023?"

Kevin Harvick finally pulled the trigger in 2023 when his contract with the team came to an end, keeping him and the team satisfied without leaving Stewart-Haas Racing scrambling for a new driver.