“Put some respect on his name!”: NASCAR fans react as NFL’s social media page shares Keelan Harvick’s handshake with Sam Franklin Jr.

The world of NASCAR and the NFL came together after the NFL's official social media handle posted a short clip of Sam Franklin Jr. with Keelan Harvick, the son of former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick. However, fans were upset about the post after the NFL's social media account tagged Keelan as a 'young fan' instead of naming him.

The NFL's official X account recently shared a post on the micro-blogging site where Franklin Jr. was seen shaking hands with young Keelan Harvick. The six-second video was taken during the Dallas Cowboys' match against the Carolina Panthers, where Franklin Jr.'s team faced a rough loss to the Cowboys.

Interestingly, as Franklin Jr. and Keelan Harvick shook hands, the latter's father, Kevin Harvick, stood beside them, smiling. The NFL's X account shared the post with a caption,

"Sam Franklin Jr. has an incredible handshake with this young fan."

As the post surfaced on the internet, fans began to share their reactions, most of which were about Keelan Harvick. Notably, Keelan is a second-generation racing driver, who has been making waves in the go-kart scene.

The young racing star is avidly following the path of his father, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion. Therefore, after the NFL pointed at him as a 'young fan' instead of naming him, fans were upset.

Here are some reactions taken from the micro-blogging site X, formerly Twitter:

Reacting to the post, a fan wrote, "That’s @KeelanHarvick. Put some respect on his name!"

Another fan wrote, "Multi time Legend car winner, rising star in racing, and generational talent."

"If you don’t know that young fan’s name, you will," another fan wrote, hinting towards the future.

"That’s a former NASCAR champ and a future NASCAR champ," wrote another fan.

Another fan wrote, sharing the identity, "That's Keelan Harvick, the next #NASCAR Champ in about 7 or 8 years."

"NFL … wtf dude that’s @KevinHarvick and his son @KeelanHarvick," another fan wrote, reiterating the same.

Keelan's father, Kevin Harvick, retired from the sport at the end of the 2023 Cup Series season. He remains one of the notable drivers of NASCAR with 60 wins, 31 pole positions, and 444 Top 10s to his name in 826 appearances.

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Who is Keelan Harvick?

Keelan Harvick is a young racing driver who was born to Kevin Harvick and his wife, DeLana Harvick, on July 8, 2012. He is the eldest of the two; after him, his sister, Piper Harvick, was born five years later.

The younger Harvick competes in karting after making his debut in go-karts in 2020. A year later, he followed in his father's footsteps in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series along with his father. In such a short span, the 12-year-old driver racked up numerous achievements in his name.

Kevin Harvick stands with his wife DeLana Harvick and son Keelan and daughter Piper - Source: Imagn

Keelan Harvick won the 2020 SSKC race at Ocala, the same year he joined go-kart. The very next year, he won the SKUSA Winter Series, CKNA Spring National Series, USPKS Southern Grand Prix, and multiple other races in different series.

He began 2022 with the WKA Kart Week Winner and rounded up the year with multiple accolades. In 2023, the young Harvick won the 2023 U.S. Legend Cars/INEX Road Course World Finals.