"The thing I love about Indy is that the fans are so smart" : Kevin Harvick sings praises of Indianapolis fans ahead of Brickyard 400

Ahead of the 2024 Brickyard 400 event in Indianapolis, NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick has claimed that Indianapolis fans have a "high racing IQ". Harvick previewed the Brickyard 400 on his podcast, Harvick's Happy Hour, alongside co-hosts Kaitlyn Vincie and Mamba Smith.

Mamba, talking about Brickyard 400, emphasized his love for Indianapolis and said he would "take Indy over Vegas or Miami."

"The other thing I love about Indy is that the fans are so freaking smart," Harvick said in response.

"Their racing IQ is high, and when you take a look at our TV ratings, Indianapolis is always in the top 5, but when you go to Indianapolis, the race fans understand racing more than anywhere else we go in the whole country," he added.

Harvick's legend's love for Indianapolis starts making more sense when one takes the former Stewart-Haas racer's track record into account. Harvick has conquered the Indianapolis Motor Speedway three times before, with wins in 2003, 2019, and 2020.

Harvick went on to talk about the holistic racing community and the unmatched enthusiasm of Indiana fans.

"There are so many of them (fans) that are ingrained in the city around the race track, and the race track is so much a part of everything the community does. If you don't know about racing in Indiana, you need to move because you're not going to fit in," he stated.

The Xfinity Series is being hosted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today (Sunday), with the likes of Cole Custer and Aric Almirola battling it out for a podium finish.

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Harvick set to race in his second professional comeback race in August

Having driven for Stewart-Haas in his purple patch career days, Harvick also owns a motorsport team, namely Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI). KHI primarily fielded cars in the Xfinity Series and Truck Series between 2001 and 2011.

After announcing his retirement in 2023, Harvick returned to the professional field under his racing team banner, Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), earlier this year with a 16th place finish at the Five Flags Speedway.

Harvick will once again be seen donning the KHI name later this year as he will compete at the Late Model Stock event at North Wilkesboro Speedway this August.