Basics

Name: Kevin Michael Harvick
Birthdate: December 8, 1975
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Team: Richard Childress Racing
Crew Chief: Todd Berrier
Sponsors: Shell/Pennzoil
Car: #29 Chevrolet Impala SS

Biography

Harvick began racing go-karts after his parents Mike and JoNell bought him a go-kart as a kindergarten graduation gift in 1980. Soon after Harvick became a highly successful driver on the go-kart circuit. He started part-time racing in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series in 1992 and competed while completing high school. Always the competitor, when not racing in the winter months Harvick competed on his high school wrestling team at North High School in Oildale. He won a section title in his weight class his senior year. He then graduated and became a full-time driver and earned the honor of Rookie of the Year in 1995.

He then moved up to the NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series in 1997, and in 1998 became champion of that series while driving for Spears Motorsports. He received his first national exposure during the winter of 1997/1998 on ESPN2's coverage of the NASCAR Winter Heat series at Tucson Raceway Park.

On October 23, 1999, Harvick made his first NASCAR Busch Series start in the Kmart 200 at the Rockingham Speedway in the #65 Chevrolet. He would start 24th and finished 42nd due to an engine failure. The race would be his only start that year. The following season, Harvick would sign with Richard Childress Racing to drive the #2 AC Delco Chevrolet for his first full Nationwide Series season. Despite missing the second race of the season at Rockingham because of the team being new (not having 1999 owner points), Kevin would go on to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year with three wins, eight top five finishes and 16 top ten finishes.

After losing Dale Earnhardt in a wreck on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, car owner Richard Childress asked Kevin to assume driving duties of the GM Goodwrench Service Plus Monte Carlo on the Winston Cup circuit. Kevin started a precedent that would be followed to this day, running both the NASCAR Winston Cup and Nationwide Series in the same season. Harvick posted five wins, twenty top five finishes and 24 top ten finishes.

Links

Official
Official MySpace
Kevin Harvick Inc.
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR
Wikipedia