Kevin Harvick Interview

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is the sport’s official museum and honors program for drivers, teams, and other major contributors. Being inducted is a recognition of career achievements and impact on NASCAR.

The NASCAR Cup Series is NASCAR’s top national stock-car racing series. When the speaker mentions Cup Series wins and championships, they’re referring to the highest level of NASCAR competition.

NASCAR’s “Crown Jewel” events are the sport’s most prestigious races—typically the biggest, most historic, and most widely watched dates on the schedule. Winning all of them is a rare achievement because it spans different tracks and race conditions.

Indianapolis refers to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a historic venue that hosts major NASCAR events. It’s notable for its distinct oval layout and the prestige that comes with racing there.

Charlotte refers to NASCAR’s major track in the Charlotte, North Carolina area (often associated with the Charlotte Motor Speedway). It’s known for high-speed racing and is one of the sport’s most important venues.

Darlington refers to Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, known for its unique, challenging oval characteristics. It’s considered one of NASCAR’s most demanding tracks, so wins there are especially respected.

O’Reilly Auto Parts is an automotive parts retailer whose name is used for NASCAR’s “champion” award sponsorship. When the speaker says “O’Reilly Auto Parts champion,” they’re referring to a branded championship title within NASCAR.

NASCAR’s three national series are the sport’s main levels of competition, spanning different car types and schedules. Combining wins across all three is a way to measure overall career success beyond just one series.

The Buick Grand National is a performance muscle car from Buick, best known for its strong straight-line power and its place in late-1970s and early-1980s racing and street-performance culture. It’s discussed in the context of championships and racing achievements, which highlights its significance as a competitive platform. The episode’s mention ties it to the era when these cars were built to win.

A “late model” is a type of stock-car race car used in regional short-track racing, built to resemble production cars but engineered for racing. In this segment, Harvick describes building and racing late models as the foundation of his career.

The “right front fender” is the body panel covering the front wheel on the passenger side (in left-hand-drive cars, that’s the right side of the vehicle). In racing, tearing off a fender usually means contact or damage that can affect aerodynamics and handling, often forcing repairs between races.

Goodwrench is a brand name associated with General Motors’ service and maintenance products and, in NASCAR, with sponsorship/branding on race cars. In this interview, Kevin Harvick is describing how he felt the Goodwrench brand didn’t “accept” him as a driver for that specific car.

Reese’s is a consumer snack brand, and here it’s referenced as a NASCAR sponsorship relationship. Harvick says the Reese’s sponsorship relationship improved, and that sponsorship mix influenced what brands appeared on the car over time.

In motorsports, branding is how a team and driver are presented to fans and sponsors—often through consistent visuals, logos, and color identity. Here, the host is describing how the team’s branding expectations affected decisions about the car’s look and marketing direction.

A paint scheme is the specific pattern of colors and graphics on a race car’s body—think stripes, shapes, and accent colors. In NASCAR, the paint scheme is tightly tied to branding and fan recognition, so changes can become a big internal decision.

The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s most prestigious stock-car race, held annually at Daytona International Speedway. Winning it is often treated as the biggest career milestone in the sport, which is why the host frames it as “as big as it gets.”

The Harley J. Earl trophy is the physical award presented to the Daytona 500 winner. It’s named after Harley J. Earl, a key figure in General Motors’ design leadership, and it’s used as a prestige marker for winning the race.

“Crown jewel wins” is NASCAR shorthand for victories at the sport’s biggest, most historic races. The phrase signals that these wins carry extra prestige beyond a typical checkered-flag finish.

“Phoenix” refers to Phoenix Raceway, a NASCAR venue where Kevin Harvick is being asked about his unusually strong results. The track’s layout and racing style can reward certain driving strengths, which is why the question focuses on why it “suit[ed] you so well.”

“Flat tracks” in NASCAR usually means ovals with relatively lower banking compared with steeper superspeedways. Lower banking changes how the car loads the tires through corners, which can affect grip, steering feel, and tire wear.

The Southwest Tour was a regional stock-car racing series that Harvick competed in early on. Regional tours like this are important in NASCAR’s development path because they build racecraft and familiarity with local tracks.

The Winston West Series was a NASCAR regional touring series (historically sponsored by Winston) for teams primarily competing on the West Coast. It was a common proving ground for drivers before moving up to higher national series.

In NASCAR context, “truck” refers to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series-style vehicles (pickup-based stock cars). Harvick mentions racing a family truck there, highlighting that he cut his teeth in the truck division before/alongside other regional series.

The Copper Classic is a NASCAR event Harvick references as a special weekend for West Coast racers. In NASCAR culture, certain races are “must-win” or career-defining because they put regional drivers in front of Cup teams and national attention.

“Cup cars” refers to NASCAR Cup Series cars, the top-level stock cars in the NASCAR ladder. When Harvick says he got to be around Cup cars, he’s describing exposure to the highest competition level and the teams that run the most advanced setups.

“Bush cars” is a common shorthand for NASCAR’s Xfinity Series cars (historically sponsored by Busch Beer, hence “Busch”). It indicates Harvick’s experience across multiple NASCAR national tiers, not just one division.

“Brickyard” is a nickname for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), famous for its brick-paved infield and its prestige in American motorsport. For NASCAR drivers, winning there is a career milestone because the track’s high speeds and long race distances reward consistency and strong race setup.

Jamie McMurray is a NASCAR driver who competed across multiple eras and teams. In this segment, Kevin Harvick is referencing McMurray’s Indy 500 result (“got the one in 2010”), implying it was a win Harvick felt his own group missed.

RCR is the common abbreviation for Richard Childress Racing, a major NASCAR team. When a driver mentions being “at RCR” and “at Stewart Haas,” they’re talking about different team environments and how much effort goes into marquee races.

Stewart Haas Racing (often shortened to “Stewart Haas”) is a NASCAR team organization associated with Gene Haas and Tony Stewart. In NASCAR, team resources and car development efforts are a big part of why drivers target specific races.

The Indy 500 (the Indianapolis 500) is NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick’s “childhood dream” race: a 500-mile oval race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s one of the most prestigious events in American motorsport, so winning it—especially early in a career—carries huge bragging rights.

Rick Mears is an IndyCar legend associated with multiple Indy 500 wins. Kevin Harvick mentions growing up a Rick Mears fan in Bakersfield, tying Mears’ success to the “childhood dream” of reaching and winning at the Indy 500.

The Porsche 911 is a long-running sports car known for its distinctive rear-engine layout and high-performance handling. It often comes up in motorsport and car culture discussions because it’s a benchmark for what a refined, capable sports car can do. In this episode’s context, it’s mentioned as an example of a performance car that can deliver impressive results.