Even though he has retired from NASCAR as a full-time driver, the 2024 season would be a big challenge for Kevin Harvick. Because this year, Harvick is going to experience the sport from a whole new angle, from the booth. It is undoubtedly a big change, from understanding everything through a windscreen to understanding everything from almost a bird’s eye view. And yet, Harvick is prepared.
Advertisement
During an interview with the Athletic, the former Stewart Haas Racing driver was asked if he’d been watching any football games and the analysts in those games to learn for his tenure in the FOX Sports NASCAR booth.
“I’ve paid much more attention to that. I try to just watch FOX, because I feel like FOX has a unique style of how it delivers things, and our NFL guys are so good at what they do,” he replied.
Harvick further added that he watches the shows before and after the games considering they also have to do ‘Race Hub’ before and after a race on FOX. He also revealed that while he hadn’t watched a full NASCAR race “in a long time,” he is now doing some practice races along with Clint Bowyer and Mike Joy to prepare better.
Kevin Harvick on his history with FOX Sports
Considering Kevin Harvick’s prior experience in the FOX booth during a few Xfinity races, it was only natural that he was asked if the transition from a full-time driver to being in the booth for the Cup was aided by his prior experience. “I started (the) same time as Fox (in 2001). So it was dinners and activities and new announcers and everybody excited and happy and wanting to get to know each other,” Harvick said.
He described how looking around now, a lot of the current people are the same as they were in 2001. Harvick revealed he has known a lot of these people at FOX and has followed the progress of the whole company. “Mike Joy called my first race and my first win. Now you’re standing in the TV booth with him. It’s not like we haven’t sat in production meetings and different things,” he added.
From legendary driver to sitting in the booth.
“I am @KevinHarvick,” details his extraordinary NASCAR career and beyond. Airs Feb 15 on @FS1. pic.twitter.com/c8D3Tax5Cw
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) February 13, 2024
Having said that, Kevin Harvick mentioned the one thing that he hasn’t been able to understand yet going into the booth, and that is “the flow.” But that’s something he finds intriguing to learn along with how it all works so he can formulate his opinion of what’s good, bad, and so on.
Harvick also gave a shoutout to FOX for being open to having drivers in the booth which is something he found “very helpful.”
