A few weeks ago, it was announced that Kevin Harvick, who announced his retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the current season, will have a rather special farewell at Atlanta Motor Speedway honoring his legacy. His #29 racecar, the one in which he won his first Cup race back in 2001, will be making an appearance ahead of the Cup race.
Advertisement
Harvick’s first win was one of the most memorable wins in the sport’s recent history as it came a few weeks after the tragic passing of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500. What made the win even greater was also the way it came, as Harvick crossed the line ahead of Jeff Gordon by a margin of 0.006 seconds.
So clearly, ahead of his last run at the racetrack where he won his first race along with the racecar from his first win, making an appearance on the track where he won it would make him quite emotional, right?
Well, not really.
Kevin Harvick is prepared for his final showing at Atlanta
Speaking on Saturday in the buildup of his final Cup race at Atlanta, 22 years from his first win on the same track, Harvick clarified that while seeing the racecar from his first win would be a big moment, it won’t be one which sweeps him away emotionally. In fact, he clarified there’s someone else who is more excited about that prospect than him.
“To run the last race is definitely a little bit bittersweet, but I think for me, I’ve been prepared. So seeing the #29 car, the original #29 car lead the field to the green with Richard (Childress) driving it … kind of adds a little bit to it but mentally I’ve been prepared for it,” Harvick said.
When asked about what his emotions were when he saw the #29 car in the flesh, Harvick said, “I actually haven’t seen it yet but I’ve been talking to Richard (Childress) about it, saw some videos of it this morning … so I couldn’t be more excited about it seeing it lead the field to the green and I know how excited Richard is.”
“I’m excited as well, but Richard’s been super excited to drive it so that makes me happy too.”
Harvick’s #29 car coming back to Atlanta will be “an unforgettable moment”
After the announcement of the #29 racecar from 2001 making an appearance in Atlanta ahead of Harvick’s last run at the track, Richard Childress emphasized the importance of the moment. He claimed Kevin Harvick meant “so much” to his team and they want to congratulate him as he draws the curtain on his successful career.
“The No. 29 Chevrolet has a home at the RCR Museum in Welcome, North Carolina, but we know that this Chevy has a history at Atlanta Motor Speedway and we’re looking forward to bringing it out to the track so that fans can see this historic car take one more lap around the track,” Childress claimed as per Toby Christie.
Speaking of the fans, Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison claimed that seeing Harvick’s #29 car back on the track again will turn out to be “an unforgettable moment” for both Kevin Harvick and his fans.
