“It Cost Me a Lot”: Keelan Harvick Loses Out on $25,000 to Teammate Landen Lewis At Southern National

Keelan Harvick, son of NASCAR veteran Kevin Harvick, has been carving out his path in racing since he first climbed into a go-kart at Trackhouse Motorplex in 2020. Starting on pole and finishing eighth in his debut as a seven-year-old, Keelan quickly caught the racing fever, showing grit and determination that mirrors his father. However, four years on, a recent competition did not go according to plan for Keelan.

During a Legends Car event at Southern National Motorsports Park, he narrowly missed out on victory. Landen Lewis, 18, fended off Jacob Staten and Keelan by margins of 0.329 and 1.036 seconds respectively to win the race. Lewis, a teammate of Harvick at Joe Ryan Racecars, took home a hefty $25,000 prize.

Keelan, who was a strong contender throughout the afternoon, had surged ahead at one point to take the lead from Lewis. However, a series of restarts saw him fall back as the race neared its conclusion. Reflecting on the day’s events, the young driver shared:

“I just got shuffled back on the restart, but I can’t thank Joe Ryan Racecars enough for bringing me a fast racecar every week, it wouldn’t be possible without them. I just made a mistake on the restart and it cost me a lot.”

“I definitely knew that I needed to be more aggressive, but I just knew that it was going to be hard to beat these two guys, because they’re really good and I just needed a little bit more from myself,” added Keelan.

In addition to Legends Car racing, Keelan has also ventured into Late Model Cars. It appears he is quickly adapting to the nuances of this new challenge.

How did Keelan’s first venture in a full-bodied car pan out?

After witnessing his promising performances in the Legends series, Keelan’s father Kevin decided it was time for the young prodigy to step up to full-sized stock cars. Keelan debuted in the South Carolina 400’s Limited Late Model race on November 23, piloting his father’s #62 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet.

Throughout the 96-lap feature, Keelan avoided any big trouble, securing a P8 finish. Although there was a minor hiccup under a red flag when Jason Myers brushed against Keelan’s left front while stationary, it didn’t deter him from a strong showing.

Kevin believed Keelan had a car capable of a top-3 finish and was quite pleased with the outcome, given it was his first race in the category. The 12-year-old reflected on his performance with a racer’s ambition.

“I think I did pretty good. You always want more as a race car driver, but that was pretty good for my first race. I think I saved a little too long there and probably could have been more aggressive, but those are some good steps [to take] going into the next one,” said Keelan.

Keelan looks set to compete further in Late Model races. It will be intriguing to see his progression through the ranks. Going by the potential he has shown, he is likely to follow his father and make an entry into NASCAR. It is just a matter of time.