Kevin Harvick has transitioned into the role of an analyst with Fox Sports beautifully over the past year. He entered the broadcasting booth after retiring in 2023 and is heard alongside Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer on the weekends. After working on several races with this impeccable team, he has identified a particular weakness in himself.
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The end of a race has to be announced perfectly for the viewer not to be confused about what the result is. Which is why it is best if one person does it without interruption from others.
In the Fox Sport booth, Harvick wants Joy to be the one who does it. However, he isn’t always sure about whether or not he must interrupt the said course to deliver an interesting take.
He told The Athletic, “I worry too much about walking on somebody or overthinking the end of the races. The end of the races just gets so chaotic with two big voices in the room. Sometimes it’s hard to know where you chime in on that, or if you don’t need to.” He stressed that he must know when to stand down and, if something has to be said, to say it quickly.
Joy is a veteran broadcaster with decades of experience calling races. It is only fair that Harvick lets him take the point position during crucial junctions of an event. Moreover, he also mentioned that he likes listening to Joy’s voice. But it isn’t like he has identified no strengths in himself either.
Being a veteran driver, he can deliver opinions and information that bridge the gap between the drivers on the field and the viewer at home. He believes that this is a big strength of his. With how complicated and tough racing has become in recent years, the connection that Harvick brings is appreciated in a lot of quarters.
How Harvick’s broadcasting abilities have changed in two years
2024 was Harvick’s first year in the booth. And with the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro next month, his second term will come to an end as well. He said that he has a far better understanding of what his role is now than he was in 2024.
“I think Year 2 allows me to be more opinionated in things that are happening or happening in the conversation, whether it’s in a production meeting or in the booth or whatever that is, and feel comfortable about not stepping on anybody’s toes,” he stated. He had taken Year 1 as a preparatory ground to understand things.
And now that he has, he has the confidence to get too opinionated on matters. There are three more points-paying races that Harvick will take part in. For all the negativity that Fox Sports receives for its poor coverage of races, it balances the scale in its favor a tiny bit.
