Former NASCAR Cup Series champion turned broadcaster Kevin Harvick is one driver who is well-versed with the significance of visiting victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a stock car racing driver. The famed 2.5-mile-long quad-oval is world-renowned for hosting the IndyCar Series, along with being the venue for one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the Indy 500.
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American stock car racing decided to visit the facility for the first time in 1994 with stock cars racing the same course as their open-wheeled counterparts. Many drivers realized what was a dream for them growing up to drive on the famed ‘Brickyard’. One of them was Harvick as well.
19 years ago today, Kevin Harvick won the 2003 Brickyard 400 @ Indianapolis. pic.twitter.com/A79mnSfvod
— Andrew (@Basso488) August 3, 2022
The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver spoke on his affinity towards being an IndyCar driver during his formative years. He touched on how driving a stock car at Indy was the closest he could get to that childhood dream. The 48-year-old elaborated on his podcast, Harvick Happy Hour.
“It’s the closest that I’ve ever been able to explain to people living out your childhood dream. I grew up a huge Rick Mears fan, I wanted to race IndyCar, I wanted to win the Indy 500, and to go there and win the first time in 2003 was the coolest thing ever. It meant as much to me to win at the Brickyard as it did Daytona. “
On this day in 2003, Kevin Harvick won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis! pic.twitter.com/7VsnMr6SJb
— Nascarpixtures (@Nascarpixtures) August 3, 2023
NASCAR’s return to the oval layout this year also signifies the return of stock car racing at the venue in some ways. As iterated by many during the sports racing at the road course layout, the oval is where the historic significance of the venue is felt, and that is what makes it a crown jewel event.
Harvick reminisces on his first win at Indianapolis in 2003
Harvick took to victory lane for the first time in Indy back in 2003 when he was driving for Richard Childress Racing. The now 48-year-old remembers a unique post-race tradition during that year which involved him taking parade laps of the track after having won the race.
Accompanied by team owner Richard Childress and his crew chief at RCR along with his wife DeLana during the victory lap, Harvick recalled what a surreal experience it was at the time.
“At that point, there were 300,000 people around the racetrack and they treated it like the Indy 50o. You would ride in the back of the pace car or one of the show cars. I rode with DeLana, myself, crew chief, and owner.”
He added, “We rode around and all the Indy fans, they hadn’t left and it was one of the coolest things that we were able to do because of all the people that were still there and just take that moment. That ride around after the race was pretty neat.”
Capturing the atmosphere of NASCAR’s heyday at one of the world’s biggest sporting venues, Harvick certainly would have taken in what has come to be known as the Indy experience for drivers as well as spectators attending events there.
It also remains to be seen how well the return to the Brickyard is received by spectators this year, with Cup Series drivers going green from the quad-oval this Sunday.
