Kevin Harvick spent two decades building a legacy, and now his son, Keelan, is beginning to trace his father’s own path behind the wheel. Rodney Childers, Harvick’s former crew chief, recently offered insight into the structure that is shaping the young driver, who has very quickly adapted to multiple formats.
Advertisement
Just recently, Keelan continued his rise with a top-five finish in the 2025 South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway, adding another strong performance to a month already filled with milestones.
Earlier in November, the 13-year-old made his debut at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and wrapped up eighth in the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour All-American 100. After this, he will turn his attention toward the Snowball Derby in December as his schedule grows heavier and his confidence grows sharper.
Childers, who was present at the South Carolina 400 as part of the No. 62 team, outlined how Harvick approaches his son’s development and why Keelan continues to progress.
“He’s just a super smart kid, and there’s times that he gets a mouthful from Kevin, but he’s learning from the best every single day. The way that he goes about his days. I mean, Kevin makes him get up every single morning and go for a run before he goes to school. Just the discipline that Kevin’s always had his whole life, and his intensity, and the way he goes about things is just second to none.”
Childers explained that retirement has given Harvick more bandwidth to monitor Keelan’s performance from every angle. The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion now spends far more time watching his son race, often driving near him to study his lines and decisions.
With that vantage point, Harvick addresses even the smallest of the details — why Keelan needed extra laps to complete a pass, what he could have done differently, or the moments he should have avoided entirely.
Mistakes still surface, as they do for every driver learning the ropes. Childers recalled an incident on the West Coast the previous week, when Keelan made an error while passing a lapped car. According to Childers, anyone could see immediately that Keelan recognized his mistake. He handled it the right way, took responsibility, and checked on the other driver afterward.
That’s why the former SHR crew chief expressed full confidence that Keelan is on track to become exceptional. He believes the next few years will reveal the depth of the young driver’s potential, especially with a mentor who spent his career as a constant threat in the Cup Series field.
With that guidance and Keelan’s willingness to learn, Childers sees no ceiling on what the teenager can accomplish as he continues to mature and take on bigger stages.
