“Why Did Dad Do That?”: Kevin Harvick’s Life Turned Upside Down After Son Keelan’s Birth

To put it mildly, Kevin Harvick has been one of the most captivating drivers in the NASCAR garage over the last two decades. Along with candid interviews and explosive media sessions, ‘Happy Harvick’ also had one of the most wholesome moments when not in a race car. So what really transformed Harvick?  Well, according to his wife DeLana, it was the birth of his son, Keelan, that really changed the 2014 Cup champion from the inside, leading to a complete change in behavior, something Richard Childress seconds.

Keelan Harvick, a budding racer himself, was born in 2012 and has since been a constant presence in the garage, supporting his father through tough moments. On many weekends, Harvick Jr. can be seen with younger sister Piper in the garage, having fun with drivers and crew members between various sessions.

Delana Harvick believes Kevin Harvick was changed after the birth of Keelan

In a heartfelt video released by Stewart-Haas Racing on Twitter, Harvick’s family and friends are seen talking about the #4 driver as a person off the track.

In one of the more touching parts, DeLana reflects on how her husband was a changed man after the birth of his son, saying, “There was a huge change in Kevin when we had Keelan. I think he, he made some poor choices early on, because I think he rebelled a lot because I think he was trying to fight against that ‘I’m going to make my own way in this sport’. As he matured a lot, and it took some time, I think he realized that the things that he was doing on track really wasn’t beneficial. But honestly the biggest key happened to be when we had Keelan. He wanted to be his hero, he wanted to do the right thing.”

“You know, we talk about a lot that you lead by example and, you know there’s been times Keelan’s seen a clip or something and well, ‘why did dad do that?’ I’ll say I don’t know, you need to go ask your dad because I don’t know why he did that. I said I bet he wouldn’t do it that way again but you should ask your dad. But also, I think we’ve also had really good conversations with Keelan of, ‘Look I’m not perfect, I do make mistakes but I need to write those mistakes’, and he’ll explain to him, you know, something happens on the track, ‘I did call this guy or I did text this guy. I made a mistake, I’m going to own up to it’. So I think there are always good learning lessons for Keelan.”

Richard Childress believes Keelan led to a changed mindset for Harvick

Kevin Harvick began his NASCAR Cup Series career at Richard Childress Racing, coming in just after the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt at Daytona in 2001. One of the people who have closely watched ‘The Closer’ has been RCR owner, Richard Childress. The team owner was also a part of the tribute video, saying, “When you have your own children, it changes your life and you start looking at everything different. I think at that point once they had Keelan, it was a different mindset for Kevin Harvick.”

This year, the Stewart-Haas Racing team has used its social media presence to good effect to pay tribute to one of NASCAR’s most iconic drivers, and fans can’t wait for what the team does next.