Kevin Harvick explains why he had a ‘love-hate relationship’ with Martinsville

Martinsville has become one of the most popular tracks on the NASCAR circuit, but Kevin Harvick wasn’t always fond of the short-track.

On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the former NASCAR Cup Series champion took some time to explain why he has a ‘love-hate relationship’ with Martinsville. It’s nothing against the track’s configuration, just Harvick simply never got around to loving the short-track.

“I’ve had a lot of people flip me off at Martinsville,” Harvick said, reminiscing about his time at the short-track. “Look, Martinsville was one of those places that it was kind of a love-hate relationship. The fans loved going there. I hated going there, because I just never did very good.

“There’s nothing wrong with Martinsville. It’s a great racetrack, fun to watch. I had way more fun watching this weekend than I did driving. But it was just one of those places where they either loved me or they hated me, and there was a lot of people that didn’t like me up there. So, for a long time.”

Continuing, Harvick told some war stories about his time at Martinsville. He doesn’t have the best memories at the short-track, unlike some of the other dates on the Cup Series schedule for the former wheelman.

“I didn’t start off on the right foot at Martinsville,” Harvick added. “My first year, and it was towards the end of the season. I spun Bobby Hamilton out, as passed me for the lead up there, in the Cup race. Yeah. He passed me and I’m like, ‘Well, only chance I have is to spin him out,’ so I spun him out. And that didn’t go over well.

“That’s when he when he said I, ‘wasn’t a scab on Earnhardt’s butt.’ Yeah. So that was kind of how I got off off the ground at Martinsville. And then the next year I got thrown out at Martinsville, for spinning Coy Gibbs out. So it’s always been one of those places.”

Evidently, it all got a little weird for Harvick at Martinsville. Nevertheless, he still was able to win at the track once during his Cup Series career, back in April of 2011, so at least he has the grandfather clock from the track. It can’t be all bad.

Martinsville can’t hurt Kevin Harvick any longer. He’s now a fan and a broadcaster, and that group loves the short-track. Only good memories are there to be made at the track for Kevin Harvick moving forward.