Before Kevin Harvick could accept Rick Hendrick’s offer to run Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet during NASCAR All-Star Race practice at North Wilkesboro Speedway later this month, he first had to make a few phone calls.
First, Harvick had to clear it with his bosses at FOX. Once he got the approval from his employer, he then had to sell the idea to his wife, DeLana. DeLana encouraged him to do it, he said on his “Happy Hour” podcast this week.
Kevin Harvick recalls accepting Rick Hendrick’s offer
“Not very many scenarios that I would’ve said, ‘You know what, that’s a good idea.’ But this one I was like, ‘You know what, that’s a good idea.’ I thought it would be fun,” Harvick said. “Mr. Hendrick called me and said, ‘Hey.’ And I know when these conversations from him — he doesn’t call me all the time but when he does call, there’s usually something behind it. And our conversation started by, ‘I need a favor.’ And I was like, ‘All right, well whatever you need.’ A lot of people don’t understand how this sport works and the people who are inside this sport understand that there’s a lot of things that people within different teams and organizations do for one another when they’re in a jam.
“So, Rick called and said, ‘Hey, I want you to drive the car.’ And I said, ‘Let me make a few phone calls.’ So, I had to call my bosses here at FOX [and] I had to call my wife. … Before I went to my wife, I needed to make sure that everybody’s OK with this. So, I called everybody that I thought I needed to and then I called my wife, and I was like, ‘Hey, are you sitting down?’ She’s like, ‘I’m driving.’ I said, ‘Well, maybe you should pull over.’ … I said, ‘So, they’ve asked me to drive Kyle Larson’s car during the North Wilkesboro weekend.’
“And she’s like, ‘Well, what’d you say?’ I said, ‘Well, I said yes, of course because there’s just not too many opportunities that are presented the way that this one was presented from Rick to say I need a favor.’ And she’s like, ‘Well, if Mr. Hendrick needs a favor, he’s done us good, you should go do it.’
Kevin Harvick excited to get back in Cup Series car
Harvick, 48, retired from full-time Cup Series competition following the 2023 season. He wrapped up his career 10th on the all-time wins list, with 60 Cup Series victories to his name. Harvick won his first and only Cup Series championship in 2014 — his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing. With his racing career behind him, Harvick transitioned to the announce booth, joining Fox Sports for the 2024 season.
Harvick said he’s excited to see Larson pull double duty in the Indianapolis 500 and the Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26.
“I’m excited to be a part of the equation because I can’t wait for — I hope Kyle Larson goes up there [to Indianapolis] and qualifies on the pole and wins the race. And I just think that story of when Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart went and did the double — I think that was good for racing. I think it’s good for NASCAR,” Harvick said. “I think it’s good for Kyle Larson and I think it’s good for Hendrick Motorsports. … It’ll be a fun day.”
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