Keelan Wins, Kevin Crashes Late in 'Battle of the Harvicks' at Kern

Originally posted on Racing America on SI
By Joseph Srigley | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 12:16 PM ET

Screenshot from FloRacing Broadcast

Keelan Harvick, the 12-year-old son of 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, collected his first CARS Tour West Pro Late Model victory in the Mission Bank 250 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.

Harvick, driving the No. 62 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet, inherited the lead of the race with six circuits remaining around the half-mile short track in Bakersfield, California, and was able to hold off Kenna Mitchell on a late-race restart.

The younger Harvick prevailed tonight at @KernRaceway!! pic.twitter.com/cEWnrXj3R3
— #TeamKHI (@KHIManagement) June 1, 2025

“I can’t thank all the fans enough for coming out,” said Keelan Harvick in Victory Lane. “I’ve got to thank all my sponsors, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Realtree, Tree Top Apple Juice, Morton Buildings, iRacing, it wouldn’t be possible without them. I can’t thank the Rackley WAR guys enough.”

Saturday’s 150-lap feature event marked history for the Harvick family, as it was the first time that both Kevin and Keelan were on the racetrack competing against each other, with the younger of the family members collecting the victory.

The 60-time NASCAR Cup Series race-winner was very much in contention for the victory late in the event, when a multi-car incident wiped out the top four drivers and presented an opportunity for the younger member of the Harvick family to slide through with the race-lead.

Harvick, who retired from full-time competition in the NASCAR Cup Series after the 2023 season, was locked in an incredible three-way battle for the race-lead with Buddy Shepherd and Jacob Gomes, but as the three drivers were slicing and dicing up front, Gomes contacted Harvick, spinning the No. 29 at the entrance to Turn 1.

Something had to give! @KevinHarvick spins after a tremendous battle with Buddy Shepherd and Jacob Gomes at @KernRaceway in the @CARSTourWest!#CARSTourWest pic.twitter.com/7l09slz80e
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) June 1, 2025

“What a race between [Jacob Gomes] and [Buddy Shepherd] there,” said Kevin Harvick. “I hate that we got tangled up there, but that’s a part of short track racing. [Gomes] just wiped me out, but I know he was going for it. Buddy was going for it; I was doing all I could do. It ended up benefitting Keelan.”

Keelan managed to pick up the pole position for the event, with Kevin Harvick qualifying in third place. That allowed the father-son duo to battle it out intensely throughout the first segment of the event, which saw them restart side-by-side with 40 to go in the first stage.

Kevin managed to sweep around the outside of Keelan and take away the race-lead at Lap 36, enabling the NASCAR on FOX analyst to drive away and win the first stage.

Harvick won by 1.627 seconds over Sean Woodside, with Hans Beeler in third, Kenna Mitchell fourth, and Linny White rounding out the top five. Bubba Nascimento, Jace Hale, Austin Herzog, Mike Beeler, and Taylor Mayhew rounded out the top 10.

Kevin Harvick, after being involved in the late-race accident among the leaders, finished 13th.