At the Twilight of His Career, Kevin Harvick Looks Back at His First and Only Win at Pocono With a Small Regret
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Teams are ready to rev engines on Pocono asphalt. The past three races have been plagued by weather issues, forcing NASCAR to either reschedule them or shorten them. The fans are eagerly hoping for an action-packed Pocono race without any weather interruptions, especially since it holds a special place for both Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick.
Chase Elliott has fond memories of this track, as he emerged victorious in the race here last year. Likewise, Pocono is significant for Kevin Harvick, who secured a win on this very track back in 2020.
Throughout his illustrious and iconic career, Kevin has achieved victories at almost every racetrack, but he has experienced a series of close finishes at Pocono. However, when he finally clinched that long-awaited victory, he chose not to burn out and instead celebrated the triumph in a more reserved manner.
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Kevin Harvick unveiled his Regret after His First Victory At Pocono Track
It was a doubleheader weekend at Pocono Raceway, and Pocono 325 was the first race on Saturday. The Pocono 325 took place on June 27, 2020, and was an exciting and closely contested race as drivers took on the unique challenge of the “Tricky Triangle.
During the race, Kevin Harvick, driving the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, showcased his skills and experience, navigating the tricky turns and positioning himself at the front of the pack, putting himself ahead of Denny Hamlin and crossing the finish line in first place. It was a significant milestone for Harvick, as it was his first career win at the Pocono Raceway.
However, he didn’t burn out after the win, reasoning, as he said to ESPN, “I’m not doing any more celebrations with nobody out there to celebrate with. Until the fans come back, I’m not doing a burnout, I’m not standing on the car, I’m not doing any of that stuff. It doesn’t feel right not having my team in victory lane”
Recently, Kevin shared the last lap of Pocono battling Denny Hamlin, and his caption revealed his regret, which read, “What Turn #4EVER
First @poconoraceway win and with no fans because 2020.”
View this post on Instagram
Harvick’s team is celebrating 14 years since their first victory.
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Amidst the sadness surrounding Kevin Harvick’s departure from Stewart-Haas Racing, the team took a moment to reminisce about some of their past achievements. In a 2020 season that wasn’t looking promising, they managed to secure a victory in the All-Star Race but were still seeking a win in a points-paying race.
Recently, the team shared a video from the 2009 Pocono 500 race, a memorable event for SHR. The video featured a crash involving Tony Stewart’s car during practice, which forced them to switch to their backup car.
Pocono was the first place we parked it in victory lane at a NASCAR Cup Series points race.
Enjoy the story of how it went down. pic.twitter.com/nUbfoomB94
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) July 20, 2023
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Starting from the back of the grid, it seemed like the team wouldn’t have their best race. However, through sheer determination and skill, Tony Stewart and his team orchestrated an impressive comeback, eventually taking the lead from Denny Hamlin and securing the first-place position.
The video highlighted the challenges they faced, as the speaker said; “It was far from easy though as the team was still at an incredibly tight fuel window. Using his best fuel-saving tactic, Smoke was able to save just enough to make it to the end and score the victory, and he even saved a little bit extra to do some victory burnouts. This was the first of many NASCAR Cup Series points-paying victories.”
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With a rich history at the Pocono track, SHR and Kevin Harvick are now eyeing another victory in the upcoming Pocono race and, above all, to solidify Harvick’s place in his last season.
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Edited by:
Shivali Nathta