The NASCAR community will miss Kevin Harvick in the #4 car. The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion has been integral to the sport on and off the track. From being one of the most respected racers to connecting the bridge between NASCAR and the fans, Harvick has always provided more than just his feats on the track. His announcement to retire at the end of the 2023 season came as a shock to many. However, with the season’s conclusion on Sunday at Phoenix, the Stewart-Haas Racing veteran is left to wonder about the next steps.

Kevin Harvick explores the same territory by joining another one of NASCAR’s most beloved drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr., in a recent episode of The Dale Jr Download. One of his major concerns about the sport is improving the build-up to getting a ride in the Cup Series. With the Cup Series being the country’s premier competition for stock-car racing, he wants to educate future drivers better than they are already.

Kevin Harvick notices a resemblance between him and Dale Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr has been a benevolent presence in NASCAR. After his retirement, he shifted his focus to the welfare of JR Motorsports, initiated the CARS Tour, and even participated in the renovation of tracks. His contributions to the improvement of NASCAR showcase his love for racing. As per Kevin Harvick, he resonates very well with Junior’s emotions.

“I’m a lot like you. I love the sport, and now you’re trying to figure out what you do and what’s your responsibility for making sure the sport has what it needs going forward because it gave me so much. Now it’s like, Alright, how do I make sure that I give back enough to help the next generation of people that are coming along?”

In 2018, Harvick was elected to the Drivers’ Council. However, shortly after, he dropped out of it, citing a lack of impact as the reason. The council was primarily set up to ease the dialogue between NASCAR and the drivers and to gain a grasp over the sport’s present situation and decisions that could affect the future. But he couldn’t stay put for a long time, as the introduction of the Next-Gen cars brought forth a new set of concerns.

Now that he has left his glorious career behind him, broadcasting has gained his attention. Speaking about the possibility of him joining Junior at the broadcast booth, Harvick said, ” I think obviously going forward, for me, the broadcasting piece is super important.“

“I think as you take that responsibility, it’s, as you know, a big responsibility because you’re telling the story of what you see. But I think that relationship with the competitors and drivers, and being able to walk in those haulers and talk to the crew chiefs or the drivers and not even think twice about it, Like, I have no problem walking up to the back of Joey Logano’s hauler and walking right up in their lounge and saying, ‘Hey, what’s going on, fellas?’

Junior has joined notable personalities like Jeff Burton, Marty Snider, and Dale Jarrett in the NBC Press Box. The chances of seeing Kevin Harvick in there might have skyrocketed with his retirement, which would have meant the addition of another knowledgeable driver.

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Harvick takes inspiration from NFL legend John Madden

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When gamers worldwide had a look at the popular game franchise, ‘Madden NFL,’ they wondered about the origin of the name Madden in the title. The nomenclature is rooted in the legacy of former NFL coach and iconic commentator John Madden. Madden’s influence on the sport has been unmatched, and his contribution through insightful analysis and description of the sport’s different aspects makes him a legend of American football. As for Kevin Harvick, he wishes to tread along a similar path.

Explaining his reasoning, he said, “When you look back at somebody like John Madden and look at what he could do in the booth, what he could do with the NFL and for the players, and on the marketing side, I think that’s important to be able to try to take what you have taken from the sport.”

“I think as Jeff [Burton], and I and many others have gone through the whole driver council thing, it’s very apparent that there’s a lot of questions and a lot of unanswered questions as they go forward because it’s just become such a machine of ‘okay, get in the car, drive, you’re 12. Let’s race Late Models, let’s race trucks, let’s race Xfinity, and here you are in Cup.”

NASCAR’s process of creating superstars differs greatly from what it was two decades ago. The gradual transition from one competition to another scrutinized through a driver’s expertise has toned down. 2023 Truck Series contender Carson Hocevar’s case is a great example. Hocevar has sealed a seat at Spire Motorsports and will be a Cup Series driver in 2024. Although he has shown great promise, Harvick signals that the big jump in levels has to stop.

“Most of them had no idea why they sat in their seat. They were just given a seat. They had no idea why they wore the suits that they wore. That educating process has been a little lax over the last 15-20 years of what the drivers need to know about the sport.” added the 47-year-old, slamming the prevalent learning process.

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Looking deeper at Harvick’s words, his thought process seems reasonable. The toil for a Cup Series seat has surely decreased with time. Its implications could hinder a driver’s progress, and at the same time, the status as a Cup Series racer might seem superficial.