Kevin Harvick winning the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opener at Darlington did not come as a surprise for anyone. It is his eighth win in a season that he has dominated.

However, there was something different for Harvick this time around that he could not experience in his seven previous wins, the support of fans in the stadium.

Harvick had a special day with the fans. He won in front of a few thousand in the stands, cheering for him. Soon after his win, he gifted his chequered flag to a young fan of his, making the kid’s day with the gesture.

Well, it’s the first one that I’ve been able to win that had any fans this year,” Harvick said in an interview after the race. “So for me, that was pretty exciting just to hear the cheers. It was a lot of fun to hear those cheers and hear those fans and see all the people in the grandstands,” Harvick added.

Kevin Harvick lauds NASCAR’s effort to bring back fans

He lauded NASCAR and the authorities for being able to get fans back in the stadiums during such tough times with the pandemic. “Really really proud of everyone in our sport for the progression that we’ve taken to get to this point. Back on schedule and fans in the grandstands and doing it safely,” Harvick said.

For Harvick, the post-race celebration felt much better this time around. “It was a lot of fun getting out of the race car besides dead silence and hearing those cheers,” he added.

Harvick lauds the team’s character

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The win looked far out of his reach at one point in the race. However, his cause was bolstered by a late-race collision between leaders Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr, after which he took the lead.

However, Harvick said his team showed great character to win a very challenging race. “It’s on nights like tonight that you really get to see how special this group is. As frustrated as I get in the car, it doesn’t frustrate them,” he added.

Harvick’s win seals his place in the Round of 8 in the Playoffs. The next Cup Series Playoffs race is on Saturday at the Richmond Raceway.