The season might have brought in a career wrap for Kevin Harvick, but Stewart-Haas Racing is not done wishing for one last performance of the ‘Closer’ and neither are we. Although Harvick’s wife Delana would look forward to spending more time with him, it was exactly nine years ago, when she was overwhelmed with emotions at the bleachers of Homestead. 

On November 16, 2014, the veteran driver raced past the finish line at the Homestead-Miami Speedway to win the Cup Series championship. On the anniversary of that momentous occasion, here’s reliving the race-winning laps of Kevin Harvick.

Kevin Harvick won the Homestead trophy and a priceless memory with wife Delana

The season finale in Homestead had a nail-biting finish, but it was doubly exciting for being the culmination point of the first-ever elimination playoff rounds in NASCAR history. For Kevin Harvick, this was the first year of the switch from Richard Childress Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing and the beginning of an iconic chapter of his career. The SHR driver was among the Championship 4 contenders, along with Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Ryan Newman. And it all came down to a 3-lap sprint in the end.

A brilliant strategy from crew chief Rodney Childers gave Harvick an edge over his competitors with 4 fresh tires. Although he lost a few spots, Harvick quickly made it up to race against Newman with 2 new tires and Hamlin, who had opted against a tire change. A technical issue threw Logano out of contention and it was a fight to the finish on the last race restart between Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman.

With 3 laps remaining, Harvick raced on the outside of Newman and with stunning skills, took the lead and retained it till he saw the checkered flag in the last lap of the 267-lap Ford EcoBoost 400 race. Newman fought hard, but he eventually finished 0.5 seconds behind the winner, who seemed to have sprouted wings toward the end of the race. As soon as Harvick crossed the checkered, the cameras panned toward the bleacher stands. A sobbing Delana could not control her tears of pure happiness, a memory she would cherish her entire life.

Watch this story: Kevin Harvick’s Last NASCAR Race

In his final Cup year, Kevin Harvick opened up on the surreal decision that resulted in his historic triumph.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick will always remain ‘The Closer’

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In his last race in Phoenix this year, the entire racing community came together to celebrate Kevin Harvick and his Hall of Fame worthy career. Not just the season-ending race, but the entire year felt like an homage to this phenomenal NASCAR racer. But a tribute to Harvick would be incomplete without mentioning the Homestead race. 

Earlier this year, the #4 SHR driver went down memory lane to recall the incomparable emotions that gripped him and his family at the time of his first and only title win. In a video shared by NASCAR, Harvick said, “As I’ve gone through my career, there are those pivotal moments of okay should I go left or should I go right and all those decisions led into what turned out to be a championship-winning year.”

Harvick further admitted, “The relief at the finish line was really the biggest emotion of the day.” All these years later, the revered driver was still grateful for his entire support system. “It was a massive effort from a lot of people to put this whole program together and it was the ultimate reward in the end.”

Befitting his immense contribution to the sport, this year’s playoff race in Homestead was renamed 4EVER 400 in his honor. Generations down the line will rewatch the 2014 championship win to learn from one of the finest NASCAR drivers- Kevin Harvick.

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