NASCAR: 10 future Hall of Famers among 2020 drivers
By Asher Fair
Future NASCAR Hall of Famers: #3 – Kevin Harvick
It’s hard to call Kevin Harvick a “late bloomer” considering the success he had early on in his career. But the success he has had in recent years, specifically since joining Stewart-Haas Racing ahead of the 2014 season and winning the championship in his first year with the team, shows that the 45-year-old is nowhere near retirement.
Harvick continues to climb the all-time wins list and has improved several positions in recent years, including seven last year alone. His recent success has propelled him inside the top 10 with 58 career victories, which is twice the number of victories as the winningest driver who is not either a Hall of Famer or an active driver.
Harvick has won at least one race in each of the last 11 seasons, and it isn’t too far-fetched to see him challenging Richard Petty’s record of 18 by the time his career ends, considering the fact that more than half of his wins have come in the last six seasons alone and the fact that he is already signed through the 2023 season.
He has missed just one race, that coming at Martinsville Speedway due to a suspension in 2002, since becoming a full-time Cup Series driver in abrupt fashion following the tragic passing of Dale Earnhardt in 2001, and he well-is positioned to challenge Jeff Gordon’s all-time record of 797 consecutive starts as well. He currently has 676.