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With the final race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season about to go underway this weekend, it will also mark the end of Kevin Harvick's illustrious career in the sport. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver announced that he will be stepping aside from NASCAR to something more slow-paced after 22 years behind the wheel.
With the championship battle set to be fought between the Final 4 drivers in the playoffs, Kevin Harvick might be one to play spoilsport this Sunday. In what would be a fitting retirement from racing stock cars, Harvick winning at Phoenix Raceway might not be out of the realm after all.
The 1-mile-long track in Avondale, Arizona is one where Harvick's best performances have come over the years, with the Bakersfield, California native boasting a streak of 20 consecutive top-10 finishes at the venue. Going into this weekend's race on Sunday, here is what Harvick thinks of his chances as he elaborates to The Fayetteville Observer:
"Results-wise, I would say yes. Phoenix has always been a good racetrack for me. Growing up on the West Coast, that was really the facility that you wanted to win at the most because we always had our biggest Southwest Tour races there. We’ve probably dominated Phoenix because we spent so much time there learning and tearing stuff up and doing the things you’re not supposed to do at the racetrack.”
With Kevin Harvick looking for his 61st victory in the sport, it remains to be seen how the title battle between Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and William Byron pans out as well.
Kevin Harvick elaborates on how his racing has been throughout the 2023 season
Used to the constant pressure of the public eye throughout his career, Kevin Harvick's change of pace in 2023 allowed him to enjoy his time behind the wheel.
The 47-year-old veteran elaborated on how that change of pace has been and told The Fayetteville Observer:
"For me, going into this year knowing that you could just let your guard down, to where it didn’t matter if somebody saw you having fun, it didn’t matter if somebody saw you hugging your daughter, it didn’t matter if somebody saw you giving your son a high-five, it’s been fun to go out and compete and not be this really uptight."
Watch Harvick race for the final time in his career on Sunday, November 5, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. ET.
