"He outperformed the rest of SHR" - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Kevin Harvick's performance during his final NASCAR season

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently commended Kevin Harvick's performance in his final season with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

Kevin Harvick bid farewell to NASCAR at the end of the 2023 season with an impressive seventh-placed finish in the season finale in Phoenix. Harvick ended the season 13th in the Cup Series standings with 6 top-5 finishes.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a moment to reflect on Harvick's final season in a recent episode of the Dale Jr Download podcast. The 49-year-old said:

"I don't know what he expected or what they expected. We certainly know that Kevin's had better years. But when I look at this team, I judge the company as an organization, and he outperformed the rest of the Stewart-Haas cars by a good margin."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. lauded Kevin Harvick for carrying the torch for the team and delivering solid results. He continued:

"Not winning, I'm sure, was disappointing for Kevin. But in the last race, led laps, run up front, had a solid ending."

He further added:

"I think his fans were probably somewhat disappointed. But all of that, you can shove aside because this is his final year."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Kevin Harvick's replacement, Josh Berry

With Harvick stepping away from the Cup Series entirely, the spotlight now falls on long-time Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry.

Berry was contacted by Stewart-Haas Racing in June of this year to take over the reins of the No. 4 Ford Mustang previously piloted by Kevin Harvick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has a close relationship with Berry through JR Motorsports, shared his opinions on the 33-year-old driver. In a recent episode of the Dale Jr Download podcast, he said:

"I’m a Josh Berry fan. Y’all know that I want that to go well. There will be some moments of struggle."

He further added:

"There will be times when Josh Berry’s going, ‘Man, do I have what it takes? Do I belong here? Do I have the fortitude to go forward?’ There will be some dark, dark moments in that first year. There are for every driver."

Despite acknowledging the potential challenges for Berry in his debut Cup Series season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. voiced his confidence in the young driver's capabilities. He stated:

"He’s already got some pretty incredible experience already before he’s going to get in the booth. He’s been in probably some of the more high-pressure situations and passed with flying colors. He seems completely relaxed in that scenario."

He concluded:

"I don’t think he will have any challenges whatsoever.”