Kevin Harvick Looks To Become Winningest NASCAR Driver On Magic Mile Track

When the green flag is waved Monday afternoon for the start of the Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick will not only be looking for his first win of the season but also a record-setting fifth on the Magic Mile.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have some success,” Harvick said prior to qualifying on Saturday. “This is one of those places where you can check that box, let your guard down and say, ‘Yeah, this has been a great racetrack for us, and we have had some success.'”

The race, which was postponed due to inclement weather on Sunday, will be Harvick’s 40th and final race at NHMS since he is retiring from the Cup Series at the conclusion of the season.

“That makes it fun because there’s nothing to hide anymore,” Harvick explained. “You don’t have to hide what you think about really anything, just because of the fact that next year is different.

“For years, I didn’t want everybody to really know what I thought, what I was thinking, or know too much about you, because you can put yourself in a position where people know your weaknesses or strong points. So the less you say, the less they know. That’s not really relevant this year, and it’s been fun to kind of just let your guard down and say what you think.”

Harvick will have his work cut out for him since he is starting 13-of-36 from the field, but three of the four wins the veteran driver clinched, started outside the Top 10. His first win in 2006 came from his only pole win.

The 47-year-old currently sits 98 points behind leader, William Byron, with seven Top 10 finished and four in the Top 5. Harvick won the Cup Series championship in 2014 and lost the 2020 championship after clinching the Cup Series Regular Series championship.

The only other driver to have as much success at NHMS as Harvick is retired NASCAR great Jeff Burton, who will be the honorary pace car driver for the race on Monday.

“I’m honored to be asked to drive the pace car,” Burton said, per a NASCAR-provided press release. “NHMS has been a huge part of my career, and it’s humbling to have an opportunity to celebrate my success at the track.”