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Driven To
Win... |
For kindergarten graduation in
1980, Kevin received a go-kart from his parents and began his
storied racing career.
In the ten years that he competed on the go-kart circuit, Kevin
earned seven National Championships and two Grand National
Championships. During that time, Kevin also learned the value of
dedication and discovered the joy of success that would
transform to the fierce determination that defines Kevin Harvick.
Kevin left the go-kart circuit to begin competing in the
Featherlite Southwest Series - a regional touring division of
NASCAR - in 1992. He ran a limited schedule for two seasons
while completing high school, running a full schedule in 1995
and earning Rookie of the Year accolades.
Deciding to pursue a career in racing rather than study
architecture in college, Kevin progressed to the Winston West
Series.
"Racing is something I've wanted to do my whole life," says
Harvick. "In 1997, when I was attending Bakersfield Junior
College, the time came for me to make a choice about my future:
I either had to focus on racing full-time, or decide on a new
profession and begin training for it. I chose racing, and I've
never looked back."
Two years later, Kevin won five races on his way to the 1998
Winston West Series Championship.
A brief stint in the Craftsman Truck Series introduced Kevin to
acclaimed car owner Richard Childress. Childress, having seen
potential in Kevin's hard-charging driving style, offered him a
ride in the Busch Grand National Series. Harvick accepted.
In February of 2000, the blue-and-white ACDelco Monte Carlo
pulled out of the garage area at Daytona International Speedway
with rookie Kevin Harvick at the wheel. A remarkable two-year
campaign in the Busch Series had begun.
Kevin won three races and finished third in series points on his
way to the Rookie of the Year title. On the track, he was known
for his aggressive driving that led to a multitude of top-10
finishes. Off the track, his affable attitude and ever-present
smile earned him the nickname "Happy."
Kevin began 2001 as the favorite for the Busch Series
Championship title, and completed the year a Winston Cup
superstar.
After losing Dale Earnhardt in a wreck on the final lap of the
Daytona 500, car owner Richard Childress asked Kevin to assume
driving duties of the GM Goodwrench Service Plus Monte Carlo on
the Winston Cup circuit. Despite the intense schedule and
difficulty of driving full-time in two series, Kevin agreed and
began the most incredible year of his life.
For having started on such a terrible note, the 2001 racing
season was the best of Kevin's career - both personally and
professionally.
On February 28, 2001, Kevin married DeLana Linville, whom he
calls his "best friend," in a beautiful Las Vegas ceremony.
Despite not having time for a honeymoon, Kevin and DeLana's
first year of marriage was filled with incredible moments that
DeLana called "wedding presents."
Those "wedding presents" included two Winston Cup wins - the
first coming in Kevin's third start - and a Busch Series
Championship, which Kevin earned on the strength of 20 top-5
finishes and five wins. Kevin also earned "Rookie of the Year"
honors on the Winston Cup circuit, finishing 9th in points.
Kevin became the first driver in NASCAR history to run full-time
on both the Busch and Winston Cup series - a total of 70 races -
in one season, and the first to be named Winston Cup rookie of
the year the same season that he earned the Busch Series
Championship.
In the fall of that same year, Kevin and DeLana ran their first
Kevin Harvick, Inc.(KHI)-entry in the Craftsman Truck Series.
The truck, built in a friend's garage, set the stage for what is
now a full-fledged racing operation. In August of 2004, Kevin
and DeLana opened a 70,000 square foot facility in Kernersville,
NC that became the home of KHI. The next year, KHI fielded its
first full-time Busch Series team, winning the season-opener at
Daytona. Since then, the company has grown to a competitive,
multi-team organization that fields two successful Busch Series
cars and an impressive Truck Series ride. KHI looks
forward to its most successful year to date in 2007, with a
stellar lineup that includes Ron Hornaday, Bobby Labonte and
Tony Stewart.
Since his start in NASCAR's premier racing series six years
ago, Kevin has had several career moments, including a win at
the 2003 Brickyard 400. He is currently one of only thirteen
drivers who has won a race in each of the National Series
(Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup) and is one of only two
drivers who has won at least two races in each series.
Kevin experienced the most successful year so far in 2006.
He earned his second Busch Series championship in a runaway title
effort that saw him earn nine wins, 23 top-5 finishes and 32
top-10 finishes. He was just one race short of tying Sam Ard's record for
the most victories in a Busch Series season, 10, set in 1983.
Additionally, Kevin clinched the title with four races remaining
in the season, mathematically eliminating any other competitor
from taking over the top spot in points at Lowe's Motor Speedway
in late October.
While he was storming through the Busch Series in '06, Kevin was
also having his best Cup Series run to date. He earned five
wins, 15 top-5 finishes and 20 top-10 finishes on the way to
a fourth-place finish in points, his best finish to date.
It was Kevin's first Chase for the Championship berth.
Where the Kevin Harvick story will end is left to the
imagination. He continues to raise the bar both at the
wheel of a racecar and from the owner's seat. He has many
more chapters to fill and championships to win...both on and off
the track.
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Kevin's Fast Facts |
Date of Birth: Dec. 8, 1975
Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Residence: NC
Wife: DeLana
Pets: 3 dogs, 2 cats
Years in Racing: 26 (and counting)
Hobbies: Remote control cars, vintage video games, skeet shooting,
riding ATV's and go-karts.
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