Know Your Driver: Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick

Name: Kevin Harvick

            Nickname: "Happy", "The Closer", "Mr. Where Did He Come From?"

Date of Birth: December 8, 1975 (age 39)

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Family: DeLana, wife; Keelan, son

First Career Start: February 25, 2001 (Rockingham)

Car Number and Make: #4 Chevrolet SS

Primary Sponsors: 

• Budweiser
• Jimmy Johns
• Outback Steakhouse
• Ditech Mortgage Corporation

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

           

Teammates: Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch

Best Career Points Finish: 1st (2014)

Career Victories: 29

           

Notable Wins: 

• 2003 Brickyard 400
• 2007 Daytona 500
• 2007 All-Star Race (not counted as a career win)
• 2011 and 2013 Coca-Cola 600
• 2014 Southern 500

Description: Kevin Harvick's career has now come full circle. He started his Sprint Cup career by having to step in and drive the 7-time champion Dale Earnhardt's car just a week after his death. Now, Harvick has a title of his own.

Harvick never wasted time making his name once he stepped into the Sprint Cup Series, winning in just his third career start over Jeff Gordon in a side-by-side battle for the win and honoring a fallen legend in the process. That success has continued for 14 years and if there was ever a question of Harvick being a Hall of Fame caliber driver, well, that question was buried after the 2014 season. Just look at his resume; wins in NASCAR's four biggest races (Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Coke 600, and Southern 500), an All-Star win, and now a championship.

He may have had to leave the only team he'd ever driven for in Richard Childress, but his move to Stewart-Haas paid dividends. Harvick was scary fast every single weekend last season, similar to Jimmie Johnson during his championship run. Sure, he had 5 wins in 2014, but it could easily have been more had there been fewer freak accidents for him and his team.

Though he may be approaching the age of 40, it would seem that Harvick will have a few more good shots at adding another title to his career and bolstering his impressive career even more.

Fun Facts: You might see Harvick smile quite often, but that is not the source of his nickname "Happy". No, that ironic nickname can be attributed to Harvick's anger outbursts from time to time.