Now retired from full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing after accumulating 60 victories in the premier division, Kevin Harvick is set to begin a new career as a full-time broadcaster in the FOX Sports booth.
That’s not the only activity, however, that will occupy Harvick’s attention. Kern County Raceway Park in Harvick’s hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., was purchased recently by Tim and Lisa Huddleston and renamed Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in honor of the 2014 Cup champion.
Harvick’s commitment will constitute more than just providing a marquee name. He’ll be involved in plotting the future of the half-mile asphalt track.
“Bakersfield is obviously my hometown, and I view it as one of the biggest racing towns in the country,” Harvick said during a question-and-answer session with reporters on Thursday morning at the Music City Center. “When I look at the Kern facility and what it is, it’s one of the nicest short tracks in the country. It’s kind of that hidden gem that just needed a kick in the butt to kind of get restarted and reintroduced to the world.
“Working with Tim Huddleston and his family and hopefully getting that back to having the right events and the right weekly shows that it needs and everything that’s going to happen is going to be fun. I’m looking forward to that project, and those are the types of projects that I enjoy, and we’re looking forward to hopefully great things.”
Harvick raced at Kern County in 2018, finishing fourth in a one-off appearance in an ARCA Menards Series West race.