Kevin Harvick's historic car from first NASCAR win to lead field at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Kevin Harvick will make his final start at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), the site of his first-career NASCAR Cup Series victory, in the Quaker State 400 on July 9.
To celebrate the monumental victory, in which Harvick outlasted Jeff Gordon by 0.006 seconds, Richard Childress Racing (RCR) will pull Harvick’s No. 29 winning car from the RCR museum and make some laps around the 1.54-mile oval prior to green flag.
“As we celebrate NASCAR’s 75th anniversary and the rich history our speedway has within this sport, it only makes sense to recognize the accomplishments of a legend as he gets ready to retire,” AMS executive vice president and general manager Brandon Hutchison said, via TobyChristie.com. “Kevin Harvick is a champion who’s won just about everything you can in a stock car, including three races right here in Atlanta. Seeing the car from his first win back here one more time for his last race at AMS will be an unforgettable moment for both Harvick and his fans.”
Harvick’s victory was emotional at the time, as it came just weeks after the NASCAR community lost Dale Earnhardt in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. RCR called up Harvick to replace Earnhardt in the renumbered No. 29 car, who raced his way to victory lane in just his third-career start.
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He spent 13 seasons in the No. 29, winning 23 Cup Series races. He joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, winning his first and only Cup Series championship that season.
Kevin Harvick taking in final season in NASCAR Cup Series
“Kevin Harvick meant so much to RCR over the years and we want to congratulate him on a successful career in NASCAR,” Childress said. “The No. 29 Chevrolet has a home at the RCR Museum in Welcome, North Carolina, but we know that this Chevy has history at Atlanta Motor Speedway and we’re looking forward to bringing it out to the track so that fans can see this historic car take one more lap around the track.”
Harvick, 47, announced this past offseason that the 2023 season would be his last. Through 14 races, he sits fourth in the points standings, having recorded four top 5s and six top 10s.