Kevin Harvick learned in a 'trial-by-fire' during first season with FOX

With half of the NASCAR Cup Series season over with, Kevin Harvick has officially finished up his first year with FOX Sports. Harvick was well-received by fans and his passion and knowledge of the sport were evident.

Kevin Harvick improved a ton between the Daytona 500 and the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma. Yes, he had mistakes here and there. Maybe he gets a little too friendly with Clint Bowyer at times. But he is genuine and brings much-needed insight to the races each week.

In an interview with Sports Business Journal, Harvick discussed his first season in the booth. Now he has time to spend time to himself and actually be a retired driver. But, it was a fun and informative experience for the future Hall of Famer.

“Clint was super comfortable with going back and forth with Mike and I just sort of stepped back and watched with that one, just finding the areas where you intervene and raise your voice and when you feel like you need to make a bold comment — finding that timing of when all that is right, you just have to do it and talk about it all when you get done because it’s really a trial-by-fire thing,” Harvick explained.

A guy like Kevin Harvick would want to be thrown into the deep end like that. During his career, Harvick faced many trials by fire. From the death of Dale Earnhardt thrusting him into the Cup Series to taking the risk of joining Stewart-Haas Racing. And all of the fights along the way.

So, it’s no shock that he learned broadcasting the same way. Of course, Harvick had experience on Xfinity Series broadcasts, especially the drivers-only races. Now he’s officially graduated to the big boy booth.

Kevin Harvick closes out FOX Sports season

The evolution of Kevin Harvick from driver to broadcaster has been a lot of fun to see. It is even better that Harvick was able to make his own retirement decision from the Cup Series. He did it on his terms and while it was strange not seeing him on the track at first, it was time.

Throughout his career, Harvick did things his way. He brings that same energy to his broadcasting career, even if he is much calmer than he was say 10 years ago. FOX definitely has three voices that have their own personalities and styles in the booth.

Mike Joy is the seasoned veteran. He has seen and done just about everything there is to do when it comes to being a media member in NASCAR. Clint Bowyer is the wild car, he’s looking for a party and will not hesitate to crack a joke or two, even if it makes us roll our eyes from time to time.

Then, there is Kevin Harvick. His knowledge and skill both on and off the track is clear. This is a man who understands the intricacies of the Next Gen era and what these drivers and teams are dealing with on a weekly basis.