Kevin Harvick reacts to son Keelan's first Limited Late Model start

On Friday night, Kevin Harvick watched his son Keelan take the next step in his racing career with his first-ever Limited Late Model start. Having a future NASCAR Hall of Famer as your dad, crew member, and number one fan definitely can’t hurt.

Kevin Harvick might be retired from NASCAR racing but he is not retired from stock cars. He has a late model program that he will participate in as an owner and a driver. With a stable of young drivers, including his own son, sharing the wheel as well.

After Keelan’s P8 finish in his Limited Late Model debut, the proud dad spoke to Scotte Sprinkle (@ScotteSprinkle on X/Twitter) of Short Track Scene about the race.

“He surprises me all the time just with, he’s 12. So, watching him race in the car it’s weird because some days he has a hard time wiping his butt let alone driving a full-size stock car,” Harvick said to Sprinkle. “From a parents’ standpoint seeing your 12-year-old kid in that full-size car is different.”

While he is only 12, Keelan has worked hard to get to this point. Kevin Harvick knew he was ready.

“We thought he was ready and I think tonight exceeded our expectations as far as where he’s at with everything.”

As for 2025, both father and son will run in late-model races within the KHI organization. He has a recent deal with Rackley WAR. Kevin and Keelan will also go head-to-head multiple times next season in Pro and Limited Late Model competition.

“Yeah I think next year we’ll probably run eight to twelve of these Limited Late Model races,” Harvick continued. “We’ll run a lot here at Florence just because I like the rules, you can buy tires. We can give him a good, quality experience here.”

Kevin Harvick has a unique perspective, being a parent and car owner of Keelan Harvick. What it's like for him to be both, and what's next for both him and Keelan going forward now. pic.twitter.com/oHtBs5cS1H

— Short Track Scene (@ST_Scene) November 23, 2024

Racing is a family tradition. It always has been. So, it is no surprise to see Kevin and Keelan Harvick at the race track together. A top-10 result during a big race weekend is huge for Keelan’s debut.

Tonight, the South Carolina 400 will take place. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Josh Berry, and a number of other short track stars will be attempting to qualify. The race gets going at 6:00 PM EST on FloRacing.