Kevin Harvick wishes he could've raced against Dale Earnhardt

The year is 2000 and Kevin Harvick is one of NASCAR‘s up-and-coming prospects. Harvick, about to embark on his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series, chooses to sign with Richard Childress Racing.

Harvick revealed on his “Happy Hour” podcast that he wanted to race with Dale Earnhardt Sr. The Intimidator was the face of both RCR and the sport at the time, and Harvick was a big fan.

“I went to RCR to race with the Big E — with Dale Sr. And that was the final piece to the puzzle that made my decision to go to RCR,” Harvick said. “I had a few different things that were happening at that point and ultimately, I wanted to be on the same team as Dale Earnhardt. So, I went to RCR, and everybody knows the story of the way that worked out. Never actually got to race against Dale. To me, that was one of the pieces to the puzzle that I never got to have play out.”

Kevin Harvick’s 2001 triumph at Atlanta

But Harvick never got the opportunity to race against Earnhardt. On the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt tragically died after hitting the outside wall head-on in Turn 4. Earnhardt’s shocking death changed the sport forever, as well as Harvick’s career.

The following week at Rockingham, Harvick was tasked with replacing Earnhardt in the renumbered No. 29 Chevrolet. Two weeks later at Atlanta — three weeks after Earnhardt’s death — Harvick edged out Jeff Gordon by 0.006 seconds to take his first checkered flag. Harvick honored Earnhardt by taking a victory lap around the track while holding three fingers outside his window.

“Looking back on it now, you realize the importance of getting in the Cup car [at that time]. Atlanta was supposed to be my first race with America Online in the No. 30 car, and then we wound up winning my first race at Atlanta in the No. 29 car after Dale’s death,” Harvick previously said, via Motorsport.

“So, I think the significance and the importance of keeping that car on the racetrack and keeping RCR afloat with that car on the racetrack and winning that race early at Atlanta – knowing now what it meant to the sport, and just that moment in general of being able to carry on, was so important.”

NASCAR and its fans needed that moment. For Harvick, it was the beginning of a Hall of Fame career.