Kevin Harvick: 'I hope Martin Truex Jr. doesn't come back and race' like Jimmie Johnson

Kevin Harvick congratulated Martin Truex Jr. on a stellar NASCAR Cup Series career following this past weekend’s race at Phoenix Raceway, but there was a caveat.

While Harvick has immense respect for his fellow former champion, he stated he has no desire to see Truex return to the Cup Series in the future for any one-off events. While that may shock fans and analysts alike to hear, Harvick used the performance of Jimmie Johnson to make his point.

“Well, I’m glad Martin went out somewhat competitively, with the pole and having his last race and doing all the things that he did,” Harvick stated, via the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “I think he’s obviously looking forward to spending more time on his boat and doing a little more fishing and not having to deal with the pressure. That’s one thing for me, as I’ve gone through the year, not having to deal with the pressure and everything that comes with the week-to-week grind.

“I still like being busy and being involved in things, but there is nothing like that week-to-week grind. When you’re racing against the 20-year-olds and early 30s, when you get into your 40s and have kids, and Martin doesn’t have any kids, but when you have a life outside of racing, it becomes much more difficult to balance everything. So, I think he was just at the point where he was done with it.

“I hope he doesn’t come back and race, honestly. I think that when we see Jimmie Johnson come back and race, it’s not the Jimmie Johnson that we’re used to seeing. You know, up front, competitive, doing the things that he did. I hope Martin just — if he’s going to race, not race a cup car. I just hope that, you know, he can keep his career intact, and the way that everybody thinks about him, with the performances that he’s had over the last several years and being competitive.”

Alas, Harvick’s thought-process makes sense, as he doesn’t want to see Truex tarnish an impressive legacy. However, there’s a reason Johnson is back in the Cup Series — he’s racing to earn sponsorship dollars for his team, Legacy Motor Club. Now, as long as Truex doesn’t have ownership aspirations, he won’t find himself in that situation.

Regardless of Kevin Harvick’s opinion, NASCAR fans would welcome Martin Truex Jr. back to the track with open arms if he does decide to return every now and then. One of those possibilities is the Daytona 500, where it’s been hinted that the freshly-retired wheelman will race again in 2025.