Kevin Harvick Surprised with News That He’s a NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominee

Kevin Harvick’s race to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte is officially on. Harvick was one of the 15 people named as nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027 on Sunday. He learned the news during FOX Sports’ pre-race broadcast ahead of the Cook Out 400. NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton remarked that Harvick’s inclusion on the ballot “wasn’t a surprise to anybody.” “That’s a lot of fun,” Harvick said when he learned of the news. “These guys always set me up for stuff like that, but it means a lot. You know I love this sport and everything that I got to go through was up and down. But it’s what I love, and to be a part of that is something special.” Harvick had one of the most accomplished careers in the history of motorsports prior to retiring at the end of the 2023 NASCAR season. He won the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 and the regular-season title in 2020. He also won two titles that are now known as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. On top of that, Harvick had 60 NASCAR Cup wins. His most famous of those victories was his win at the 2007 Daytona 500. FOX Sports’ Chris Myers asked Harvick to reflect on his career upon hearing the news that he was nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “Well, I think the biggest thing for me is that I got to do what I love to do,” Harvick said. “I grew up as a kid that just wanted to go to the racetrack and be a part of all the things that I like to do. To do it for a living and grow up and be a part of that sport, learn so much about life and all the people — the people are what make it so special. You get to be around a group of people that you love to be around. In the end, we’re just a bunch of racers who love what we do.” Harvick was one of the 10 people included on the ballot as Modern Era nominees. Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Randy LaJoie and Jack Sprague were the other nine people included on the ballot as Modern Era nominees. Two people from that group will be picked for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2027. Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab and Larry Phillips were the five people who were named nominees as part of the Pioneer Ballot. The inductees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027 will be announced on May 19.