“My Heart Was Beating”: Kevin Harvick Describes First Daytona 500 as NASCAR Analyst

The first day at a new job cannot get better than it did for Kevin Harvick at the Fox Sports booth on Monday. The 2014 Cup champ took the mic alongside Clint Bowyer and Mike Joy to act as an analyst for the Daytona 500 and did a wonderful job at that. With the thrilling showdown culminating in a William Byron win courtesy of some late-rate action, Harvick has realized that his new role can get his heart beating as fast as his former one did.

Reacting to the wild finish at Daytona and his thoughts on witnessing a race from this new point of view he said, “When they took the green flag the hair stood up on my arms and checkered flag, my heart was beating like I was driving the car. It was exciting.” Harvick had already been on air during the Busch Light Clash earlier this month, but the Daytona 500 was his first official points race in the new Cup Series season.

He continued thanking his colleagues for their support and quipped, “I appreciate you guys and all of your help getting through this. It’s been a great experience and I can’t wait for more.” Monday’s race was Joy’s 45th live coverage of the Daytona 500.

Clint Bowyer was once a teammate of Harvick at Richard Childress Racing and a close friend of his. He joined Fox Sports as a full-time analyst in 2021. The three are expected to continue their partnership for the rest of Fox’s coverage of the 2024 season.

Kevin Harvick aspires to be more than just an announcer in the booth

The late John Madden was one of the NFL’s most well-known personalities. He went from being a football coach to a TV commentator in his iconic career and created a long-lasting impact on his sport. And that’s who Harvick has as his role model now. Having been a loud voice advocating for driver safety and NASCAR’s progression in his time behind the wheel, the former driver does not wish to be any different now.

He said in a recent interview, “He [John Madden] wasn’t just a voice in the booth; he was always trying to push the NFL forward and help from a more broad perspective than just calling the event. And hopefully, that’s the kind of effect that I want to have in the booth to help the whole sport and not just call the races.” With these tall ambitions, Harvick’s next race will be at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25.

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