Kevin Harvick Q&A: Year 2 with Fox, his TV strengths and weaknesses, and more

New York Times

22-04-2025

As Kevin Harvick's driving career in NASCAR's Cup Series wound down, a transition to television always felt inevitable. In addition to being one of the most accomplished drivers of his generation — winning a Cup championship, retiring ranked 10th on the all-time wins list and owning victories in all four crown jewel events — he also impressed whenever he stepped in front of the camera to serve as a guest television analyst.
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Last year, Harvick entered broadcasting full time when he joined Fox Sports to call Cup races alongside fellow analyst Clint Bowyer and Mike Joy, who handles play-by-play duties. And just as many within the television world long predicted, Harvick quickly became one of the sport's best analysts.
With Harvick now entrenched in the broadcast booth, The Athletic sat down with the 2014 Cup champion to discuss his role. Harvick spoke about what he learned from his rookie year, his strengths and weaknesses, developing a rapport with Bowyer and Joy, hosting his popular podcast ('Happy Hour') and more.
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
What is Kevin Harvick the broadcaster like in Year 2 versus Year 1? Is it just a better level of comfort?
I have a much better understanding of what my role actually is. I think Year 2 allows me to be more opinionated in things that are happening or happening in the conversation, whether it's in a production meeting or in the booth or whatever that is, and feel comfortable about not stepping on anybody's toes. Because this is truly a team. It takes a lot of people, just like everything else, and last year I wanted to make sure I understood how it all worked before I started being too opinionated on things.
I treat it just like I was driving the car. Like everything matters. You want everything to flow and be organized. And I've learned that things happen a little later in the TV world than in the driver's side of the world. It's a lot closer to the event than what I was used to. But that's just kind of the nature of the beast because there's just a lot of things that happen week-of because you can't do it the week before.
Do you find yourself in meetings now being comfortable with speaking up, giving your opinion and direction on things related to the broadcast itself?
It's knowing when it's OK to just say something when it's right and knowing right and wrong, and knowing when you're walking on somebody to stop, and it's knowing that flow of myself, Mike and Clint. It's also being able to talk to the producer and director and everybody in the truck to say, 'Hey, leave the camera here.'
There's a lot to broadcasting by itself, but on top of that, you also have your podcast on Monday, the agency and other business interests, family and still occasionally racing. How does your typical week now unfold?
Typically, all the heavy Fox meeting stuff happens Tuesday, so that's two meetings. With Monday being the podcast, usually Sunday night is about content for that, the run of show for the podcast Sunday night, and then Monday morning we shoot the pod.
Between pre-race, the podcast, stuff for features on Sunday, you wind up working with five different producers as you go through all the different scenarios of things you could or couldn't do. So being comfortable with that flow is different. I feel like the way that digital and the broadcast side work together is probably unique compared to other sports. … And then you incorporate the family and the racing and the management company and all those other things in there, it winds up being a busy week.
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Because of your past relationships with Joy and Bowyer, has that made transitioning to the booth easier because you know them so well?
I think so. And they were both open arms when I got here. They had a rotating seat of (guest analysts), so I can see why that would be frustrating with the flow and being in the routine of how things go. To bring somebody new in most every week would be hard, not only for them, but for the guys in the (production) truck to be able to get the flow and understand when somebody is frustrated or mad.
Clint and I look at it from two different worlds, and what we see on the racetrack is drastically different. Mike's a little bit of the referee in that scenario. But I think that's part of what makes it good because I don't get offended by his difference in his perspective compared to my perspective. Mine's usually right. (Laughs.) But other than that, it's fun because I can bust on him pretty hard, and he can do the same back to me. And it's not mean. We're both just having fun.
How many times during a broadcast do you roll your eyes at Clint?
I usually punch him. I don't roll my eyes. I usually just punch him in the shoulder or grab him around the neck.
What do you think your strengths are as an analyst?
It's still just the things that are happening from the driver's perspective with the new car. Because if you haven't been in the car, it's just a different world compared to what it was. So being able to see those things.
I like to explain the racing piece of what's actually happening. You don't have to make anything up, it's pretty simple. There are a lot of things to watch. Our sport is very complicated. There's a lot of technology. There's a lot of people that are really good at it. There's a lot of work, time and effort. So being able to get that out and across to people is super important. Because if you just sit there and show the cars going around the racetrack, it looks pretty easy, but it's far from that.
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What do you think your weaknesses are as an analyst or an area you'd like to improve in?
I worry too much about walking on somebody or overthinking the end of the races. The end of the races just gets so chaotic with two big voices in the room. Sometimes it's hard to know where you chime in on that, or if you don't need to.
I'm of the opinion that Mike Joy should call the last lap of every race because I like listening to his voice. So … you have to know when to stand down, though there are moments that you could definitely put in on something that happened, but you have to do it quickly.
What is the dynamic like in this role now where you sit down with some of your peers, like you recently did with Kyle Busch, and interview them? Is it different being on the other side?
Very unique because I feel like I have a pretty good relationship with all of them. And everything that we went through from the driver counsel side and still being involved in that, it's been really strange because you can ask them hard questions and they're very honest. I've not had one that's been combative yet. They've all been pretty easy, to be honest with you, because it's just a natural conversation, and I feel like I come at them with questions that they wouldn't typically hear from some of the everyday stuff that they hear.
Now, sometimes things have happened, and you have to ask that question. But I try to find something creative to pique their interest, to start a conversation that leads to who knows where.
You have the podcast where it certainly seems like you enjoy having an outlet that allows you to sit down and actually opine on the state of NASCAR.
I thought that podcast was a terrible idea when we started, but it has evolved into exactly (that sort of outlet). And I think it's because on the air, you never see and hear everything that's happening because it's happening so fast.
There is this unbelievable pace of the booth in the way that the information and things are happening, so being able to digest that after the race, listen, see everything else that was going on — the topics pretty much shape themselves. It's great to be able to dive into some of the more critical things, whether it's NASCAR, driver, track, whatever that scenario is, to be able to have those conversations that are tough.
Why didn't you like the idea of a podcast when it was thrown at you?
It seemed like a lot of work, and it is, but it's not as difficult as you think it is. And it actually helps you prepare for the week. By the time I get to my production meetings on Tuesday, I have a pretty well-rounded idea of what happened over the weekend or what you're leading into for the next week.
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Darrell Waltrip spent nearly 20 years in the (Fox Sports) booth doing this. Larry McReynolds and Joy (both of whom started with Fox Sports in 2001) are still going at it strong. You envision yourself doing this as long as them?
Well, the good news is I don't really have to think about that vision because it's just, I guess, one segment of time at a time with whatever deal you're currently under. It's something that I enjoy. I enjoy being around the racetrack, and being around the racetrack in a non-pressure situation. And I like racing. I like the people. I like the sport. I like everything about it. So I enjoy being here and doing something that just doesn't have the pressure of driving the car.
(Top photo of Kevin Harvick at this year's Daytona 500: James Gilbert / Getty Images)