“As you look at Phoenix, it’s always just a little extra special,” Kevin Harvick said. “Everyone knows how much it means to me to do good here. A lot of people have been here since the mid-’90s watching me race. So you don’t want to come here and suck. But to do that 21 times, win nine races, I’m so fortunate.” For Harvick, the last races hit harder when the memories are this good and Phoenix Raceway gave him plenty.
This one-mile tri-oval in Avondale, Arizona, has rocked NASCAR’s Cup Series since 1988. It’s seen epic battles, wild finishes, and jaw-dropping drives from the sport’s biggest names. But let’s be real, Harvick’s name towers over them all at Phoenix. Fans can’t say “Phoenix” without even thinking of him.
Kevin Harvick owns the Phoenix record books
Harvick owns the record books at Phoenix Raceway. He’s nabbed nine wins—more than anyone—across 42 starts. His reign kicked off in 2006, and he never let up, owning the track’s tight turns and funky dogleg. They call him the king of Phoenix for a reason. From 2014 to 2016, he snagged three wins in a row with Stewart-Haas Racing, hitting his stride like a champ.
Even now, in his second year of retirement in 2025, Kevin Harvick’s shadow looms large. He drove the No. 4 Busch Light Ford to seventh place in a solid goodbye to an epic career. As of March 2025, his Next Gen stats (from 2022 on) still flex hard in four races, two top-5s, two top-10s, and a 5.8 average finish. No active driver comes close. Over his whole career there, he averages 8.5, with 20 top-5s, 31 top-10s, and a ridiculous 5.27 average running position. That’s consistency, folks.
Harvick credits his success to a key strategy: he keeps a loose setup early in races to gain an edge as the track tightens. This tactic, combined with his skill, keeps him a constant threat at Phoenix. Other NASCAR legends have also claimed victories there.
Jeff Gordon won in 2007, Jimmie Johnson triumphed in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and Dale Earnhardt took wins in the early 1990s. Kyle Busch (2005, 2018, 2019) and Denny Hamlin (2012, 2019) lead the current generation. These drivers shape Phoenix Raceway’s competitive history, which grows each season.
Keelan Harvick would be proud of his father’s legacy at Phoenix. He would like to reflect again on his preference for Clint Bowyer over his father for racing advice. Richard Petty at Dover International Speedway, Kyle Busch at Richmond Raceway, Dale Earnhardt at Darlington Raceway or Denny Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway- it is a treat! And now, we can add Kevin Harvick at Phoenix Raceway to the list of racer-racetrack deadly combinations.
Not Kevin Harvick but his son influenced NASCAR up-and-coming star
Kevin Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and now a broadcaster, recently highlighted the surprising role his 12-year-old son, Keelan Harvick, played in shaping rising star Connor Zilisch’s racing career. During a frank talk on his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick cleared up misconceptions about his involvement in Zilisch’s path, emphasizing Keelan as the true driving force behind the young racer’s growth.
Harvick clarified that he didn’t directly mentor Zilisch, contrary to what some might assume given his status as a NASCAR veteran. “The funny thing about Connor is everybody thinks that I had something to do with Connor racing, but it’s Keelan who had everything to do with it,” Harvick said. The connection stems from Keelan’s karting days, where he raced alongside Zilisch before the latter’s rapid ascent through NASCAR’s ranks.
Zilisch, now 18 and a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver for JR Motorsports, has credited Keelan for sparking his interest in stock car racing. “Me and Keelan used to go head-to-head in karting all the time,” Zilisch shared on the podcast. “Seeing him race stock cars made me want to try it too.” That exposure proved pivotal, as Zilisch transitioned from karting success where he won a 163-driver race in Italy to NASCAR. This ultimately culminated in a debut Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen in 2024.
But Zilisch would still like to take note of the veteran’s fabulous career and look to replicate the same dominance as Harvick’s Phoenix legacy.
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