Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers reminisce some of their most favorite wins together
Kevin Harvick and his former crew chief, Rodney Childers, recently shared their most memorable victories. The pair is one of NASCAR's most successful driver-crew chief duos, having had multiple wins and a championship together. However, both agreed that their first win holds a special place in their hearts.
In the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick asked Childers about his "favorite one" during their time. Childers replied by saying his favorite win was the first Brickyard 400. He said:
"The boys ask me all the time about my favorite win, and I still tell them it’s the first Brickyard 400 and they just think I'm crazy. They said, 'was it not Homestead when you won the championship?' I said, that doesn't count as winning the race. Like, that's not winning the race, that's winning the championship".
Childers added:
"You know, going to the Brickyard and qualifying on the pole and, like, leading the whole race and just being dominant and, you know, kissing the bricks and climbing the fence, you know, that's the biggest race I've ever won".
To this, Harvick, whose first win was the 2002 Chevy Silverado 150 at Phoenix, added by saying:
"I think for me, I think when you go back, I think it's the very first one. I think when you look back at Phoenix, the amount of relief that came with that very first win and just winning so early with the team, I just felt like that got us off onto the right foot in the right direction and just immediately got rid of all the naysayers of shouldn't have done this or you need to do that."
Rodney Childers joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 to build Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 team and won the Cup Series championship together. With Stewart-Haas shutting down, Childers has now signed a multi-year deal with Spire Motorsports.
Kevin Harvick's return to racing at North Wilkesboro
The 48-year-old Kevin Harvick is returning to racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend. Harvick will drive the No. 62 Late Model Stock Car in the zMAX CARS Tour Window World 125. Harvick said (via Watauga Online):
“From the driver's standpoint, it’s really about getting used to these cars".
HHarvick added:
“I only raced the car once here before, so getting used to the late model stock’s grip and handling is key".
Harvick also owns a team in the series and plans to enjoy the event and learn from it:
“I want to have fun, be part of the event, and learn more about the series. Whether I finish first or last, it’s about enjoying the experience".
You can watch Harvick and other drivers at North Wilkesboro Speedway on Aug. 3.