CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick received the same answer nearly every time he talked to a retired athlete about making the decision to walk away: He would just know it was time.
Harvick, who was thrust onto the global stage when he was named Dale Earnhardt’s replacement just days after the legendary driver’s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500 at age 49, will make his 23rd NASCAR Cup Series season his last. The 2014 Cup Series champion, who turned 47 last month, is tied for ninth on the top-tier circuit’s career wins list with 60 and has made 13 consecutive playoff appearances.
He’s also one of the final active drivers from NASCAR’s halcyon days.
“From talking to all the people I’ve talked to, it always came down to the same, ‘Oh, you’ll know, you’ll know it is time, you’ll know the right moment,'” Harvick said in an AP interview ahead of his retirement announcement Thursday.
“It’s great to be able to go out on your own terms and plan it how you want it to go, but the biggest thing that sticks out to me is my kids. Being home with them and seeing the impact that you have with them when you are home, being able to be part of that daily process and be that father figure, it’s just time.”