Kevin Harvick details decision to link son Keelan with Toyota

Keelan Harvick’s development path in stock car racing took another leap forward, as the young driver is now aligned with the Toyota Racing Development program as he continues a trajectory clearly pointed towards the national touring level. 

For Kevin Harvick, the decision had been months in the making before what he described as an ‘pretty simple’ decision to align his son with TRD.

“Well, I think the choice was pretty simple,” Harvick told Short Track Scene. “It’s been a conversation that we’ve been having for the last eight months about what the direction was going to be and what was best for him.”

Harvick points to the structure of Toyota’s development system as a key factor in the decision.

“It’s just a great group of people with the resources and the structure. Their development program is really unmatched. So I think for Keelan to be able to have that path and for us as parents to be able to have that partnership with a group of people you can work with together is important to us.”

Beyond the racing side, Harvick believes the culture surrounding the program is just as important as the on-track development.

“We want him to be fast but you also want to raise a good human and I think that their culture is going to be good for him.”

The move also marks the first time a manufacturer has been involved in his son’s development path.

“There’s really never been any manufacturer commitment up until this point for him. I think that the path just kind of ended up there with the conversations and all the things that we talked about as a group and we felt like that was the best path for Keelan.”

This weekend father and son race in the Super Late Model division as CARS Tour West visits the Bakersfield track for the first time this season.

For the younger Harvick, this marks his third career Super Late Model start, returning to the track where he made his SLM debut last October.

The jump to Super Late Models has presented a new challenge for his son and an important step in his development.

“He’s done a great job just learning. I think the Supers have been a challenge. That’s what we’re looking for, just with the power, managing the car, the brakes and all the things that you don’t get out of the Pro Late Models. Each car has it’s own characteristics. I think that the Pro Late Model and the Super are different because of the power. The Late Model Stock is different because it’s heavy and doesn’t have very good brakes but still has a little bit more power than the Pros. We try to pick the right tracks and series to just keep the learning curve going.”

While results often define success in racing, Kevin said the real progress comes through the lessons a driver learns along the way.

“I mean, it’s not always about winning or losing, sometimes it’s about, what did we learn today that we can do better for next time? It’s been a challenge for him, and he’s done well here last time, and I think this is his third race in the Super, so still, he’s still got a lot to learn. But that’s why we’re here.”