NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick recently shed light on the challenges his son Keelan faced while racing in Europe. In the process, he also raised a concern that has long plagued American race car drivers, especially open-wheel drivers.
On the latest episode of his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick questioned guest Will Buxton, who is the play-by-play voice for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on FOX, about the lack of a strong development ladder for American drivers hoping to reach F1 or elite open-wheel racing without having to leave the U.S.
Kevin Harvick Questions Future of American Open-Wheel Talent
Harvick has long been vocal about developing grassroots racing in America. While bringing up the topic, Harvick opened up about Keelan’s struggles when karting in Italy.
Despite the country being a global hub for karting and racing as a whole, Keelan had been slowed not by speed or performance but by resistance to foreign drivers. Harvick cited political roadblocks and national bias against American drivers as reasons for his son’s struggles in karting events like the WSK series.
Yet despite his commitment to the sport, Harvick said the politics of the European karting scene made it difficult for his son and other Americans to advance in Europe.
Posing a direct question to Buxton, Harvick asked, “How do we fix that problem for American open wheel racing to be competitive enough to where good American open wheel drivers don’t have to go across the world to race?”
Buxton acknowledged the long-standing gap between American and European racing, saying, “It’s a time-honored question, isn’t it? And there’s no simple solution to it because if there was, we would have found it by now. This isn’t new. We go back 30, 40, 50, 60 years…how many American drivers have been able to transfer over and make a success of the European ladder?”
If you want to get to Formula One, you have to do the European ladder. But as an American, how do you find sponsorship to race in Europe, when European sponsors aren’t gonna back an American, and American sponsors aren’t gonna back an American in Europe? Especially in a market that they’re not in because every race happens in Europe and most races aren’t broadcast on American TV.”
Harvick’s comments echo frustrations shared by other race car drivers trying to navigate the European system, where national federations, team alliances, and sponsorship politics often play a bigger role than talent. Breaking through without massive financial backing can be nearly impossible for American drivers.