The older NASCAR fans probably remember the 2014 Cup Series season — the one where Kevin Harvick took home his first and only championship during a year that saw Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski clash down the stretch. Harvick had just left Richard Childress Racing, his home for 13 years, to join Stewart-Haas Racing — a move that turned out to be his good luck charm.
While many believe the team switch was the key to Harvick’s title, the retired driver recently revealed there was another helping hand along the way.
Kevin Harvick Reveals Surprise Name That Helped Him Clinch the 2014 Championship
As NASCAR heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway — the track where Harvick sealed that championship — he shared a surprising story about the biggest season of his career.
On the latest episode of the “Harvick Happy Hour” podcast, Harvick revealed that seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson played a major role in helping him get the car right throughout the weekend.
Thanks to the strong connection between Harvick’s team and Johnson’s team at Hendrick Motorsports, Johnson stepped in as a mentor of sorts during the 2014 finale.
“We went into the weekend and actually struggled in practice. And Jimmie Johnson was a huge help. After every practice, he would stand there — ‘What do you need? How’s it going? What’s the struggle here?’” Harvick said.
He won the title there in 2014. As we head to @HomesteadMiami, @KevinHarvick remembers how @JimmieJohnson and @TeamHendrick played a big role in his championship season. pic.twitter.com/qa2zp5Vq18
— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) March 19, 2025
Harvick also mentioned that Ricky Hendrick’s influence was crucial to his championship run.
Talking about Johnson, Harvick said it was important to have “an H” — referring to Rick Hendrick — in the mix. At the time, Harvick believed that the only way a driver could win a championship was with Hendrick’s support behind them.
That connection helped Stewart-Haas Racing join the “Big 4” club of the 2010s, alongside Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Team Penske. However, SHR later switched partners and moved to Ford in 2017.
After receiving advice from Johnson during his prime, Harvick has since returned the favor — though maybe not in the way fans expected.
Back in January, Harvick suggested Johnson should hang up his helmet for good and focus on his team ownership duties. While Johnson is no longer a full-time driver, he’s still chasing one more milestone — 700 career Cup starts, which he could hit at this year’s Coca-Cola 600.
And if you ask Harvick, that milestone might be the perfect place for Johnson to call it a career.