Kevin Harvick will never be Dale Earnhardt, but he may be closer than you realize

Kevin Harvick is not Dale Earnhardt. He never tried to be.

But while there are some aspects in which Harvick, or nearly anyone else to ever drive in the Cup Series for that matter, simply will never measure up — merchandise sales, championships, facial hair, to name a few — perhaps ol’ Happy is a little closer than you might think.

Fair or not, it’s a comparison Harvick was doomed to endure after he was thrust into his first full season after Earnhardt’s shocking and tragic death in the 2001 Daytona 500. It was supposed to be a year of smooth transition, one in which Harvick ran a few Cup Series events while competing in the then-Busch Series for one final full-time season.

Yet, Harvick wasn’t afforded that luxury and was pushed into a circumstance the likes of which no driver before or after could relate to. He then went on to carve out one of the best careers in the sport’s history. And maybe most Earnhardt-like, he did it his way, never shying away from an on-track scuffle or a critical postrace comment.

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Perhaps it’s in that sense the racing world will most miss Harvick, who this past week announced his impending retirement — coming at the end of the 2023 season. Harvick has become the sport’s elder statesman of sorts, with his words carrying weight. The most recent example came in a scathing interview after his car was the latest to spontaneously combust at Darlington this past September.

“I’m sure it’s just the crappy parts on the race car, like we’ve seen so many times,” he said. “We haven’t fixed anything. It’s kind of like the safety stuff: We just let it keep going and keep going.”

Now, imagine how Dale might’ve dealt with these Next-Gen safety concerns. Something tells me, you’d have had a tough time putting a muzzle on him, either.

The fact is, there are race fans old enough to buy Busch Light that weren’t alive to witness any race that Dale Sr. ran. But those same fans have been around for all or most of Harvick’s career.

Does that mean Harvick is this generation’s Earnhardt?

Well, no. Such comparison’s aren’t even fair, especially considering Earnhardt’s reach beyond the racetrack during the height of the sport’s popularity.

But, statistically speaking, maybe it’s a little closer than you might realize.

Really.

Provided Harvick doesn’t pull an Aric Almirola and unretire, it appears he will never get close to Earnhardt’s seven titles, which are tied of course with Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson for most all time. But did you know, if not for the inception of the playoffs, Harvick would have four? That would have included championships in 2010 and 2016 and would’ve also taken two of Johnson’s titles away, giving Harvick a better case as this generation’s best driver.

I know, I know. And if Daytona had a fourth corner it would be Indianapolis.

Unless Harvick goes on one heck of a run in his final season, he’s not sniffing Earnhardt’s win total either. Currently, Earnhardt’s 76 Cup Series victories is eighth most and while Harvick is just behind him, tied with Kyle Busch for ninth, he’s a full 16 behind the Intimidator at 60. And that’s with Harvick making 103 more starts with 36 to go. Earnhardt also holds an edge in All-Star Race victories with three compared to Harvick’s two.

But in other categories, the two are downright eerily close.

It may surprise you to know that Harvick and Earnhardt are deadlocked at 428 career top-10 finishes. They’re also tied in wins in crown jewel races (Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400) with eight and Daytona 500 victories with one.

Both were Cup Series rookies of the year with Earnhardt winning in 1979 and Harvick, of course, in 2001. And in 2001, the two swept the sport’s most popular driver awards with Earnhardt winning the Cup Series trophy posthumously (and finally, no offense Bill Elliott) and Harvick claiming the then-Busch Series award.

While Joey Logano made the headlines — and deservedly so — by winning his second championship at the 2022 season finale at Phoenix, Harvick too made a bit of history, registering his 19^th straight top 10 at the track. That broke the old record of 18 shared by Richard Petty and, of course, Earnhardt, both of whom accomplished the feat at North Wilkesboro.

And that’s not the only category in which Harvick actually bests Senior.

Poles? Harvick 31, Earnhardt 22.

Different tracks with victories? Harvick 22, Earnhardt 17.

Sure, more starts and a plethora of new tracks introduced and retired in recent years have benefitted Harvick in that regard. And again, I’m not saying Harvick is Earnhardt. But for someone put into an impossible situation from the start, he’s gotten closer than perhaps he ever should’ve.

All I am saying, is that maybe we’ve underappreciated just how good Harvick has consistently been for more than two decades. Thankfully, we have one more year to rectify that.

And while nothing in 2023 would put Harvick on Earnhardt’s level, I’m certainly not betting against a big season.

He's not the Intimidator, but they don’t call him “The Closer” for nothin’.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR: Earnhardt replacement was no Dale, but Kevin Harvick ran well