Former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick is scheduled to return to the FOX NASCAR television booth as a race analyst for eight NASCAR events in 2017, beginning with the XFINITY Series season opener from Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 25 (3:30 PM ET with pre-race coverage beginning at 3:00 PM ET) on FS1.
Harvick also will contribute as an analyst on FS1’s NASCAR Race Hub, the most-watched daily NASCAR news and highlights program, airing Monday through Thursday at 6:00 PM ET during the racing season, joining a solid rotation of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers and crew chiefs.
He says he agreed to eight races, in part, to gain reps for what he hopes could become his post-racing career.
“I really enjoy calling races,” Harvick said. “I enjoy the perspective of sitting up there and trying to figure out what’s going on. I also want to be a part of watching these young guys come up through the NASCAR Camping World Truck and XFINITY Series and have the experience of having been in the booth when they raced because, ultimately, it’s something I want to do down the road when I’m done driving.”
For Harvick, his lone race as an analyst at Daytona in 2016 wasn’t sufficient.
“One wasn’t enough, and I think we’ll do several NASCAR Race Hub shows this year, so it will be fun to express my opinion from the booth and from the studio,” he added.
This marks the third consecutive year Harvick will be alongside Adam Alexander and Michael Waltrip to call the Daytona season kickoff. He also is scheduled to be an analyst in the FOX Sports booth at Phoenix, Bristol, Talladega, and Pocono, as well as NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Kansas, Eldora and Talladega.
In addition to the 2015 and 2016 Daytona events, Harvick also was in the FOX Sports booth at Las Vegas and Dover in 2015 and was the first NASCAR Premier Series driver to debut as part of the on-air rotation for FOX Sports’ inaugural year of XFINITY Series coverage that season.
In 2015, Harvick rotated with four other fellow Cup Series drivers to call 12 of 14 XFINITY Series races carried by FOX Sports — four-time champion and current FOX NASCAR analyst Jeff Gordon, 2012 champ Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer. In 2016, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Keselowski, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Bowyer and Patrick also were part of the rotation, which expanded from 2015’s list of five drivers.
“In his first few minutes in the FOX NASCAR booth at Daytona in 2015, Kevin Harvick quickly proved himself a natural as an analyst,” said Eric Shanks, FOX Sports President, COO and Executive Producer. “He offers thought-provoking analysis each time he speaks, and does so in a concise and entertaining manner. We are thrilled to have him back this season for an expanded schedule of races.”
Announcements regarding additional Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in the booth for the entirety of FOX Sports’ 2017 XFINITY Series season are forthcoming. FOX Sports airs the first 16 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races and first 14 XFINITY races of 2017, in addition to the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule.
