Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick began racing go-karts at age 5. He captured seven national titles and two Grand National championships at that level before moving on to late models. He captured the 1993 late model title at Mesa Marin Raceway and was crowned rookie of the year in the Featherlite Southwest Series in 1995.

Harvick then captured the 1998 NASCAR Winston West championship, also spent a couple winless seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Harvick was part of the three-rookie onslaught that stormed the top 10 in the Busch Series in 2000, but the Bakersfield, Calif., driver's impact was the most dramatic. Harvick enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons in Busch Series history, posting three wins and earning rookie of the year honors while finishing third in the standings.

He garnered worldwide attention when he was named to drive the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 season opening Daytona 500.

Harvick was named to drive the car beginning with the second race of the season at Rockingham and he continued his quest for the NASCAR Busch Series championship at the same time. Harvick proved he was special by winning in only his third Cup start, and he put the exclamation point to that statement with the Busch Series title in only his second season, following 2000's NBS Rookie of the Year campaign.

Harvick also won the 2001 Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award and finished ninth in the point standings after winning another race, the Chicagoland Speedway inaugural, and posting six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. He had only one DNF in 35 starts.

Harvick's Busch success, which included five wins and five Bud Poles in his championship season, no doubt played a part in Childress' decision to move Harvick to Cup.

If not for missing the second race of the season, Harvick's impact might've been even greater. The driver for RCR's first-year Busch team set a rookie record for most driver points earned (4,113) and tied the rookie record for wins.

The 2002 season did not bring Harvick the same amonut of accolades. He finished 21st in the standings. A win at Chicagoland was one of eight top-10 finishes, but six DNFs, including two in the first four races of the season, eliminated him from contention.

He did, however, win his first Craftsman Truck Series race at Phoenix in November.

Harvick finished a career best fifth in series points in 2003. His season was highlighted by winning the pole and the race in the 10th anniversary of the Brickyard 400.

Harvick, nicknamed "Happy," married his wife, DeLana, two days after making his Cup debut at Rockingham.