Harvick and Lewis to Carry Tribute Paint Schemes in CARS Tour Throwback

Author: Heath White

HARRISBURG, N.C. (July 31, 2025) – Nothing sparks racing nostalgia quite like a throwback paint scheme. Keelan Harvick and Landen Lewis are embracing this Saturday’s CARS Tour Throwback Classic (Aug. 2) at Hickory Motor Speedway in fine fashion with a pair of special liveries that pay homage to important figures in each of their lives.  

Harvick, who will drive the Morton Buildings Pro Late Model at Hickory for Rackley WAR, will pay tribute to his late grandfather, John Paul Linville, with a similar gold-and-black paint scheme as the one raced by Linville some five decades ago. Linville was a renowned and admired short track racer in the Southeast who won a trio of Late Model Sportsman championships in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By the conclusion of his career, Linville tallied better than 100 starts in what is now termed the NASCAR Xfinity Series.   

In addition, Harvick will also swap numbers for the event, running the No. 32 - one of the first numbers used by Linville. Linville began his career with that number but later adopted the No. 62 after the No. 32 became synonymous with Hickory, N.C. native Dale Jarrett. 

“Being able to race Paw Paw John’s paint scheme is pretty special,” said Harvick, who unveiled the scheme with his grandmother earlier this week. “He drove this car number and these same colors at Hickory a long time ago, and it means a lot to me and my family - especially my GG - to have it on the track again. Racing is so important to our family, and it would be a cool celebration if we’re able to get to victory lane.”   

The Throwback Classic marks Harvick’s return to Hickory for the first time since his dominant victory in last month’s CARS Tour Pro Late Model race, where he started from the pole and led 99 of 100 laps. He currently sits second in the point standings on the strength of three top fives and five top 10s.

Lewis will drive the 704 Hemp entry for KHI, and throw back to the yellow-and-orange paint scheme made famous by his mentor and friend Ron Hornaday, Jr. during his time on the Southwest Tour. Hornaday won two championships (1992, 1993) and many of his 18 series victories with the classic No. 97. Hornaday, a four-time Truck Series champion, is now a 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023. 

“Ron’s throwback means a ton to me because of how special it is to him and his family,” said Lewis, who holds the runner-up spot in LMSC championship point standings with two wins, four top-five and six top-10 finishes on the season. “That was the car he raced back in 1992, and it’s just super cool to honor his career in this way.

“It also means a lot to the people on the West Coast because they remember seeing that No. 97 winning a ton of races. Having Ron there with us at the racetrack will make the weekend even more special.” 

With a historic $50,000-to-win purse, the CARS Tour Throwback Classic is billed as the largest single-night payout in the history of pavement Late Model racing in America. The Pro Late Models will also see a massive payout of $30,000-to-win. The event will be streamed live on FloRacing on Saturday, Aug. 2, starting at 7:30 p.m. EDT.