Keelan Outduels Kevin to Win the Harvick Cup

Author: Heath White

HARRISBURG, N.C. (Dec. 5, 2025) – After a seven-month battle that stretched across seven tracks in five states, Keelan Harvick emerged as the overall winner of the Harvick Showdown. This week, the 13-year-old was officially awarded the Harvick Cup, presented by Hunt Brothers Pizza and FloRacing, after outdueling his NASCAR champion father, Kevin Harvick.

The father-son rivalry spanned eight events across the zMAX CARS Tour, Spears CARS Tour West and the CRA, creating one of the most unique and entertaining storylines of the 2025 season. Originally slated for nine rounds, the schedule ended one race short when severe weather postponed the finale at Kern Raceway. Even so, the math told the story, with Keelan holding the upper hand by a count of six to three (both Harvicks scored a feature win in the Kern opener).

“It’s really cool to race against my Dad,” Harvick told FloRacing. “Just to learn so much from him. It’s really helped me a lot in my racing career. It’s really cool when I beat him!”

Keelan opened the series with a dominant five-race streak, claiming the first five Harvick Cup events and setting the tone early in the competition. Kevin answered back with Harvick Cup victories at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the October stop at Kern Raceway. The latter was one of the most exciting events of the season, with both Harvicks battling door-to-door in the closing laps with eventual race winner Jace Hansen. 

But for the Harvicks, the showdown was about more than wins and losses. It was a rare opportunity to share memories and milestones as competitors and family.

“It’s still fun,” Kevin Harvick said. “Keelan does a pretty good job inside the car and he’s fast. His performance does not surprise me. I don’t know how many opportunities we’ll have to race against each as he continues his progression, so we enjoyed this.” 

Not only did the showdown deliver a season’s worth of memories for the Harvicks, it was hands-on learning for young Keelan. He made good use of it, too—winning four of the eight races outright (Kern Raceway, Hickory Motor Speedway, Colorado National Speedway and North Wilkesboro Speedway) and finishing runner-up in all but one of the seven PLM events, tallying an average finish of 4.0. The effort also made him the first driver to win a CARS Tour East and CARS Tour West event in the same season.