It’s just practice, but Kevin Harvick isn’t done driving just yet

Kevin Harvick is coming out of retirement.

Oh wait, no he’s not.

“I’m still retired,” Harvick said on the latest episode of the FOX Sports “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour” podcast. “I’m technically just helping some friends out.” 

OK, we’ll go with that and take any past comments that said he would never drive a Cup car ever again to mean he won’t ever race one again.

His friends are those at Hendrick Motorsports, and Harvick will practice the Kyle Larson car on Friday, May 17, at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Larson will be at the final practice before Indianapolis 500 qualifying that day — an important day because that is when they practice in qualifying trim.

So Harvick will get 50 minutes in the car on the 0.625-mile track as the team prepares for the all-star race. And it sounds like NASCAR will also allow him to do the 3-lap qualifying session that includes a pit stop — so the Hendrick No. 5 crew can compete in the pit-crew challenge.

Harvick won’t be allowed to run the heats (qualifying races) the next day that set the lineup for the all-star race since he is not eligible for the main event. He didn’t win a race last year and any past champs or past all-star winners must be full time.

But it’s still 50 minutes of practice. And despite vows from Harvick that he wouldn’t get in a Cup car again, this will be cool to see.

Getting in the car can only help Harvick with his main job at FOX Sports as an analyst in the booth. The only Next Gen car he drove was the past two years at Stewart-Haas Racing. He will see if the Hendrick car, as well as the changes to the aero package and potentially the tires that will be used for the event, make much of a difference.

Harvick said he is doing it as a favor for Rick Hendrick, who has helped him out throughout his career. Hendrick knows that it would be beneficial to have a driver who has been in the Next Gen — and the Next Gen at North Wilkesboro last year — do the practice. And he probably figures that Harvick will know the line, so the likelihood of wrecking the car is minimal.

Would it have been nice for a young driver to get a little experience practicing the car? Yes. But North Wilkesboro isn’t all that comparable to other tracks and how much 50 minutes would help a young driver is debatable.

So Harvick it is. It should be fun watching Harvick do it.

There’s just one more question:

I know what you’re thinking that question is … Will Harvick ever get in a Cup car again?

But no, not ready to ask that just yet. The question is … If Larson wins the all-star race and the $1 million, does Harvick get any of the coin?

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

 

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