Rodney Childers expressed his delight after Kevin Harvick was named among the 2027 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees. The nominations include major names, with Harvick headlining the Modern Era ballot in his first year of eligibility.

Childers, who served as Harvick’s crew chief in his 2014 title-winning season with Stewart-Haas Racing, shared his response on X shortly after the news broke, writing:

“Really awesome! Congratulations @KevinHarvick!! So deserving 🏁👊🏼👊🏼.”

The Harvick-Childers duo delivered one of the most dominant seasons of the modern era. In 2014, they combined for five wins and 20 top tens to secure the Cup Series title, establishing Kevin Harvick as one of the defining drivers of his generation. That success has now translated into Hall of Fame consideration.

Harvick appears on the Modern Era ballot alongside a competitive group that includes Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Randy LaJoie, and Jack Sprague. Two candidates from this group will be selected when the voting panel meets in May, with the fan vote again counting as one ballot in the final decision.

In addition to the modern era ballot, the 2027 NASCAR Hall of Fame will also factor in candidates from the Pioneer category, including Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab, and Larry Phillips, along with the Landmark Award. All outcomes will be determined when the voting panel convenes in May.

Kevin Harvick’s nomination moment unfolds at Martinsville via a surprise by Mike Helton

Kevin Harvick’s reaction to the nomination came in an unscripted moment during a pre-race broadcast at Martinsville, where he now works as an analyst. The announcement was delivered live by NASCAR vice-president Mike Helton, catching the veteran off guard.

“This won’t come as any surprise to anybody, but back in February, the Hall of Fame nominating committee got together… On his first year of eligibility, they let me tell Kevin Harvick face-to-face. I am glad I was around watching your career starting,” Helton said.

Harvick said:

“Thank you. Yeah, that’s a lot of fun… it means a lot. I love this sport and everything that I got to go through was up and down, but man, it’s what I love. And to be a part of that is something special.”

Harvick went on to emphasize that his career was shaped as much by the people in the sport as by the results on track.

Edited by Parag Jain