Kevin Harvick is destined for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. His career accomplishments are impressive, including 60 wins and the 2014 Cup Series championship. He understands what it takes to be successful.
A couple of days after watching Michael Jordan make his first-ever trip to Victory Lane and celebrate with Tyler Reddick and the 23XI Racing crew for its first win of 2024 at Talladega, the rookie Fox analyst appeared on “NASCAR Race Hub” and said the fourth-year team is unquestionably heading in the right direction, and one of the reasons is because the organization has a distinct advantage over its competition.
Why Michael Jordan is more than another celebrity NASCAR owner. @NASCARONFOXhttps://t.co/77ZkusmnYt
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 24, 2024
“What it is, is it’s an advantage and I’ll tell you why it’s an advantage,” Harvick told fellow analyst Jamie McMurray and show host Shannon Spake. “Because there are a lot of people who want to work for Michael Jordan. You walk into his shop that he and Denny have built, it’s beautiful. From the outside it’s a beautiful working environment. And when you have an owner that’s willing to lean in like that, show up to the racetrack, show up to the sponsor meetings, whatever it is, you have a massive advantage to build your team to be better than everybody else.”
Kevin Harvick Is Absolutely Right
Kevin Harvick saying “massive advantage” might even be an understatement when you think about it. Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the most famous athlete on the planet. That popularity allows him to walk into any board room or meeting and he’s already established as a proven success on an off the court before he sits down. His brand is also one of the most recognizable in the world. That’s why he’s worth $3.2 billion — that’s with a B. Who wouldn’t want to associate with a winner?
"The best thing that I've seen this year is Michael Jordan in Victory Lane." @KevinHarvick loved the emotion from MJ and Tyler Reddick at Talladega.@KaitlynVincie | @MambaSmith34 | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/cpe1ugRaHA
— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) April 24, 2024
In addition to board rooms and bringing in sponsorship revenue, which is critical for any team’s survival, Jordan’s association with the team brings something else to the table, as Harvick suggested, including the top mechanics, engineers, and any other position affiliated with a Cup team. The best of the best want to work for the best.
And the end result is six wins in three years and 10 races. Championships are likely in the future. Jordan won’t accept anything less.