Getty Kevin Harvick waves to crowd at Phoenix.
Kevin Harvick wrapped up his NASCAR Cup Series career in the November 5 season finale race at Phoenix. While the 48-year-old will be moving up to the Fox broadcast booth in 2024, his on-track presence and success is a significant loss for the sport and, more specifically, Stewart-Haas Racing, where he competed the last decade, earned 37 of his 61 career wins, and won the 2014 championship.
On December 9, SHR suffered another Harvick-related hit when Team Penske posted a video on X with one of the No. 4 driver’s previous sponsors, announcing Hunt Brothers Pizza would be partnering with the team next season. Interestingly, the 2007 Daytona 500 winner also appeared in the video.
A new partnership is served.
@hbpizza and Team Penske enter multi-year partnership in @NASCAR.
Read more: t.co/nJ7hysQxvE
“A new partnership is served,” the team wrote. “@hbpizza and Team Penske enter multi-year partnership in @NASCAR.”
The video showed shelves full of Hunt Brothers pizzas before a pair of anonymous hands reached in and played tug-of-war with a box. When the camera panned back, it revealed Harvick and Joey Logano.
“I still got it. Don’t worry, I kept it warm for you,” Harvick said, handing over the pizza to Logano.
“Thanks, Kevin,” the two-time Cup champion responded.
“Don’t mess it up,” the former SHR driver instructed.
“You can count on me,” Logano answered before introducing himself as the driver of the No. 22 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang.
The deal is a multi-year partnership that will feature the pizza brand on Logano’s car for select races in 2024 and will also be an associate sponsor on Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 car.
Busch Light Followed Kevin Harvick Out at SHR
Losing Harvick and Hunt Brothers Pizza as a sponsor is problematic enough for SHR. Unfortunately, that’s not even the biggest loss in sponsorship dollars for the organization resulting from the future Hall of Famer’s retirement.
In July, Busch Light, which had partnered with Harvick for years, signed a multi-year agreement to be a primary sponsor for Ross Chastain’s Trackhouse Racing team beginning in 2024. There was no announcement at the time on how many races would be sponsored by the official beer of NASCAR.
However, on December 5, the Sports Business Journal reported that Advent Health ended its sponsorship with Trackhouse because the beer company was set to take up so much inventory.
Harvick Joined by Aric Almirola in Retirement
In addition to Stewart-Haas losing Harvick and two of his main sponsors, the organization suffered another setback at season’s end when veteran driver Aric Almirola also announced his retirement. Smithfield Foods, which had sponsored the No. 10 car for years, will not be returning in 2024.
Tony Stewart statement on Aric Almirola: “I’m proud of everything Aric has accomplished and am especially proud that his last six years have been with Stewart-Haas Racing. He and Smithfield formed an incredible partnership that resonated on and off the racetrack, and a lot of…
Outside of Harvick and his six top 5s and 14 top 10s in 2023, SHR struggled. Next season, Josh Berry replaces Harvick in the No. 4 car. Almirola’s replacement has not yet been announced.
The loss of the two veteran drivers will undoubtedly have an impact on the 2024 results. The loss of the sponsorship dollars will also adversely affect the team. Just how much isn’t known and likely won’t be for years to come.