Kevin Harvick had his first ever chance of a NASCAR Championship after he won the Phoenix leg of the Chase race. And when he went off his ride, he had a visitor waiting for him.
Seating on the couch was long time friend and team owner as well as the three-time champion Tony Stewart. Stewart gave smart advice for Harvick as well as what to expect in the upcoming race. The race will be on Sunday which is the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, in which Harvick will probably be the favorite in a four-driver field to win the Sprint Cup title.
Harvick said "He was the last person sitting in my motorhome and he said, 'Alright, here's how your week is going to go and here is what you are going to do and here's how you are going to do it. He's been an owner, he's been a friend and he's been somebody I've been able to lean on over these last nine weeks."
Stewart had promised Harvick that if he moved to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, he'd help him win a championship.
Stwart said "He was ready for a change."
The connection between Stewart and Harvick goes beyond driver and racer. During Harvick's win, Stewart was seen teary eyed in which Harvick revealed that it was his first time seeing the former in an emotional state.
Harvick understood that Stewart had gone through a lot this year and he feels for him. He said "Obviously he's been through a lot this year, and if we can be that one shining moment that makes his day better, that would be, for me - I just want to see my friend smile."
Stewart's support for Harvick is amazing. When it was clear that his pit crew wasn't strong enough to guarantee an error-free, 10-race Chase, Stewart had gave Harvick the crew that had helped Stewart to the 2011 championship.
He said "I am as happy as I've ever been. 'In 2012, we made some pretty big decisions to race in 2014, and you just never know how those things are going to pan out. I am as proud of the situation and the life decisions that DeLana and I made to get to this point. To see them be as successful as they have been, it's been pretty rewarding."
