" He's the man who followed alleged. Didn't somebody to fill a season and not ever that I would ever feel issues that they needed somebody to drive the car they need somebody there to -- and -- races. He's one of great American race. And he's one of the most intense drivers you'll ever meet. I'm Kevin Harvick driver of the number 49 Shell Pennzoil Chevrolet his life story."

" I grew up. And any kind of racing town racing family my dad was a fireman. And we raise. On the weekends as I know massive Theresa started in the field but in order gas in the very -- and I was five and as we went through. Through the years. You know he worked Israeli duty as a fireman and on the side value work on race cars and that was our race or go -- and so we never had a whole lot but some. Luckily I grew up in Bakersfield California which is a huge racing supportive town. And found head racetracks to race saddened and people race against them and their community that you make up behind itself. That's kind of just wound up being in the right town in my dad was in the race and and didn't want to drive and I guess he let me drive and an all worked out. But that's a hard worker he's he's always been hard worker and and always try to teach me the hard way in and probably. Did did things a little bit differently than most people -- but from the beginning I was. Talk to and that's what he want me B Lewis was a race car driver and you know he would tell you that he didn't care what she did but. This is always something that that I like to do -- and done. You know he could. Unfortunately was only limited to take you so far because we don't have them a small amount of resources to work with so. Yeah I think he's pretty proud of the work ethic and I think that work ethic as as I was thrown out. -- Big reason why I'm into the ownership side and Allen and understand that side of it and understand the dedication and time it takes. I would've been an open wheel racing and my father would would have nothing to do if it'd been didn't have -- I couldn't drive it. I had several opportunities to to go drive -- something of that nature. Formula Fords or whatever the case may be but. He thought it was too dangerous and and not they're racing in general not dangerous but he's he's. Always those few of them I would give yourself the best chance you have if you're going to hit something so was always. Something with fenders on being from California when I started it was it was never a moment that I wasn't accepted obviously. I kind of came in with Hornaday who is was in with Earnhardt and and really had the opportunity there to kind of get in with the right people when I finally made the move so. Never once was you know kind of treated like an outcast. Took a lot of getting used to because the racing on the west coast. In racing on the east coast even if in the in the late ninety's were a lot different than. Than what I was used to yourself. That that took a lot of these two was much more hardcore racing on the east coast than than what I've been accustomed to 1999. I worked for for winning -- Spears and at the united haven't actually exit in 97 I went to work for winning -- Spears has a fabricated or. So hopefully get the opportunity to. To drive one of their race vehicles well Wayne gave me one of their race vehicles to put together my cellphone in my spare time when I wasn't working in the shop and we raced it. And mystery and one night and that went pretty well so the next part of the first part of next Sherrill worked as a mechanic can fabricate here. And down. That led into into being. Able to get the opportunity driver chuckling when things were going -- and all of a sudden things started going good. -- up I'm signed my first contract I worked for 43000 dollars a year I was the driver mechanic and a -- fabric cater. In the shop for for Spears and so I got my first opportunity to get to drive for Brad Doria at liberty racing. Where was it was in the truck series for about records the year knowing what to Martinsville and just happened to be raced around. -- and and wound up. Not going to back -- off -- truck and we we ran really good that day in and a week later he called so. Just lucky that he was starting up nationwide team in. In the -- right bumper off right. I'm pretty sure that Richard actually him calling itself. I'm -- at the time was that was actually the one that was coordinate everything I was actually under contract so we didn't have direct -- contact until -- actually got. To the shopping and had my first meeting with Richard but. There's a lot of roundabout ways and that's really where Hornaday came in was he was kind of -- the mediator in the whole thing is as far as putting the two sides together and and coordinating everything that that was that was going."