Harvick’s six wins – his single season career-high, with 16 races remaining this year – are the most in a season for a driver over the age of 40 since Matt Kenseth won a series-high seven races in 2013. All seven of Kenseth’s wins came at the age of 41, with the first win of that year coming on his 41st birthday, March 10, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Harvick is 42 years old.
Twelve of Harvick’s 43 Cup Series wins have come since he has turned 40. He is the 12th driver to reach that milestone, tied with Geoffrey Bodine’s dozen victories at age 40 or older. Lee Petty holds the record for most wins at age 40 and older, with 42 of his 54 Cup Series wins coming after his 30s.
Trailing Petty, and ahead of Harvick and Bodine, are Bobby Allison (38 of 84 wins age 40 and older); Dale Earnhardt (26 of 76); Dale Jarrett (24 of 32); Cale Yarborough (23 of 83); David Pearson (21 of 105); Harry Gant (all 18 wins); Matt Kenseth (17 of 39); Richard Petty (16 of 200); and Darrell Waltrip (14 of 84). Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart also each have 10 wins after turning 40. Mark Martin has nine wins after turning 40, with of those coming after the age of 50.
Meanwhile, Harvick is the ninth driver with six or more wins in a single season after turning 40. Lee Petty won six or more races in four different seasons – 1954 (seven); 1955 (six); 1958 (seven); and 1959 (11). His 11 wins in 1959 are the most of any driver in a single season over the age of 40; those 11 wins ranks him tied for 20th for most victories in a single season, for any driver of any age.
Bobby Allison is the only other driver, other than Lee Petty, with six or more wins after turning 40. Allison accomplished the feat in 1982 (eight) and 1983 (six).
Other drivers with six or more wins in a season after turning 40 are David Pearson (10 in 1976); Cale Yarborough (six in 1980); Darrell Waltrip (six in 1989); Dale Earnhardt (six in 1993); Dale Jarrett (seven in 1997); and Matt Kenseth (seven in 2013).
Of course, with 16 races remaining in the 2018 Cup Series season, Harvick is in good position to set additional records.
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