Harvick Eyes Late Model Debut at Southern National’s Thanksgiving Classic
KENLY,N.C. - Thirteen-year-old Keelan Harvick, son of 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, will make his Late Model Stock Car debut at Southern National Motorsports Park this weekend during the 25th Annual Thanksgiving Classic. Harvick comes to Kenly off the heels of a strong performance in a Late Model Stock at Florence Motor Speedway, signaling a rapid progression for the young racer.
Harvick has a successful history at Southern National, having secured multiple wins in a Legend Car. Now, he’s transitioning to the more demanding Late Model Stock Car division, aiming to gain experience in the 250-lap headliner on sunday, November 30th. The event also marks the final race of the Inaugural I-95 Showdown.
“I’ve only competed in a Legend Car at the Thanksgiving Classic, so I’m excited to come back in a Late Model Stock for the first time,” Harvick said. “My goal is to complete all the laps and learn as much as I can.”
While Harvick enjoyed success in Pro Late Models throughout 2025, his recent move to Late Model Stock Cars has already yielded promising results. At Florence Motor speedway, he qualified second for the south Carolina 400 and battled through on-track incidents to finish fifth.
The experience at Florence highlighted the importance of tire management, a lesson Harvick intends to apply at Southern National.”The main thing I learned at Florence in the late Model Stock was how to save my tires,” Harvick stated. “I no tire management will be critically important in the Thanksgiving Classic.”
Harvick will be one of 29 Late Model Stocks competing in the URA-sanctioned event, which runs from Friday, November 28th through Sunday, November 30th. Fans can catch live, flag-to-flag coverage of the Thanksgiving Classic on Ultra Broadcasting.
