By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
No matter the sport or occasion, family is always a driving factor in any championship team.
For this year’s Championship 4, there are four distinct drivers heading into a weekend where a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title is on the line. It’s the ultimate challenge for a racing driver, and they are far from the only ones aware of that.
Behind every driver is a supportive family and heading into this weekend, all four have felt that warm feeling of home even being hundreds, if not, thousands of miles away from their hometowns.
For Kevin Harvick, the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing driver is furthest away from his birth state, hailing from Bakersfield, California. Entering the weekend with wife DeLana, son Keelan and daughter Piper, his fourth Championship 4 appearance may be the most significant.
Just ask six-year-old son Keelan.
“Keelan and I talked about that last night,” Harvick said. “I have a picture of he and I sitting against the wall in 2014. I said it would be pretty cool to take one with Piper in there, as well.
“He said, ‘If you win the championship, will they let you do anything?’ I said, ‘Yeah, if you win the championship, you can do pretty much anything you want. Everything is over.’ He’s like, ‘We’re going to climb the fence, dad.’
“I said, ‘Okay, I’ll watch. You climb the fence. You can do that after we take a picture with Piper next to the wall.’
With postrace plans already set for the Harvick family, Harvick always relishes in the increased support from friends and family.
“It’s definitely a much different week as far as people around,” he said. “Whether it’s family, sponsors, people, whoever it is, there’s always a lot more of them. You know that coming into this week.
“For me personally, my immediate family isn’t coming in until Saturday. Keelan’s got a basketball game, so we’ve got bigger priorities at home than worrying about this. So, they’ll come down a little later.”
Kyle Busch enters Sunday hot off victory last weekend at ISM Raceway, his eighth of 2018 with Joe Gibbs Racing. And though Busch’s 3-year-old son Brexton may be too young to figure out the importance of a championship, Busch is already looking forward to a possible title celebration with his only son.
“I don’t know that Brexton kind of gets it yet,” Busch said. “I know he knows we’re going to the racetrack again. We’ve told him we’re going to race for a championship, and he’s saying the word ‘championship,’ so I think he gets it.
“But overall, I don’t know that he’ll see the difference in it being another race, maybe just the meaning afterward.”
The same cannot be said of wife Samantha, who is commonly known as one of the more excited wives on the pit box in NASCAR.
“Samantha, you know, she’s normal, as normal as can be with hopefully a pregnant woman,” he said. “She’s been very supportive and helping me and giving me a little more space this week, which is the things I’ve had to do and need to do in order to prepare and get ready.
For Joey Logano, 10-month-old son Hudson and wife Brittany will be at track for the weekend. Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 will see Team Penske’s Logano bid for his first Cup title.
Given the importance of the day, Logano is thankful for the family backbone in attendance.
“Everybody rallies behind you,” Logano said. “You get text messages all weekend long when you’re in this because this is — this is our Super Bowl. This is your shot to win a championship. Everyone wants to be there to celebrate with you and support you and try to help you do the best you possibly can.
“We’ve booked up a lot of hotel rooms down here in Miami trying to put everybody somewhere to go to sleep.”
Unlike his three rivals, Martin Truex Jr. will not have a child on his side, as the New Jersey native will rely on support from family as well as the Furniture Row Racing team, who will compete their final Cup race on Sunday.
“They’ll be here. They’ll be ready to celebrate — win, lose, or draw,” Truex said. “It’s a lot easier in the car. I’m not looking at points as they run and all that silly stuff. It’s definitely easier to be behind the wheel and be focused on what you’re doing and kind of have it in your hands, so to speak.
“It’s been a great season and a long season. I always stay down here for Thanksgiving as well. So, looking forward to a great week, and hopefully we’ll have something to celebrate.”
Additionally, Truex has brother and XFINITY Series driver Ryan Truex and long-time girlfriend Sherry Pollex in attendance.
“She’s terrible. She’s terrible. Nervous wreck. Way worse than me,” Truex joked of Pollex. “I get it. I watch my brother race, and I’m like her. I see video of her in the pit box, and she tells me what she was thinking during the race, pacing and can’t sit down, and all that. I get it.”
More than the fans in the stands or watching on TV, sponsors or team members, Sunday night will see decades of support come to a climax for four families.
“This is a family sport. This is what we do,” Truex said. “I think all of us grew up racing with our families.”