NASCAR Hall of Famer Kevin Harvick claimed the Kevin Harvick CARS Tour victory at Tucson Speedway on Saturday, besting his teenage son Keelan in a dramatic family showdown to open the CARS Tour West Pro Late Model season. The event, the SoundGear 125, marked a highly anticipated return to the track, not seen since 1995, and featured intense on-track competition fused with familial rivalry.
Opening Laps Set an Early Pace and Drama
Keelan Harvick made an impression from the outset, taking pole position and leading the field to the green flag for the 125-lap feature. His early dominance, however, was disrupted only five laps in when the No.24 of Mia Lovell crashed into the turn three wall, sustaining significant damage that prompted the day’s first caution.
“5/125- CAUTION No. 24 Mia Lovell spins in turn 3 with heavy damage to the rear of the car@CARSTourWest | @ST_Scene | #SoundGear125 pic.twitter.com/VdVFzK3PDt”— Rence Brown (@rencethefence) January 17, 2026
This pause allowed the competitors to regroup, introducing an early sense of unpredictability to the Arizona oval. As the race resumed, William Sawalich’s struggles with his car’s throttle linkage, following earlier engine issues, briefly halted the action again while his Rackley-WAR team worked quickly to get him back on track.
Action intensified further on lap nine, with Kasey Kleyn charging from his tenth starting spot up to second before a spin sent him off turn four, bringing out another caution within the opening 20 laps. Soon after, Colton Hale, brother to former champion Jace Hale, surged past Keelan to take the lead, showing remarkable composure as he fended off persistent pressure from the young Harvick.
Kevin Harvick’s Climb to Contention
Kevin Harvick, who had dropped back early, methodically picked off opponents, proving the value of his vast experience. While the action up front rotated through Hale and Keelan Harvick, Kevin steadily worked his way forward, helped by a competition caution at lap 59 that reset the field. The stage was set for an increasingly intense struggle, especially when another caution waved after Nash Youngren and Tanner Emond lost control on oil slicks, requiring red-flag cleanup.
As daylight faded and Tucson’s evening chill set in, Keelan battled fiercely to retake the lead—with his father now in close pursuit, Colton Hale slipped to third and then spun in turn four, but managed to avoid damage.
“78/125- CAUTIONColton Hale goes for a spin from third place@CARSTourWest | @ST_Scene | #SoundGear125 pic.twitter.com/jObMBcQMNn”— Rence Brown (@rencethefence) January 18, 2026
Father vs. Son: Intense Battle for the Win
After the lights came on, the long-awaited faceoff between Kevin and Keelan Harvick unfolded, marked by repeated contact and resilient racing. Kevin, whose car gained speed over longer runs, applied ongoing pressure, resulting in several paint-swapping moments between the two. The crowd witnessed heated exchanges, with each Harvick repaying aggressive moves in the corners, neither yielding in the family duel. The arrival of heavy lapped traffic late in the event let Haeden Plybon and the resurgent William Sawalich briefly challenge, but Kevin eventually pulled ahead, overtaking Keelan for good with just 15 laps remaining.
As Kevin began to stretch his advantage, he successfully navigated the closing circuits under pressure, ultimately securing victory in a hard-fought 1-2 finish for the Harvick family. The win opened the CARS Tour West season with a memorable highlight, cementing the event’s significance for the veteran racer and his rising-star son alike.
Reflections from the Winners’ Circle
After the race, Kevin Harvick detailed his perspective on the wheel-to-wheel battle, calling it both a learning experience and a season-defining moment. He emphasized how the physical nature of their contest gave way to impactful “teaching moments” for his son on the racetrack.
“I had him the first time and we kind of got hung together there off of (turn) four and it kind of shot me down the racetrack just a little bit.”
“So I didn’t get a great entry into (turn) one and lost that battle there. Then the second time I think he thought I was gonna roll the top and he tried to, or he thought I was at the top and then tried to cross me over. I don’t remember exactly what happened right there, but when he didn’t get there and then he moved me in the next corner, it was game on.”
Harvick also credited his winning car’s performance and explained how he found success with a unique racing line around the Arizona circuit.
“The strength of my car today was just to drive up off the corner and I’d kind of found a little better groove through (turns) one and two than most everybody.”
“I thought my car was better than most everybody’s on the long run anyway. With that 40 some lap run there at the end, I was able to take advantage of rolling that top. Hopefully the crowd enjoyed it, it’s fun to be in Victory Lane.”
William Sawalich, who finished third after overcoming early mechanical issues, offered his own perspective on fighting back through the field:
“We were running good, we got up to maybe seven or so and the throttle linkage came off.”
“So we went and fixed that, then drove back through the field. That was really fun. I think I kind of used my stuff up a little bit to try and do that, but still we were really fast in the end and still closing in on leaders in lap traffic. It was a really fun race, really fun track and hopefully I can come back (in the future).”
Kasey Kleyn, despite an early spin and multiple recovery drives, finished fifth and expressed his frustration at missed opportunities in the heated race:
“I qualified 10th and moved my way up to I think fourth before we got chopped off and just spun out.”
“I had to go to the back (of the field) for that and then we drove our way back up to 10th, then the guy beside me just doesn’t know how to use his brakes and runs me in the wall. So I had to come back in the pits to fix the car and then drive all the way back to the front again. So no one else had to pass as many cars as me and I still was able to beat the majority of the field.”
Strong Finishes Round Out Top Contenders
Completing the top five was Haeden Plybon in fourth, while Kleyn’s determined performance netted him fifth place. The remaining top ten included Ken Bonney, Cody Dempster, Kyle Keller, Robby Sawyer, and Chase Burgeson—each earning critical early-season points in a crowded and competitive field. Notably, both Nash Youngren and Tanner Emond overcame mid-race misadventures to remain factors in the contest.
The Road Ahead in the CARS Tour West
The opening race at Tucson was marked by passion, turbulence, and a compelling display of family rivalry, setting the tone for a fiercely contested season. For Kevin and Keelan Harvick, their duel will stand as a defining memory, as well as a lesson in perseverance and skill. Drivers and teams now look to the next event scheduled for March 28 at The Bullring in Las Vegas, with expectations high for renewed competition and more headline-making moments in the evolving CARS Tour West Pro Late Model championship.
5/125- CAUTION
No. 24 Mia Lovell spins in turn 3 with heavy damage to the rear of the car@CARSTourWest | @ST_Scene | #SoundGear125 pic.twitter.com/VdVFzK3PDt
— Rence Brown (@rencethefence) January 17, 2026
78/125- CAUTION
Colton Hale goes for a spin from third place@CARSTourWest | @ST_Scene | #SoundGear125 pic.twitter.com/jObMBcQMNn
— Rence Brown (@rencethefence) January 18, 2026
