“The goal is to win,” said Keelan Harvick. After starting his Pro Late Model journey in 2025, Kevin Harvick’s son is already on fire. The 2014 Cup Series champion’s team, Kevin Harvick Inc., made its first Snowball Derby attempt in 2023 with Ryan Preece. Then, William Sawalich took the baton for 2024, starting in 3rd place and parking his car in a remarkable 5th-place finish. Now, it’s Harvick’s 13-year-old son’s turn – and the prospects look brighter than ever.

Keelan Harvick has been successfully following in the footsteps of his father, laying brilliant trails wherever he goes. Nevertheless, attempting a prestigious event such as the Snowball Derby can make anybody nervous. So little Harvick is meticulously preparing for it.

Kevin Harvick’s son gears up for fresh challenge

Keelan Harvick has picked up several accolades across 2025. From scoring his first Pro Late Model victory in the head-to-head showdown against his dad, Kevin Harvick, at Kern Raceway, to winning the CARS Tour Pro Late Model season finale at North Wilkesboro Speedway, there have been plenty. Nevertheless, they also taught Keelan about where he needs to improve, as he divulged in a FloRacing interview. “Just have to get a few things better on my part,” he said. “My driving technique, I was hitting the brake too hard, and it was messing up a whole lap. So I can fix that when I go back down there.”

This year, the Snowball Derby is going to be special. Snowflake 100, the annual Pro Late Model race held the night before the Derby at Five Flags Speedway, will expand from 100 to 125 laps. What’s more, it will feature a star-studded field of drivers from across North America. They include two-time winner Bubba Pollard, 2022 winner Casey Roderick, and defending winner Stephen Nasse. Other dignitaries include NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series star Kaden Honeycutt and ARCA Menards Series winner Max Reaves.

Hence, Keelan Harvick is eager to test his already brilliant skills against this pack of competitors. Kevin Harvick‘s son continued, “There’s a lot of talent, and it’s just a really big race in general. A lot of legends have won that race, and this is really cool. If I could add my name to the list.” Yet speaking as the son of a 60-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, Keelan is not intimidated at all. He professed his lofty aim: “The goal is to win. I think we have a lot of confidence going into that race, we have a really good car.”

Keelan Harvick visited Five Flags Speedway earlier this year along with his father. He battled in the Allen Turner Pro Late Model Series in his No. 62, turning heads all night long. He grabbed the fastest time in qualifying (16.847 seconds) and finished fourth in the race. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick struggled to make up ground throughout the 100-lapper en route to a 12th-place finish. That is why his son threw a sly jab at him: “I think that he has to get a little bit better with glasses to see how close he can get to the wall.”

Yet Kevin Harvick is glad that his son beats him on this fantastic journey of growth.

A slow but steady climb

Last Saturday, the South Carolina 400 unfolded at Florence Motor Speedway. And Kevin Harvick’s son was in the mix, facing an armada of strong rivals like the Kvapil brothers (Caden and Carson), Jade Brown, and Jared Fryar. It also marked Keelan’s Late Model debut, although he tackled the challenge with ease. The 13-year-old began his Late Model debut from second position on the grid and finished in 3rd place. The grit and resilience that he displayed may signal brighter times ahead.

Keelan said during the media interaction after the race, “Yeah, there’s definitely a lot of stuff that happened in that race.” He continued, “Just can’t thank the KHI (Kevin Harvick Incorporated) guys enough. They brought me a really fast car. Sorry to them that I damaged it a bit, but came out here with a top-5.” Veteran crew chief Rodney Childers was a part of the No. 62 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet team.

With this steady growth, Keelan’s dad is elated. Kevin Harvick has already lost to his son five times this year, and the veteran enjoys it. “I tell him this all the time, I’m not the guy that you need to be racing. I’m having fun. I’m not as fast as a lot of the young kids. For me, I’m having a great time doing it.”

Clearly, the Harvick family is all set for the Snowball Derby. Especially Keelan Harvick, who packs a lot of energy in his steady growth.