How 2022 ended: Harvick was one of four drivers — a group that also included two-time champ Kyle Busch — to be dropped from title contention after the Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway, a race Harvick had won just two years prior. It was a somewhat abrupt end to the 2014 champion’s shot at a second Cup title after coming alive just a few weeks prior with back-to-back wins at Michigan and Richmond as the regular season wound down. Issues at Darlington (exhaust, P33) and Kansas (crash, P36) put him in must-win mode at Bristol, and his 10th-place run was not enough to advance. His best remaining finish after being eliminated came at the Charlotte road course, with a runner-up showing.