Harvick's No. 29 throwback is Lionel's top-selling…

Harvick's No. 29 throwback is Lionel's top-selling diecast of 2023

Last year, a raced version of Ross Chastain's wall-ride car was the top-selling diecast for Lionel.

After Harvick announced his plans to retire from NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of the year, there were many tributes to the veteran driver, but one in particular stood out.

In NASCAR's long-awaited return to the resurrected North Wilkesboro Speedway for the 2023 edition of the All-Star Race, Harvick drove the No. 29 car for one final time. It was the number he utilized for the majority of his Cup career, from his debut in 2001 until his final season at Richard Childress Racing in 2013. He then joined Stewart-Haas Racing, where he remained for the rest of his career.

At North Wilkesboro, he ran the same white and red scheme made famous in his first-career victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway over 20 years ago. The race came less than a month after the death of Dale Earnhardt in February, 2001. Harvick, who was tasked with driving the car Earnhardt left behind, beat Jeff Gordon in a thrilling photo finish. It was just his third start at the Cup level and an incredibly emotional day for everyone in NASCAR. Despite going on to win 60 races during his illustrious career, that win remains the most memorable of them all.

Kevin Harvick (Photo by: Thomas Chemris)

In a video posted by Lionel, Harvick thanked the fans for their support. "Hey everybody. Just wanted to say thank you for making the No. 29 North Wilkesboro throwback diecast the No. 1 selling diecast for Lionel for the year. So thank you to everyone for adding that to your collection. That car meant a lot to me, and it means even more that the fans cared about it so much, so thank you."

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion will transition to the role of commentator next year, joining the FOX Sports broadcast booth.