“It’s a driver driven sport”: Kevin Harvick critiques Mamba Smith’s tweet about NASCAR playoff system

Syndication: Lansing State Journal - Source: Imagn
Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick signs items for fans during an autograph session before the 13th annual Masters of the Pros 200 race on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at the Owosso Speedway. - Source: Imagn

Former NASCAR Champion Kevin Harvick recently criticised Mamba Smith for his controversial tweet. In a segment of his show, Harvick Happy Hour, Harvick and Smith got into a conversation discussing his recent tweet and why the driver is the most important aspect of the sport.

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NASCAR spotter and media personality Mamba Smith set off a big stir with his tweet on the NASCAR playoff setup. His take points to teamwork under stress rather than a lone driver's skill or steady form all season. Smith backed this playoff plan despite many fans and drivers slamming the new rules.

Smith said he likes having more than one race in the last Championship 4 round to cut down on the talk that naming a winner from just one race leans too much on luck. He thinks, like other sports, that winning it all should be a result of the whole team's hard work and key plays, not just one person, excelling in the usual season. This topic has been hotly debated in NASCAR, with many calling for changes to the 2014 "win-and-in" playoff route and cut-offs.

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On Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, the 2014 Cup Series champion said:

"The way I interpreted your tweet was that the team was more important than the driver...The driver drives everything that happens. The teams think that their name means something, but the guy's name above the door means the most...And the guy who makes the biggest difference is in the seat. But you can't do it without the rest of it. So I understand what you're saying, but it is a driver-driven sport by a lot."
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Mamba Smith replied:

"Without a doubt. But when the championship is the team, it's the team, the driver is the driving force, right? Of this championship. But it takes the entire team to get it done."
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Kevin Harvick didn't agree with how Smith said it and made it clear that NASCAR is all about the driver. He knew the team was key, but made it clear that the driver has the most say in how things end up on the track.


Kevin Harvick suggests a new name to address the team's contribution appropriately

Following this, the topic shifted to how the playoff is set up, where both expressed their desire for a change. Smith did not like how a driver with a lot of points might lose to one with fewer points but big wins, and brought up how it's not fair, like how a top-ten points driver, such as Alex Bowman, could get overtaken by those who rank below him.

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He and Kevin Harvick both saw eye-to-eye on a middle ground, preferring a playoff system that analyzes the progress over the season, but retains the fun of races. Smith gave a small hint about maybe reserving guaranteed spots in the playoffs for those who perform well all season, and to help those who are consistent.

Replying to this, Harvick suggested:

"So should we rename the point system to the team point system? I mean, why do we try to hide the owner's points?"

Mamba Smith's pragmatic defense of the team-centric playoff system met Kevin Harvick’s passionate affirmation that individual driver skill and performance remain the sport’s heart, demonstrating the ongoing debate about how best to crown champions in modern NASCAR.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar
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