Kevin Harvick blasts NASCAR’s “epic failure” after unexpected turnaround in Championship Race

Former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick finally broke his silence on the unbelievable pace car drama during the championship race at Phoenix Raceway last Sunday. In a recent episode of his Happy Hour podcast, the Bakersfield native deemed the incident “an epic failure”.

Right before Stage 2, the official Toyota Camry pace car crossed the then-race leader Chase Elliott barely by inches and rammed straight into the sand barriers stationed at the entry to the pit road. Luckily, the driver was unscathed by the accident, and after a brief halt; the race continued.

Harvick, who won the 2014 Cup Series championship, minced no words as he reflected on the incident.

“I've seen the pace car catch on fire, I've seen F1 pace cars spin out in the rain, but never just spin out on a 75-degree day in Phoenix turning onto pit road," Kevin Harvick said. "That was an epic failure. There's no way to hide it." (24:28)

Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps was named the honorary pace car driver for the 312-lap event at the mile-long race track in Avondale, Arizona. However, he was not behind the wheel at the time of the crash.

Even Dale Earnhardt Jr., who owns the zMAX CARS Tour alongside Jeff Burton and Justin Marks, and Harvick, reacted to the mishap in an episode of his Dale Jr. Download podcast. The NASCAR Hall of Famer commented,

“You also need to know how to drive a car. It is also important to understand the laws of gravity.”

Amid the pace car incident, Joey Logano of Team Penske bagged his third series title and became the 10th driver in NASCAR history to win at least three Cup championships. His achievement also tied him for the fifth most Cup Series championships won by any driver.

Kevin Harvick joins hands with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team

Kevin Harvick has recently announced that his team Kevin Harvick Inc. will partner with Rackley W.A.R., a Truck Series team for the 2025 season. As a part of the deal, Harvick will serve as a consultant to Dawson Sutton, who finished a career-best fifth at Kansas Speedway earlier this season. Sutton will drive under the banner of Rackley W.A.R. full-time in 2025.

Furthermore, Harvick and his 12-year-old son Keelan will take over Rackley’s Super Late Model and Pro Late Model programs next year. Speaking of the partnership, Harvick said (via Newsweek),

“Rackley W.A.R. has a solid and proven track record that will drastically improve the learning curve for Keelan and I in the Super and Pro Late Models. In return, I hope that my years of owning and operating a championship winning truck program will help shorten Dawson's learning curve in his rookie truck season and positively impact their truck program."

Notably, NASCAR Cup Series regulars like Josh Berry, William Byron, and Ross Chastain have all been development drivers for Rackley W.A.R. in the past. Needless to say, joining forces could be quite lucrative for both organizations.