Kevin Harvick claims NASCAR needs to improve in key aspect despite exciting Daytona race

During a recent episode of his podcast "Happy Hour", Kevin Harvick discussed the Next Gen car, the superspeedway package, and what NASCAR needs to improve on. Following the Cup race at Daytona last weekend which Harrison Burton won, Harvick highlighted a common recurrence with the racing in the Next Gen era.

Harvick claimed that a unique aspect of the Next Gen car is how difficult it is for drivers to make progress. And the only way to do so for drivers is to push. But as they go through the race, the manner of pushing changes with the increase in aggression with the finish line approaching.

"I still have the opinion that the superspeedway package needs work. I think that all the wrecks are exciting. But it's hard for the guys to make progress and put themselves in position to be the only offence right now is to shove. And that shoving doesn't result into much," Harvick said. [5:20]

The former NASCAR driver cited Austin Cindric's example from the recent Coke Zero Sugar 400 when he turned Michael McDowell into a big wreck. Kevin Harvick mentioned that Cindric was off the gas but couldn't slow his Ford Mustang down due to the energy coming from cars behind him,

"That's what happens at the end of these races, that you have to be so aggressive with the pushing and shoving that you get into these positions when you're not even in control of the car, because of the pushing and shoving that happens so fast," Kevin Harvick added.

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Kevin Harvick shares his take on the ideal state of superspeedway racing in NASCAR

Further speaking on this subject, Kevin Harvick claimed he would like NASCAR and the teams to collaborate in improving the speedway package. Harvick mentioned that presently, things during speedway races are "almost a stalemate" and there needs to be a mixup in the superspeedway rule.

He said that if it were up to him, he would mix it up every year so that the teams would 'remain on their toes' instead of acclimatizing beforehand. Harvick believed it would help in having everyone running the speed.

When co-host Mamba Smith asked Kevin Harvick whether there was a time in NASCAR when he enjoyed the speedway racing as a reference point, Harvick said:

"I think the best times in speedway racing is when the rules are new because everybody doesn't know a lot about it. I think that keeping the speedway rules fresh and having sometimes switch from what it is now to what it was or what it might be going forward, is just to keep it so the teams can't just show up and qualify." [7:00]

Kevin Harvick concluded his thoughts on this subject and said that he wanted drivers to work their way through the packs with strategic and skillful maneuvers and decision-making, instead of ending up at the right place at the right time and capitalizing on the opportunity.