Kevin Harvick makes his animosity crystal clear on NASCAR’s ‘dumb’ move as OEMs’ ‘stories’ fall flat

Veteran Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick recently made his feelings known about the need for NASCAR to aim for more horsepower in its stock cars. Harvick found himself stirred up after watching drivers qualify at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in full throttle. Harvick shared that he has heard rumors about changes coming into the sport, but nothing concrete stands to back those stories.

Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion, amassed over 800 starts and 60 wins, including a Daytona 500 victory. Alongside his Cup success, he claimed two Xfinity Series championships, cementing his status as one of NASCAR’s most accomplished drivers, with a legacy that spans multiple divisions.

In a recent episode of Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, the former driver shared his candid thoughts on the 'ridiculous' horsepower situation in NASCAR.

"It's absolutely ridiculous that we went to an unrestricted mile and a half and they qualified wide open. What in the world do we need to do to get more horsepower? This screams horsepower to me? I've heard all the things about different manufacturers and different this and different that, I hear all those stories but I haven't seen it. Put some damn power in the cars Wide open qualifying at an unrestricted mile and a half racetrack is dumb," he said.

Furthermore, an infuriated Harvick gave an interesting analogy to back his claims.

"If your shoes gave you blisters on your foot and they felt uncomfortable all the time would you keep putting your same shoes on? I don't know why we keep putting the same shoes on why can't we just? Fix the damn problem," he added.

The NextGen cars, introduced by NASCAR in 2022, featured reduced horsepower to address safety concerns from previous stock car versions. However, 49-year-old Kevin Harvick now believes it's time to restore some of that power, arguing that the sport’s trailblazing machines should offer a more challenging and dynamic driving experience.

After retiring, Harvick partnered with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to co-own the zMAX CARS Tour, promoting grassroots racing. He is connected with NASCAR as the host of Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, a FOX-backed podcast offering insights on the sport.

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Kevin Harvick predicts Hendrick Motorsports ace to shine at 2025 Homestead-Miami

As NASCAR prepares for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kevin Harvick shared his pick for the race winner. The former Cup Series champion believes Kyle Larson will dominate the field on Sunday and secure his first victory of the season.

On the Happy Hour Podcast, the former Champion said:

“I think I'm going to go with the #5 (Kyle Larson). I knew it. And that's why I like to pick first, because I am the leader in the clubhouse. So that's how I get to pick first, right? [58:12]

The race at Homestead is scheduled to run at 3:00 PM Eastern time. The broadcast will exclusively be available on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM.