"Putting them on the spot is fun": Kevin Harvick references infamous Chase Elliott feud in shedding light on NASCAR haters

Kevin Harvick recently referenced his feud with Chase Elliott to make a point about NASCAR fans. The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver explained on his Happy Hour podcast how he became 'numb to controversy.'

Harvick claimed that because of their new segment on the show, if he says something that is not well received by someone's favorite driver, everyone will quickly learn that 'some of them hate me.' However, the former #4 driver said that it is a part of it.

In fact, Harvick deemed the haters as the 'best part of everything' involved in NASCAR. As per the veteran, if a person is being hated on, that should indicate that they're doing a good job. He further explained his point by mentioning his 'favorite part':

"I used to walk through, like when you walk through and Chase Elliott and I had that beef, his fans, he's got a lot of fans. But my favorite part are the very young ones, the timid ones, the ones that don't really want to say anything so they wait till you walk by and they'd wait till you're all the way by, and they'd say, 'You suck Harvick!' And I'd turn around and I'd be like, 'Oh you couldn't say it to me when I was looking at you or walking at your face?' And they'd be like, 'No, not really.' Just putting them on the spot is fun. I like to have fun with it." [4:55]

Kevin Harvick clarified that he used to be 'very defensive' about this subject and bite back a lot to the criticism. But he clarified that his point wasn't just strictly about the Chase Elliott fans, but in general about fans who don't like him and want to say something to him, but won't until he is in front of them.

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Chase Elliott wasn't happy with Kevin Harvick after Bristol in 2021

After the end of the Cup race at Bristol in September 2021, Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick had a heated exchange owing to prior incidents on the racetrack. In the aftermath, Harvick deemed Elliott's actions as 'just chickensh**.'

The veteran claimed that Elliott threw a tantrum after he got passed for the lead and got a flat.

"It’s all Chase’s way or it’s no way, and if he doesn’t get his way, then he throws a fit," Kevin Harvick said via NBC.

In Elliott's words, what Harvick did during the race wasn't something new. He said that Harvick runs into one's left side constantly, because of which his tires get prone to being cut. The #9 driver claimed Harvick did it to him at Darlington weeks prior to Bristol because 'he was tired of racing' with him.

Elliott emphasized that at some point, 'you've got to draw the line.' The HMS driver added that he'd stand up for himself and his team irrespective of Harvick's experience or place in NASCAR.