Kevin Harvick ripping into NASCAR is 'needed', says association's president

Kevin Harvick, the driver of #4 Ford Mustang will be remembered for his comeback with the Next Gen car in the 2022 NASCAR season, ending his 65-race winless streak at Michigan International Speedway and following it up a week later with another victory at Richmond Raceway.

Apart from those two victories, the 2014 Cup Champion will be remembered by fans for raising his voice against NASCAR’s safety efforts and Next Gen cars.

After the Darlington incident, Harvick had some harsh words for the sanctioning body and publicly criticized them for various safety concerns with the Next Gen car.

Last week, NASCAR president Steve Phelps offered a review of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season in an interview with The Athletic. When asked about the best advice or feedback received from a driver this past season, he mentioned that Harvick’s words made an impact.

Phelps said:

“It was probably Kevin Harvick. Kevin gave me his opinion about where the broader driver core is. That was really helpful to hear for me. He’s taken on a more active role and kind of a mentor role, which I think is needed.”

Phelps continued:

“It’s really nothing specific around a piece of it. Just Kevin and I having a kind of stronger communication was helpful. I would say it’s certainly into the playoffs (when we spoke), more towards the last four or five races.”

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver will hope that this line of communication with the NASCAR president remains open next season, and more importantly, that the governing body is more responsive to any feedback than this season.

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Kevin Harvick blasts NASCAR after his car catches fire at Darlington Raceway

Just a few weeks after Kevin Harvick’s #4 Ford caught fire during the first playoff race at Darlington Raceway, the veteran driver was understandably frustrated and disappointed.

Speaking to the media, the 47-year-old said that “crappy parts” which are used in the car were probably why the vehicle caught fire.

Harvick said:

“I’m sure it’s just the crappy parts on the race car like we’ve seen so many times. We haven’t fixed anything. It’s kind of like the safety stuff. We just let it keep going. The car started burning, and as it burned, the flames started coming through the dash, and I ran a couple of laps. And then, as the flame got bigger and then it started burning stuff up.”

Kevin Harvick will be seen in action next year in the Cup Series in the preseason race Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum on February 5th.