NASCAR fans debate on $110M-worth Kevin Harvick’s live TV call for Roger Penske's star driver's suspension

The aftermath of Circuit of the Americas (COTA), which saw Christopher Bell take a victory under caution, gave rise to the controversy surrounding Austin Cindric's right rear hook to Ty Dillon. Kevin Harvick weighed in on the issue, suggesting the $50,000 fine and 50 points docking that the Roger Penske-owned outfit's driver received was not enough.

Kevin Harvick is a former racer turned commentator. He has a 22-year racing career with 60 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series and the 2014 championship. After calling it a day in 2023, he joined Fox Sports as an analyst and also co-hosts the Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast. During a pre-race segment with NASCAR on FOX ahead of the Shriners Children 500, Harvick was joined by Chris Myers, Jamie McMurray, and Clint Bowyer for the Kickoff show.

The #2 Team Penske driver declined to be on the show ahead of his race at the Phoenix raceway. So, Myers posed the question to Harvick after declaring the panel agreed that Cindric's punishment was lenient. Veteran driver Kevin Harvick strongly disapproved of NASCAR's decision and made it clear that a suspension should have been issued.

"I agree. It's an awful call. I think that as a driver, with the way that things have gone and in this particular (next gen) car and the way that the injuries are with the head. This is something unanimously decided on from the drivers' side of it, that needs to be black and white. And now we are kinda back to this restart thing or the finish and the caution flag. Now, we don't know exactly where we stand. Whether we go 35 miles an hour or 135 miles an hour, should have been suspended."

Kevin Harvick's comments highlighted the need for NASCAR's consistency on disciplinary rulings. Particularly cases that deal with intentional contact. This also ignited an online discussion among NASCAR fans, with some siding with Kevin Harvick and others opposing his views. One fan commented on the tweet by NASCAR on Fox, agreeing with the former champ, saying:

"Thank you. I agree 100%. Now it's grey area left to interpretation. The first guy to get suspended will argue the 1st guy didn't get suspended. It's either a rule or it isn't isn't isn't. It's not a rule "except when.""

Another thanked Fox for hiring the 2007 Daytona 500 winner, impressed by his blunt opinions, calling Kevin Harvick the best journalist.

"Harvick is the best analyst NASCAR has ever had. Thanks fox for hiring him," the fan wrote on X.

Others argued that the context and severity of each incident should influence the penalty instead of black and white decisions, and some blamed it on Ty Dillon for starting it.

"If i run a red light and don’t hit anyone, i get a ticket if i run a red light and hit someone, im going to jail if you right rear someone at 135 and they hit the wall head on, it’s much different than going 35 and they barely touch the wall or don’t at all," one fan argued.

"I disagree. I think there is a difference between taking someone out on a superspeedway or 1.5 mile than a road course. Kevin should be happy they never penalized him," another fan wrote.

"That wreck was all Gibbs that started it! Call it like it is. 4 wide, and he pushed the whole row into the wall!" wrote yet another.

Harvick, who is worth $110M (as per Celebrity Net Worth), further explained his stance as he elaborated on what implications this incident could have in the future.

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Kevin Harvick dives deep into Austin Cindric's offense at COTA and its implications

Since the introduction of the Gen 7 cars in 2022, there have been doubts about the rear-end safety of the drivers. This can lead to serious consequences, as in the case of Kurt Busch, who suffered a serious concussion in an accident at the Pocono Raceway and has never raced in the Cup Series again. A lack of clarity in the NASCAR rulings raises fear of such cases repeating themselves.

The #45 McDonald's Toyota, driven by Kurt Busch, is towed after the incident at Long Pond- Source: Getty

Harvick further explained that inconsistent penalties in future incidents will lead to confusion among drivers, as NASCAR decided to let go of Austin Cindric without a suspension.

"And I think in this scenario just now, the next time we have this scenario happen, to spin a guy, now you are gonna suspend the next guy. Then it's gonna be well, you didn't suspend the last guy. So, this is just longer lines of getting some consistency of what we are doing. This is a really simple call, and I feel that they missed it bad here... It is just cheap. He (Cindric) definitely got away with one here," added Kevin Harvick on the NASCAR on FOX show.

While NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran defended the decision recently, suggesting that a suspension wasn't warranted, debate surrounding the incident continues. Harvick's recent comments only add to them, putting the spotlight on safety, fairness, and consistency in the sport.