Kevin Harvick believes NASCAR needs to stop making small changes to its national racing divisions and focus on fixing the problems with its Cup Series car.
The 2014 Cup Series champion has called for more horsepower and a closer look at the Next Gen car’s underbody, arguing that the current package needs major improvements.
Advertisement
Harvick also believes NASCAR should leave the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, formerly known as the Xfinity Series, and Craftsman Truck Series largely alone because both divisions already produce good racing.
On his Happy Hour podcast, the former driver admitted that major changes would upset some people in the sport. However, he insisted NASCAR must make difficult decisions to improve its premier series.
Kevin Harvick Wants NASCAR to Prioritize the Cup Car
Harvick believes NASCAR should focus on improving the Cup Series rather than making unnecessary changes to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series.
Advertisement
He argued that both lower national divisions produce good racing and should not be the main focus of NASCAR’s development plans.
“Worry about the Cup car. Don’t worry about screwing up the other two. Just stop worrying about making that better. It is what it is. It’s good for now. The racing is good.
“Leave them alone. If you need to change the body, change the body. Yeah, that’s fine. Put a new body on it. Fix the Cup car. That’s what you’ve got to concentrate on.”
Harvick’s comments show where he believes NASCAR should spend its time and resources. He doesn’t oppose every change to the other divisions, but he wants the Cup Series to take priority.
Kevin Harvick Demands More Horsepower in NASCAR Cup Series
Horsepower remains one of Harvick’s biggest concerns with the Next Gen Cup car.
Advertisement
The 2014 champion believes NASCAR has taken too long to introduce meaningful increases. Instead of making small adjustments, he wants the series to take a bigger step.
Harvick also acknowledged that some decisions would upset people within the sport but argued that NASCAR should not avoid difficult changes.
“There’s going to be decisions that you’re going to have to make that are going to piss some people off. It’s like putting more power in the car. Just put some more power in the damn car.
“They’ve slowly crept it in there. Quit messing around with putting a little bit in. Put a lot in. Just make it violent and crazy to watch.”
Advertisement
NASCAR introduced a 750-horsepower package for road courses and oval tracks shorter than 1.5 miles in 2026. However, Harvick believes the organization needs to go further to improve the Cup Series racing package.
Kevin Harvick Questions NASCAR Next Gen Car Design
Harvick also raised concerns about the Next Gen car’s overall design, particularly its underbody.
Referencing comments from Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, he questioned whether the current car was properly designed for oval racing.
“And turn this thing over and look at the bottom of the race car and realize that. I heard Denny Hamlin say this. It’s a sports car. That’s not designed to race on an oval.
Advertisement
“I don’t want to be the jerk, but those are the facts.”
NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car to the Cup Series in the 2022 season. Harvick believes NASCAR should examine its existing design rather than rely on smaller adjustments.
His comments add to the discussion about the Cup Series car’s future. He wants NASCAR to prioritize horsepower and address the car’s design while leaving the Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series largely unchanged.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post NASCAR Legend Demands Cup Car Fixes, Warns Against Unnecessary Changes to Truck and Xfinity Series appeared first on HEAVY.
