“Kevin [Harvick]’s Had Better Years”- Dale Earnhardt Jr Holds Tony Stewart’s Team Accountable for Tainting ‘The Closer’s’ Final Season

After Kevin Harvick announced his retirement earlier this year, the racing community rallied around him, hoping to make his final season a memorable one. However, fate seemed to have other plans, as the veteran was seen facing a string of challenges on the track. Many opined that perhaps Stewart-Haas Racing inadvertently played a part in making his last hurrah less than ideal. And one of those holding that opinion is none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Harvick put in a herculean effort to shine one last time, to clinch a victory that would cap off his illustrious career. However, a combination of issues with his car, pit road mishaps, and penalties thrown at him thwarted his every attempt to cross the finish line first. While Dale Earnhardt Jr, known for his diplomatic stance towards NASCAR, generally refrains from direct criticism, he did not hold back when it came to Tony Stewart’s team. He pointedly called them out for their role in Harvick’s struggles, adding an extra layer of drama to an already emotionally charged farewell season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr points a finger at Stewart-Haas Racing for Kevin Harvick’s tough year

At the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, it wasn’t a Championship 4 contender who stole the show, but the roaring cheers for 2014 champion Kevin Harvick. This race icon turned his most successful track into a memorable farewell stage despite not clinching a win this season. Kevin Harvick made it to the playoffs and showcased a blisteringly fast car in the final race’s qualifying rounds.

Yet, throughout the season, Tony Stewart‘s team fell short of supporting Harvick, culminating in a winless exit. A poignant example was at Talladega, where Harvick nearly clinched victory, missing out by a mere 0.012 seconds to Ryan Blaney. However, a post-race inspection failure of his car relegated him to last place.

The No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team faced disqualification by NASCAR for issues with windshield fasteners, violating sections 14.1. e&p and 14.5.6.2.F of the NASCAR Rulebook. The misstep, rooted in the crew’s responsibility, stripped Harvick of a possible top-12 advancement. While Harvick refrained from blaming anyone, Dale Earnhardt Jr didn’t hesitate to attribute Harvick’s underwhelming season to the Stewart-Haas team’s shortcomings.

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He remarked, “I don’t know what he expected, or they expected. We certainly know that Kevin’s had better years. But when I look at this team, I judge the company as an organization, and he outperformed the rest of the Stewart Haas cars by a good margin weekly, right? And so, you know, I feel like that the organization has slipped a bit. But he has really kind of been able to carry the torch, so to speak for them. Not winning. I’m sure it was disappointing for Kevin. But damn, man, I mean, then the last race—led laps, run up front—had a solid ending. I think that his fans were probably somewhat disappointed, but all of that you can shove aside because this is his final year.”

While Dale Jr took aim at SHR’s perceived negligence, Harvick seems to harbor his own grievances towards NASCAR and its polemical system.

The turbulent season of Stewart-Haas Racing in 2023

The 2023 racing season for Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing has been a rollercoaster, marked by struggles and controversies. While Harvick’s disqualification at Talladega was a notable setback, it was just one of many incidents that have cast a shadow over Tony Stewart’s team’s performance. Despite these challenges, Harvick’s exceptional skill as a driver was the sole reason the team managed to scrape into the playoffs.

Despite being a leading Ford team, with four Mustangs on the track, all four cars veered off course, failing to secure a single win. The team faced a significant blow from NASCAR following the Coca-Cola 600 when Chase Briscoe’s car was caught with counterfeit parts during a random inspection. This led to a severe penalty for the #14 team, including a deduction of 120 points from both the owner’s and driver’s tallies and a loss of 25 crucial playoff points for Briscoe, plummeting him to 31st in the rankings.

The organization imposed a hefty $250,000 fine on the team and handed a six-race suspension to crew chief John Klausmeier. Amidst these trials, Briscoe struggled to regain his form and speed, and the team’s efforts to provide him with a competitive edge fell flat. Interestingly, Briscoe did not express distress over the penalty, acknowledging it as “justified.”

In contrast to Hendrick Motorsports, which appealed in a similar situation, Stewart-Haas Racing chose to accept responsibility for its mistakes. This approach sparked further debate about the team’s integrity and strategic decisions during a season fraught with challenges.

With so many questions being raised on SHR’s conduct, it remains to be seen how the team works its way up in 2024!

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