As the curtain begins to descend on the illustrious 23-year career of Stewart-Haas Racing‘s star, Kevin Harvick, a mere five races remain. While Talladega might not have provided the swan song the #4 team envisaged, there’s a palpable energy to recalibrate and perhaps introduce some changes for the Charlotte race.

To honor the racing titan, Charlotte Motor Speedway has planned a grand salute to Kevin Harvick before the Bank of America ROVAL 400, marking his final lap at the renowned ‘America’s Home for Racing’. In homage to his unparalleled legacy and his indelible mark on NASCAR, the speedway is set to immerse fans in a weekend-long fiesta featuring an array of events and showcases. Yet, amidst the festivities, a new change incorporated by SHR seems to have struck a discordant note with fans, further fanning the flames of Kevin Harvick’s recent miseries.

The pink Kevin Harvick car to sport Charlotte race track

As Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart‘s confidant and protégé, gears up for his final performance at Charlotte, he received backing from a longstanding ally. Rheem, renowned as America’s premier water heating brand and a leading manufacturer of air conditioning and heating units, celebrates its 16th year in the NASCAR fraternity. The enduring partnership with Harvick, which traces its roots back to 2007, was instantly cemented when Harvick clinched the season-opening Daytona 500.

The iconic victory, where Harvick outpaced NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin in a heart-stopping finish by a mere 0.02 seconds, carved out a special place in racing lore. It paved the way for Rheem to become the principal partner for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series the following year. Their joint venture debuted on May 2, 2008, in Richmond, Virginia.

Fast forward to now, while the No. 4 Rheem Ford Mustang has always been a sight to behold, for the Bank of America Roval 400 race, it’s yet again set to dazzle in a shade of pink. In a spirited initiative, Rheem’s ‘Chasing a Cure’ campaign, aimed at backing cancer research, will grace the No. 4 car with a hint of pink as it tears through the 2.28-mile, 17-turn track for 109 adrenaline-fueled laps.

Yet, despite this noble gesture, the moment news broke on Twitter, fans, who seemingly are still not over the Talladega incident, were quick to lambast Tony Stewart and his team for the oversight of loose windshield fasteners.

Watch This Story: Denny Hamlin Blames Tony Stewart for Letting Down Slowest Kevin Harvick

Talladega-ized fans brutally bash the Stewart-Haas Racing team for their negligence 

Trending

Reality Struck Shane van Gisbergen Has His Playoffs Chances Cut Short Even Before His Full Time Debut in 2025

NASCAR Fans Left Praying as Town of the “World’s Fastest 1/2 Mile” Declared a Site of “Mass Casualty”

NASCAR Fans Back Kyle Busch’s Son’s Desperate Plea Amidst Denny Hamlin’s ‘Bad Luck’ Reluctance

“My Body Needed Time”: Tony Stewart’s Wife, Leah, Discloses Her Roadblocks to Motherhood Amid Racing Dilemma

Cole Custer Drops 5-Word Confession as He Hands Tony Stewart & Co Another Championship Crown

While Kevin Harvick has always ridden on a wave of unwavering fan support, his runner-up finish at Talladega had NASCAR enthusiasts perhaps even more exhilarated than the racer himself. However, the post-race revelation concerning windshield fastener issues became an unexpected fodder for fans to grill Tony Stewart and his team.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced via their official Twitter, “Dedicated to chasing a cure. @KevinHarvick and @rheemracing are supporting cancer research and racing in pink at Charlotte ROVAL,” the internet was ablaze with fans wielding sharp wit and sarcasm over the Talladega snafu. One quipped, “Chasing a cure for loose windshield bolts?” while another chimed in, “Will we ever find a cure?”

In a light-hearted roast of Harvick’s performance, a fan remarked, “Being the 4 car on a road course, look at the picture if you want to see it…it’ll never make it on TV unless by mistake.” Yet, another follower was quick to defend, highlighting Harvick’s commendable performance at the Roval last year and hinting at the possibility of its TV appearance- “Last year he finished second at the Roval. His finishes there have been usually better as compared to traditional road courses, so a chance of seeing it on TV naturally.”

Read More: “Never to Return” – Kevin Harvick’s Frightened Wife’s Reaction Legitimized by NASCAR Legend

Some jests even revolved around Harvick’s pace, with one saying, “At no point on the Roval will Harvick be going fast enough to stuff it into the Turn 1 wall. He’ll go through that corner at a leisurely 20mph, per tradition.”

However, despite the barrage of playful jabs, not every fan was hung up on the Talladega incident. Compliments flowed in for Harvick’s car’s revamped look, with comments like, “Sweet throwback!” and “Its his “throwback” from last year again”

Undeterred by the mixed reactions, Harvick remains optimistic about his prospects at Roval, asserting, “The Roval has really evolved into being one of our better racetracks. It’s very similar to Sonoma with a lot of partial throttle and light braking, and a place that we’ve always been able to run really well at.”