“It Was Not Us”: Kevin Harvick Absolves FOX to Bash NASCAR Fandom’s ‘Ridiculous’ Accusations Over Coca-Cola 600’s Abrupt End

Last Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series returned to Charlotte Motors Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 race. The longest race in the NASCAR schedule is expected to run 600 miles, but that did not come true. The race was declared complete by NASCAR only after 249 laps. Lightning caused the red flag, and rain further delayed any hopes of restarting the race.

In the end, NASCAR, despite their efforts to dry the race track, concluded that conditions weren’t apt to continue racing. Thus crowned the race leader, Christopher Bell, the winner, disappointing the likes of Brad Keselowski and the rest of the grid. Furthermore, this irked the fans, who took to social media to call out FOX for playing a role in canceling the race. However, Kevin Harvick has now come forward and debunked the suggestion of FOX’s involvement in cutting the Coca-Cola 600 race short.

Even the broadcasters were riding in the same boat as the viewers and fans

The biggest argument made by the supporters was that NASCAR could have decided to start the race late at night and still managed to complete it. However, what caught everyone’s attention was NASCAR SVP of Competition, Elton Sawyer’s comments.

Citing the reason for canceling the race, Sawyer stated, “We were up for it; we attempted to get the track dry, just wasn’t going to come in and as all that started unfolding and looking at the timelines, the amount of racing we needed to have to complete the race, 151 laps, we were looking well past 2 a.m. which just didn’t feel right for our competitors, our fans alike, and all the workers that had been there all day.”

Many believed it was FOX Sports who pulled the plug on the race. But Kevin Harvick, during the latest episode of the Happy Hour podcast, cleared the air regarding the misunderstandings. “Well, first off, let’s get something straight, people. We don’t decide when they cancel the race. We were sitting up there like the rest of you on social media with nothing else to do (…) We have nothing to do with canceling the race. NASCAR is in charge.”

Harvick even shared the details of when NASCAR was planning to get the race back on. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard that we decided at Fox to cancel the race. We were along for the ride like everybody else, wondering what the hell is going on. Best case scenario was we’re going to start by 2 a.m.”

One of the interesting points of discussion on the show was Kevin Harvick’s reaction to his former team, Stewart Haas Racing, closing its NASCAR racing operations.

SHR has managed to stay afloat so far because of the No. 4 team, per Kevin Harvick

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It has been just six months since Harvick decided to step down from his role as a SHR driver, to take up his new role in the FOX booth. And his departure ultimately proved to be the turning point for the company. Apart from Tony Stewart’s success with the #14 team, it was Harvick’s #4 who carried the whole SHR contingent on their shoulders over the last decade. He signed with SHR back in 2014 and would go on to win the championship the same year. Moreover, they were often one of the teams that would contend for the title every year.

However, this overreliance on the team ultimately sowed the seeds of SHR’s downfall, according to Harvick. “I think the people around that 4 car over the last ten years are really what held that company together. I think that the company was held together by the success of 4 car, Rodney Childress, and that group of people. Once the backbone of all that kind of went away, I think it started to poke some holes in what happens at the top side of upper management.”

Harvick summed up SHR’s exit sentiment perfectly, “It’s unbelievable to me that we went from forever, to forward, to for sale.” While the business will go on as usual, Tony Stewart’s absence from NASCAR circuits will be a big miss for the community.