“I’ve Got Caught Doing Something I Shouldn’t Have”- Tony Stewart’s Star Employee Surrenders to Harsh Judgment as NASCAR Steals Kevin Harvick’s Crown

Leading until the final laps, he was overtaken by Roger Penske’s driver to finish second at Talladega Superspeedway. And to add insult to injury, Kevin Harvick‘s P2 position was nullified when his car failed to pass the post-race inspection.

The reason? The windshield fasteners on Harvick’s Ford were not secure. The oversight led to Harvick’s disqualification, placing him last in the 38-car field. While Kevin Harvick or Tony Stewart have not yet made a public comment on the matter, another member of Tony Stewart’s team has openly come out to face the stern judgment of NASCAR.

A NASCAR insider from Tony Stewart’s team speaks out about Kevin Harvick’s disqualification

Harvick’s nail-biting loss to Blaney at Talladega Superspeedway in what was one of the closest finishes saw him maintain his lead patiently until lap 161. He held this position, poised for his 61st career victory, until the last moments.

The race marked the end of superspeedway events in Harvick’s career, a journey filled with significant wins, including the 2007 Daytona 500 and a 2010 victory at Talladega. His disqualification by NASCAR officials came after the discovery of loose windshield fasteners on his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, indicating a loose glass as well.

The violation of NASCAR Rule Book sections 14.5.6.2.F Windshield and 14.1.E&P Overall Assembled Vehicle Rules led to his disqualification, causing Kevin Harvick to forfeit all race-acquired stage points. The updated top-10 finishers from Sunday’s race now include Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Corey LaJoie, Austin Cindric, Justin Haley, Chase Elliott, Ryan Preece, Riley Herbst, and Daniel Suarez.

While SHR has the option to appeal the penalty, there’s no indication of such action as of Sunday night. This incident marks the year’s first Cup Series team disqualification, the most recent being Brad Keselowski at Martinsville Speedway in the final race of the 2022 season.

Rodney Childers, Harvick’s crew chief, explained the situation on social media in a now deleted tweet, stating, “There have been times I’ve got caught doing something I shouldn’t have. Today got DQ’d for the car buffering in the draft all day and some windshield bolts vibrating out. My guys had silicon on the threads and gobbed on the tip. Still came out. Not sure what else we could do.”

However, had Harvick not been disqualified, it would undoubtedly have been one of the closest finishes ever in NASCAR history.

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

Kevin Harvick and Ryan Blaney’s breathtaking finish could have been a historic moment

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The two racers crossed the finish line with an incredibly slim margin of just 0.012 seconds. However, this isn’t the tightest finish NASCAR has seen. In fact, 17 races have boasted even closer finishes than Kevin Harvick and Blaney’s recent duel.

Throughout NASCAR history, there have been 60 races where the finishing margin was below the 1-second mark. The record for the closest finish remains at 0.002 seconds, achieved in a race between Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch in 2003 at Darlington. The widest margin to make the list of close finishes was 0.098 seconds in a race between Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski in August 2023 at Daytona.

Read more: Robbed by Ryan Blaney, NASCAR Denies Kevin Harvick His Runners-Up Crown as Tony Stewart & Co. Do Him Dirty

Due to Harvick’s recent disqualification, his name won’t join this list of closest finishes. However, all eyes are on Kevin Harvick and his team to see if they decide to appeal the penalty.