Kevin Harvick Rejects Kyle Larson’s Ineffective Solution, Condemning Over-Hyped NASCAR Controversy

In an attempt to secure his win at the Monster Mile, Denny Hamlin resorted to blocking the late charge by Kyle Larson. So the former’s third win of the season at Dover Motor Speedway hasn’t gone down well with a lot of people, including his rivals. His aero-blocking tactics riled up the NASCAR community. Now, aerodynamic dependence is not new in racing. But as cars have evolved over the years, it has become a problem.

Owing to this, Lason even had a solution. “It’s really hard to pass the lead car. […] Honestly, if they took the cameras out of the car, that’s probably one of the little things that could fix it. It’s hard to see out of the rearview mirrors, but the cameras are so easy. I would be for it if they took the cameras out. However, while Kevin Harvick wasn’t surprised by Hamlin’s antics at Dover, he also didn’t agree with Larson’s solution.

Kevin Harvick shares his honest take on aero-blocking

So what happens with the use of this technique is that the lead car gets to cut through the clean air. Trying to keep the chasing pack at bay, the lead car often slides and switches lanes, cutting the clean air, and dumping the dirty air off the rear bumper. This results in the tailing car’s front end being loose from the exposure to dirty air, thus preventing it from making a pass over the leader.

Suggesting that blocking has always been a part of NASCAR racing, Harvick on the Happy Hour podcast said, “It has nothing to do with electronic mirrors, it has nothing to do with having mirrors in the cars, it’s just more sensitive than the other cars. And now there’s a term, Air blocking. So these guys nonchalantly talk about it, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin.”

He further explained how different racing series also resort to similar styles of aero blocking. “Because now it’s just part of the tools in your tool chest. Do you wish it wasn’t that way? Yes. Is that way, and probably in every form of racing, pretty much. I hear them talk about it in go-karts. I hear them talk about it in dirt cars. So it’s there, and that’s just part of it.”

All things said, even Kyle Busch was frustrated by aero-blocking after he captured the fourth place at Dover. For major parts of the race, the driver almost never left the top 5 and remained close to the leaders. No doubt, he had a good finish. But he felt he could do better. Later on, he spoke about how frustrating aero blocking was late in the race. This has become a big issue because it seems like races are being determined by the drivers who are able to take lines that disrupt other’s air.

Nevertheless, Hamlin is happy with his win at the Monster Mile. But as per Kevin Harvick, aero-blocking wasn’t the only factor that propelled him towards victory. What else was involved?

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We’ve heard Hamlin make bold claims about how he can compete for wins in all the races this season. This is indeed true if you look at his track record, except for Superspeedway races. Moreover, he is the only driver to have led in all 11 races since the start of the season. So despite him resorting to blocking techniques to fend off Larson in the end, it wasn’t the only move that helped him get his third win.

Harvick explained the advantages that the JGR driver had in his favor during the Dover race. “Denny Hamlin took advantage of his car taking off on the restarts. He got a good restart, his pit crew got him out the run before that, got the track position. And they were able to do what they needed to do to win.”

Next up on the schedule is yet another mile-and-a-half traditional oval race at Kansas Speedway. And don’t be surprised if Hamlin once again manages to beat your favorite driver on the racetrack.