Kevin Harvick’s Crew Chief Endorses Criticism of NASCAR Safety Standards After Horrific Truck Race Crash

Earlier this week, there was a frightening accident at the Five Flags Speedway in Florida. As it turned out, Hunter Johnson and several spectators got the shock of their lives during a Pro Trucks race. Johnson suffered a violent-looking crash, which sent him to the hospital for a while. Obviously, many fans slammed NASCAR for not taking a proactive stance on safety. Among the NASCAR critics was Rodney Childers, crew chief of Kevin Harvick.

Childers had every right to be worried because the car was totalled. There were a few other cars involved in the accident, but most escaped serious damage. However, it does make people wonder if NASCAR is doing enough to ensure driver safety. According to some, short track authorities have adapted to the needs of the Cup Series. Unfortunately, safety seems to have taken a back seat.

In all honesty, this is surprising, especially for a sport that is famous for big wrecks. One would think that they would take driver safety a little more seriously. Unfortunately, there have still been massive wrecks in the three series. The worst one so far was in 2020 when Ryan Newman spent time in hospital after his car went airborne.

What lies ahead for Kevin Harvick

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is coming off a fairly miserable season in 2021. This is because he failed to reach Victory Lane all year. As it turns out, 2021 is only Harvick’s second winless year since 2012, where his highest finish was 2nd at Phoenix and at Dover.

Prior to that, he was winless in 2008 and in 2004. During all those occasions, he drove for Richard Childress Racing in the #29 car.

In other words, it was the first time he ever went winless for Stewart-Haas Racing. Now, Harvick will be eager to redeem himself and get his name back on the top of the pylon.

READ MORE: WATCH: Hunter Johnson Hospitalized After Being Flipped Over in Near-Fatal Crash at a Pro Truck Race