“There’s a Lot to Be Gained”- Denny Hamlin Fires Shots at FOX Sports as He Reveals Kevin Harvick’s Retirement’s Silver Lining

For both Denny Hamlin and Stewart-Haas Racing’s retiring veteran, Kevin Harvick, 2023 has been an emotional year. While it was a stunner for Hamlin after getting his championship hopes squashed in a jiffy despite lauding this as the #11’s year, for 2014 Cup Series champion Harvick, he had to put his 20-season-long career in the past without a win in his final season.

Despite the heartbreak of letting go of one of their favorite drivers and arguably one of the best drivers, Hamlin believes that the 47-year-old’s retirement is bound to make massive changes not just in the NASCAR field but also up in the commentary booth. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran on his popular podcast, Action Detrimental, took a sly dig at Fox Sports, comparing it with NBC, as he dropped his honest take about Harvick climbing into the Fox commentary booth.

Hamlin throws a subtle jab at Fox Sports, revealing how the veteran’s retirement will benefit the sport

No matter how one cuts it, SHR veteran Kevin Harvick’s farewell from NASCAR is something no fan wants but is a bittersweet reality the fandom has to accept. When the #4 driver announced that the 2023 season would be his last in the organization’s top-tier division, the news was like a bomb for ardent NASCAR fans.

In no way was the community ready to brace for such a shocking piece of news. Adding insult to injury was the veteran’s underwhelming performance last season with Tony Stewart‘s Ford team. Despite the shortcomings and inadequacies, Harvick battled his way to the playoffs, where he got ousted in the first eliminator, drowning fans in sorrow.

However, looking at the bright side of things, Hamlin revealed the silver lining of the veteran’s retirement. Speaking to his co-host, he mentioned how Harvick’s presence in Fox’s commentary booth will bring about a much-needed change. He said, “He’s still going to give back to the sport by being part of the TV, I’ll tell you, he can, he could really improve that Fox booth a ton, I think he will push them to be better, you know from what we’ve seen NBC, the Fox, the big variation in the production the two have and how much one is really into the nuts and bolts and explaining everything and whereas the other just kind of talking about some stuff.”

“It’s just like there’s a lot to be gained there in the Fox booth, and I think that Kevin (Harvick) will push everyone to do that and be better, so I’m excited to see how that turns out for sure; he’s got a great base there, and so I think that’s there’s going to be something good that’s really going to happen from that,” added Hamlin, subtly criticizing the Fox Sports production, comparing it with the NBC team, and mentioning the difference in overall quality between the 2.

WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr & Kevin Harvick calls for stricter officiating from NASCAR 

Denny Hamlin showers praise on “unicorn driver” Kevin Harvick despite the grim season

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There is no question about which broadcaster did a good job of telecasting the NASCAR events. While Fox Sports took responsibility in the first half of the season as per their obligation with the organization, NBC’s telecast, production quality, and the team, including Dale Earnhardt Jr, his former HMS crew chief Steve Letarte did an amazing job highlighting the technical details of the sport.

Hamlin relays the obvious as he mentions how Harvick’s addition to the Fox booth will bring about the change, pushing the envelope. He also praised the veteran for giving his all despite SHR’s vulnerability holding him back in his farewell season. He said, “It’s hard for me to not get emotional as well because I see how much it means to Harvick and when he has his family around and everything.” 

“Kevin to be as competitive as he was when his team was having somewhat of an off-year, Stewart-Haas (racing) did not win any races this year to be still as competitive as he was in his final year at age 48 (47), which is absolutely amazing,” said the JGR veteran, reflecting on Harvick’s farewell season.

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Hamlin further added, saying, “He is a unicorn driver, and to sustain the level of performance that he had is just unbelievable. I mean, you can’t list all of his accomplishments.” He then concluded by saying, “He gave so much back to the sport, on and off the race track, and he gave a lot to the driver and was a great leader for the drivers. I think it will be a substantial loss.“