Another race flew past us last weekend in our stride towards the season finale at the Phoenix Raceway. In the culmination of the first round of the playoffs at Bristol, we saw 4 drivers crash out of the contest, giving way to the better 12. Amongst those who couldn’t put enough power behind their engines was Stewart-Haas Racing star driver Kevin Harvick. Driving in what will be his final full-time season in the top tier of NASCAR, the 47-year-old had hammered down his team in the aftermath of his P29 finish.

Getting back from the night lights of the Bristol Motor Speedway, the hosts of the podcast ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ discussed the lost final chance of Kevin Harvick and pricked at his fresh wounds.

Veteran NASCAR spotter keeps the No. 4 team’s wounds fresh with his words

Kevin Harvick has spent 23 years in the highest level of stock car racing that America has to offer. He’d won his first Cup Series in 2014 and that is what he will be retiring with in 2023. Despite his crew chief and former racer Rodney Childers claiming that they would give him a victorious farewell in his final season, they received a severe blow at Bristol that doesn’t leave a lot of space for positivity.

But for a spotter of Kaulig Racing, the current fickle that Tony Stewart’s outfit is in is no surprise for either fans or the team itself.

The latest edition of Dirty Mo Media’s ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ podcast had its usual hosts alongside journalist Matt Weaver. Discussing the eliminated drivers, Brett Griffin expressed a harsh opinion about the self-expectations of the No. 4 team. He said, “If I am the No. 4 team, I don’t think they ever thought that (they will win the championship). I think they were more realistic. ‘Man, let’s get Kevin a win in his final ten races and send him out a winner.’ Cuz they certainly deserve that. Rodney and Kevin are great guys. Big-time racers.”

Though the performance of the team has not been particularly impressive this season with multiple wins and exemplary speed, it is safe to say that every team, particularly those of the No.4’s caliber, goes into every season with their eyes on the championship. While it is unfortunate that they couldn’t meet their potential, Brett’s words did carry some backing with the mood surrounding the camp going into it all.

Watch This Story: Kevin Harvick Blasts Tony Stewart in 5 Words for Spoiling His Last Race at Bristol

The string of un-impressive performances that led to Kevin Harvick’s early elimination

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Kevin Harvick has had several winless seasons in his career. Little would he have imagined that his final one would run the risk of being one. 29 races into the season and the driver is yet to grab his first win. He came closest to the victory lane at the Goodyear 400 in May, but couldn’t quite find it as he settled for a P2. In the weeks that followed, he managed sporadic top 5s and top 10s that ultimately led him into the playoff season. Once in, he must have hoped that his fortunes would change, but they did not.

A P19 at Darlington and P11 at Kansas later, all eyes were on the No. 4 team with its crew chief declaring that all he wanted to do was to go to the victory lane and win races with Kevin. Bristol was the one final shot that they had. It was a track that they’d had moderate success in previous sessions and looked poised to make it to the round of 12. But once again, they let it slip under those noses. The driver himself had thoughts similar to what Brett Griffin expected of his team.

Downplaying himself and Tony Stewart’s camp in his post-Bristol interview, he said, “I didn’t really have many expectations with as up and down as the year has been. It is what it is. It’s probably about what we deserve. We’ve been like that all year. We’ve been hit or miss. Tonight we just missed by a mile.”