With just four races left in the regular NASCAR season, veteran driver Kevin Harvick has shared his thoughts on the heated battle for the final playoff spot in the 2024 season. Currently, Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing holds the coveted last playoff position, with Bubba Wallace in the #23 car hot on his tail.
Kevin Harvick’s career in the NASCAR Cup Series is nothing short of legendary. Spanning over 800 races and boasting 60 wins, he has triumphed in all of NASCAR’s crown jewel events. Harvick is also a two-time Xfinity Series champion and the 2018 All-Star race winner. Notably, he holds the record for most Cup Series wins at Phoenix Raceway, with nine victories to his name.
After NASCAR’s return to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the driver standings saw some significant shifts. Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) clinched his fourth win of 2024, taking the top spot.
Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing delivered a strong performance at the Indianapolis Oval, winning the second stage and finishing fifth overall. This impressive run places Wallace just seven points behind Ross Chastain in the chase for the final playoff spot. Despite Wallace’s strong showing, Kevin Harvick believes Chris Buescher from RFK Racing might snatch the playoff spot from him. On his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick expressed his concerns:
“I’m really worried about Ross Chastain and the #1 car. The #23 team from 23XI seems to have found their rhythm, and with only seven points separating them from 16th place, they could outpace the #1 car. I still think Chris Buescher is the one to watch for the 16th spot,” Harvick said.
Harvick expanded on his worries for Ross Chastain’s playoff hopes. “I just have a feeling someone will win at Daytona, and I’m concerned for the #1 because they haven’t shown the speed that the #23 has, and they’ve had some bad luck.”
Chris Buescher, driving the #17 car for RFK Racing, currently sits 12th in the driver standings. Despite securing nine top-10 finishes and six top-five finishes, Buescher is still searching for his first win of the season. Harvick believes Buescher will come back strong after NASCAR’s two-week break to end his winless streak.
In another part of the Happy Hour podcast, Harvick didn’t hold back his criticism of Kyle Busch’s on-track behavior at Indianapolis. Busch, driving the #8 car for Richard Childress Racing (RCR), has had a rocky season, often due to circumstances beyond his control. But his recent incident with Denny Hamlin at Indianapolis changed Harvick’s perspective.
“Kyle is driving way over his head,” Harvick commented. “His cars have been off pace at times, but in this instance, he was passing Denny Hamlin and just overcooked the corner. This one is 100% on him.”
Busch, who is 18th in the driver standings, is enduring the longest winless streak of his career. With only four races remaining in the regular season, there’s a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the #8 driver’s playoff chances.
