Former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick has reiterated that the Cup Series requires a major evolution of its current vehicle rather than an entirely new platform, pushing back against recent remarks from NASCAR leadership. Motorsport.com – All – Stories reported that Harvick weighed in after NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell dismissed the possibility of introducing another new car for the Cup Series in the coming seasons.
Call for a Gen 7.5 Car and Hard Decisions
Harvick, the 2014 series champion and a NASCAR on FOX analyst, argued on his Happy Hour show that the current vehicle needs significantly more horsepower, alongside modifications to the underbody and the single-source supplier system. He stated that a completely new Gen 8 car is unnecessary, but a transitional Gen 7.5 version is essential.
According to Harvick, making meaningful improvements will require tackling difficult and potentially expensive changes to the bottom of the race car and the parts managed by single-source suppliers. He asserted that simple adjustments like altering the spoiler size or splitter braces are not enough.
“We don’t need Gen 8 car, but we need Gen 7.5,” Harvick said. “You know, we took a lot of swings at it. I think we made some things better for sure but not as much as I think needs to be done.”
He added, “My point is you’re going to have to take a swing at stuff that you don’t want to take a swing at. If you really want to make it better, you’re going to have to change things on the race car you don’t want to change; because they’re probably expensive and you probably have a contract with who’s making the part.”
Preserving Supporting Series and Increasing Horsepower
N95 NASCAR is currently evaluating the future of the O’Reilly and Truck Series, including whether to adopt a platform similar to the current Cup car to streamline parts and industry-wide economics. However, Harvick believes that changing the O’Reilly platform is the wrong approach.
He noted that Friday and Saturday racing events enjoy strong television ratings, meaning the primary focus must remain fixed on improving the Cup car without disrupting the other series. Harvick also echoed comments from driver Denny Hamlin, who recently described the NextGen vehicle as a sports car that was never meant for ovals.
“It’s like putting power back in the car. We have been talking about more power. Everyone is like ‘we need some more power’ and they have finally come around to doing a little bit of it. Quit screwing around with putting a little bit in. Put a lot in. Just make it violent and crazy to watch,” Harvick said.
Harvick concluded that addressing the engine, the bottom of the car, and its overall structure will open a difficult can of worms, but those uncomfortable conversations and changes are necessary to truly improve the racing.
