As the summer rages on for the NASCAR Cup Series, Kevin Harvick is ready to push the panic button for multiple wheelmen.
With Joey Logano locking up his spot in the playoffs with a win in Nashville, the cut-line for the playoffs continues to wane. On the latest episode of his Harvick’s Happy Hour show, the former NASCAR champion relayed which drivers he’s keeping a close eye on at the moment.
“Panic button for the No. 8 (Kyle Busch). Panic button for the No. 4 (Josh Berry). Panic button for the No. 14 (Chase Briscoe). Panic button for the No. 23 (Bubba Wallace),” Harvick relayed, regarding which drivers’ playoff standing he’s concerned about at the moment.
While Harvick’s thoughts on Busch have been well publicized over the last couple of weeks, Harvick focused a bit on Bubba Wallace in particular, believing the No. 23 will likely need a win to make the playoffs in 2024.
“Well, we’ve obviously touched on Kyle Busch. We’re concerned about Kyle Busch. I’m concerned about Bubba Wallace,” Harvick added. “For me, I think they’re just missing a little bit, on the speed side of things, and they haven’t been able to put a lot of things together, and when they do, it’s kind of been like Kyle Busch. It doesn’t go right for them. It doesn’t seem to work out, in the end. So, I think they have the capability, to put more speed together at certain places, and it’s just going to come down to capitalizing on those days, where he’s able to go to a race track where they can do that.
“But the problem now is he’s 51 points out of P16. If another person wins, then it’s going to be an even bigger deficit, and they’re going to have to point their way through some stages, and start scoring more points at a much more rapid pace. So, he’s my big concern.”
Additionally, Harvick is of the opinion that Chase Briscoe has a lot on his plate now, with his eventual move to Joe Gibbs Racing announced for 2025. That’s weighing heavy on his mind as his final season with Stewart-Haas Racing continues.
“When you talk about Chase Briscoe, he’s got more on his plate now,” Harvick said. “They announced him as the No. 19 driver. And I think now he’s got to manage all of that, as well. Going to a different manufacturer, and what they want to keep and not keep.”
Alas, it remains to be seen if Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe or any of the other bubble drivers Kevin Harvick is keeping an eye on can sneak into the playoffs with a win. Regardless, it should be a fascinating summer of racing, with some unpredictable scenarios coming to light over the next couple of weeks.
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