“It Had Been Impossible”: How Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Equation Changed Over the Years

Back in the day, it was nearly impossible for Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch to say something positive about the other, the two having all-out feuds at times. But over the years the animosity has died down and evolved into friendship.

Recently speaking with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Harvick explained how the equation between the two changed drastically with a certain change implemented by NASCAR. He said, “When we were in the wars with Kyle Busch it had been impossible to talk about positively about Kyle right? And I’ve spent enough time with Kyle now and Samantha and Brexton.”

“I feel like and I think that the Driver Council stuff has really helped a lot of this and I tell a lot of the drivers this as well. It’s good that you guys are getting to spend time with each other and understand each other.”

As per Harvick, there is a difference between the way he and Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s generation grew up racing and the way the current generation does it. He believes that in the past, racers communicated with each other hung out together, and did things together. However, over time, this sense of community has diminished as everyone has scattered and pursued their own interests.

He added, “Having these meetings where the drivers all have to sit in the same room hasn’t happened in years. I mean, we had some kind of half-a**ed driver council meetings where a few guys participated in a few guys didn’t. But it’s very rare that there’s multiple drivers missing from a driver council meeting and an update from NASCAR.”

Kevin Harvick believes the NASCAR driver communications are at its best

Speaking further Harvick emphasized the importance of drivers being well-informed by their teams, stating, “I feel like the NASCAR driver communication, most people would tell you that it’s probably terrible. I would tell you that the NASCAR driver communication is better than the team-to-driver communication. By a lot, by a lot.” 

The former Cup Series driver also highlighted the prevalence of politics in the sport, referencing the Racing Team Alliance (RTA) and the complexities that drivers face in the current landscape. “But in my opinion, the NASCAR driver communication is as good as it’s ever been and it’s better than driver to team by a lot,” Harvick concluded.

With this being the case, the only thing that has to be worked upon is the communication between the team and the drivers. That would be the area of improvement to make sure information remains free-flowing and trustworthy between the stakeholders.