The NASCAR Cup Series championship four-race format has been debated for quite some time now. Drivers have criticized how there is only one race to decide who becomes the champion, instead of how their overall season went. Among those drivers is one Kevin Harvick.
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While speaking on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s podcast, the recently retired Cup Series driver Harvick joined the barrage of drivers who stand against this way of settling the champion for the season. He stated, “Well, I don’t like it coming down to one race. I don’t know that it represents the whole season well. I think when you look at a whole season, it’s not about one race…”
What does @KevinHarvick think of the season coming down to one race? 🤔
“You don’t win a championship like Dale used to win them.” 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/kLB12HNwSU
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) November 8, 2023
The former SHR driver expressed uncertainty about the proper way to handle intentional crashes in Championship Four racing. He acknowledged the excitement it generates but also lamented the focus being on such incidents rather than pure racing.
He added, “Some of the things that Denny had put together with the point system and, and the percentage of races that maybe decided the championship, maybe being a few races or, you know, I think there’s a way to do it, where you have that excitement and don’t have to have it come down to one race.”
The 2014 Cup Series champion expressed his opinion on the balance between excitement and fairness in the championship format, stating that he personally dislikes how it ultimately comes down to one race. He believes that the championship should reward those who have had the best year, rather than just winning or losing in a single moment.
Kevin Harvick doesn’t believe he earned the 2014 Championship win
Speaking further into the podcast, Harvick explained how winning a championship in the modern era was no longer like how Dale Earnhardt Sr. or Richard Petty, used to do it. Back then, it was determined on the basis of the entire season’s performance, rather than one race.
Hence, looking back at his 2014 championship victory, Harvick elaborated that it hadn’t been his best year, looking at the whole season. Instead, it was the 2015 season when he believed having performed significantly better and deserved to win the title.
NASCAR had its reasons to introduce the playoff format which ultimately led to the championship four race being a single event. But looking at it now, there seems to be a need for another way to spice up the title-deciding race, perhaps something that allows for the best driver to win, rather than relying on a single race’s outcome.
