During his time as a NASCAR Cup driver, Kevin Harvick rarely stood up for an opposing driver, even if that opponent was justified in whatever situation arose. But now, as a retired driver and current NASCAR analyst, he is entitled to his opinion on pretty much any subject.
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As part of the discourse on this week’s Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the Bakersfield, California native opined on the conflict between Ty Gibbs’ and Brad Keselowski’s teams in Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway.
Gibbs came into his pit stall by cutting through Keselowski’s, which was next door and while Keselowski was right behind Gibbs. This is an action permitted under NASCAR regulations. But as Gibbs went through Keselowski’s box, he made slight contact with the tire held by Telvin McClurkin, Keselowski’s tire carrier.
After both Gibbs and Keselowski completed their pit stops and went back on-track, McClurkin and at least one other team member began a pushing episode with several members of Gibbs’ pit crew. The conflict was quickly stopped by NASCAR officials, who ultimately ruled Gibbs was without sin, so to speak.
“Ty didn’t do anything wrong,” Harvick said. “And NASCAR said that as well. My advice to the guy carrying the tires is move your tires. You don’t want to get hit by the car, move your tires. That’s your responsibility, not the driver’s.”
Harvick laid out what he would have done in the same situation as a driver, saying, “When I was the driver and I felt the tire carrier was swinging around too wide and was affecting the way I was getting into the (pit) wall, I’d brush him, for sure.”
Harvick then reiterated what he would have told McClurkin if he had been in Gibbs’ position. “That one’s simple: the tire carrier just needs to get out of the freakin’ way,” he said.
“He can be frustrated all he wants. I don’t know why he wants to go over and blame it on the team (Gibbs’) guys. It’s just a bad reaction from the tire carrier and in my opinion, 100 percent his problem to deal with. Get out of the way of the car,” Harvick added.
“The tire carrier just needs to get out of the freaking way.” @KevinHarvick on the Sonoma pit road incident between Ty Gibbs and RFK Racing. pic.twitter.com/pxSem3atwH
— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) July 16, 2025
Indeed, Harvick is right. It is the responsibility of the tire carrier to let the car in the next stall to go past before he attempts to give service to the car of his own driver.
Michael McDowell’s take on the Gibbs-Keselowski drama
On Dirty Mo Media’s Door Bumper Clear podcast, Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell also gave his opinion, again, supporting Gibbs.
“As a driver, you’re in that spot of like, ‘Ah, don’t do that, man,’” McDowell said. “But then, you also go into that mindset of you’re driving the race car and they’re standing there. You don’t want to hurt somebody, but why are you playing games. Play dumb games and dumb things happen.”
Evidently, the chips didn’t fall in favor of Brad Keselowski’s pit crew last week, and they will be wary next time.
