It’s no secret that over the last few years, NASCAR has been experiencing somewhat of a downfall in terms of viewership and popularity. Although they have been covering up some ground too, they have a long way to when it comes to reaching where they were. This is a task that is difficult on its own, but it becomes slightly more difficult when there’s competition and other forms of racing series fighting for their audience. And perhaps that’s why the recent comments of Kevin Harvick could worry NASCAR.
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Harvick, who is set to retire at the end of this season from his driving duties, will be shifting his focus partly on the FOX booth as a broadcaster. But the other part, or certainly, a large part of his time will go to the CARS Tour which he co-owns with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Justin Marks, and Jeff Burton.
And it is his ambitions with CARS Tour which could end up hurting NASCAR.
Kevin Harvick wants CARS Tour to be “the best touring series” in the US
In a recent interview with Matt Weaver for Short Track Scene, Harvick opened up on the “fantastic racing” in the CARS Tour this year as well as what his goals are as an owner for the Tour in the future,
“I woke up to my phone having blown up with texts from Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and Jeff (Burton) so I immediately pulled-up the clip and it was just another example of the fantastic racing we’ve had this season,” Kevin Harvick said about that finish in Dominion Raceway.
He claimed as an owner, the racing has been everything they’ve wanted it to be. And even though they’re still learning about the things they can improve, when the product is as good as it was in Dominion, it makes their jobs as owners “a lot easier.” As for his goals with the CARS Tour, Harvick claimed, “We just want short track racing to keep getting healthier.”
“For CARS Tour specifically, we just want it to be the best touring series in the country. That’s the goal.”
What a race. What a finish!
Still thinking about last night at Dominion and will be for a long time. pic.twitter.com/qtfBznUpjx
— CARS Tour (@CARSTour) June 18, 2023
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the unique aspect of the CARS Tour
In a recent episode of his podcast show, Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up on what makes the CARS Tour so unique and so exciting for race fans. He claimed the Tour is full of some of the most talented late-model drivers in the country.
“The one thing I think is unique about it is that you just really don’t know who’s going to win when they show up. You’ll have an expectation of a driver that you think will be strong .. you just never know what driver is going to be strong at any given weekend,” he claimed.
“Late Model Stock competition is very close and very tough and it takes some pretty crafty race craft to get a car to victory lane.”
Earnhardt Jr. claimed that in the CARS Tour, it isn’t just about being the fastest. A driver has to be smart and sharp and be good at taking care of tires and be good on restarts among other things, all of which come together to make the CARS Tour one of the most exciting forms of racecar driving series today and one which could get even better.
But the question is, will it be better than NASCAR?
