NASCAR higher-ups say they are investigating what caused a series of car fires that left championship contender Kevin Harvick slamming the organization for not caring about the safety of its drivers, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Kevin Harvick's car bursts into flames! #NASCARPlayoffs
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 5, 2022
: @USA_Network pic.twitter.com/WWW53y2y3d
Harvick did not hold back in lashing out against NASCAR after his Next Gen car caught fire for apparently no reason during last weekend's NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Darlington Raceway.
"I'm sure it's just crappy parts," Harvick told the media after placing 33rd in the race due to having to evacuate his car because of the fire. "They don't care. It's cheaper to not fix it."
Fiery statements about the Next Gen car parts from Kevin Harvick after his car caught fire.
— Dalton Hopkins (@PitLaneLT) September 5, 2022
“They don’t care. It’s cheaper to not fix it.”#NASCAR #NASCARPlayoffs #Southern500 @Frontstretch pic.twitter.com/rskhYOMJzU
This is only the most recent incident in which the Next Gen race cars have been proven unsafe for drivers. Fellow racers Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher, Joey Logano, and Chase Briscoe were all also in cars that caught fire this NASCAR season. (Bowman drives a Chevrolet, while the other drivers including Harvick all drive Ford.)
The Next Gen cars, which were unveiled in 2021, have also been criticized for not properly protecting drivers if they crash. Veteran racer Kurt Busch has been sidelined for the start of the playoff series with a concussion he sustained during a crash back in July.
Senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said series officials are investigating the "unacceptable" fires while also refuting Harvick's claims that NASCAR doesn't care about its drivers.
"To say that NASCAR doesn't care is about as far from the truth as you could get. I think he actually does know we do care," Miller said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, via ESPN.
"There's a lot of work going on, a lot of collaboration within the industry to get to the bottom of it. We have to get to the bottom of it quick, obviously."
In the interim, NASCAR has ordered teams to replace certain parts on their cars.
NASCAR is having Cup teams replace part of a polymer panel that is used on the passenger’s side door area to keep debris from getting to the driver. Will replace section with stainless steel (this is in response to fires). pic.twitter.com/igOtbjIUJ5
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 7, 2022
More of the changes NASCAR is allowing for this weekend at Kansas to prevent rubber buildup and potential fire/fire spread. pic.twitter.com/kuLPHfpwsc
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 7, 2022
The next NASCAR Cup Series race is set to take place this Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
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