As per NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte, the incident between Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott could push Harvick’s motivation to succeed in the coming playoff races.
Harvick was very close to getting his first win of the 2021 playoffs at the Bristol Motor Speedway and also the whole season but an incident with Elliott prevented him from getting the win. The on-field battle continued after the race too as the two drivers came together in a heated confrontation.
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HarWhile it might have cost Harvick points, Letarte believes that the incident could serve as a platform for Harvick to build upon for further races in the playoffs.
“What I love, is that Chase Elliott acted, drove, and stood up like a champion, forget his age. And Kevin Harvick did all those three things the same, which is funny because he is the older guy in this battle. But he didn’t look like it, he was fired up, you see him slamming his helmet off the roof.
“That’s the Kevin Harvick I’d love to watch. And I’m gonna tell you, that’s the Kevin Harvick I’d be worried about as the Playoff continue.”
Harvick has had a very poor season by any standard, and especially after winning the regular-season championship last season and most number of race wins. While a win at the Bristol Motor Speedway would have given him a good cushion in the playoffs, but nonetheless he managed to get to the round of 12.
However, he will need to step up his game if he wants to go further in the 2021 Cup Series playoffs.