Comparing athletes from different generation always brings up a lot of arguments in all the sports and racing is no different. Recently 2014 NASCAR Cup series champion Kevin Harvick started one such debate. He asked the driver from Joe Gibbs Racing, during an exclusive segment of his Happy Hour Podcast, to select the best racer between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chase Elliott .
The JGR racers were quick to pick the 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott as the better racer of the two., despite Dale Earnhardt Jr. being a Hall of Famer and a two times Xfinity Series champion. Now Kevin Harvick in the recent episode of Happy Hour podcast came forward explaining why he disagrees with the Toyota drivers.
He pointed out that as he has grown up racing Junior and seeing him winning races in different generation of cars, he would go with the JRM owner. Coming to the Cup Series as replacement of Dale Earnhardt’s replacement after 2001 Daytona 500 tragedy might also have influenced his decision to overlook Elliott.
So, for me, I grew up racing with Dale. I think that Dale Jr. had, you know, he had a lot of, he had a lot of different experience in different cars. I would go with, I would personally go with Dale Jr. on that side of the fence. Kevin Harvick said via Happy Hour podcast.
Kevin Harvick explains why he chose Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Harvick highlighted that recency bias and generation factor influence people when such debate arises. He admitted that he chose the Junior because they raced against each other for over 15 years while his experience with Elliott isn’t half of that.
I just think that those generational, the different generations of who thinks who is good, has a lot to do with what you’re doing now, and you overlook, and when you put them on the spot like that, I like to see their reactions. If I had to be put on that spot, I would choose Dale Jr., mainly because I raced with him more. Kevin Harvick said.
JGR’s Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. had also raced Junior for over a decade, but with it’s being over half a decade since the HOF’s retirement and them seeing Elliott achieving more success influenced their call. At the moment it seems it’s fine to side with Harvick, but Elliott has a long career ahead if his and will easily end it in a better spot than Junior if he stays at HMS.
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