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Kevin Harvick. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Harvick weighs in on Ross Chastain, Ryan Blaney beef: ‘I hope neither of them back down’

Originally posted on 5 GOATs | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated 3/7/24

Last week in Las Vegas, Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain decided that they were going to reignite their rivalry from the end of last season. The defending NASCAR champion gave Chastain a taste of his own medicine in the form of some aero blocking, and Kevin Harvick liked what he saw.

Now, the older, wiser Kevin Harvick is a lot more calm than the younger, wilder Happy Harvick we would see. As a driver, Harvick was never afraid to cheer on a fight or argument between two drivers. We can’t forget when he shoved Brad Keselowski into Jeff Gordon causing an all-out brawl.

So, when Harvick sees a budding rivalry, he’s not going to shy away from it. After Chastain and Blaney threw a barb or two at each other last week, the 2014 Cup Series champion is hoping they keep it up.

“I hope that neither one of them back down because I want to watch,” Harvick said on the newest episode of his Happy Hour podcast.

Now that he’s not in a race car, Harvick can enjoy these moments more.

“I don’t have to worry about it. Let’s keep it on the track and even if it’s on Twitter or whatever it may be, I love the chirping. So, the more chirping we have the more excited I get. I hope that continues.”

Kevin Harvick isn’t the only one who enjoys a good driver beef. Having Blaney and Chastain at odds with one another just adds to the drama of race day. When you see the two driving side-by-side it makes you wonder, “Are they going to let their rivalry get in the way of this race?”

Kevin Harvick wants NASCAR to thrive

In his new role up in the FOX booth, Kevin Harvick has a few goals. Most importantly, he wants to show the audience at home just how skilled these Cup Series drivers are. They are some of the best in the world behind the wheel and often, it’s hard for that to get across on a TV screen.

As someone who has done it, been to the top of the sport and become one of it’s biggest icons, Harvick knows a thing or two about how hard it is to compete in NASCAR. It doesn’t have the glitz and glam of F1 or other motorsports, but just ask those F1 drivers who have given NASCAR a try how they feel about it.

Having an ambassador for the sport like Harvick is only going to be good. He knows how to talk through what a driver is doing, explain the difficulty of a save or a pass on the track, and he has the credibility to do it.

As we all watch along with Kevin Harvick this year, he’s becoming more of a fan. No longer does he have to worry about what this driver or that driver will have to say the week after at the next race. All he has to do is tell the stories and make the product interesting. So far, he’s done a great job.

This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.

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