Look, nobody is sugarcoating this anymore. According to Motorsport.com, the 2014 champion and NASCAR on FOX analyst Kevin Harvick is pushing for a Gen 7.5 machine instead of waiting around for a brand new Gen 8 platform, despite NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell recently dismissing the idea of another new car in the coming seasons.
Harvick believes the current machinery needs a massive dose of horsepower—calling for it to be made genuinely violent and crazy to watch—alongside serious structural modifications. Speaking on his Happy Hour show, he pointed out that changes need to be made to the bottom of the race car and the single source supplier system, even if it means breaking existing contracts or stepping on expensive toes.
The debate also touches on the future of the O’Reilly and Truck Series, with NASCAR wrestling over whether to mimic the Cup car across categories to unify parts. Harvick firmly disagrees with altering the O'Reilly platform, noting that Fridays and Saturdays pull great ratings on The CW. He wants the focus squarely on fixing the Cup car first, arguing that the Sunday racing needs to match the quality seen on Saturdays.
Echoing recent comments from Denny Hamlin, Harvick agreed that the NextGen machine behaves more like a sports car than an oval car. Fixing it won't be comfortable, but Harvick insists that tackling the engine, the underbody, and parts suppliers is the only way forward, even if it opens up a difficult can of worms.
