Kevin Harvick defends Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon after late-race controversy at Martinsville

Kevin Harvick defended Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon after all three were hit with allegations of race manipulation following NASCAR’s Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway.

First, the No. 23 Toyota wheelman seemingly slowed down to allow manufacturer teammate Christopher Bell to pass him on the final lap, hoping to send Bell to the Championship 4. It might’ve worked, but Bell rode the wall in the final turn, and NASCAR deemed it a safety violation, penalizing him and sending William Byron to Phoenix instead.

Meanwhile, Wallace wasn’t the only one to commit a questionable act. Chevrolet teammates Chastain and Dillon seemed to create a blockade, which in turn allowed Byron to keep his position on the track and stay ahead of Bell. 

The trio suffered some punishment for their actions, as NASCAR delivered massive penalties to the drivers and their teams on Tuesday evening. However, Harvick didn’t exactly have a problem with what transpired, as he explained on the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.

“We openly talk about (race manipulation) at the Superspeedways all the time, right? It’s definitely a manufacturer race. There’s a plan that goes along with it, and the rest of the races are no different,” Harvick explained. “I hate to tell you, but if you’re not into the politics of whatever you’re doing, you’re in big trouble, because there’s politics in everything that we do. I think, when you look at the things that the manufacturers talk about and the things that the teams talk about, the things that they need to execute and how you help the partners that are within the same brand, it’s not new.

“This system makes you do things that are uncomfortable and you push them until you get to a point where you get in trouble, whether it’s, you know — have you been doing what you have to do on a restart, doing what you have to do during the race? I mean, there are just things that you have to do. Unfortunately, it comes down to one point here and there, and everybody is well-informed of where that sits. We talk about it on the superspeedways and I just don’t think it’s any different.”

Continuing, Harvick utilized examples of past race manipulation that wasn’t punished by NASCAR, believing that the decision-makers are going to have to create a hardline stance moving forward on the issue.

“When I look at that scenario, it doesn’t rub me the wrong way like it does other people. That’s a product of what you do, and this is a big business. There are a lot of politics involved in it. There are three manufacturers that are involved in it. There’s a much more open dialogue and communication of the expectations of who you help and when you help them and how you help them. So, it’s a tough spot,” the former Cup Series champion said. “It’s a tough scenario to be in. I’ve been in them.

“2020, you know, we didn’t make the Championship 4 and Christopher Bell was told not to pass Denny Hamlin or Kyle Busch. I had a teammate that was asleep at the wheel that finished right in front of me. And we didn’t really correct that. … There’s a lot of questions that come from both scenarios with the No. 24 and the No. 20 and the No. 23. So, you know, I’m not saying that anything was right or wrong, because I don’t have those answers.

“I think those are answers that we’re going to have to hear from NASCAR and, you know, where, what they think and what that line is.”

Alas, NASCAR deemed what Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon did was against the rules, but Kevin Harvick isn’t bashing the trio for their role in this past weekend’s drama. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a great look for the sport, and it’s something they’ll be trying to avoid in the future.