Kevin Harvick questions newfound speed for RCR, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon
Kevin Harvick and the rest of his Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew questioned the newfound speed for Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon during the latest episode of their show.
With a win at Richmond for Dillon and a top-five for Busch at Michigan, RCR has shown improvements since NASCAR’s break for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Harvick simply wants to know what they figured out during that span.
“I just want to know what happened,” Harvick said, regarding RCR’s newfound speed. “How’d we get here? How in the world did they take two weeks off and these cars start running like they’re running? Because I don’t know, those cars, I mean, at Richmond, Austin Dillon’s, I mean, he had the best car. And we go to Michigan, Kyle Busch leads a bunch of laps and runs up front, fires off today like a light switch, and, you know, runs up front.
“But, man, they have done what they needed to do over the two week break, to put their cars in a better position. So it’s been, it’s a different ballgame. 93 (points) below the line still. But I mean, hey, Kyle could win at Daytona. He’s got the speed, though, yeah, all of a sudden they’ve showed up with speed.”
Moreover, Harvick’s co-host, Mamba Smith, believes that with their improved performance, both Daytona and Darlington are in play for the two RCR cars currently outside the playoff picture, and that they could conceivably sneak their way into the dance after a miserable start to the season.
“Either one of them could win a Daytona, but now it’s looking like he might be able to win at Darlington, which is kind of the more important piece, because Daytona is open,” Smith added. “So, you know, essentially, we all feel like almost anyone can win that race, but Darlington is really where it’s going to matter. Kevin, look, vacation helps a lot of people you know. Look at what it did for your tan. You got a nice tan on. It really brings you to life sometimes.
“… I think Kyle is — he was happy after, if you saw him after Richmond, too, and right away, when Austin won, like, he stuck his head in there. He’s celebrated. I don’t know. I think he’s not — I think he’s in a good headspace. I think he’s just frustrated overall ,with where they’re at, but like, it’s not like he’s Eeyore, walking around the garage, like he’s in a generally good space. So, I mean, I think he’s ready to go get a win.”
Alas, Harvick believes Busch’s attitude throughout the season is something to commend, as well. He’s stayed the course, and we haven’t seen any blowouts from the No. 8 wheelman. Harvick thinks it’s helped him get back to where he needs to be.
“In the end, as bad as they’ve had their moments this year with everything that has happened, Kyle’s handled it pretty good,” Harvick stated. “I think that all of us are waiting for that blow up, that we’re waiting for Kyle to blow up, and it hasn’t come. I mean, he’s done a pretty good job, for as bad as things have been, between the pit stops, the poor performance of the cars, the crashes, the bad luck, the injury, all the things that have gone on.
“I mean, he’s handled it better than I thought he would have been, and that moment has not come, and now they have some speed in their cars, which can be dangerous.”
Can Kyle Busch or Austin Dillon sneak into the playoffs? With the speed RCR has shown since NASCAR’s return from hiatus, Kevin Harvick, or anyone else for that matter, won’t count them out.