The 2024 NASCAR season marked the first without 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick since 2000. We surely miss ‘The Closer!’ Though retired from racing, he hasn’t stepped away from the sport entirely. As the voice behind Happy Hour, his unfiltered podcast, Harvick continues to break down races, rivalries, and the strategies that separate champions from the rest. His insights offer a rare glimpse into the high-pressure world of NASCAR’s top teams, where every decision can make or break a season.
Recently, Kevin Harvick took a hard look at Kyle Larson’s 2024 performance. Unfiltered, he pointed fingers at the Hendrick Motorsports team for critical mistakes that cost Larson a shot at the championship. And with his trademark bluntness, Harvick delivered a warning for both Larson and Hendrick & Co. for the upcoming 2025 season. A warning that Hendrick should take seriously!
Is HMS ruining their own driver’s chances of a championship?
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
Kyle Larson had an impressive 2024 season with 6 wins, 15 top-5 finishes, and 18 top-10s. Compare that with Joey Logano, who had only 4 wins, 7 top-5s, and 13 top-10s. Yet, it was Logano who clinched the 2024 NASCAR Cup championship, leaving many questioning what went wrong for Larson.
According to Harvick, the answer lies in Hendrick Motorsports’ costly mistakes at key moments. Speaking on his Happy Hour podcast, ‘Happy Harvick’ was ‘not-so Happy Harvick’ about the team’s way of dealing with things. “Their mistake ultimately led to Joey Logano winning the championship…It’s really not about who’s the fastest and it’s not about who’s had the best season all the time. It’s really about who makes the least amount of mistakes in key moments,” he said. And, if you’ve followed the 2024 season, you very well know that Larson’s team fumbled when it mattered most.
Well, Kevin Harvick pointed specifically to the penultimate round of the playoffs, where Hendrick’s errors derailed Larson’s title bid. “As we got towards the final round, they fumbled the bag pretty bad with a couple of mistakes,” Harvick noted. Remember the horrendous pit stop at the South Point 400 where the crew just froze when changing tires? Larson had to make an additional pit stop as a result of the mistake. Meanwhile, Joey Logano’s No. 22 team capitalized on every opportunity, staying consistent and avoiding costly errors.
USA Today via Reuters Feb 19, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Cindric (2), Chase Elliott (9) go low to avoid the crashing cars of Joey Logano (22), Daniel Suarez (99), Todd Gilliland (38), Brad Keselowski (6), Martin Truex Jr (19) and Ryan Blaney (12) during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The difference, Harvick argued, isn’t necessarily in speed but execution. “Ryan Blaney has more speed than Logano, but Logano dots the i’s and crosses the t’s. He’s setting the bar right now by making more out of less,” Harvick explained, emphasizing that consistency often trumps outright speed in the championship hunt.
For Harvick, Larson’s path to true dominance will require a level of precision and consistency Logano has mastered. “It’s about capitalizing on the moments that count,” he said. And until Hendrick Motorsports tightens up its game plan, Harvick believes Larson’s full potential as one of the best next-gen drivers might just remain out of reach.
A history of costly mistakes that kept Larson from championship glory
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
The 2024 season wasn’t the first time Kyle Larson’s championship dreams slipped away due to misfortune. There are other instances where he lost out on the championship – but mainly due to his own mistakes. At the Charlotte ROVAL in 2022, he was set for a decent finish until Lap 99. A collision with the wall in Turn 7 damaged his right rear toe link, ending his playoff run.
A few years earlier, at the Kansas Speedway in 2018, Larson’s troubles started before the race even began. A practice crash forced him into a backup car for the main event. Unable to find his rhythm in the unfamiliar setup, he finished far below expectations, dashing any hopes of contending.
Finally, there’s the infamous incident of him using the ‘N’ word at an event in 2020. This fiasco led to Larson being fired from the then Chip Ganassi team. To add to his woes, Larson was suspended by NASCAR for an indefinite period. While he made his return to the 2021 season, it surely did cost him a chance at the 2020 playoff and, ultimately, the championship.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
As the 2025 season looms, Kyle Larson faces the challenge of turning past mistakes into lessons. With rising competition and no room for error, he’ll need sharp focus and flawless execution to finally secure the championship that has repeatedly slipped through his fingers.