When the Appeals Panel recently overturned a heavy L2 penalty on Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 team, following Chase Briscoe’s commendable fourth-place finish at the Daytona 500, it sparked a sense of déjà vu for veteran NASCAR driver, Kevin Harvick. The decision effectively reversed a hefty $100,000 fine and a four-race suspension for Briscoe’s crew chief, James Small, offering a respite for the team.
Harvick, who had endured a similar, unappealed penalty in 2022 at Talladega, took the opportunity to delve into the past and reveal the truth behind the penalty that had cost him dearly. On his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick pointed to a cruel ploy by Gene Haas, his former boss, and Fibreworks, the company owned by Haas’ F1 confidant, Guenther, which he believed led to his unchallenged penalty.
The 2022 penalty was for the “modification of a single source supplied part.” Harvick’s then-crew chief, Rodney Childers, faced a four-race suspension, and a $100,000 fine was imposed on the team. Harvick alleges that Haas refrained from appealing the penalty because Fibreworks, which produced the controversial parts, dissuaded the Haas team from undertaking the appeal process.
According to Harvick, the penalty cost him 100 points, which drastically affected his performance in the playoffs, leading to a disappointing 15th place finish – his first time outside the top 10 since 2009. Back then, NASCAR President Steve Phelps defended the penalty’s imposition, asserting that there was no bias against Harvick or the Stewart-Haas Racing team.
However, Harvick’s revelations put Fibreworks back in the spotlight. The company was implicated in another controversy when Chase Briscoe was slapped with an L3 penalty, accompanied by a massive $250,000 fine, for installing counterfeit ducts in the car. Fibreworks, the sole supplier of these parts for all teams, was once again the center of the storm.
In a candid discourse, Harvick criticized the perceived inconsistencies in NASCAR’s rulings, citing the example of the Austin Cindric penalty from the same year. He minced no words in expressing his dissatisfaction with the inconsistencies and called for a uniform approach, irrespective of the race type.
The experienced driver also took a jibe at NASCAR’s new strategy of using option tires. While the move was designed to increase on-track action and was indeed successful in making the races more entertaining, Harvick, along with other members of the NASCAR community, voiced his disapproval. He referred to the strategy as “gimmicky” and advocated for a scenario where tires wear out, and drivers have to make strategic choices.
Christopher Bell, the winner of the Shriners Children’s 500, echoed Harvick’s sentiments, stating that the option tires brought unpredictability to the race and deviated from traditional racing.
As NASCAR mulls over the future of these tires, one thing is certain: the decision is bound to stir up the community. Meanwhile, Harvick’s revelations about the past penalties and the alleged ploy have added another layer to the sport’s drama.