Kevin Harvick on NASCAR road courses has raised significant questions following Shane Van Gisbergen’s remarkable performances this season. Offering his insights during a recent episode of the Happy Hour podcast, Harvick projected that SVG’s continued streak on road courses might push NASCAR to reevaluate how many such races appear on future schedules.
Van Gisbergen, who first stunned NASCAR fans with his victory on the Chicago circuit in 2023, has already collected four wins this year, each occurring on a road course. Given this pattern, Harvick predicted a shift in discussions around the structure of upcoming NASCAR seasons as fans and officials react to SVG’s achievements.
“I think now because he wins so much on the road course, now the debate for the fan council that NASCAR sends out to do all these polls is going to be, do we have too many road course races?”
— Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Veteran
Harvick argued that NASCAR’s path to international recognition may rely heavily on maintaining and even increasing its roster of road course events. He explained how these tracks hold broader appeal, especially outside the United States, and could encourage top road racing talents to join NASCAR inspired by SVG’s results.
“If you’re going to be international, you got to have a road course. The international fans don’t understand oval racing. It’ll take us to places hopefully like Montreal. It’s taken us to Mexico City. It’s put us in COTA. It’s put us at all these great venues that are worldclass venues and people understand road racing and maybe it opens the door for more people that are good road racers to come over here and say, ‘Well, maybe I should try this because SVG is having success and I think I’m better than him,'”
— Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Veteran
Mamba Smith, Harvick’s co-host, pointed out that NASCAR’s schedule is highly diverse, allowing drivers to demonstrate versatility seldom found elsewhere. While he praised the skill level of current drivers, Smith acknowledged that widespread recognition of their talents remains elusive among mainstream audiences.
Recognition for SVG’s Achievements Remains a Point of Contention
Highlighting the controversy surrounding Van Gisbergen’s swift adaptation and repeated victories, Harvick expressed his concern over the lack of celebration for SVG’s accomplishments. Historically, he said, drivers who achieve frequent success often become targets for criticism rather than appreciation.
The tendency of fans to compare contemporary breakthroughs to past legends, such as Dan Gurnie from the 1960s, reveals a pattern of resistance to new dominance within the sport. Harvick stressed that these comparisons are nothing new, though fans may lack awareness of NASCAR’s full historical context.
“That’s what we’re comparing it to. It’s not like this is different. It’s not something new. It’s just something that most fans don’t recognize because they don’t know anything about the 1960s in in the NASCAR history,”
— Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Veteran
With one more road course race scheduled for 2025, the ongoing reaction to SVG’s presence in NASCAR remains uncertain. As debates about the league’s structure and global expansion continue, the effectiveness of road courses in attracting fans worldwide and elevating new talent will likely shape future decisions for NASCAR leadership and its fan council.
