NASCAR Next Gen car “screwed up” in “the way that it crashes”

Harvick’s No. 4 Ford caught fire during last weekend’s race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway despite no crash damage or contact with the wall. Flames erupted out underneath both sides of the car and came in through his dashboard at one point.

After vocally taking NASCAR to task following the incident, NASCAR mandated several changes to the car’s chassis this week that went into effect this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

A flawed process?

Harvick said the entire process takes way too long and is one reason why he quit the original driver’s council.

“Safety cannot be about money. I’ve lived this, man. I watched when we had all the struggle with Adam (Petty) and Kenny Irwin and it resulted in Dale Earnhardt’s (death at Daytona). And then all of a sudden, it was mandatory to wear the HANS device or it was mandatory to wear the Hutchens device,” he said Saturday.

“We developed soft walls (SAFER barriers). It can’t be slow. Safety cannot be slow. This car is screwed up as far as the way that it crashes. Whether the data says it or not, every driver in this garage will tell you it’s not right and it hurts.

“Feet hurt, hands hurt, head hurts and there has to be a better solution. NASCAR has been slow to react and the teams are always worried about money and that doesn’t do anything for the drivers.”

Earlier this week, Scott Miller, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, pointed out NASCAR has been working on the fire issue since it first came to light at the Indy Road Course earlier this season.

At the time, the cars of Chris Buescher and Joey Logano both had fires erupt in the rocker box from crash damage, mostly coming from under the right-side of the car.

Following the fires suffered by Buescher, Logano and others by Chase Briscoe and Alex Bowman, NASCAR mandated an exhaust shroud be added to the car, which appeared to help address the problem.

Harvick’s issue at Darlington appeared more unique and addition measures – including the addition of a steel plate and fire retardant material – were added this week.

Harvick suggested when it comes to safety issues, there should be a more independent process in the sport.

“The safety thing should go into a bucket that has a council or board of some sort that handles these types of problems. When it goes into that safety bucket, NASCAR and the teams wouldn’t have a say in it,” he said.

“I’ve been on both sides of this and…