Spire Motorsports is a NASCAR racing team. They’re talking about whether Spire is building itself up to compete with the biggest, most successful teams.
In NASCAR, “engines and support” refers to the technical resources a team receives—powertrain components plus engineering help, data, and logistics that affect how the car performs. The hosts use it to explain why a smaller team might improve when it partners with a powerhouse organization.
Hendrick Motorsports is a major NASCAR team. They’re saying Spire leans on Hendrick for important help like engines and technical support.
Term
unload
“Unload” is a racing term for when the car’s weight shifts off the tires that were carrying it, like right after braking. That weight shift can change how much grip the tires have, which affects how fast you can drive.
Term
squirre off
“Squirre off” means the car starts to slide or go the wrong way, usually because it loses grip. It’s basically a spin or a drift that can end up off the racing line.
A “speeding penalty” means the driver went faster than the allowed limit in a restricted racing area. In NASCAR-style events, those zones are usually there for safety, so going over the limit costs you time or a penalty.
“Over drive” means driving too aggressively for what the car can grip and control. When you do that, the car can get unstable and you’re more likely to make mistakes.
They’re talking about Toyota as the car brand that’s been winning a lot. The idea is that Toyota’s cars are working better right now, so other teams are trying to catch up.
In this context, “arrow” is almost certainly shorthand for aerodynamic performance—how the car’s aero package creates downforce and controls drag. The hosts connect it to handling and balance, implying that aero changes can affect grip and stability.
“Grip gauge” is a shorthand for how much traction the car has at the tires, especially through turns. In NASCAR, higher grip typically means the car can carry more speed and stay stable, which shows up in things like laps led and consistent performance.
“Long run speed” refers to how fast a car remains over extended stints, not just in short bursts. It’s closely tied to tire wear, fuel load effects, and the balance of the car’s setup as conditions evolve.
Qualifying is when cars race to determine where they start for the main race. Starting up front can help, but you still have to be consistent during the race.
Term
consistency in the race
Consistency means the car and driver keep performing well throughout the whole race. Some teams are fast for a short burst, but can’t keep that level for long.
Simulation means using computers to model how the car will behave. Teams use it to test ideas without changing the car every time, and it can help them get faster faster.
F1 is a different kind of top-level racing series (open-wheel). They’re saying Chevrolet and Cadillac investing there might pull money and focus from NASCAR.
Downforce is the aerodynamic “push” that helps the car stick to the track. A low-downforce setup can make the car faster on straights, but it can also make it harder to turn because you lose some grip from the aero.
“Balance” refers to how the car behaves relative to its grip distribution—often described as front-to-rear balance and how predictable it feels through corners. When balance is off, drivers may struggle to rotate the car, manage traction, or maintain consistent lap times.
The chassis is the car’s main mechanical setup that controls how the tires grip. If the aero and the chassis don’t “match,” the car can feel unpredictable because the grip you expect from the body shape isn’t what the suspension can actually use.
A simulator is basically a high-end driving setup that lets a driver practice and learn the car’s behavior. The point here is that this new car setup needs more practice time than they’re used to.
NASCAR cars aren’t all the same forever—they change with new rules and designs. “Gen 7” is the name for one specific generation of NASCAR Cup cars, and the host is saying the Ford he drove now feels similar to that Gen 7 era.
“Doesn’t turn” is driver shorthand for poor steering response—often meaning the car understeers or lacks rotation when entering corners. In NASCAR traffic, that can make it harder to position the car and maintain speed while following other cars closely.
“Traffic” here means racing in a crowded pack. The car can feel different when you’re surrounded by other cars, so it may be harder to drive smoothly and quickly.
“Top 16” is a points-based cutoff used to determine which drivers advance into the playoff/championship contention. When a driver “makes their way up into the top 16,” it means they’ve accumulated enough points to stay eligible for the Chase.
A road course is a track with lots of corners and different kinds of turns, not just left turns on an oval. In NASCAR, these races can really change who’s doing well in the standings.
“Pole” means you start the race from the very front because you were fastest in qualifying. Starting up front usually gives you a better chance early on.
Concept
USAC telegram
USAC was an organization that controlled what kinds of races drivers were allowed to enter. The story is saying they could even threaten to take away a driver’s license for racing in the “wrong” event.
Independent rear suspension means the two back wheels don’t have to move together. That helps the tires stay planted on the road, especially when the track is bumpy or when you’re turning hard. It can make the car easier to control in corners.
A caution is when the race slows down because something happened on the track. Everyone has to drive more carefully and usually the cars bunch up. It can completely change pit strategy and how hard drivers push.
They’re talking about how old the tires were. As tires wear out, they usually lose grip, so the car can feel slower or harder to drive. Lap count is a simple way teams estimate how worn the tires are.
When the field pits, it means the race cars pull into the pits around the same time to get service like new tires. This often happens when there’s a caution. The timing can strongly affect who ends up with the best tires and position.
“Sticker tires” means brand-new tires. New tires usually grip the track better than worn ones. Comparing them to older tires shows how much faster the car can be when the rubber is fresh.
Concept
pulling the reins back
“Pulling the reins back” is a racing metaphor for reducing how hard a driver is pushed—either by dialing back pace, managing tires, or limiting risk. In this context, it suggests the team wasn’t always letting the driver run at full potential, even if the car had more speed available. It’s often used when strategy or tire conservation is more important than outright lap time.
The clutch pedal helps the driver switch gears without grinding. In a race car, using it correctly can help you get moving faster when you come out of slow turns.
A “bus stop” is a tricky part of a race track where you have to slow down a lot and turn carefully. It’s a place where braking and steering choices can make a big difference to your lap time.
“Tires that fall off” is racing shorthand for tires losing performance over a run—typically grip, braking traction, and consistency. In NASCAR, that can change how drivers manage pace in practice and qualifying and how they plan fuel and tire strategy. When tires degrade faster, cars can feel different lap-to-lap and the racing can tighten up or spread out depending on the package.
A diffuser is a shape on the bottom of the car that helps air flow in a way that can push the car down for better grip. When they say “simple diffuser,” they mean a particular basic version allowed by the rules. Putting it on the car can make the race cars handle and race differently.
“Open the power up” means letting the engines make more power under the rules. That can make cars faster, but teams need time to adjust. It also has to be something the engine makers can support financially and technically.
“Push the button” is a way of saying NASCAR can quickly make a change when the race isn’t going the way they want. The goal is to adjust things so the racing is better to watch.
“The tail’s wagging the dog” means something minor ends up controlling the whole situation. Here, it’s being used to describe how certain changes can end up steering NASCAR more than expected.
A splitter is an aerodynamic panel mounted at the front of a race car that helps manage airflow. By shaping the air under and around the car, it increases downforce and stability at speed.
F1 is Formula 1, a different kind of top-level race series. They’re using it as a comparison to talk about how aero and racing style can change the whole experience.
Talladega is a major NASCAR track known for high-speed racing. They’re talking about what teams learned there and how they adjusted their approach afterward.
“Daytona” is the big NASCAR superspeedway where the Daytona 500 is held. They’re discussing how the timing at Daytona affects when teams can test and prepare.
“Speed weeks” is the busy time before the Daytona 500 when NASCAR teams get lots of track time. They use it to test and adjust their cars so they’re ready for the big race.
“Downforce” is the aerodynamic push that presses the car’s tires harder onto the track. A “downforce car” setup is designed to give the driver more grip, especially at speed.
“The Clash” is an early NASCAR race that comes before the Daytona 500. They’re talking about using it as a kickoff point for the pre-Daytona testing and excitement.
They’re talking about NASCAR trying to get more car brands involved. The big issue is whether the rules and engine requirements make it easy for new manufacturers to compete.
A pushrod V8 is a type of V8 engine where the camshaft uses rods (“pushrods”) to open the engine’s valves. It’s a traditional design often associated with classic American V8s.
Concept
adjusting the rules
“Adjusting the rules” means changing what cars are allowed to do in the race. The point being made is that changing rules to attract more brands might also change the racing in a way that hurts the show.
A turbocharger uses the car’s exhaust to spin a device that pushes more air into the engine. More air can mean more power, but it can also affect how the engine needs to be regulated.
A V6 engine has six cylinders arranged in two groups that form a V shape. The discussion here is about keeping the racing “feel” and performance balance centered on a V6 setup.
The truck series is NASCAR’s racing series for pickup trucks. It’s a separate competition with its own rules, so what works there can be different from other NASCAR races.
A spec engine means everyone in that racing series uses basically the same engine. That helps keep the competition closer, so the winner depends more on the team and driver than on engine upgrades.
A tailgate is the rear door/panel on a pickup truck, and in racing discussions it’s often shorthand for the truck’s brand identity and visual design. When someone says a company will “look at our tailgate,” they’re usually talking about how the manufacturer’s trucks are represented and marketed in the series.
It means using smaller races first to work your way up. Teams and manufacturers learn the ropes in the lower series before trying to compete at the biggest level.
The chassis is basically the car’s frame. The suspension is what helps the wheels stay planted on the road, which affects how well the car turns and handles bumps.
“Cup car” refers to the NASCAR Cup Series race car—built and prepared to the Cup rules and typically raced on NASCAR’s top-level schedule. When someone says a driver’s skill carries over to the Cup car, they’re talking about how the car’s handling characteristics match what that driver is used to.
A road course is a track with many corners and different kinds of turns, not just a simple oval. Cars have to brake and turn well repeatedly, so setup and handling matter a lot.
A “ringer” is a very good driver who’s brought in to help a team or to race above the usual level. It’s like bringing in a specialist who’s known for being fast.
A “road course ringer” is a driver who’s especially good at road courses. NASCAR sometimes brings in these specialists for road-race weekends because they can be faster and more consistent than the usual drivers on that type of track.
“Cup” is NASCAR’s top-level racing series. “Cup racers” just means the main, top-tier drivers who race in that top series.
Term
timed out
“Timed out” in racing usually refers to a session or attempt ending because the allotted time expired. In qualifying or setup contexts, it can mean the team’s run window closed right when they needed it most.
Roger Penske is a big name in racing team ownership. People talk about him because his connections and partnerships can shape how teams compete across different series.
Term
Australia supercar series
They’re talking about a top racing series in Australia. The point is that experience from that kind of racing can carry over into NASCAR.
A “dealer network” is the network of car dealerships that sell and service a brand. Racing helps manufacturers market cars through those local dealers.
LIVE
Ready to soundtrack your summer?
With Red Bull Summer All Day Play,
you choose a playlist that fits your summer vibe the best.
Are you a festival fanatic?
A deep-end DJ?
A road dog?
Or a trail mixer?
Just add a song to your chosen playlist
and put your summer on track.
Red Bull Summer All Day Play.
Red Bull gives you wings.
Visit redbull.com slash bright summer ahead to learn more.
See you this summer.
He's genuine.
He has been a student of this sport.
Without a doubt, the biggest surprise of 2026.
Every driver's biggest competition on the track.
It's your teammates.
It's mistakes.
And that's what shows me that the speed isn't there.
Welcome to Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by Mass Fun Fox.
I'm Kevin Harvick and today we've got good boy and Mike Joy.
And we thought it would be fun just to have a round table.
Our season has come to an end.
That sucks.
And it does suck.
We went through our 14 weeks of on-the-race track stuff.
I thought we had some great races, good times.
Very intriguing moments as we've gone throughout the year of who's been where.
We'll start with you, Mike.
What do you think is the most intriguing thing that's happened
that we didn't expect to start this season?
I don't think the world expected Carson Hosevar.
He's a breakout star.
If you're going to make a big statement, do it at Talladega.
That's the biggest, most boisterous crowd anywhere we go.
And boy, he did and it resonated all the way to New York City.
He got him an invite to the Met Gala and everybody is kind of replaying
that victory celebration over and over and over,
including people who don't even know what he won.
But they were excited up there in New York about the victory thing.
How could you not?
What a magical moment and you're so right.
Timing is everything in life, but in this sport of NASCAR,
to time that up and to tee it up with the win at Talladega
and the celebration, my gosh, that he did,
I mean, that just put him on the radar immediately to your point.
Met Gala, it's a people that don't normally tune in to NASCAR.
A celebration like that does that.
An athlete, a driver, an individual is unique as he is.
Really was a breath of fresh air.
And I think that when you go back and you look at mid-90s
through the early parts of the 2000s, that was normal.
I mean, for you and I, that was normal.
We probably weren't going to the Met Gala,
but we were probably going places that you don't really see anymore.
And I think that host of ours is an interesting topic
because of the fact that he's willing to put himself out there.
He's a fascinating person in general.
And interviewing him and listening to the things that he said during that interview,
he's a big race fan.
And he, as a kid, grew up watching and paying attention
to how the drivers reacted, how they drove, how they got out of the car
and not wanting to fail the race fan.
And I think that is so different from what it has been for the last 15 years.
I think the key to him, though, you're right, does all the right study
and in a good driver, we have a lot of those.
He's a character.
That's what we've needed in him.
He's genuine.
He's not a character.
He's genuine.
He does all his own social media.
And you're right.
He has been a student of this sport because when he got to this level,
we want to represent it well, and he has.
What I mean by that is I should say he's a personality.
Yeah.
Right.
That's what he is.
He's got massive amounts of personality that one can relate to.
It's easy to pull for him.
He's edgy on the racetrack.
He's not, you know, scared to ruffle some feathers.
We've seen that at Atlanta and other places.
Just flat run them.
Does it piss the other drivers off, you think?
Hell, yes.
It pisses them off in a sense that he's not only knocking them around on the racetrack,
taking care of business on the racetrack.
Look what he's doing off the track.
And back to your point is exactly what I love about him.
He is starting to move the needle and force these drivers out of the mold,
the template that we've had to be in as a NASCAR racer in this NASCAR world.
I don't like that.
There isn't a template.
Everybody's different.
Be yourself.
And I think Carson Hosebar is a perfect example.
One thing I really like about what he does is he doesn't hide in the coach lot all weekend.
If there's a Saturday race, he's up in the stands, sitting with the fans, taking it all in.
And it takes me back to the days of, I think Rusty Wallace was the last driver
that you'd see out and about around town, making appearances, not just for the sponsors,
but being out to dinner when you drove, when you drove.
If you're in a dinner at a restaurant, 200 people were going to say they had dinner
with Kevin Harvick last night, or with Clint Boyer,
because they were in the room with you just kind of observing and feeling like they're part of it.
That's that mold that I'm talking about, though.
It's so much, oh, I don't want to be bothered.
Bullshit.
You're literally representing yourself in NASCAR manufacturers, sponsors.
You have to be that guy, whether you want to be or not.
And I think when you look at Spire Motorsports in general,
a host of ours has obviously been the story, but I think Suarez coming over from Trackhouse,
I don't think anybody really, I didn't expect him to go to Spire and be better than he was at Trackhouse,
but that has 100% been the case, that he's been better at Spire Motorsports
with the performance on the racetrack, with everything that they've been able to accomplish.
Daniel's a great personality. You've got Michael McDowell,
who's kind of struggled a little bit in comparison to his teammates, had a great run at Watkins Glen.
So I think as we look at Spire and the direction that they're going,
are they the next team that can break into being one of the big teams?
Because they lean on Hendrick pretty heavily with engines and support and all the things that they do,
but I don't know that that's really who they want to be,
but they seem to be on the path, spending the money, hiring the people,
doing all the things that it takes to get to the next level.
Are they the next team that can compete with Hendrick Gibbs and Finske?
I don't know about compete, but I would say they have leapfrogged,
Childress and Trackhouse in the list of Chevrolet teams and accomplishments,
and I'd put them right up there as a 1A, next to the Superteams, the number ones,
but I'd say they're right there in Division 1A, and that's a surprise, and that's quite an advance, I think.
Without a doubt, the biggest surprise of 2026.
Moose, whereas over there, yes, we've added a little bit with Spire,
but to your point, we're probably fifth wheel in the realm of Chevrolet, right?
Definitely not that case now, and that big win at Talladega with Hosev are really plateau,
you know, put them on a different perspective, and I think are not looking back.
I think they have all the ingredients that it takes, and Kevin, you know this, it's money.
At the end of the day, it's...
Cubic dollars creates Cubic results, yeah.
Cubic dollars creates results, and they're not shy about spending it,
and if you're going to compete in this business, you better not be shy about spending it.
So, this host of our win another race?
Hell, he is.
This year?
Yep.
Why not?
Momentum.
Yeah, the interesting part for me, and when I talked to Carson after he won,
and you mentioned it earlier, was the off-the-race track stuff, and learning how to balance it,
and you know this as well as anybody.
You win that first one, and we've seen a lot of guys do it.
Well, you get so overwhelmed with the things that you did that were so intriguing to everybody
to get to that point, like doing your own social media and sitting in the grandstands
and doing all those things, and having to learn to rebalance everything that goes with it.
I mean, that's a tough one.
I think he does win again.
I think that as well.
I think that balancing all that will be a bit of a challenge for him as he goes forward
because he's going to be a bigger star, but yet to be seen.
We've only done 14 weeks in 12 points races, so we've still got 14 weeks of racing left
to get to the end of the year.
On the flip side of that, you look at Trackhouse and you look at everything that they have done.
I think Ross Jastain to me has been a bit of a surprise with the struggles that he has
because in the end he's supposed to be the leader of Trackhouse Racing to take him to the next level,
and they have not advanced.
SVG dominant at Watkins Glen didn't win at Coda, which is a surprise.
Where do you think that Trackhouse and I think Ross Jastain in general are?
Searching.
We have seen weeks where they have lots of speed.
We've seen some pit road issues and some strategy issues like at Watkins Glen.
They completely ended up on the back side of the strategy game by winning the first stage,
made it very difficult for them later on in the race.
I just see that as a whole team that had a lot of great success,
but now you've got one veteran driver and team leader, as you say.
You've got a rookie and you've got an outlier in Shane Van Gisburgen,
who's fantastic on the road courses and is a way better oval track driver this year than he was last year.
As you would expect with somebody of his talent, but there's something missing.
I don't know what it is, do you?
Well, it's certainly speed.
At the end of the day, that's what it is.
Kevin, you know this as well as I do.
When you unload, you can't drive a slow car past, right?
That's your favorite saying and it's so true and that's what you're seeing there.
Then you're seeing bitterness, right?
Saw him, squirre off with squirre as his old teammate.
Yeah, that's why they fired you.
That's bitterness.
That's pissed off that he moved over a different situation in this outrunning.
I mean, there's no ifs and buts about it.
In my opinion, I've lived it.
I've been on both sides of that.
It's fun when it's on the other side, but it is not fun.
When you're chasing that teammate to find those results.
You were beating easily.
But now, Kevin, and you said this, it's mistakes.
And that's what shows me that the speed isn't there.
Ross has been making some mistakes that aren't really characteristically good.
Like that we see out of him.
You know what I mean?
He's making speeding penalty mistakes, mistakes on the racetrack.
When you get to digging and trying to over drive that car because of the capabilities within it,
that's when you start seeing those mistakes.
It becomes a tough situation and I think that when you look at those teammates like that
and you're having to chase the teammate for success,
and then you go to a situation like Tyler Redick and Bubba Wallace.
I mean, my goodness, if you're Bubba Wallace sitting there right now
and trying to figure out how to be like Tyler Redick, who's won five races,
overcomes everything that they do on the weekends where they're off
and the fenders are torn off the car at Atlanta.
You're helping dad with what you're trying to say.
Yeah, and I mean, do you think that that contributes to some of Bubba's frustration?
Because it started great, but once those first four weeks were over,
it's kind of been a little bit of a downhill run.
I think in every situation in a multi-car team,
every driver's biggest competition on the track,
it's your teammates because you are going to be measured by how you perform
against people that have the exact same resources you do.
And that's your teammates and that's very difficult.
Bubba Wallace can't be Tyler Redick.
Just as Tyler Redick can't be anybody else.
He just needs to be the best Bubba Wallace he can be and he'll be back up front winning races.
Yeah, and it becomes difficult when your teammate, you're being judged by as one of those races.
You think Tyler Redick's the best driver on the circuit right now?
That's a tough question.
No, I think Denny Hamlin's the best driver on the circuit right now.
You know, one thing that we haven't got to, and I'm sure that little note card's gone.
I usually write them after I forget.
It's Toyota's, right?
No rule changes moving into 2026.
Where did we see the Toyotas and where did we leave off in 2025?
Toyotas was dominating races.
Same principle applies.
No rule changes and the Toyotas have been who everybody's chasing down.
New body with the Chevrolets.
There's been a lot of reasoning why you don't see a Hendrick Motorsports or even Pinsky that's been behind for a while.
I think it's all arrow related.
I think the grip gauge is won by Toyota right now and we see it with the laps led week in and week out.
The consistency from track to track doesn't matter what they're on.
The long run speed's good.
Grip.
So Tyler Redick is an elite, right?
He's definitely one of our top five drivers without a doubt, but I still think, you know, you're adding championship drivers.
You know, Denny Hamlin had to have a championship, but that driver, that five car, he hadn't forgotten how to drive.
They're struggling with the handling on their cars and they'll catch them.
Chevrolet has the new body.
And I'm not sure if it's completely the body and it's completely arrow that's causing these issues.
I remember someone from Spire saying early this season, we found the balance in this new setup very early.
And we think that gave us an edge this season.
Do you think it's the same with the dress shirt?
I don't know.
A manager?
What do you think?
You mean a lawyer, a lawyer's guns and money?
No.
I don't know.
I don't know where it came from, but they found the balance.
And I think I'm not sure if it's the Chevrolet body or if it's the Chevrolet Sim, because everybody in Chevrolet is not performing at that level that Toyota is performing.
To your point though, stay on that for a second and it's a great point.
You see Spire cars, they have the speed and qualifying, but they don't have it.
They're consistency in the race.
Right, they slowed down.
That tells me that grip is down in those race cars, but to your point, the simulation and everything is better.
Somewhere, there is some juice there that you can find if you can squeeze it out.
And I think the Chevrolet that has probably surprised me the most is Chase Elliott.
Went in two races to start the season earlier than he's ever won two races in his career.
And the thing that makes them dangerous is they know how to finish races.
They don't make a lot of mistakes.
They don't have those big moments where they just melt down and unwind like a lot of the teams.
And I think what makes this even more glaring is that Chase Elliott has won two races in a season where Kyle Larson has not scored.
Gone over a year with that point in a race.
Well, just this year.
And William Byron, who traditionally does most all of his winning in the first six or seven races of the season, just, you know, Chase Elliott kind of stands alone there.
Yeah, and I think when you look at the overall system of everything that's happening, I mean, you have to ask the question.
I know it's not something that we talk about all the time.
Chevrolet and Cadillac go F1 racing.
All those resources in one building, you know, it just it makes you wonder if it is taken some away from the NASCAR program and everything because of everything that they have going on.
And I think that you think you design a better body.
It doesn't come out that way.
Well, it does it.
That's the thing.
And I was trying to get to right here.
Be very careful to say that they didn't design a better body.
Yeah.
In my opinion, today's day and age with the level of engineering, simulation, everything that they have at that level of motorsports.
I mean, you're talking F1.
These people are building F1 engineering stuff, right?
When you have that level of support, I can't help but believe that they build a better body.
The rules change.
We went to a low downforce, higher horsepower package.
But even on the race tracks where the rules didn't change.
That's legit.
I feel a little bit with our balance.
They're definitely confused.
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter where you point the finger.
The arrow side of it isn't talking to the chassis side of it.
We've got an imbalance there.
Somehow we're having to overcome.
Yeah.
And I think when you look at the forwards and everything that we talk about for the most part has been Ryan Blaney.
When you talk about speed.
And then you look at Joey Logano.
I don't know.
I mean, I would have never dreamed of a day that we'd go to Darlington and Joey Logano would run as hard as he can run and get lap three times.
Finish at the bottom of the pile.
I can't even imagine that.
And, you know, he had a good run at Martinsville and done okay at a couple places.
But none of those Pinsky cars have been like world beaters to go out there and lead laps and do the things that we're used to seeing.
What is it about this car that some of our best historically and most experienced winners, guys like Joey Logano, like Kyle Busch,
have been having difficulty getting in the front of the field?
Well, I think from the experience that I had in this car, it's a totally different driving style.
And you have to be really open-minded to changing who you are as far as the preparation and things that go with that.
Like, it is not normal to have to go sit in that simulator.
And it's not normal to have to take the time that it takes to be what this car asks it to be with the meetings and time and effort to get all the details out of it.
Because you have to extract more details out of these cars to make a difference.
And, you know, I think...
There's just so much more in my new...
Yeah, it's just so much more in my new.
But I think the Ford is basically what I drove when I was in the Gen 7 car with Fords.
And it just doesn't turn. It doesn't do well in traffic.
And I just think that, I mean, they're going to get a new body next year.
They have an opportunity to correct this.
I don't think that...
I think Blaney, even the last few weeks of the season, didn't really have the speed that he did at the beginning of the season.
And, you know, they've had some cars that have run good from the Pinsky Cam, but they really haven't had any dominant race cars.
Well, I think, you know, it evolves in this sport, and I think you're exactly right.
I mean, this body that we're seeing on the Fords is the one you raced.
You've been with me for a couple of years now, right?
So we're behind...
It's legit that they're behind on that in their times coming.
They'll have their opportunity to improve and improve, they will.
But we're starting to see a little bit of a resurgence out of the Ford camp, and it's not with Pinsky.
Not Pinsky, yeah.
You know, it's RFK, Mike.
It is.
Brad Kozlowski, since he has come in there as a part owner, has really turned that ship around.
Chris Buscher is probably the most overlooked talent in the garage area.
Not flashy.
No.
He's always there.
You know, he's always there.
He's the top 10 driver.
Ryan Priest is a grinder.
He's the only driver besides Reddick to finish on the lead lap of every race this year.
And I think that team, and Spire, are the two teams, I would say, are performing well above expectations this season.
Yeah, and it's just like when we did the All-Star race, and you look at qualifying and you look at the stats, right?
You're like, oh, well, that pit crew is way better than I thought it was.
Hey, he does him.
He's way up there in the rolling time.
That's the details you talk about.
And that's the details.
And that's what RFK, the team chemistry on that team is so good between those three drivers.
And the way that they communicate and talk and are able to even socialize together is not normal on a race team.
And they're really just grinding things out and getting the finishes that they probably overachieve on a weekly basis compared to what the car's performance is because they don't make those mistakes.
There's a point that he just made, and it's so valid in a couple of different ways, in my opinion, Brad Keselowski.
New, young, right?
We need this.
A lot of our owners in NASCAR are 80 years old.
Spire Motorsports, young, new, aggressive, right?
New blood in the sport and the leadership of Brad, the details that you speak of, these little minute details.
I remember a few years ago when Brad, you know, bought into RFK riding with him.
I flew with him to a race, and he is just frantically studying this computer.
I'm like, what the hell are you doing, Brad?
Man, I'm looking for pit crews.
My pit crew sucks.
I got to overhaul my pit crews.
And he was, like, diligently taking notes on the guys, the hitters, all across the board down Pit Road.
And he knew his wish list, and he was going after them.
And it looks to me like from the results that we see on Pit Road with RFK, he got a few.
Yeah, definitely improved from that standpoint.
So who's the biggest name to miss the playoff, or the chase this year?
Whoo.
I mean, you got, you got.
Chastain.
That's my pick.
Chastain.
16 cars.
I mean, that's a big field.
I'm worried about Chase Briscoe because of his season so far.
They've had speed, but, yes, dart without feathers.
Was that Tony's expression?
Not him, just the whole effort.
I think they've taken themselves out of being able to win a championship, don't you?
Just as far, as far behind as they are.
I think they have championship potential, but I think with the chase format, I almost think...
We got to stop there, though.
I almost think it's too far behind.
You have stuff who's going to miss the playoffs.
Yeah.
And you got to be in the damn thing to have a chance.
Maybe Christopher Bell with them.
You know, they've just had just the same kind of...
Two games cars.
But they've had speed, but that's not going to get you to the playoffs.
Consistency is going to get you to the playoffs.
You can't afford to have two bad weeks out of 26 races, or you might not be there.
I'm tired of his little podcast already.
What do you think is going to miss?
Honestly, I think it's going to be...
I think Suarez will probably fall out.
I think Briscoe...
I think it's between Suarez and SVG.
So you do see some early season...
I do.
Like those first three races really put some people in good situations.
A lot of guys go bad.
Some really bad ones, right?
I think that Suarez and SVG missed the chase.
I think that Briscoe, Logano, I think that they make their way up into the top 16.
SVG is interesting, and I'm glad you said that.
How many more road courses do we have before?
Two more.
Two more big swings, baby.
Super important for him.
If he wins those, I mean, there's a lot of points right there that could put him in,
and it's going to take those two to be able to stay in it.
Is he the best road racer that we've ever had?
He can answer that.
No.
No.
Dan Gurney raced nine times at Riverside, California, won five of them,
set on the pole for four of them.
The first pole, he didn't get to run the race because USAC sent a telegram saying,
we're going to take your license away if you run that NASCAR race,
because they could do that back then.
But he was the man to beat, and he was doing it in NASCAR cars,
you know, Woodbrothers cars, just like everybody else had.
SPG comes in here, and I think he had an advantage coming in because this type of car
with independent rear suspension and everything else that's different,
is very much like what he raced, and not so much like what you guys raced.
I'd say he's right there, but Dan's winning percentage on road courses is still 55%,
and I think that's just about a percent more than SPGs.
If he keeps going like he's going, he will be.
But I'm still going to hold on.
I'm a Dan fan, I'm still going to hold on for now.
Well, unfortunately, you and I just got to see videos of Dan Gurney.
He lived it, but I'm telling you from my perspective,
he's the damnedest guy I've ever seen in my life.
That performance he put on at Walkins Glen,
when he was on 16, 17 lap tires, I cautioned comes out.
Everybody, the field pits, right?
He even keyed up on his radio and said, oh crap, we're in trouble here, right?
Him, and they told him to go to the whip and run as hard as he could,
and he was running nine laps faster.
He picked up a second.
He picked up a second, right?
He was running qualifying level lap times on 17 lap tires, old tires,
which by the way was way faster than anybody on sticker tires.
That right there told me his potential and how much that they were pulling the reins back on,
not throw a bread.
I mean, it's just like watching that Kentucky Derby watching him in a road course, right?
I mean, he's just got the reins pulled back and anytime you need old Shane to get after it,
he can go to the whip.
Yeah, the best way to be like Shane is to take Shane and put him in your car.
That's the best way.
I think he's got to need different pedals, but yeah.
At the end of Walkins, the only car he was really racing was Michael McDowell.
That was the only car on the same strategy as him,
and McDowell and his team did a great job.
Yeah.
But I think for these two road courses coming up, whatever Shane does,
do that because that's going to give you a top of you can.
But you'll do a lot better than everybody who else who's trying to beat him with a different strategy
or a different this that.
I agree with you and that's a no-brainer on the setup,
but this guy's breakdancing on these pedals, Mike.
I can't dance.
Yeah.
He's using a clutch pedal.
What the hell are we doing here?
The clutch pedal.
Really where it stuck out to me was qualifying at Walkins Glen
when he went into that bus stop,
and there's only one other guy that I've raced against that could do that,
and that was Marcus Ambrose.
Yeah.
And Marcus Ambrose.
They came back from the V8 Supercars,
and those guys, they speak and have spoke since Shane started racing.
Do you remember that qualifying day, Kevin?
Chuck, a producer, puts on the comparable, right?
The ghost car.
Who was it?
Him.
It was him against him.
SPG won against SPG.
Against last year.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was Shane versus Shane because there was nobody else even in the same category.
We've had a lot of changes to start the season in our sport,
and really we got the biggest thing that happened to our sport over the offseason
was we ended a lawsuit with NASCAR in 2311,
and that was a big moment.
We moved on from it, and then we get a little bit into the season,
and we see Jim France step down.
Steve O'Donnell become the first CEO of the France name,
and Ben Kennedy moved in as the COO,
and a big restructuring of the sport.
My question to you guys is,
what do we think that they need to have addressed the most?
From a new standpoint, you've got some time to be able to really say,
okay, we need to make some aggressive moves.
They're already doing it.
And I think this is a great change.
Jim France became a reluctant chairman when his nephew Brian was ushered out of NASCAR,
and he gave the sport a great sense of stability,
which it needed at that time,
and I think that will be his legacy.
I think that was terrific.
I don't know if he ever relished the role,
never gave a press conference,
worked very well behind the scenes,
had very firm opinions on a lot of the major decisions that happened.
But I think now, bringing in or elevating both Steve O'Donnell and Ben Kennedy,
I think is a positive.
Jim is still the majority shareholder,
so he's still very much involved,
but not in the day-to-day decisions of running the sport.
Watkins Glen.
My son Scott and I are walking to the garage,
we're wandering around out in the fan zone.
Here comes Ben Kennedy.
No entourage, no people, no credential,
he's just walking around as a fan.
He had his whole department at Darlington go up in the stands,
sit with the fans, see what they're thinking about.
I think this sport, not just NASCAR, the business,
but the whole sport has been chasing new fans and new dollars and new sponsors.
We have pharma on cars where the disclaimers are longer than the name of the sponsor.
It takes up most of the quarter panel.
No wonder you had to move the numbers forward for all these disclaimers,
but they're out there finding out what the core fan is interested in,
what they like, what they don't like,
and I think you're going to see a lot of those influences in the decisions going forward.
It's definitely, it's a turn the page,
and I think it's going to lead to really great things for the sport.
Those are really good points,
and your words about Jim are...
I think he's just better at finding words than we are.
I don't know how the hell you do that,
but I'm telling you, I think you're exactly right in the sense that
NASCAR became such a business that they got lost in the business.
This is racing, and the entertainment value is in the racing, product.
You focus on your product,
and you focus on the experience at the racetrack,
and the business will take care of itself.
We got to chasing the dollar and the business in this,
and it just got so damn big, nobody could control it.
Screw it.
Go back to the product,
put somebody in there like O'Donnell that came from the product.
One of the first people that I met in NASCAR
racing for the Dodge Weekly Racing Series in 99, I think.
20-some years ago, almost 30 years ago,
I look over and Bill French Jr., Jim's brother,
comes and sits down, hands on,
Weekly Racing Series, bottom of the barrel for this guy,
but he was there, hands on.
You know who was with him that day?
Steve O'Donnell.
That's how far back Steve O'Donnell goes.
He's ingrained in the roots of this,
so he needs to be a part of the fabric moving forward.
As you said, he's not family,
but this guy has started at the bottom, sweeping the floors,
and he's at the top now.
Ben, young, aggressive, what, raced, right?
Again, back to the prize.
He's going up around in his whole life.
But he's raced, too.
Yes, right.
He understands the whole gamut of the product of motorsports,
and I think that's important for this leadership role.
Yeah, and I think from my standpoint,
I think I agree with you guys on all that.
The elephant in the room is the car,
and we've spent a lot of time trying to work on the arrow
and trying to work on things,
and I truly believe, one,
I think NASCAR needs to listen to the teams less.
I think we need to make some of those bold decisions,
such as practice.
That's the business that I think.
I understand.
And I agree with you.
I think when you listen to the top tier teams,
and they want to protect what they have,
they don't want practice.
They want to make sure that the rest of the guys don't catch up.
Bottom, bottom.
And they want to run on a budget.
Yeah.
Racing's never had a damn budget.
But the bottom teams, they don't want to practice
because they don't want to buy as many tires.
But the best thing for the sport is to have practice.
We had it at Watkins Glen.
We had it at the All-Star Race.
The drivers love it.
The fans love it.
It gives them something to watch.
It gives us something to damn talk about during practice
and qualifying.
But I think that that is something that I would address.
I think that the...
What do you address on it?
What do you know about the car?
Well, I think the car is too heavy.
Too heavy?
I think Goodyear has done a great job with the tires.
And given us tires that fall off,
I think that the simple diffuser needs to be on the race car
at every single race, mile and a half.
I think that that has made the racing better.
I think that we need a lot more horsepower.
I think a little bit of horsepower helped it.
I know that becomes complicated.
Yeah, I think we tickled it.
But you've got to get ahead of it, right?
If you say, hey, when you start 2027,
you should say, hey, in 2028,
we're going to open the power up to get everybody ahead.
And it's a change that you have to get ahead of to make
in order to make it financially okay with the engine manufacturers.
It's not an easy subject to broach,
but I think a substantial amount...
Yeah, it's expensive to just change it.
But if you could phase it in
so that they could not have to just throw everything in the garbage can.
And I think when you look at the Le Mans car that Hendrick ran,
there are a lot of things on that car.
They did a lot of things to take weight out of that car.
I just believe, and you look at the short tracks,
there probably are toughest races for these cars.
And I think some of that,
even if it's just a couple hundred pounds
to get some weight out of the cars.
But I think we got to that business point
where the teams can shut way too many things down
that when NASCAR is in a position where it's not going how they want it to go
on the racetrack, they need to be able to push the button
to say, hey, we're going to do this.
And you guys aren't going to like it,
but we think it's for sure going to make the product better.
I think they call that the tail's wag and the dog.
It is. And I know that I agree with the change
and everything that's happening,
but in the end, you look at Saturday racing,
it's as good as it's ever been.
And there you are.
A lot of people on social or anti-social media
are saying, put the Saturday car in the Cup Series
and you'll have everything you wanted.
I think this car is too much car for our kind of racing.
It's too much splitter.
It's too much under-bodied downforce.
It's too much wheel. tire.
Low CG.
Yeah, all of that.
These wheels cost 20 times what an old-aero steel wheel cut.
The lug nuts cost, I don't know, 100 times more than the lug nuts.
How do we go to one lug nut and we have more trouble
than we've ever had?
It blows my mind.
I mean, it's a $400,000 plus car with no engine.
That one thing that I will say sticking up for this car
is it is without a doubt the baddest machine
that we've ever had.
And the safest.
But look at F1.
You talk about an elephant in a room.
That race sucks.
It's awful.
Those cars are sexy. They're awesome.
The racing is garbage.
Yeah.
Complete garbage.
And I'll argue that point with anybody on any podcast.
It sucks compared to our product.
And they know it and they're going to change it towards that.
They have to.
They're making epic changes
that are just very different from what they would normally do
in the middle of their regulations that they've already promised teams.
But the teams know that it sucks so bad that they got to change the rules.
So they agreed to it.
And I just, you know, I love the fact that when we did practice at Dover
during the all-star race, the cars were jacked up in the garage.
The teams were able to try stuff.
But I'd really like to see some of these parts that are given to the teams.
It's just like you look at the wiring inside these race cars
that are, you know, there's stuff everywhere inside the race cars
that the teams could just make a lot better if they weren't handed something.
So I think that there's some challenges that I think they'll address.
You know, the one thing that I think is an immediate address that we have to get right
is, you know, that Talladega ended up wonderful.
Best story of the year so far.
Cars and hosts of our win and that race, celebration, everything that went down because of it.
We got a problem with that.
Those are our bread and butter.
You want to talk about business.
Daytona and Talladega take care of business.
And they're ahead of that.
Right?
We're going back to speed weeks with a test plan there.
I mean, that's why I'm in hope that that's the same thing that we're going to do
with the downforce cars and all the things that we were just talking about
because the super speedway stuff is in effect.
The speed weeks, we're going back to speed weeks to be able to have the testing back in January.
I hope that the clash is the week leading into the Daytona 500 to be able to kick off that speed weeks.
Like it used to be to get the enthusiasm and the fans and people back there.
And I think that's what we've realized the most and Steve O'Donnell said it.
We need to be who we are because that's what people loved.
And we've gotten away from that over the last several years.
So if you could have swapped Talladega for the Daytona 500 race,
if that race would have been the Daytona 500,
and we'll talk about momentum.
Yeah.
I mean, right?
We learned some things.
We adjusted some things for Talladega.
Those are the steps that you're talking about that you have to be bold and just move.
Don't answer the teams.
Take the bull by the horns.
Steve O'Donnell and make the call.
Well, let's look ahead another year or two out.
NASCAR really wants more manufacturers in this sport.
They have a great product with IMSA where at Daytona they had 14 different manufacturers
displaying in the infield and involved in their various divisions.
You know, we have three manufacturers.
Ford would be good.
Five would be better.
Six would probably be optimum.
But none of these other manufacturers that have been sniffing around or saying,
you know, we're in at the next car changer.
We're in at the next engine change.
None of them make pushrod V8 engines.
What do we do to get Honda, Hyundai, maybe Nissan, maybe even Audi or BMW involved in this?
I don't think it comes, and from my view, I don't think it comes from adjusting the
rules as such that it takes it away from the product.
Welcome aboard.
Water's warm.
But if you don't want to build an engine that we're racing, sorry.
No.
Maybe we're not for you.
But why can't you have a turbo?
I am not saying you can, but it's paramount that it doesn't take away that V6 engine like
we just talked about in F1.
They went down this.
Right?
We're making adjustments.
Here's my thing.
Don't go there.
Here's my theory on this.
You've got Ram sitting there.
So you've got four manufacturers that can make these race cars go around the racetrack
with the proper engines.
I think short term you better fix it with those four.
Okay.
And in my opinion, the truck series, you have no engine issues, right?
Right.
It's a spec engine.
You got other companies that can build a truck to get out on the racetrack that can be competitive.
Now, that's a whole other conversation.
That's for the truck series.
I don't think it's for the truck series.
I understand, but when Toyota started here, I'll never forget this conversation because
it started my truck team.
The General Motors head at the time went to a meeting and somebody asked him about Toyota.
What are you going to do about Toyota coming into the truck series?
He said, well, they're going to look at our tailgate and we're going to protect our turf.
And you know what?
That sent the whole racing program scrambling.
And the next thing you know, hey, Kevin, can you start a truck team?
Yeah.
Because we need to really represent ourselves on the racetrack to make sure that these
Toyotas don't come in here and beat us.
And that's how those good wrench trucks got on the racetrack.
That's how KHI started.
Can you imagine how much more money that that costs Toyota when that Chevrolet guy said that?
Oh, really?
But that's what makes it competitive, right?
And then when we get a Honda or Nissan or somebody into the truck series, and they're
like, man, I'd really like to race on Sunday, then you can start having real conversations
about, hey, let's figure out the path to get Honda or Nissan or whoever it is to the truck
series, because they're not coming straight into the Cup Series.
You know, it's a process to be able to get it approved and all the things to happen.
I do like how they're using the stepping stones, though, right?
To your point with Ram, going to this trucks, going to this.
And that's a four or five-year process.
And right now, we need to, in order to get where we want to be, we're in a four or five-year
process to try to make it what it used to be.
And that is badass American stock car racing.
And I think that with Ram coming in, it really opened the window.
And maybe I'm wrong.
But it's just, you have your opinion.
I have my opinion.
So I want your opinion.
It's great conversation.
I want your opinion on this.
OK.
Here you go.
So you talked about the car.
I don't like this car.
I just said I didn't like it.
Hold on.
My question is, what does that do for in kind of where we went with this?
This Shane van Gidsburgen.
Does he dominate?
If he was in, you know, say we race Saturday cars on Sunday, like you just, you said, right?
Does he dominate as much as he does in that?
I think so.
I think he does because the part that Shane doesn't get the credit for is how good he is
with those chassis and suspension.
And, you know, when he was full time at junior motorsports in those cars, you know, it was,
it was basically the same thing.
And with obviously with the Cup car, we went to another level because it was more similar
to the things that he was driving.
But I just, you know, he is just at an elite level from a road course racing standpoint.
It's interesting though, right?
If you think about it, because what you asked about him is exactly where he went.
Yeah.
And my opinion shares the same.
The car lent itself right from the background, right?
Made the advantage bigger.
A lot of times over the, we've had ringers, Ron Fellows, you know, just goes on and on
of all the ringer, road course ringer specialty racers that came in.
But the cars were in the favor of our Cup racers.
This one timed out perfect teed up, right?
You know, SVG, because that's what it was.
How you say that.
We raced.
Do you think it's coincidence that Roger Penske went and spent what three years as partnered
with Dick Johnson in the Australia supercar series before this car came to NASCAR?
Coincidence?
Yes.
And Syndra was down there getting racist.
How about that?
It's interesting when you look at the timing aspect of that and how it does, you know, if
that changes anything.
Yeah.
But at the end of the day, I think the car has a lot of advantages and a lot of nice,
neat things that are sellable to manufacturers that tie it back to that dealer network that
is important to them for their spins.
But we have some...
What's some work to do?
We have some work and need to address some issues.
Well, they're saying all the right things from the brass standpoint to put us in a better
spot.
I want to see Dodge and Cup.
And the reason is they came into the truck series and they came in with a nose and a tail
and buckets load of promotional money.
Yeah.
Spending, not just with the TV networks, but in the markets and sides of buildings and
hotel keys everywhere they went.
And they made a big splash.
That helps everybody.
That's what we're missing.
Yeah.
We are missing consumer-facing sponsors and companies that want to get the story of this
sport in front of Joe Sixpack in the convenience store.
Amen.
Because that's our core fan.
Well, it'll be interesting to see where it all goes because, you know, I think with the
Dodge stuff, they have a great plan.
It's just a matter of can college put the results on the racetrack to be able to make
it so that it's competitive.
And does anybody else jump in with college, right?
Is there another organization that we don't know about because that's what they're going
to need.
It's not going to be just college that is going to take the Dodge program to be successful
in Cup racing.
Well, I don't look at it.
Look at the ones that are successful.
The stand on their own two feet.
And what we talk about, what we mean by that is build their own cars, engines
all the way across the board.
They've done it before.
There's no question.
You say you want them in Cup.
You didn't see them in the truck race and show up in 2026 for no reason.
They're going to Cup.
Right.
That's a part of the plan.
But you're exactly right.
Strengths and numbers.
We see it each and every, you know.
Well, you got to have an engine.
You got to have an engine for some four months.
But let's go back to the last time they were in this.
Yeah.
They were successful.
They built their engines.
They also hired Ray Evernham and built the whole program.
And I like Matt Colleague and I love Chris Rice.
But they are not going to be, they got to have a Pinsky and RCR, RFK.
They got to have an organization like that that is elite.
P&OP Red is a satellite team.
No worries.
When they get ready to go to Cup, one of these multi-car organizations that's number two,
three or four on their manufacturer's pecking order is going to want to be number one.
And that's what, that's what takes you from just being a team to an elite team.
This is an opportunity for, and it's probably not going to be Spire Motorsports,
but somebody who has that ambition to be able to be Roger Pinsky, Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs.
This with Dodge, it is the opportunity for somebody to do that.
Maybe.
Yeah.
Now, the pressure is on.
You'll have the money.
And you'll have the opportunity.
That's maybe.
And that's the key.
If you can find the budget to do it right.
Well, you better hope the Dodge is girl.
Because you can't come in and tiptoe it.
If you come in and tiptoe, you're not going to get anything.
No splash at all.
You're not getting any return on your, on your dollar.
If as long as they have the budget to come in and do it right and expand,
because two car teams probably not enough to be winning races.
Yeah.
I mean, the day Ray did it, but I don't think it's different.
Different era.
No, that's right.
But then they got Ray Evernham to go and take over that whole organization and run it.
And I don't know of anybody else that could have done it and done it as well.
But there are people out there.
Do they go to a Chris Gabbard?
Do they go to somebody else who's a competition director at one of these other teams and say,
Hey, you can have your own team.
We're going to back you.
We're going to fund you.
We're going to get you.
Gabbard or Chad Canals or Cliff Daniels or those are the types of people that can take
an organization and build it.
Look what it did.
Proofs in the pudding literally just happened with Spire Motorsports.
Yeah.
They went from basically, you said it, fourth or fifth tier team under the Chevrolet umbrella,
one key ingredient and we are now nipping on the heels at some of the best.
That's great.
The big dog.
That's a great point.
Well, I've enjoyed it.
Three years.
I can't believe it's already been three years sitting up there with you guys.
Look how great headed he's got.
I mean, we have destroyed poor Mike.
The baby's sinning that you have to do.
We apologize.
I apologize.
The evolution of this group has been really fun for me to see and participate in the way
Kevin's developed as a lead analyst.
And I mean, here he is sitting right here.
He's running the conversation.
We're answering to him.
It's his podcast, Mike.
I've not had as much fun.
Many races the last couple of years as this weekend with you back in the truck.
The old Clint came back to the booth after having fun in the truck this week.
It was probably the most exciting two weeks that I had of the season because I could
tell how nervous he was and everything that was not going into the effort.
What do you mean no sim?
And then the excitement of you standing next to the truck and watching your first laps.
I felt like I was in there with you through the whole process as we got to the knee.
I needed you with me.
There's a reason I'm looking at you like this.
It sucks getting old, but I appreciate you guys taking the time.
It was another fun year and we'll do it again next year.
You bet.
See you in Daytona.
Did you know if your windows are bare, indoor temperatures can go up 20 degrees?
Turn the temperature down with blinds.com and get up to 50% off custom window treatments
like solar roller shades and more during the Memorial Day mega sale.
Whether you want to DIY it or have a pro handle everything, we've got you.
Free samples, real design experts and zero pressure just help when you need it.
Shop up to 50% off site wide and huge savings on door busters right now during the Memorial Day mega sale
at blinds.com. Rules and restrictions apply.
About this episode
After the season wraps, Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer dig into what surprised them most—Carson Hocevar’s Talladega breakthrough—and how driver mindset, aggression, and authenticity shape racing. They shift to team-building and momentum: Spire’s resources, pit-road focus at RFK, and why consistency beats raw speed for playoff survival. The conversation then turns technical and strategic, debating grip, aero balance, diffuser rules, practice, and even 2026 manufacturer direction, before ending with NASCAR leadership and product-first priorities.
Kevin Harvick, Mike Joy, and Clint Bowyer break down the biggest NASCAR storylines of the season, including Trackhouse Racing’s future, Shane van Gisbergen’s road course dominance, teammate rivalries, championship contenders, the best driver in NASCAR today, and the biggest issues the sport must fix moving forward. On this episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Kevin Harvick is joined by legendary NASCAR on FOX broadcasters Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer for an unfiltered conversation covering the most unexpected moments of the season, which teams are ready to emerge as true title threats, how competition inside the garage is changing the sport, and why SVG continues to dominate every road course weekend.
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Mike Joy & Clint Clint Bowyer Join The Show!
0:51 - Most Unexpected Part Of Season
5:28 - Is Spire Motorsports Next To Contend?
8:27 - Evaluation of Trackhouse Racing
10:56 - Competition Among Teammates
12:00 - Best Driver In The Circuit
15:40 - Design Of The Chevrolet Car
17:09 - Struggles Of The Ford Cars
18:59 - RFK Racing Being Competitive
21:18 - Who Will Miss The Chase This Year?
23:16 - SVG Greatest Road Course Racer Ever?
27:17 - What Does NASCAR Need To Address The Most?
41:15- SVG’s Dominance On Road Courses
43:10 - Could Dodge Be A Successful Team In The Cup Series?
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices