Kevin Harvick Snubs NASCAR’s Million Dollars R&D With Bold Goodyear Shoutout Kevin Harvick challenges NASCAR’s expensive car upgrades, praising Goodyear’s tire as the breakthrough in improving race qu

In the late 1980s, NASCAR’s “tire wars” between Goodyear and Hoosier brought blistering speed to the Cup Series. Softer compounds gave drivers more grip, but they also triggered safety concerns and high-profile blowouts, forcing NASCAR to step in. Ever since, tires have remained central to debates about race quality. Meanwhile, NASCAR poured millions into car research and development on diffusers, aerodynamic tweaks, and underbody changes. Yet after this weekend’s Richmond race, Kevin Harvick surprisingly pointed out that all the complexity faded into the background when Goodyear finally got its tire right.

Tire problems are nothing new for NASCAR. The 2008 Brickyard 400 became infamous after widespread blowouts forced competition cautions every dozen laps. This prompted questions about