NASCAR: Kevin Harvick Fans Are Beyond Frustrated After Playoff Elimination

The final cutoff race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs came to an end on Sunday, revealing [...]

By John Newby

The final cutoff race of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs came to an end on Sunday, revealing the final four drivers still in contention for the championship trophy. Joey Logano and Chase Elliott each secured their spot in the Phoenix race by winning, while Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski reached the final four by stacking up just enough points. Kevin Harvick, the regular-season champion and winner of nine races in 2020, finished just below the cutoff line and saw his season come to a surprising end.

When the fans of the Stewart-Haas Racing team realized that the winningest driver of the season was out of contention for the trophy, they headed to social media to express frustration. Many said that NASCAR "messed up the playoff format" by implementing the current style that starts with 16 drivers and whittles the list down to only four over a matter of weeks. Others proclaimed that the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team had "broken the rules" and gotten away with it, resulting in Elliott's victory. The conversations continued well after the race came to an end.

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Does NASCAR favor certain drivers? Many racing fans expressed this opinion on Sunday after Elliott won the Xfinity 500. They proclaimed that he should not have been in a position to win due to a jackman leaving the pit wall early. NASCAR officials did initially levy a penalty against the pit crew and the No. 9 team but rescinded it after further review. According to announcers, the jackman did properly re-establish himself at the wall, correctly following rules and avoiding the penalty.

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Harvick had an opportunity to sneak into the playoffs in the latter stage of the race; he just simply had to sneak past Kyle Busch, giving him position and enough points to reach the final four. Another option existed in that Erik Jones could have passed his teammate, Hamlin, and knocked him down a spot. The youngster "refused to do so" and simply maintained position behind Hamlin, creating frustration among Harvick fans.

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Many fans on social media had strong words for the other Stewart-Haas drivers. They wanted Aric Almirola, Clint Bowyer and Cole Custer to help Harvick out by letting him move past and gain crucial points. This did not occur, and the veteran driver ended the day on the outside looking in.

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There was no driver better than Harvick during the regular season and the early stages of the playoffs. The veteran Stewart-Haas Racing driver had the best car and was consistent week-in and week-out — until the final cutoff round. The fans had no doubts that he would reach the final four, and they expressed considerable surprise when he finished below the cutoff line. They proclaimed that something just felt wrong.

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Harvick was dominant throughout the entire 2020 Cup Series season, but he did struggle to find success during trips to Martinsville and Bristol. He was better on longer tracks but couldn't excel on the shorter versions. Now many fans believe that Harvick will find a way to attack this weakness before 2021.

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Harvick struggled mightily during Sunday's cutoff race. His car had several issues and did not meet his expectations, a major change from races earlier in the season. Despite these issues, Harvick fought his way back from two laps down and came within reach of reaching the final four.

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Harvick didn't win on Sunday or reach the playoffs based on his points. This news was upsetting to his fanbase, but the members also expressed the opinion that Harvick should be proud. They said that he was "the real champion" due to dominating the entire season.

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