“Can’t Ignore the First Eight Innings” – Denny Hamlin Gives His Views on Kevin Harvick’s Elimination and the Playoff System

The NASCAR race at Martinsville threw up a massive shock when Kevin Harvick missed out on a final four slot as Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski qualified.

To put it into perspective, imagine that Formula 1 employed the playoff system. Now imagine that after dominating much of the season, Lewis Hamilton missed out on a championship 4 slot.

If one had to think about it, to see the most dominant driver, not in the championship running, is ludicrous. However, NASCAR found itself in this situation when Kevin Harvick missed his berth. All this was in spite of the fact that he notched up 9 wins this season.

In light of this, his rival Denny Hamlin spoke about the matter. He said, “Yeah, I mean, they wanted a Game 7 moment. The only issues I have is that you can’t ignore the first eight innings. Myself, Harvick have dominated for most of the season. But it’s a three‑race schedule.”

Denny Hamlin agrees that the game has changed

Denny Hamlin acknowledged Harvick’s comments that the championship is different than what it used to be. In today’s day and age, a single race could be the deciding factor in a championship fight.

In essence, a driver’s hard work during the entire season is not enough to guarantee the title. Hamlin concluded, “As far as excitement, sure, we had some excitement this week. The guy with the nine wins not in the Final 4 somehow.”

In such a scenario, drivers cannot afford any mistakes, or it will cost them. At Martinsville, Kevin Harvick tried desperately to catch Kyle Busch in the closing stages. This was because Busch occupied the position that the Stewart-Haas driver needed to make it into the Top 4.

Even a desperate move like trying to spin Busch out did not work in Harvick’s favor. This was because he also spun and lost a bunch of positions.

Kevin Harvick Explains Desperate Attempt to Pass Kyle Busch in a Bid to Qualify for the NASCAR Championship Race