Every now and then, NASCAR drivers complain about their cars’ drivability, tire issues, and setups. But Kevin Harvick seems to think there is a different issue as well. The world of racing has evolved much faster than some might have expected about two decades ago. Simulators have become far more realistic, the data interpretation is at its peak, and yet, many fail to deliver the desired result in the races. Now, as Harvick puts it, it might offend some drivers, but it seems to be the absolute truth, as many drivers seem to be suffering with strategy and tire wear issues after the short track package was introduced this season.

Kevin Harvick points out the issue with drivers missing out on sim sessions.

Simulators have become an essential part of racing at this point. It can help the drivers create better strategies, get a feel for the track, and even work on their setups. Just a few decades ago, drivers on the ‘Winston’ Cup Series field would not have believed that such technology existed, but it does now. However, Harvick questioned the driver’s use of this resource.

“How are you going to fix it, fellas? Tell me how you’re going to fix your car if you don’t go to the simulator,” asked Harvick on his namesake podcast. “Being in there week after week allows things to be developed around you, especially when you’re in a new scenario where you have new aero packages [..] And if you’re not in there scaling those tires and you’re just leaving it to the sim guys to be able to do that, in my opinion, it’s going to take you longer to catch up,”

The podcast had planned Tyler Reddick as one of the guests, but he declined as he was working on the simulator. Harvick pointed this out, claiming it to be one of the reasons for his early success this season.

After qualifying in pole position at the Darlington Raceway, Tyler Reddick also mentioned that he was making complete use of the simulator provided to them at 23XI Racing’s ‘AirSpeed’ race shop.

But the older drivers don’t seem to be getting the hang of the simulators. It is quite apparent, however, considering how they learned to race and the equipment they grew up with, it could feel a bit unnatural. Dale Earnhardt Jr., back in his racing days, justified this beautifully; however, he also sent a subtle warning for the future.

When Dale Jr. praised the simulators in NASCAR

Simulators weren’t very common even back in 2017. This was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s final year of full-time racing, but he had the facilities to try these simulators for himself. He even went as far as to say that these would go on to replace the real-life engineers.

However, when it comes to getting the old generation to have a peek at it, they seemed rather reluctant. Understandably, as Dale Jr. said at the time.

“It’s just a tool some of these guys might not be familiar with. They might look at it as a video game and not real and not realistic,” said Earnhardt Jr. to ESPN.

Not growing up with the prior knowledge of simulators can feel a little unnatural when the drivers try it for the first time. There are a lot of sensations that they don’t feel, including the vibrations. Then there are the braking points and the overall visual. At the end of the day, they’re driving in front of a screen and not in real life. Yet Dale Jr. warned that the realistic approach these simulators had would make them a thing of the future, which pretty much seems to be the case right now.

“But with what iRacing has done over the years, I saw this coming a mile away. … It’s definitely going to be a useful tool, and it’s here to stay,” he said.

The introduction of simulators has certainly elevated the sport. While the old generation is still putting itself away from practicing on the sims, the upcoming generation grew up with them. Reddick, who spends hours on simulators, is showcasing great results, and Harvick’s comments are a subtle warning to drivers to make use of the resource and get back into their form.