Mexico City might have delivered a spicy show on the track, but off it? Drivers were left burnt, battered, and barely standing. Shane van Gisbergen didn’t hold back, describing his condition as “leaking out both h—-.” Ryan Blaney needed fluids and medical help after his run. Even seasoned names like Noah Gragson and Justin Haley looked worse for wear before the race itself. Turns out, altitude, heat, and one group layout make a nasty recipe for physical chaos.

In the middle of all this, Brad Keselowski stepped up as the de facto spokesperson, voicing what many in the cup garage were too busy to say out loud. And just when you thought the RFK Racing co-owner had laid down the final verdict, veteran Kevin Harvick had a blistering short response of his own. His three-word response flipped the script on this whole driver fatigue narrative.

Kevin Harvick slams dehydration excuses

When it comes to physical prep, Kevin Harvick isn’t here to babysit grown men in firesuits. “Really on them.” That’s how Harvick chose to sum up the entire post-Mexico chaos. These three words: blunt and brutal. While most of the NASCAR world rallied around Brad Keselowski’s concern over driver dehydration, Harvick handed out his no-nonsense response.

However, Harvick didn’t mince words in his recent Happy Hour, saying, “Yeah, and you know, I think situations like that. Look, there were some things. You see, Brad’s tweet right here about driver intros. Most, if not all, of the drivers are still sick and dehydrated from last week. I think there are probably some guys who took better care of themselves, and the dehydration piece of it is really on them.” His point was clear: this isn’t amateur hour. At this level, managing your body is part of the preparation, and hydration isn’t an afterthought; it’s a responsibility.

While Brad Keselowski had sounded the alarm after the Mexico City race, tweeting, “Observation from driver intros—Most all of the drivers are still sick and dehydrated from last week. I’ve never seen so many sick drivers before the start of the race.” But Harvick wasn’t feeling soft. The 49-year-old pointed to the level of preparation that modern NASCAR drivers are expected to bring to the table. From nutritionists to personal trainers and cooling systems built into the car and race suits, the resources are there. What’s missing, according to Harvick, is ownership.

Kevin Harvick didn’t deny that several drivers fell ill in Mexico City, but he made a distinction. For him, altitude and food issues come with the territory, which is part of the unpredictable nature of a global schedule, but when it comes to dehydration, that part is definitely in their control, despite tap water drinking problems in Mexico. He went on to add, “If you’re still dehydrated from last week, you should have had a better plan with everything that you have going on. I think you see some of them take better care of themselves than others. I know there were definitely some people who got sick in Mexico, but I don’t think that’s anything abnormal. The dehydration—that part is definitely on them.” 

And then there’s Ryan Blaney, who brought the struggle into full view days later at Pocono. Despite bagging a P3 finish, the Team Penske driver barely made it out of his car under his own power. According to Motorsport Today’s Colin Ward, Blaney “fell to his knees multiple times” after climbing out, had to pause mid-interview, and was eventually carted off to the infield care center. It’s like déjà vu for Blaney post the Viva Mexico 250. But this time, the reason? A failed cooling suit.

The 2023 Cup Series champion shared with Amazon Prime that his system gave out on lap 15, leaving him to cook inside the cockpit. “It was warm, but I was able to keep going,” Blaney said. That’s a statement of grit, no doubt, but also one that proves Harvick’s point. Even if they experience malfunctions, drivers need a backup plan. And pushing through doesn’t erase the prep that should’ve happened before the green flag.

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Ryan Blaney calls for a break

Ryan Blaney didn’t just speak about his physical exhaustion; he also proposed a structural change to the NASCAR calendar. He suggested that international races, like Mexico City, should be followed by a built-in break, allowing drivers and crew members time to recover. Specifically, the No. 12 driver pointed out that if the Mexico race had been placed in the Bristol slot, right before the Easter off-week, it would have offered much-needed breathing room in an otherwise relentless schedule.

Currently, teams face a tight turnaround after long-haul travel, jumping straight from international events back into full-scale race weekends like Pocono with little time to reset. Blaney emphasizes that the toll isn’t just physical but logistical, too, leaving little room for recovery, strategy adjustments, or even personal time. The grind, he noted, is catching up to everyone.

“I would like to see, maybe it’s a week off after an international event, just to give everybody a little bit of a breather, time to reset… That would be a good idea, have an off weekend after an international race for multiple reasons,” said Ryan Blaney.

His remarks mirrored earlier concerns raised by Jeff Gordon, who has long cautioned against the dangers of an overloaded season. With only one official off-week in a growing 38-race campaign, both Gordon and Blaney are raising the red flag. As NASCAR eyes more international expansion, their warning is simple: without proper brakes, the current pace may prove unsustainable for drivers, pit crews, and support staff alike.