When Kevin Harvick first made waves in NASCAR, he was seen as a strong contender against Jimmie Johnson for the championship crown. However, things took a turn in 2015 when a collision with Johnson during the opening Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway sparked a feud. But in a twist, by 2019, Harvick was again singing Johnson’s praises, emphasizing that the latter’s seven championships deserved as much respect as those of Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty, racing legends. 

Yet, the waters seem murky again recently. Faced with the choice between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick didn’t hesitate to choose Gordon. Does this mean the NASCAR analyst is still holding a grudge from their near-brawl in 2015?

Did Kevin Harvick just pick Jeff Gordon over Jimmie Johnson?

Kevin Harvick recently stirred up some fun by interacting with fans online. Following a question-and-answer session with Joe Gibbs Racing drivers where he had them choose between Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr, fans jumped into his comments with similar questions. However, one query really stood out, “Answer THIS random fun question… who was better, Jimmie or Jeff?” Harvick didn’t hesitate to choose Hendrick Motorsports’ “Jeff [Gordon].”

This choice of Harvick caught attention since he has previously said that Jimmie Johnson doesn’t get the recognition he deserves for clinching seven Cup championships. Yet, when pushed to pick, he didn’t choose Johnson. Could this mean Harvick is still feeling the sting from their 2015 clash? That year, after a collision with Johnson at Chicagoland Speedway, left him finishing P42 and in a bad spot for the Sprint Cup playoffs, Harvick confronted Johnson in the motorcoach lot, shoving him in frustration.

Harvick’s business manager, Josh Jones, stepped in before things escalated, although Johnson didn’t look like he was in any mood to fight. After the race, the six-time Sprint Cup champ explained that he was squeezed to the bottom of the track and had to do what was necessary to advance.

Well, leaving past in the past, as of now, the fans are split on Harvick’s choice. While many were shocked that he didn’t choose Jimmie Johnson, plenty of others agreed with him, arguing that Jeff Gordon was the superior driver.

The former SHR driver’s choice among two has NASCAR fans all riled up

When fans spotted Kevin Harvick choosing Jeff Gordon over Jimmie Johnson, the reactions flew fast and fierce. One fan quipped, “Ok, who hacked Kevin’s account?“ 

Others rallied behind his choice, posting things like, “@JeffGordonWeb all day, I’m biased because I was his biggest fan while he raced but let’s not talk about that 😂,” “Jeff,” “100% Jeff,” and “At least Jeff hasn’t gone over to the dark side. Yet😹.”

One fan brought stats into the mix to back up Harvick, saying, “Can’t argue that. Jeff was more consistent than Jimmie was. Sure, Jimmie got 7 titles, but Jeff was an annihilator. Even in his bad years, he was good! Winless seasons were mere moments from not happening. 21 winning seasons? More than Jimmie’s whole career. Jeff had the stuff.” 

Another fan admitted, “A bit shocked, but happy with the answer.”

However, not everyone was on board with Harvick’s opinion. Some fans countered, “Well… Kevin is wrong 🤣,” “Well that’s just not true,“ and “Jimmie was better in today’s NASCAR though. His career has been filled with HoF opponents yet has 83 wins and 7 championships.”

So, what’s your take? Do you think Kevin Harvick genuinely believes Jeff Gordon was better than Jimmie Johnson, or could this still be a fallout from their past clash?