NASCAR: Is Kevin Harvick’s dominance bad for NASCAR?
Kevin Harvick earned his third straight win on Sunday at ISM Raceway. Is this having a negative effect on the sport of NASCAR?
Over the past few weeks, one thing has been the same. Kevin Harvick dominated at Atlanta, Las Vegas, and last Sunday at ISM Raceway. Winning three races in a row is a huge accomplishment, but this might be having a negative effect on NASCAR.
If you exclude Kevin Harvick’s 31st place finish at Daytona, he has put up video-game type numbers. He has led 433 laps already and has finished no lower than 1st.
NASCAR, of course, is trying to find a superstar to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. That is a tall task and Kevin Harvick may not be the answer. While he has shown he is among the elite drivers in the sport, too much winning will lead to fans turning off their televisions because they already know who will win and who will be up front all day.
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NASCAR’s TV ratings have been on the decline from last year to this year. TV ratings from Atlanta were down 13% from last year, and 20% from 2016. The ratings from Las Vegas decreased 19% from last year and 34% from 2016. And at ISM Raceway, the ratings also decreased 15% from last year and 30% from 2016. According to star-telegram.com, the sport has seen a 45% drop in viewers since 2005. This is right before Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive championships. The fact that the first season without Dale Jr. has resulted in the same driver winning every race except the opener is a huge problem for NASCAR.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to fix this. The #4 team seems to have found something that the other teams haven’t yet. This weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway is a track where Harvick has won before. If he wins for a fourth straight week, it could put even more of a damper on the fans’ excitement levels.
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Keep your eyes peeled for Kevin Harvick. He will more than likely be up front, like he has been all season long. Winning four times in a row is a very big achievement and he has a chance to do it.