Kevin Harvick Sounds the Alarm After Denny Hamlin's Fiery Texas Nightmare

Newsweek

08-05-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Kevin Harvick and his Harvick Happy Hour podcast co-host Mamba Smith have shared their thoughts on Denny Hamlin's car erupting into flames at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made it to Lap 75 before his car became engulfed in flames. Harvick analyzed the situation during the latest episode of the podcast.
The 2014 Cup Series champion claimed:
"The flames were really strange, the way that they were almost like it was a fuel fire. It sounds like they broke a valve spring, dropped a valve, and then it exploded. I think this was the third race on that particular engine, based upon the feedback I got from Larry [McReynolds].
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver, Kevin Harvick speaks at the Busch Light activation on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach,...
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver, Kevin Harvick speaks at the Busch Light activation on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. More"It's unfortunate, and I think when you look at this 11 car, they're in good shape. I think that the speed and the things that they have in this car are good. I think that he and Chris Gayle have gotten to a point of being able to know that they can win."
Co-host, Mamba Smith, added: "Firstly, I'm glad he's okay, because I felt like he was in that car for a long time for how much smoke was coming through."
He added:
"We haven't seen engines blow like this in a very long time. And, if they're going to blow, at least they're spectacular."
Harvick responded:
"Those margins of speed are getting closer together. When those margins of speed get closer together they wind up pushing things a little further so, finding power becomes a lot harder. It comes in smaller increments which means to push the tolerances and parts and pieces a little bit differently.
"But, we saw this - what I thought was a valve spring issue last year with the Toyota engines and they blew up three or four of them in a row."
He later continued: " I think that when you start hearing valve spring, that to me is terrifying."
Hamlin also addressed the incident on his Actions Detrimental podcast. The 23XI Racing co-owner stated:
"I haven't been in that spot a ton, but you just don't want to get burned.
"You can feel the heat coming from wherever it's coming from, but the smoke is the one thing that I don't want to get in my lungs and stuff like that. You got the safety vehicle people, they're spraying it with all the substance and whatnot. It's just that, but I was able to get out fine."
The 44-year-old added that he was not aware that the car was on fire until he stopped.
"I didn't feel anything until I stopped. A lot of it was because the wind was pushing it back behind the car. But the smoke got bad really quick. When I came to a stop, that's when the smoke started getting me pretty good."