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Former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick dismissed wild conspiracy theories from fans alleging that the results of the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway were rigged by Hendrick Motorsports.
The recent race at Martinsville Speedway marked a milestone for HMS, as the team celebrated the 40th anniversary of its maiden victory on the same track. With all four cars sporting ruby red liveries and 1,500 HMS employees in attendance, William Byron led Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott to a podium sweep, securing a 1-2-3 finish.
The perfect weekend for Hendrick Motorsports aroused suspicions among NASCAR fans, who took to social media to suggest that the event was rigged. Kevin Harvick dismissed these conspiracy theories, labeling them the "dumbest thing" he had ever encountered.
In the latest episode of his Happy Hour podcast, the Fox Sports analyst said:
"My favorite is, ‘Oh, we knew Hendrick was going to win from the beginning. They fixed the race.' Oh my gosh. How in the world would you ever fix the race? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard."
The Cook Out 400 was dominated by Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Kyle Larson led the field to the green flag and controlled the race in the first stage, with Chase Elliott following close behind. William Byron was late to the party, but took over the lead in the final stage and navigated a late race restart to win the event.
Byron's triumph secured the team's 29th victory at the half-mile oval, the most for any NASCAR team. With Larson and Elliott sweeping the podium positions, it also marked the first instance of a team achieving a 1-2-3 finish at Martinsville.
Kevin Harvick predicts strong outing for Bubba Wallace at Texas Motor Speedway
The Texas Motor Speedway has lost its playoff spot, with the NASCAR Cup Series making a sole visit to the mile and half oval this weekend, for the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400, on April 14.
Kevin Harvick believes Bubba Wallace will be a strong contender for victory this weekend, given his past results on the track. Wallace started in pole position and led the most laps in his last outing at the track. However, he narrowly missed out on a race win during the final restart.
Harvick believes the 23XI Racing drivers will be running at the front of the pack this weekend. He said on his podcast:
"I feel like Texas and Kansas are Bubba’s two strongest tracks, and I hope he’s in contention for the win. I agree with you on that. The cars are going to be strong this weekend. It’s always been a good racetrack for us. We haven’t raced here in the spring in a while," said Kevin Harvick.
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is scheduled for April 14, at 3:00 pm ET. Catch the action live on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM.
