McReynolds, Harvick and Keselowski on NASCAR Race Hub

Brad Keselowski

This week on FS1’s NASCAR RACE HUB (Monday-Thursday at 6:00 PM ET), co-hosts Adam Alexander and Shannon Spake dissected the latest NASCAR news and highlights with analysts Larry McReynolds, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Below are excerpts from this week’s episodes:

How evenly matched are the 18 and 4 teams?

Keselowski: “I see something that has been standing out pretty regularly between the 18, 4 and 78, and that’s that the 78 and 4 have a little bit more speed. When this whole things plays out with the 18 being so fast on pit road, it has put them in position to win races, and we’re seeing that play out week-in and week-out. I think the 4 and 78 are the two fastest cars on the race track, and the 18 is the best-executing team."

What will it take to beat one of the “Big 3" (Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.)?

McReynolds: “It’s going to take a lot more than fast race cars to beat those three. On most given race weekends, I can’t say they are flawless, but they don’t make a lot of mistakes. They have good cars, make the right adjustments, have good restarts, solid pit stops and the crew chiefs make the right call. When you have all that going, it’s going to be hard for other teams to beat that, particularly when they’re battling not just one but three nearly perfect teams."

How evenly matched are Harvick, Busch and Truex Jr.?

McReynolds: “As we get closer to the playoffs, they get closer and closer together."

How frustrating is it for other teams when those three are so good everywhere?

McReynolds: “I’d have to believe the biggest frustration comes from other teams within those organizations. One that pops to mind is Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team, particularly now that Erik Jones has won a race. We are closing in on the one-year anniversary of Hamlin’s last win at Darlington last Labor Day weekend."

Is it fair for those three teams’ teammates to compare themselves to their stablemates?

McReynolds: “I think you have to because they are your measuring sticks. I don’t care who you are – you still compare yourself to those ‘Big 3’ because if you’re going to win races, that’s the level you know you have to get to."

Was Chase Elliott’s stage win at New Hampshire last weekend more significant for Hendrick Motorsports or Chevrolet as a whole?

McReynolds: “It’s big for both organizations. Who would have thought we would be celebrating that four Hendrick cars finished in the top 15? That had to be huge to have that many Chevrolets running up near the front. It’s those little baby steps, those small victories, that they’re looking for right now."

Which Chevrolet driver has the most potential to make noise in the playoffs?

McReynolds: “Kyle Larson. We keep waiting on him with all those second-place finishes. He has to be getting close. I don’t think because of what Chevrolet did at New Hampshire, that you can start ringing the bell. Pocono and Michigan will be the measuring stick for how they stack up against the Toyota and Ford teams."

Would you describe what you have with Kyle Busch as respect or rivalry, particularly as you move forward in the season?

Harvick: “I think there’s a respectful rivalry there. I love racing Kyle Busch. I love the things he does and the things he can do in a race car are great, and as a team, we love beating him, and as a driver, I love beating him. You go out on the race track and that’s your goal – to beat the best, and right now, it’s been the 18 and 78 — they’ve been the cars to beat over the last few weeks. We had to go up there and make something happen [at New Hampshire] and we were able to do that …"