Kevin Harvick believes Brad Keselowski has the speed, but one recurring issue is stopping him from turning strong runs into wins.

On a podcast, Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick pointed to Keselowski’s inconsistent qualifying as the key weakness behind otherwise competitive performances with RFK Racing.

“He's been in the trunk every week in qualifying. And if you don't qualify in the front of these races, you don't get to make adjustments leading the pack, running in the front of the pack,” Harvick said.

That lack of track position keeps Keselowski buried in traffic, forcing him to work forward instead of controlling the race.

“Your car handles differently in the middle of the pack and the back of the pack, which is where they've been starting. And it takes them all day to get to the front of the pack,” he said.

Harvick added that the issue is bigger for Ford teams, where track position becomes even more important.

Even though NASCAR engines are tightly regulated, each manufacturer builds its own package, and that creates differences in how cars handle in traffic, with Ford tending to struggle more in those conditions.

In his view, Ford cars tend to struggle more in dirty air, which makes qualifying near the front even more important to keep track position.

At the same time, RFK Racing’s progress is becoming visible. Harvick pointed to the way Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece work together as a reason behind that improvement.

The communication within the team is carrying over into races, helping them execute better on track.

Brad Keselowski Took Advantage of the Opponent Going Back - Kevin Harvick

Harvick also pointed out that Keselowski’s recent second-place finish came with a situational advantage involving Tyler Reddick.

Driving for 23XI Racing, Reddick was forced to drop to the back of the field due to battery issues, opening up an opportunity at the front.

“I think that Brad took advantage of Tyler having to go to the back of the field to make his pit stop for all the battery issues,” Harvick said.

While Keselowski made the most of that moment, it also showed how much his results still depend on how the race plays out rather than being in full control.

Starting deeper in the field leaves little room for error and makes a team too dependent on luck.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav