NASCAR winner calls for races to be SCRAPPED

A former NASCAR race winner and Cup Series regular season champion has suggested a major change to the series' calendar.

The first race of the season took place on Sunday evening at the Bowman Gray Stadium, essentially an exhibition race which didn't count for any regular season points.

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The Cup Series proper will begin when the flag drops on the Daytona 500 on Sunday evening, after the qualifying Duel events in mid-week.

Kevin Harvick, speaking this week on his Happy Hour podcast, advocated for either the removal of the pre-season clash or the integration of the race into the Cup Series points-scoring system.

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Should races be cut from the NASCAR Cup Series?

Speaking on his podcast, Harvick admitted: “I think we should get rid of the All-Star Race and the Clash. I loved what we did last night at Bowman Gray...it was spectacular. But imagine if that was a points race.”

He also backed Hickory Motor Speedway, dubbed 'America’s Most Famous Short Track', as a potential venue, saying: “When you look at Hickory, it’s rundown, and it’s one of our most historic race tracks.

“If you took that event to Hickory Motor Speedway and upgraded the facility—fix the grandstands, the press box, the bathrooms, the surface, pit road, infield—you’re fixing the infrastructure of your whole system.”

Harvick also spoke out in favor of the creation of a NASCAR short-track championship, adding: “Imagine a short-track series with a $1 million grand prize."

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