{"id":450700,"date":"2026-02-03T07:26:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T07:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/450700\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T07:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T07:26:07","slug":"kevin-harvick-expresses-concern-for-chevrolet-over-new-nascar-body-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/450700\/","title":{"rendered":"Kevin Harvick expresses concern for Chevrolet over new NASCAR body style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former NASCAR<\/a> Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick<\/a> believes Chevrolet teams could face an adjustment period in 2026. The manufacturer is rolling out a new body style for the Cup Series that\u2019s sure to raise eyebrows.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the latest episode of Kevin Harvick\u2019s Happy Hour<\/a>, Harvick cautioned<\/a> that while the updated Camaro ZL1 design carries promise, there are still major unknowns about how it will perform across NASCAR\u2019s wide variety of tracks.<\/p>\n

\u201cChevrolet has a new body,\u201d Harvick stated<\/a>. \u201cThey\u2019re guessing right now. They\u2019ve done no more than guess at this point. They can tell you whatever they want. But they\u2019re going to have to work out the balance of that new body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harvick explained<\/a> that early-season races could expose both strengths and weaknesses. Particularly at superspeedways like Daytona International Speedway to start the season. While the new body could excel in certain environments, Harvick said consistency across the schedule won\u2019t come immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey might be great on superspeedways. Might be great on short tracks. They might be great on intermediates,\u201d Harvick added<\/a>. \u201cBut it\u2019s going to take time to get it worked out on all the tracks. They\u2019ll probably hit it somewhere \u2014 we just don\u2019t know where yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

More on Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet <\/p>\n

Alas, Chevrolet teams raced largely unbranded \u201czombie\u201d Camaros last season, featuring minimal Camaro identity beyond ZL1 badging and Chevrolet branding on the rear bumper. That approach stemmed from the production Camaro\u2019s uncertain future, but the brand has since introduced a new performance package that inspired the updated NASCAR body.<\/p>\n

Beginning this season, Chevrolet teams will again field Camaro ZL1s, this time with noticeable changes to the hood, grille and rocker panels. The adjustments are designed to generate additional downforce, helping Chevrolet keep pace aerodynamically with the Ford Mustang Dark Horse and Toyota Camry XSE.<\/p>\n

Despite Harvick\u2019s caution, Rick Hendrick<\/a> expressed optimism about the new package. He told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports that Chevrolet\u2019s engineers believe the car is an improvement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt won\u2019t be perfect right out of the gate,\u201d Hendrick said when the announcement was made, \u201cbut I\u2019m excited about having a new car with a little more downforce and more power.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Harvick\u2019s message is clear. Chevrolet\u2019s new body may raise the ceiling, but the early part of the season could test patience as teams search for the right balance. We\u2019ll see if it leads to sustained success in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u2014 On3\u2019s Jonathan Howard contributed<\/a> to this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick believes Chevrolet teams could face an adjustment period in 2026. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":450701,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-450700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=450700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450700\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/450701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=450700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=450700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=450700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}