Following a lightning strike that interrupted the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the Cup Series’ outing at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta was going like any other day of racing. That was until the Lap 69 incident took place, sending half the field spinning while the other half did its best to minimize damage.

The crash claimed several big names, including Josh Berry, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez, Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, William Byron, Austin Cindric, Corey LaJoie, and Denny Hamlin. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson was among the few lucky ones who were able to escape without toning down on the aggression.

Kevin Harvick Lauds Kyle Larson’s Aggressive Approach to Racing

After the Stage 2 incident, 23 cars needed repairs, so the pit road was closed to those still running the race due to a “traffic jam of tow trucks.” After a few laps behind the pace car, the drivers were able to visit the pit road and work on their cars as they saw fit. Given the number of vehicles that had crashed out of the race, maneuvering through the field had become much easier for the drivers.

As such, there wasn’t much need left for aggressive driving. However, Larson was still against the idea of taking things easy, and Harvick felt that aggressive driving by the No. 5 driver was a welcome approach in NASCAR.

Speaking on his “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour” podcast, the 49-year-old remarked, “We’ve seen the five car, kind of, change the game, right? It’s not acceptable to just say we are done.” He added that while the other drivers accepted their fate, Larson would have wanted to go back out on the track and chase a point.

Per Harvick, the way racing has evolved and the way Larson approaches things is fun to see. Aside from Larson’s approach, Harvick also saw the silver lining of the 23-car wreck in Atlanta. Given the lack of cars on track, the veteran driver felt that the remainder of the race was much better. Drivers had more places to go and had more space to maneuver, making for an exciting watch.

For Harvick, “It was like an old school Daytona slingshot race,” with no long double-file train of cars filling up the track, waiting for a break. The race ended up being a great watch indeed, with 40+ lead changes leaving the fans in anticipation of who would win.

With most race winners out of the race after the crash, it was all but certain that the Cup Series would see its 12th different winner of 2025, but there was no clear favorite. Ultimately, when the checkered flag fell, it was Chase Elliott’s car that crossed the finish line first.