NASCAR drivers are coming for Kevin Harvick’s money.
Ever since Harvick threw down the gauntlet, defending fellow driver Kyle Busch’s truck series exploits by offering a $50,000 “bounty” to any NASCAR Cup Series driver who can best Busch in a Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race, speculation has swirled as to whether anyone actually would take him up on it.
In two instances, at least, Harvick’s challenge has been accepted.
Cup Series regulars Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson declared Thursday on Twitter they will compete in truck races this year in an attempt to take Harvick’s money. Elliott announced he’ll race against Busch on March 14 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Larson will strap into a pickup at Homestead-Miami Speedway a week later.
Challenge accepted. I’ll see you all in Atlanta. @KyleBusch @KevinHarvick @marcuslemonis. Thanks to @GMSRacingLLC and @HootersRacing!!! #GameOn #di9 https://t.co/hQR0ZhtKyh
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) February 27, 2020
Count me in for @HomesteadMiami! Thanks for the opportunity to make some cash money @GMSRacingLLC and @TeamChevy.
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) February 28, 2020
Elliott and Larson might be a bit rusty, since their last truck series starts came in 2017 and 2016, respectively. But the reward apparently is too good to pass up.
Both will compete for GMS Racing, which warned Harvick and Busch “the law is coming.”
And he said it wasn’t gonna happen… ??#WeAreGMS #GameOn #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/x3jcQqjGwS
— GMS Racing (@GMSRacingLLC) February 28, 2020
Hey, there are worse ways to make $100,000.
That’s right, the bounty was doubled when Gander Outdoors CEO matched Harvick’s total.
Busch has come under criticism in recent years from those who accuse him of padding his career NASCAR victories total by picking off easy wins in the lower-tier truck series. Larson got this whole bounty thing started, in a way, when he implied in a tweet that Busch was cherry-picking wins following Busch’s 57th career truck victory last weekend in Las Vegas.
Larson’s tweet clearly miffed Harvick, who put his money where is mouth is by putting up $50,000 of his own cash. And it appears plenty of his colleagues are willing to take him up on it.
As for Busch’s take on the bounty? In his words: “Bring it.”
