Driver of the Week: Should a Non-Winner Earn Top Honors?

Does a driver have to win their respective race to earn the recognition of Driver of the Week? That is the question FOX Sports’ Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton debated during the latest episode of “SPEED With Harvick and Buxton.” Harvick says yes, while Buxton thinks otherwise. That was reflected in their choices for Driver of the Week after NASCAR’s Cook Out 400 and INDYCAR’s Children’s of Alabama INDY Grand Prix this past weekend as Harvick chose NASCAR’s winner, but Buxton selected an INDYCAR driver that was successful without earning the top spot on the podium. Kevin Harvick: Chase Elliott Elliott won his first NASCAR Cup Series race of the year at the NASCAR Cook Out 400 at Martinsville. He was helped by a gutsy call from his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, who advised Elliott to pit earlier than his competitors, and he ultimately benefited from a caution. Elliott’s win was the first by a Chevrolet driver in the 2026 season. “All the talk about Chevrolet and everybody not being in Victory Lane, they squashed all that really quickly,” Harvick said of Elliott. Buxton pushed back on Harvick’s choice because he felt Gustafson’s call was as important, if not more, to Elliott’s victory than his driving abilities, but Harvick felt finishing first holds a significant weight. “I think the Driver of the Week has to win,” Harvick said. [NASCAR TAKEAWAYS: Chase Elliott Outduels Denny Hamlin At Martinsville] Will Buxton: Christian Lundgaard Clearly, Buxton disagrees with the notion of the driver having to win, as he chose Lundgaard, who finished second behind Alex Palou INDYCAR’s Children’s of Alabama INDY Grand Prix. But to Buxton’s point, Lundgaard had an impeccable drive, going from 10th on the grid to second. That performance is good enough to earn Driver of the Week, even without a victory. “I thought he was utterly phenomenal this weekend,” Buxton said. “Put the moves on when they were needed, made them work, didn’t get himself into any sticky situations. Drove with conviction. And I think that win should have been his.” Lundgaard had the opposite experience to Elliott, as his team’s slow pit stop cost him the victory on a day when his car was the fastest on the track. “Should have won the race,” Buxton said. “Certainly should have been in the fight in the final stages of the race.” Although Lundgaard didn’t pass Harvick’s test of winning a race to earn Driver of the Week, he earned Harvick’s praise. “You can tell, these guys are all tired of getting beat by Palou,” Buxton said. “And the work, and effort, and everything that they’ve put in this year. They’re going to win some races, that group.” [INDYCAR TAKEAWAYS: Alex Palou Repeats at Barber] Fan vote: Chase Elliott The fans agreed with Harvick and chose Elliott. Formula 1’s Kimi Antonelli finished second in the fan vote. “The power of the most popular driver on the NASCAR circuit overcomes the F1 crowd this week,” Harvick said. “I lose again,” Buxton said. The fans certainly side with Harvick’s opinion that to earn Driver of the Week you must win the race, but Harvick complimented Buxton for sticking to what he believes in. Buxton responded, challenging Harvick to not choose the NASCAR race winner next time. Tune in next week to see if Harvick follows through or sticks with this current trend.