Kevin Harvick Makes Bold NASCAR Charlotte Winner Prediction After Las Vegas
· Yahoo Sports
Kevin Harvick watched Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson battle for the win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. Now, with NASCAR heading to another mile-and-a-half track, the former Cup Series champion sees little reason to expect a different outcome.
But when it comes to picking a winner for Sunday’s Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Harvick isn’t siding with the driver leading the championship standings.
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Instead, he’s betting on the man who just beat him.
On the latest episode of “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour,” the FOX analyst explained why he believes last weekend’s results could offer a preview of what happens at Charlotte.
“Well, we’ve run two mile-and-a-half racetracks, and we’ve had two guys in contention,” Harvick said. “So what makes you think that the same two guys won’t be in contention at the third mile and a half race?”
His pick?
“So I’m going with Chase Briscoe.”
It’s an interesting call with NASCAR’s championship Chase entering its second half. Larson has been the driver to beat throughout much of the postseason, but Briscoe has repeatedly shown he can match the Hendrick Motorsports star when the series visits its intermediate ovals.
And after what happened in Las Vegas, Harvick believes Briscoe has another victory within reach.
Kevin Harvick Sees a Familiar Battle Brewing at Charlotte
Briscoe’s victory at Las Vegas wasn’t the product of a late caution or a fortunate pit strategy call. He had one of the strongest cars in the field from the opening laps.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver swept both stages, led 175 of 267 laps and held off Larson to win the South Point 400.
It was an emphatic performance, particularly against a driver who has established himself as the championship favorite.
The result also continued a pattern Harvick clearly noticed. Larson and Briscoe have finished first and second, in some order, in both of the Chase’s previous races on 1.5-mile tracks.
Charlotte presents another opportunity for that rivalry to continue, especially with the fall race returning to the speedway’s traditional oval after eight years on the Roval.
And Saturday’s weather-related cancellation has added an interesting twist.
With rain wiping out Cup Series qualifying, NASCAR used its performance-based metric to set the starting lineup. Larson will start on the pole, with Briscoe directly alongside him.
In other words, the two drivers Harvick expects to fight for the win will have the entire field behind them when the green flag waves.
Briscoe enters Sunday’s race sixth in the championship standings, 84 points behind Larson. With only five races remaining in the Chase, another victory would be particularly valuable as he attempts to close that gap.
Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney Also Draw Charlotte Winner Picks
Not everyone on Harvick’s podcast agreed with his selection.
Mamba Smith wasn’t ready to pick against Larson, who enters Charlotte with two Chase victories and a 40-point championship lead over Denny Hamlin.
“Give me the five of Kyle Larson. It’s just, let me roll the hot hand,” Smith said.
It’s difficult to argue with that reasoning. Larson has been consistently fast throughout the postseason, and his history at Charlotte includes a dominant victory in the 2021 Coca-Cola 600.
Kaitlyn Vincie, meanwhile, believes Ryan Blaney could spoil the expected Larson-Briscoe showdown.
“I’m going with a former champ, Ryan Blaney,” Vincie said. “Former Charlotte winner as well. I think that he could be one to watch for this weekend.”
Blaney’s Charlotte credentials are worth considering. He won the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 and will start fourth Sunday, putting him in position to challenge the front-row starters immediately.
Three predictions, three championship contenders and three very different reasons for picking them.
Harvick, though, is looking at what NASCAR’s last two intermediate-track races have already told him.
Larson may be leading the points, and he’ll have the advantage of starting from the pole. But Briscoe has demonstrated that he can beat him straight up, and Harvick believes he’s capable of doing it again.
The Bank of America 400 is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.