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Kevin Harvick predicts winner for NASCAR playoff elimination race at Martinsville

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra16 hours agoSamraSource
NASCAR Xfinity Series Chandler Smith Martinsville
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the final race of the Round of 8. It’ll represent one last shot to punch a ticket to the Championship 4 in Phoenix for many of the top wheelmen in the sport.

On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the crew made their picks for who will prevail in the playoff elimination race. Both Kevin Harvick and Mamba Smith went with William Byron, while Kaitlyn Vincie selected Christopher Bell.

For Bell, the path to Phoenix is certainly within reach. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver notched a top-10 finish at Talladega and enters Martinsville sitting 37 points above the cut line, putting him in prime position to join teammates Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe in the Championship 4. It’s a comfortable cushion, but it’s not one he can take for granted.

Earlier this season, Bell finished second to Hamlin at Martinsville, and he’s proven he can win there before. The No. 20 Toyota driver famously secured his Championship 4 berth at the same track back in 2022. Another strong run could once again send him to Phoenix with momentum on his side against his teammates.

Byron, meanwhile, finds himself in a far more urgent situation. The Hendrick Motorsports driver came to Talladega hoping to lock Chevrolet into the Championship 4, but he was overpowered by a fleet of Toyotas late in the race, settling for a disappointing 25th-place finish. That result means Byron will likely have to win his way into Phoenix. Pointing his way in seems unlikely given the current standings.

The good news for Byron is that Martinsville has been kind to him in the past. He’s a two-time winner at the track, though both victories came in the spring. To keep his championship hopes alive, he’ll need to change that narrative and capture his first fall win at the historic half-mile, which would lock himself into the Championship 4 for the third consecutive season.

With Harvick and Smith backing Byron and Vincie rolling with Bell, Sunday’s showdown at Martinsville promises drama. It has all the perfect ingredients for a classic before the field is cut to four for the championship finale in the desert, as there’s plenty of desperation to go around the Cup Series in Virginia.