Kevin Harvick predicts winner for New Hampshire NASCAR playoff race

Kevin Harvick is turning his attention to New Hampshire. After a wild weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series will return to a track where Harvick won four times during his lengthy career.

Ahead of the action, Harvick locked in his pick for the Mobil 1 301. He believes Chase Briscoe will start the Round of 12 the same way he began the Round of 16 — with a win.

“Those guys have been too successful there, and had too good of speed with Truex. I just think that they have a lot of momentum, from Toyota, their team — coming off a good week where they figured it out,” Harvick stated, via Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. “I think they get it done.”

Harvick’s co-host, Kaitlyn Vincie, agreed: “That’s who I had written down as well,” she responded. “That’s why I gave a little hint earlier, about MTJ’s past success there. Tried to give a little precursor.”

Briscoe notched another top ten this past weekend. He came home P9 at Bristol, while his teammate in Christopher Bell got the win for Joe Gibbs Racing. The organization swept the Round of 16 — Briscoe won Darlington, Denny Hamlin won Gateway and Bell won Bristol. 

Now, the No. 19 Toyota team will be hoping for even more success in the Round of 12. Briscoe actually finished second to Bell at the track in 2024, providing precedent for picking the Indiana native.

Elsewhere, Mamba Smith was also considering Briscoe, but ultimately went with his teammate after hearing Harvick and Vincie pick the No. 19 Toyota team: “Honestly, it was either CBell or Briscoe for me. I think you couldn’t go wrong with either one. Had a little bit of Bubba Wallace in my head,” Smith said.

“I’m going to go CBell. He’s been so dominant here. After coming off a win, he’s feeling good and the mojo is rocking for the No. 20 team.”

As Smith alluded to, New Hampshire is one of his best tracks on the schedule for Bell. He’s won there twice, including last season. There’s a reason why he’s the favorite at the moment in the eyes of many.

Alas, it’s anyone’s guess who’s victorious at New Hampshire, as it’s one of the more unpredictable races year-in and year-out on the schedule. Harvick and his crew locked in their picks, and they believe Joe Gibbs Racing will lead the way.