Kevin Harvick predicts winner of Charlotte Roval playoff race

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to one of its most unique stops this weekend — the Charlotte ROVAL. Known for utilizing a tricky blend of road course corners and oval speed, the ROVAL has delivered some of the most dramatic playoff moments in recent memory.

With the Round of 12 winding down, Kevin Harvick and his Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew have locked in their predictions for who will conquer the challenge this year. For his pick, Harvick went with consistency — Christopher Bell.

Bell rolled to a third-place finish at Kansas last weekend, continuing his run as one of the steadiest drivers in the series. With four wins already in 2025, he’s become a weekly threat to take the checkered flag.

Additionally, Bell’s ROVAL history makes this choice more intriguing. He won at the track in 2022, and he’s shown time and again that he’s comfortable when the Cup Series shifts to road course-style racing. Sitting +44 above the playoff cutline, Bell doesn’t have much to worry about in terms of points, and that could free him up to go all out in search of win No. 5 on the season.

Meanwhile, Kaitlyn Vincie made the easy pick, turning her attention to Shane van Gisbergen. The New Zealander actually impressed at Kansas with the best oval result of his young Cup career, finishing tenth and turning heads in the garage. Now, he returns to a more familiar setup — road course racing.

SVG only has one prior ROVAL start in the Cup Series, where he earned the pole but settled for seventh. That experience, combined with his innate ability on road courses, makes him the favorite. As Vincie sees it, the ROVAL could be the track where SVG reminds everyone why his road course talent is so feared among his peers.

Finally, Mamba Smith rounded out the panel by siding with Chase Briscoe. Fresh off a fourth-place run at Kansas, Briscoe continues to thrive in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing.

However, the ROVAL hasn’t always been kind to Briscoe — he has just one top-10 finish in four tries — but Smith believes this version of the No. 19 Toyota team is different. With renewed speed and confidence, Briscoe could be poised to finally turn his ROVAL fortunes around.

All in all, Bell, SVG, and Briscoe serve as the crew’s picks, but fans can expect plenty of intrigue at Charlotte. The ROVAL always delivers chaos, and this year should be no exception, with spots in the Round of 8 up for grabs in North Carolina.