Kevin Harvick predicts winner at Darlington in NASCAR regular season finale
Who will be victorious when the checkered flag waves at Darlington on Sunday? Kevin Harvick and the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew locked in their predictions ahead of this weekend’s all-important race.
First, Harvick believes William Byron and the No. 24 team will get back on track, ending their regular season the same way it began at the Daytona 500, in Victory Lane.
“I’m going to back up a little bit, and I think, you know, as we look back at the beginning of the season and some of the cars that had we thought were dominant, when you look at the Hendrick cars, you look at the No. 5, you look at the No. 24, I’m going to go with William Byron,” Harvick predicted. “I think he’s been battling through some things since, you know, his injury or his wreck, and I think that those guys are starting to get their feet back on the ground.
“I like the way that they ran at Michigan. So, I’m going to say Willie B gets it back on track.”
While Kaitlyn Vincie believes Byron is a solid pick, she went with a wheelman who hasn’t been to Victory Lane yet in 2024, believing Martin Truex Jr. gets the win at Darlington.
“I would agree with that. Well, my pick is the guy we talked about earlier, Martin Truex Jr. He’s been good at Darlington over the years, winning there twice in the past,” Vincie said. “I just really want to see him win before he hangs it up, like I need to see that guy go to Victory Lane again. So I’m going to pick him.”
As for Mamba Smith, he recognizes Bubba Wallace is in a must-win situation at Darlington, being 21 points below the cut-line, and he thinks the No. 23 team will shock the world and get to Victory Lane, clinching their spot in the Top 16 at the final possible moment.
“Okay, you guys know how my picks have gone all year. I’ve ruined it for everybody. I told William — I was with William last night, and I explained to him that the reason he wrecked at Kansas in qualifying was my fault, because I picked him to win. I’m picking Bubba Wallace and the No. 23,” Smith delineated. “This is a walk-off — this is like a walk-off home run moment. Go to Darlington, one of the toughest tracks that we go to all year, all the elements, you’ve got to do it.
“I think he’s in the right mindset. I think he’s locked in. I think they’re gonna be fast. It’s gonna be a moment where everyone’s like, ‘Okay, he might not win the championship this year, but like, it’s coming.’”
Evidently, Harvick doesn’t believe it’s that far fetched, and that Wallace is in the right mindset to get the job done: “That would be a great moment,” he responded. “I just hope he sticks with where he’s at, you know, mentally right now, because if he does, people are gonna love that guy.”
As you can see, the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew is riding with William Byron, Martin Truex Jr. and Bubba Wallace to win at Darlington. Time will tell if either of them can get to Victory Lane, and capture the checkered flag in one of NASCAR’s most prestigious events.
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