Kevin Harvick circles drivers to watch this weekend at Pocono

Kevin Harvick believes the top drivers in NASCAR will have a great day at Pocono. On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick revealed the drivers to watch at the Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

“Denny Hamlin’s been really good at Pocono for a long time,” Kevin Harvick said. “Usually, some of the Hendrick cars are in the mix. I think you got to look at William Byron. Kyle Larson, I think he’s going to have to get that car back on track, and it’s probably a good racetrack for those guys.

“I think that Ty Gibbs… He has been in the mix the last several weeks at different racetracks and had one thing or another mix that up. I think the Fords will qualify good, and I think you’ll have to beat at Gibbs or a Hendrick car.”

Hamlin is favored to win at Pocono this weekend. In his NASCAR career, Hamlin has won at Pocono seven times, and the last victory came in 2023. That win was significant as Hamlin broke the record for most victories at the track, and it was his 50th career win in the Cup Series.

More on the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono

“Stuff like this doesn’t sit in for a while,” Denny Hamlin said at the time. “When you retire and you got a bunch of time, you’re sitting there on your rocker on your back porch, you’re thinking about, ‘What have I accomplished, right, in the sport?’ These things take a long time to sit in. They really do. We’re in the heat of the moment now. It takes time.

“I never thought I’d get an opportunity in the Cup Series. Luckily, J.D. Gibbs took a chance and Joe Gibbs took a chance on me nearly 20 years ago. To get my 50th win, it comes down to the track that I got my first, it certainly is special.” 

A win at Pocono would be huge for Ty Gibbs, as he’s raced well the last couple of weeks. The 22-year-old finished third at Michigan and led 27 laps at Mexico City before a caution caused him to finish 11th. Gibbs is in his third season as a full-time driver in the Cup Series and is looking to reach the playoffs for the first time in his career.