Kevin Harvick circles two drivers to beat at Martinsville, predicts winner

This weekend at Martinsville, Kevin Harvick has picked out a couple of drivers he believes can get it done at The Paperclip. Martinsville gives us another NASCAR short track weekend, this time all three national series will hit the track.

Kevin Harvick raced at Martinsville 45 times in the NASCAR Cup Series. It wasn’t always a good track for him, only earning a single win. His last top-10 at the track came back in 2021, just to give you an idea of his overall performance at Martinsville.

Still, it is a track that tests drivers and many times, provides great drama. This is one of the few short tracks capable of producing the “Big One.” A wreck on the front stretch can cause quite a pileup.

“I’m going to stick with the old horse, I’m going to stick with the 11 [Denny Hamlin],” Harvick said on his Happy Hour podcast. “I had the 11 and the 5 [Kyle Larson] on my list so I just think these guys are on a roll right now. The redemption pick could be the 19 [Martin Truex Jr.], I think he gets yelled at this week a little bit and comes back with fury.”

Each week Kevin Harvick gives his picks. He knows most of these drivers very well from years of competing with them on the track. Really, he gave three drivers this time around. I tend to agree with him that Hamlin and the 11 team have the momentum going into the Cook Out 400.

Last year, Kyle Larson won both Richmond and Martinsville in the Spring. So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Then again, Martin Truex Jr. is a scorned driver with something to prove. That might just be enough to put him over the edge.

Kevin Harvick picks Denny Hamlin for Cook Out 400

Kyle Larson, until last season, didn’t have a great time at Martinsville. He has an average finish of 17.556 at the track and just six top-10s. Among the three drivers mentioned, I think Larson has the least likely chance to win on Sunday, given his entire body of work and not just last season’s win.

Then you have Martin Truex Jr., the odd man out and the “redemption pick” for Harvick. Three wins, 10 top-5s, and 16 top-10s. Those numbers, paired with his two pole awards and Toyota’s early season speed make me believe he could be the guy. His average finish of 15.917 leads me to believe he is hit or miss. Qualifying could tell us a lot this weekend.

So, finally, we have Kevin Harvick’s ride-or-die for the week, Denny Hamlin. Hamlin is great at Martinsville, he has four pole awards and five wins at the track, most of any active Cup Series driver. His average finish of 10.1 in 36 total races is nothing short of impressive. Las Vegas sees him as the favorite.

Now, Hamlin has not won at Martinsville since 2015. However, his last three races at the track going back to October 2022 have been P5, P4, and P3. It might be time to add that sixth career win at The Paperclip.