Kevin Harvick predicts winner for Bristol NASCAR race

Kevin Harvick has made his prediction on who will win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, Apr. 12. On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Harvick said that Denny Hamlin will come out on top.

This led to his co-host, Mamba Smith, saying he always picks Hamlin to win. Harvick responded by saying he will likely pick Hamlin to win the next race, which will be at Kansas.

“I mean, it is a great run for Denny Hamlin in this stretch of races,” Kevin Harvick said. “I mean, why not?” Hamlin has had a good run this season, finishing inside the top 15 in the last six races. And in the last three weeks, Hamlin won the Las Vegas race, finished 11th at Darlington, and finished second at Martinsville.

Hamlin has had a lot of recent success at Bristol. In the last five races at the track, the 45-year-old has earned two victories and finished in the top five four times. Overall, Hamlin has won at Bristol four times.

Joshua Dobbs will attend the NASCAR race at Bristol

The NASCAR Cup Series will visit Bristol twice this year. The second visit will be on Saturday, Sept. 19, and it will be the third race of The Chase. The spring race will mark the return of the Cup drivers after taking the previous week off for Easter.

NASCAR fans attending Bristol Motor Speedway on Apr. 12 will be in for a treat when it comes to the pre-race festivities. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, formerly known as WWE Hall of Famer Kane, will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Food City 500. Additionally, current NFL QB and former Tennessee Volunteers star Joshua Dobbs will serve as the honorary starter for the race.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named the Honorary Starter for the Food City 500,” Dobbs said in a press release. “Growing up, you learn to appreciate moments where preparation meets opportunity—and this is one of those special opportunities to be part of such an iconic race. This will be my first visit back to the racetrack since I played in front of 156K fans in the ‘Battle of Bristol’ in 2016. The energy, the passion of the fans, and the tradition there are unmatched, and I’m excited to help kick things off in a way that celebrates both competition and community.”