Kevin Harvick predicts winner for NASCAR playoff race at Talladega

Kevin Harvick and the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour crew made their picks for this weekend’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The track is consistently one of the more unpredictable races on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar, and with the added playoff pressure, all eyes will be on who can survive and advance.

Harvick is deciding to ride with one of the wheelmen who had a rough go of it this past weekend at Las Vegas. William Byron’s championship momentum took a major hit in Sin City. Contact with Ty Dillon led to Byron’s car suffering heavy damage, relegating him to a P36 finish. It was a stunning setback for the Hendrick Motorsports star, who entered the weekend looking like one of the title favorites.

Still, Harvick believes Byron is primed for a bounce-back performance at Talladega — a track where consistency has become his strength. Though he’s never won at the superspeedway, Byron has posted five consecutive top-10 finishes there, showcasing the patience and precision needed to separate the contenders from the rest of the pack. If Byron can stay clean and find the right drafting help late, Harvick thinks he could finally break through.

Next, Mamba Smith went bold with his prediction, tabbing Ryan Preece to capture his first career Cup Series victory. Preece nearly pulled off the upset earlier this spring, finishing runner-up to Austin Cindric — only to be disqualified afterward due to a spoiler violation. Still, that performance showed he can run with the best on superspeedways.

Evidently, Smith believes Talladega could be the place where everything comes together once again for Preece, who’s missed the playoffs after some tough breaks this season. If he can avoid the chaos and find himself near the front in the closing laps, redemption might be waiting in Alabama.

Finally, Kaitlyn Vincie went with a proven Talladega master in Ryan Blaney. The Team Penske driver’s playoff hopes took a hit at Las Vegas in a similar fashion to Byron, after an early wreck ended his day. However, Blaney’s history at the superspeedway speaks for itself. With three career victories — including back-to-back wins in 2019 and 2020 — he’s one of the best at executing when it matters most.

All told, the playoff field is tightening, and Talladega’s trademark unpredictability looms large. Whether it’s a first-time winner like Preece, a rebound story from Byron or another clutch performance from Blaney, Sunday’s race is shaping up to be the ultimate wildcard — and Harvick and his crew are thinking it could shake up the championship picture.