Kevin Harvick predicts 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion between Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Kyle Larson

As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule heads to Phoenix Raceway for the Championship Race, the former champion turned commentator Kevin Harvick has shared his insights and predicted who might become an ultimate champion among Chase Briscoe, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, and Kyle Larson this weekend. Harvick picked a Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win Sunday’s (November 2) Cup Series title-deciding race and championship at Phoenix Raceway.

On the latest episode of his ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’ podcast, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Harvick and his co-hosts, Kaitlyn Vincie and Mamba Smith, dropped their winner’s prediction for this year’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix’s one-mile-long track.

Kevin Harvick picked NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin to win his maiden Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway.

“I'm going to take Denny Hamlin,” Kevin Harvick said while picking the driver to win the 2025 title [58:52].

Harvick’s co-host, Vincie, picked Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson to win the race and the championship on Sunday. Larson won three races this year. In addition, he has scored 14 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.4.

Meanwhile, co-host Mamba Smith picked Larson’s teammate William Byron to win his first NASCAR top-tier series. Byron advanced to the championship 4 race after winning last weekend’s Martinsville elimination race. He has had an impressive season, recording three wins, 11 top-fives, and 16 top-10 finishes in 35 races so far.

---

How has Kevin Harvick’s top pick performed at Phoenix Raceway?

Kevin Harvick’s pick, Denny Hamlin, has had an impressive record at Phoenix’s one-mile track. He has scored two wins, three poles, 17 top-five, and 23 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 10.6 in 40 starts at this track.

After 35 races in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver has managed to score a series-best six wins, 14 top-five, and 17 top-10 finishes, and led 816 laps with an average finish of 14.2. He advanced to the Championship 4 race, winning the Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas.

It will be interesting to see how Harvick and his co-hosts' predicted winners fare at Phoenix Raceway. Watch the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship on NBC Sports and Peacock at 3 p.m. ET. The radio coverage for the Phoenix title-deciding race will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Yash Soni