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Kevin Harvick predicts four drivers to be eliminated in Round of 12, with two shocking picks

Nick Profile Picby:Nick Geddes•09/24/24•

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Round of 12
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The Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series postseason gets underway this Sunday at Kansas and by the time this round wraps up in mid-October, just eight drivers will remain going for the championship.

Kevin Harvick, making his Round of 12 predictions on Tuesday’s “Happy Hour” podcast, said he believes Daniel Suárez, William Byron, Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott will not advance to the Round of 8. Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, is the name that sticks out the most. Harvick said that while Elliott is putting together “decent” runs, he hasn’t had the speed of some of the other heavy hitters.

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“For me it’s the 99, the 24, the 14 and the 9,” Harvick said. “You know, I put the 9 in there. They did good at Bristol; I just think that you’re gonna have to make some noise and you’re gonna have to show that you’re a contender leading laps and running up front as you get closer to the Round of 8 and the Round of 4. They’ve run OK. They’ve been decent. But they just haven’t shown that they have what the 5 [Kyle Larson] has to be able to do it. Bristol wound up being a pretty good day for them because they just hung out and qualified well and put themselves in a position to have a decent day to get through the first round.”

Chase Elliott, William Byron in danger of being eliminated in Round of 12?

Elliott has been very consistent this season, narrowly missing out on winning the regular season championship. In three Round of 16 races at Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Bristol, he finished P8, P19 and P2, respectively. He’s won just one race, however, back in April at Texas. Elliott starts the Round of 12 as the No. 7 ranked driver, six points clear of the cutline.

Byron, Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, is the other surprise inclusion in Harvick’s list. Byron started the season red hot, winning three of the first eight races. He’s been winless since, and seldom led laps throughout the summer stretch. He managed to make it through the Round of 16 despite tallying just one top 10 in three races. The No. 24 team is streaky, making them tough to trust.

“I question the 24,” Harvick said.