Kevin Harvick predicts winner at Phoenix

NASCAR is set to regroup with the Shriners Children’s 500 on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, following a fun start to the early season. But who will take home an all-important win?

Kevin Harvick and his co-hosts on the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast spent some time picking their winners on this week’s episode of the show. Harvick’s pick will be a popular one.

“I’m going to stick with (Christopher) Bell,” Harvick said. “I just think they’re on a heater right now and I think they’ve been rolling through pretty well. When you have the confidence in a guy like Bell, I think that that just keeps building and I think that continuity between the team is going to go a long ways for them to start the season.”

Bell’s win at COTA was his second of the season, following a win the week before at Atlanta. He’s on a heater right now.

Going back-to-back this early in the season — the first three weeks — hasn’t happened since 2018, when Harvick won at Atlanta and Las Vegas back-to-back.

Securing a third straight win at Phoenix would send a serious message to the NASCAR field. Christopher Bell is here to win it all.

But there’s a long way to go before that becomes a reality. Who else might be a contender to win this week?

“I’m repurposing your COTA pick: William Byron, former winner there in 2023,” said Kaitlyn Vincie. “I think that team too is just like every week they’re right there in the fold.”

That was also going to be the selection for Mamba Smith, the final host to make a pick for this weekend’s race at Phoenix. Instead, he went a different direction.

“That was my pick. I can’t pick the same thing and gain points on you,” Smith explained in changing his pick. “It’s not time yet to pick the Fords with (Ryan) Blaney and them boys, even though they’ll be in the mix, it’s not time for that yet. Give me Kyle Larson. I need points and they need to start getting this thing going. The speedway races are not his favorite cup of tea.”

Larson has been in a bit of a slump, despite a positive finish at Atlanta. This week at COTA, Kyle Larson lost a tire and will likely earn a penalty for it.

No matter, a win at Phoenix would cure a lot of those ills in a hurry. The race is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, with a broadcast on FS1.