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As the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway, driver turned FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Kevin Harvick shared his insights and picked his favorite driver to win the NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend.
On “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour” podcast, the 2014 Cup champion explored a detailed analysis of the driver he believes will have a shot to win the All-Star Race on Sunday (May 19).
Harvick is going with William Byron over defending winner Kyle Larson to pick up his maiden All-Star Race win on Sunday night’s exhibition race at a 0.625-mile-long track.
Harvick believes that Byron will have an extra advantage because the #24 HMS driver participated in Goodyear’s tire test two months ago at Wilkesboro’s fresh, new surface.
Predicting the All-Star Race winner on his podcast, Harvick said:
"I'm going to pick William Byron because he did the entire test there, and I think those guys are going to have a little bit of an advantage.”
Despite these considerations, Kevin Harvick picked Denny Hamlin as the favorite to win Friday’s Pit Crew Challenge and pole for the All-Star Race. He also chooses Ty Gibbs to win the qualifying race.
“And I'm going to go a little bit further. I'm going to say the 11 wins the pit stop competition and gets the pole, and Ty Gibbs will win the qualifying race.”
Harvick’s co-host, Kaitlyn Vincie, picked Kyle Larson:
“I am going to go with the driver we've talked about quite a bit on this show. Well, a little bit. And as it pertains to you, Kyle Larson,”
While co-host Mamba Smith picked Noah Gragson to win this week, Smith said:
“I'm going to go a little bit out of the box, and I'm going to go with Noah Gragson.”
Kevin Harvick to serve as 'substitute driver’ for Kyle Larson at North Wilkesboro
Larson, who won the NASCAR All-Star Race last year, will miss the 2024 All-Star Race track session due to his commitments to Indy 500 qualifying.
However, ahead of the Dover Cup race, Larson announced that he would not participate in All-Star Race practice and qualifying, and Harvick will fill in for him during practice session and qualifying at North Wilkesboro on Friday (May 17). It marks a return for Kevin Harvick in Cup car since retiring from NASCAR at the end of the 2023 season.
During a media bullpen at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, Kyle Larson confirmed that he won't return to North Wilkesboro Speedway from Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the All-Star Race Heat Qualifying Race on Saturday, May 18.
Catch the NASCAR All-Star Race in action at North Wilkesboro from May 17 to 19, 2024.
