NASCAR insider picks road course ringer as favorite to win 2025 Cup Series playoff race at Charlotte Roval

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season will next head to Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval for the sixth playoff race of the season, the Bank of America Roval 400. Ahead of the event, NASCAR insider and journalist Bob Pockrass gave his prediction, picking the winner, top-five finishers, and a long-shot winner for the 2025 Bank of America Roval 400.

Pockrass picked road course ringer Shane van Gisbergen to reach the victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on Sunday, October 5. SVG has an impressive record at road courses, as he has won four Cup Series road course events this season. The #88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet will start from the second position in the 37-driver field on Sunday.

Rounding out Pockrass’ top five predictions are William Byron, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Gibbs, and Tyler Reddick. He also chose Ross Chastain as a long-shot prospect. Chastain will start from the 10th position.

Pockrass wrote on X:

“My Cup pick for Charlotte road course today: Shane van Gisbergen ... top-5: SVG Byron Allmendinger Gibbs Reddick ... longshot: Chastain”

Bob Pockrass

@bobpockrass

My Cup pick for Charlotte road course today: Shane van Gisbergen ... top-5: SVG Byron Allmendinger Gibbs Reddick ... longshot: Chastain ET 2:30-USA-Prerace 3:05-USA-Cup green, stages 25-25-59, 8 sets, fuel 39-44

SVG has had an impressive rookie season so far, recording four wins, four top-fives, and six top-10 finishes in 31 races in the 2025 season, and he will look to clinch his fifth win of the season. He has an average finish of 21.7 and currently sits in 14th place in the championship points table. He has the highest odds to win on Charlotte’s road course.

Meanwhile, William Byron and Tyler Reddick are also the top favorites to win the Bank of America Roval 400 in the odds table.

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Kevin Harvick picks Christopher Bell to win the 2025 NASCAR Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Roval

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion-turned-commentator, Kevin Harvick, picked Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell as a favorite to win the elimination race of the Round of 12 playoff at the 2.32-mile-long road course.

On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s “Happy Hour Podcast,” when his co-host Kaitlyn Vincie asked him to give his prediction for this weekend’s Charlotte Roval playoff race, Harvick picked the #20 Toyota driver and said [58:18]:

“I'm going to take Bell. He's been solid at the Roval,”

Catch NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams in action at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Fans can witness the 109-lap Cup Series race on NBC Sports.