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As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to begin this week, Kevin Harvick shared his insights and predicted the winner for the first race of the season. He's going with Joe Gibbs Racing’s new full-time driver to win the preseason exhibition event, the NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
On the first episode of this year’s “Happy Hour” podcast, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and his co-host Kaitlyn Vincie, and Mamba Smith, shared their predictions about the drivers they believe would be strong contenders to win the Clash on Sunday, February 2.
Kevin Harvick picked Chase Briscoe to win the 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Harvick backs Briscoe because of his potential to excel at short tracks, specifically noting the strong performance of JGR’s cars at these types of racetracks. JGR is the defending team of The Clash, with Denny Hamlin winning last year at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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Picking the 2025 NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium winner, Harvick said:
“Chase Briscoe, because I think that the Joe Gibbs cars have run well at these short tracks, and I think that he, along with a lot of other guys, has something to prove, and I think James Small is right there with him, so he has been good. He was very good as his teammate at SHR at this style of racetrack, and I just think that it could be a magical moment for him.” [56:33]
JGR is the most winningest team to win The Clash, with 12 times. The last four of the five preseason exhibition events have been won by JGR drivers.
Chase Briscoe is set to compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series behind the wheel of JGR’s #19 Toyota, the car previously driven by former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr.
His move to JGR came after his former team, Stewart-Haas Racing, announced that it would shut down its operations after the 2024 season.
Kevin Harvick’s co-host predicts Joey Logano to win The Clash
Former NASCAR driver-turned-commentator Kevin Harvick’s co-host, Kaitlyn Vincie, picked defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano to win the first exhibition race of the season. Logano is a two-time winner of the event (2017 and 2022).
“I'm going with our reigning champion because he's always really good at figuring out new venues, whether it's Bristol Dirt, LA Coliseum so I think Joey Logano could be the guy that figures this out rather quickly.” Vincie said.
Meanwhile, co-host Mamba Smith initially picked Bowman Gray legend But Myers to win this weekend and then named Ryan Blaney as his secondary pick just in case if first one fails.
It will be interesting to see how Kevin Harvick and his co-hosts picks fare at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Watch the NASCAR Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday (February 2) at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
