As the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick has shared his insights and predicted the winner for the 2026 Brickyard 400, which is set to take place this weekend. Harvick is going with a Joe Gibbs Racing driver to win the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Speaking on his “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour” podcast, the former NASCAR Cup Series champion-turned-analyst Harvick and his co-hosts, Kaitlyn Vincie and Mamba Smith, predicted the driver they believe has a strong chance to win the Indianapolis race on Sunday, July 26.
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Harvick named Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs as the favorite to win at the Indianapolis race.
Picking the 2026 Brickyard 400 winner, Harvick said [46:16]:
“I’m going to take Ty Gibbs.”
Kevin Harvick’s co-host, Kaitlyn Vincie, picked Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney to win his third points-paying race of the season at the 2.5-mile-long track.
“I am going with the driver you talked about earlier, Blaney Penske win at the Brickyard but every time I pick him, something bad happens”
Meanwhile, co-host Mamba Smith has picked Christopher Bell to win this weekend.
“Last week he didn’t run that well, but I think he’ll be just fine this week. Give me C Bell [Christopher Bell]” Smith said.
Ryan Blaney had an outstanding run during the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, recording two wins, securing two pole positions, four top-fives, and 15 top-10 finishes. He stands third in the NASCAR Cup Series points table, 87 points below leader Denny Hamlin.
How has Kevin Harvick’s top pick performed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway?
Kevin Harvick’s top pick, Ty Gibbs, has made two starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, posting an average finish of 22.0 with zero laps led and no DNFs. He finished 21st and 23rd at this race track.
After 21 races in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver has recorded a win, eight top-5s, and 13 top-10 finishes and led 165 laps with an average finish of 12.45. He stands fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings with 665 points.
It will be interesting to see how Harvick’s and his co-hosts’ picks fare at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Watch the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season’s 22nd race on TNT Sports at 2 pm ET. The radio coverage of the weekend event will be available on IMS Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Edited by Yash Soni
