NASCAR insider picks 23XI Racing driver as favorite to win 2025 Cup race at Darlington

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season heads to the Darlington Raceway for the eighth race of the season, the Goodyear 400. Ahead of the event, NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass gave his prediction, picking the winner, top-five finishes, and a long shot to win the 2025 Goodyear 400.

Pockrass picked 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick to take the checkered flag at Darlington on Sunday, April 6. He has a good performance history at this track, scoring three top-five and five top-10 finishes. The #45 Toyota driver will start from seventh position in the 38-driver field on Sunday.

Rounding out Pockrass’ top five predictions are Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. He also chose Brad Keselowski as a long-shot prospect. Keselowski is a defending winner of the event and will start from the 20th position.

Pockrass wrote on X:

“My Cup pick for today: Tyler Reddick … top-5: Reddick Blaney Byron Busch Hamlin … longshot: Keselowski ET 2-FS1-NASCAR RaceDay 3:12-FS1-Cup green, stages 90-95-108, 11 sets tires, fuel 68-75 laps”

Reddick has scored two top-five and three top-10 finishes in seven races so far and will look to clinch the first win of the season. He has an average finish of 12.8 in seven races and stands seventh in the points table. He has odds of +1000 in the odds table.

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are the top favorites to win the Goodyear 400. Bell and Larson will start 17th and 19th on Sunday.

NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin is the most successful active driver with four wins at Darlington.

Kevin Harvick picks Denny Hamlin to win the 2025 NASCAR Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway

The 2014 Cup Series champion-turned-commentator Kevin Harvick picked Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin as a favorite to win his second consecutive race of the season at historic Darlington track.

On the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, when his co-host Kaitlyn Vincie asked him to give his prediction for this weekend’s Darlington Spring race, Harvick picked the NASCAR veteran and said [55:50]:

“I think I’m gonna pick a Toyota. I’m gonna pick Denny Hamlin. Look two weeks in a row. I mean Martinsville and Darlington. You could go back and forth as to which one is his best track.”

Catch Cup Series drivers and teams in action at Darlington Raceway on Sunday at 3 pm ET. Fans can witness the 293-lap Cup Series race on FS1.

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Yash Soni is a journalist who covers NASCAR at Sportskeeda, drawn to racing action and the rich history of the sport. He is inspired by Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, and Hendrick Motorsports, and strives to craft engaging narratives. With expertise in writing long and short-form content and a passion for tracking and publishing trends, Yash brings his best to reporting and analysis of the dynamic world of NASCAR.

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Edited by Yash Soni