NASCAR: Kevin Harvick vs. Denny Hamlin – who is the championship favorite?

Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin have been the two dominant drivers in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, but which driver has the upper hand in the championship battle?

We are just over halfway through the 36-race 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, and two drivers have separated themselves from the rest of the field. Those two drivers are Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, and Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Harvick and Hamlin have combined to win nine of the 19 races this season, with Harvick winning four races and Hamlin winning five. The duo currently sit first and second in playoff points with Hamlin having a six-point lead over Harvick, although based on the regular season standings bonuses, Harvick currently holds a narrow two-point lead over Hamlin.

Both drivers have brought consistent race-winning speed to the track just about every weekend, but there can only be one champion. Harvick has been a Championship 4 driver every year since its inception in 2014 except for 2016 while Hamlin is coming off of his first Championship 4 appearance since 2014.

So which driver has what it takes to claim the 2020 championship? Let’s take a detailed look at each driver’s season thus far and preview how they will fare in the playoffs.