Race Weekend Central

2015 Frontstretch Cup: Staff Predictions for 2015 Auto Club 400 at Fontana

Welcome to our eighth year of staff predictions! Each week, our experts attempt to tell you who the winner of each Cup race will be. Take a look to see who your favorite writers think will win it all (or at least score some points) this week!

Think you can out-prognosticate our staff? Leave your picks in the comments and see how they stack up!

 Prediction Scoring
+5 – Win
+3 – Top 5
+1 – Top 10
0 – 11th-20th
-1 – 21st-30th
-2 – 31st-40th
-3 – 41st-43rd

This week’s predictions: Auto Club 400

Tom Bowles, Editor-In-Chief: I’m gonna go rogue and say Kyle Larson finally breaks through. But it’s probably going to be Harvick or a Hendrick guy.
Amy Henderson, Managing Editor:
I’m going with Jimmie Johnson this week. No way I jinx him into 42nd twice, right?
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: 
Kevin Harvick.
Matt Stallknecht, Senior Editor: I’ll take Brad Keselowski.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: My choice is Matt Kenseth. Time for a Toyota win.
Joseph Wolkin, Senior Writer: I’m going with Keselowski.
Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer: I’ll take Kurt Busch since Kyle’s not running.
Greg Davis, Senior Writer: Give me Larson… almost pulled off a win there last year.
Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer:
I’ll go Johnson too.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: I’ll go with Joey Logano.
Sean Fesko, Contributing Writer: Kurt Busch.
Jeff Meyer, Senior Writer:
Martin Truex Jr.
Tony Lumbis, Financial Manager:
 Johnson.
Zach Catanzareti, Contributing Writer: I’ll go with Dale Earnhardt Jr. again.
Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor: I’ll take Kasey Kahne this week. Sorry Kasey. I’ve been the kiss of death the last two weeks.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: KB… oh right, bummer Kyle’s not running. So switch that around. BK; going with Kes.
Mike Neff, Short Track Coordinator: Let me have Logano please.
Matt McLaughlin, Senior Writer: I’ll take Harvick again. But I’d love to see Kurt Busch win just to see Brian France brown his corporate shorts.
S.D. Grady, Senior Writer:
I’ll take Jamie McMurray.

Last week: Campingworld.com 500(k)

Writer Pick Finishing Position Points
Matt Stallknecht Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Amy Henderson Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Tom Bowles Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Jeff Wolfe Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Danny Peters Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Sean Fesko Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Mike Neff Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Matt McLaughlin Kevin Harvick 1st 5
Kevin Rutherford Kurt Busch 5th 3
Jeff Meyer Martin Truex Jr. 7th 1
S.D. Grady Jeff Gordon 9th 1
Aaron Bearden Jeff Gordon 9th 1
Brett Winningham Jimmie Johnson 11th 0
Greg Davis Carl Edwards 13th 0
Mark Howell Carl Edwards 13th 0
Joseph Wolkin Matt Kenseth 16th 0
Tony Lumbis Matt Kenseth 16th 0
Huston Ladner Denny Hamlin 23rd -1
Vito Pugliese Dale Earnhardt Jr. 43rd -3
Toni Montgomery Dale Earnhardt Jr. 43rd -3
Zach Catanzareti Dale Earnhardt Jr. 43rd -3

Overall Standings

 Writer Points Behind Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10
Mike Neff 14 4 1 4 4
Matt Stallknecht 14 4 2 3 4
Danny Peters 11 -3 4 2 3 3
Jeff Wolfe 10 -4 4 2 3 3
Brett Winningham 7 -7 4 1 1 3
Tom Bowles 6 -8 3 1 2 2
Jeff Meyer 5 -9 4 1 1 2
Phil Allaway 3 -11 2 0 1 1
Huston Ladner 3 -11 3 0 1 2
Tony Lumbis 3 -11 4 0 1 2
David Ifeguni 3 -11 1 0 1 1
Sean Fesko 3 -11 4 1 1 2
Vito Pugliese 2 -12 4 0 2 2
Matt McLaughlin 2 -12 3 1 1 1
Zach Catanzaretti 2 -12 4 0 1 3
Mark Howell 0 -14 4 0 0 2
Joseph Wolkin 0 -14 4 0 1 1
Toni Montgomery 0 -14 4 0 2 2
Amy Henderson 0 -14 4 1 1 2
Clayton Caldwell -1 -15 3 0 0 1
Greg Davis -2 -16 4 0 0 1
S.D. Grady -2 -16 2 0 0 1
Aaron Bearden -6 -20 4 0 0 1
 
 

 

About the author

Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.

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Carl D.

And… Stallknecht moves into sole possession of first place!

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