Welcome to our eighth year of staff predictions! Each week, our experts will tell us who the winner of each Cup race will be. Take a look to see who your favorite writer thinks 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
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: Daytona 500
Tom Bowles, Editor-In Chief: I’m going to go with Kenseth. He wins his third 500 and becomes perhaps the most underrated superspeedway racer of all time.
Amy Henderson, Managing Editor: I’m going with Casey Mears at Daytona; I liked what I saw in the Sprint Unlimited.
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: I am picking Tony Stewart.
Matt Stallknecht, Senior Editor: I’ll take Junior. Statistically he’s the best plate racer in the game right now and he reportedly has the fastest 500 car in the garage.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Matt Kenseth. The Wisconsin Wonder has looked pretty fast at Speedweeks thus far.
Joseph Wolkin, Senior Writer: I’m going with Brad Keselowski. He’s incredibly determined entering this season, and a Daytona 500 victory would earn him plenty of respect.
Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer: I’ll take Tony Stewart. He seems to have been revitalized after the offseason, and looks and feels better than ever. Trying to pick a winner at Daytona’s like trying to win the Powerball (I’m looking at you, Dale Jr.), but very few have been as successful at Daytona as Smoke.
Greg Davis, Senior Writer: I’m going to go with Carl Edwards… He was fast during the Unlimited and has something to prove with moving to JGR and Toyota this season, or as Jack Roush called it “the dark side.” Look for a backflip at the checkers on Sunday night.
Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer: Carl Edwards…Toyotas look decent and Darrian has a 500 win.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: I’m going with the sentimental pick: Jeff Gordon to win the Great American Race.
Matt McLaughlin, Senior Writer: I’ll go with Tony Stewart as well. He’s back, he’s fat and he’s pissed off at the world as if someone stole his last jelly donut. That’s the mindset that usually goes hand in hand with his success.
Sean Fesko, Contributing Writer: Martin Truex, Jr. Loved what he was able to do in the Unlimited. Looking forward to a great season!
Brett Winningham, Contributing Writer: I’m taking Martin Truex Jr.
Jeff Meyer, Senior Writer: I know Carl has been picked a couple of times but that is who I’m going with as well. Liked the way he lurked until the end.
Tony Lumbis, Financial Manager: He was close last year and I say he gets it done this year: Denny Hamlin.
Mike Neff, Shot Track Coordinator: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Duh!
David Ifeguni, Contributing Writer: I’m going to go with Dale Earnhardt Jr. He has a fast car and he knows how to run well in this race and win it.
Zach Catanzaretti, Contributing Writer: Boy is it tough to pick just one but I’ll take Martin Truex Jr. Hes always had great speed at the plates and man was he fast last Saturday. He also has his girlfriend who has given him a big reason to pull into victory lane.
Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor: Give me Dale Jr.
Clayton Caldwell, Contributing Writer: Give me Kenseth.
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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.