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: GEICO 500
Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: Casey Mears did right by me in Daytona. He’s underrated as a plate racer, too.
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: It’s always a crapshoot on who is gong to win these plate races so I’ll go with… Kevin Harvick.
Matt Stallknecht, Senior Editor: Can’t help but chuckle at all of you who are making picks out of a blind draw. I’ll take Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win in authoritative fashion, no luck or randomness necessary. Just for effect I’m gonna pick a full top 5: 1. Junior 2. Kenseth 3. Johnson 4. Ragan 5. Bowyer
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Lady Luck will smile graciously on Clint Bowyer this weekend.
Joseph Wolkin, Senior Writer: I’m going with Landon Cassill this weekend. He’s been outrunning those he needs to all year long, and had two great runs at Talladega last year.Â
Jeff Meyer, Senior Writer: Carl Edwards.
Tony Lumbis, Financial Manager: Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 78 team break through to get that win everyone is expecting them to get this year.
Zach Catanzareti, Contributing Writer: AJ Allmendinger will end his hate for plate racing and get the win.
Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor: Joey Logano. I gave some absolute serious consideration to David Ragan.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: Da Biff: Greg Biffle.
Mike Neff, Short Track Coordinator: Dale Jr. Duh.
Matt McLaughlin, Senior Writer: Picking a winner at a plate track is like trying to pick which fantail guppy lasts the longest in a piranha tank. Thus I’ll go off the grid and pick Danica Patrick to win. If nothing else the conspiracy theorists would have a field day with saying she got an oversize plate to help attract a new sponsor. Guppies are sentient beings and should not be fed to piranhas.
Brett Winningham, Contributing Writer: Earnhardt Jr.
Aaron Bearden, Contributing Writer: Juuuuuuuuuuunyer. It’s been a long time, and he’s been close again in the last few years.
Greg Davis, Senior Writer: I’m going with Kurt Busch (back2back)!
Phil Allaway, Senior Editor: Talladega is quite the toss-up. Assuming that he gets in the field, I’m going with David Gilliland. He’s got poles there in the past and that nice second behind Ragan.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: Danica.
Toyota Owners 400
| Writer | Pick | Finishing Position | Points |
| Matt McLaughlin | Kurt Busch | 1st | 5 |
| Jeff Wolfe | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Zach Catanzareti | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Huston Ladner | Jimmie Johnson | 3rd | 3 |
| Brett Winningham | Jimmie Johnson | 3rd | 3 |
| Joseph Wolkin | Jamie McMurray | 4th | 3 |
| Sean Fesko | Jamie McMurray | 4th | 3 |
| Mike Neff | Kyle Larson | 12th | 0 |
| Toni Montgomery | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 14th | 0 |
| Matt Stallknecht | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 14th | 0 |
| Aaron Bearden | Brad Keselowski | 17th | 0 |
| Jeff Meyer | Carl Edwards | 19th | 0 |
| Tony Lumbis | Carl Edwards | 19th | 0 |
| Amy Henderson | Denny Hamlin | 22nd | -1 |
| Mark Howell | Denny Hamlin | 22nd | -1 |
Standings
| Â Writer | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| Matt Stallknecht | 21 | — | 9 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Jeff Wolfe | 18 | -3 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Mike Neff | 16 | -5 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Sean Fesko | 16 | -5 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Huston Ladner | 15 | -6 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Matt McLaughlin | 11 | -10 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Danny Peters | 11 | -10 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Tom Bowles | 11 | -10 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Brett Winningham | 11 | -10 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Jeff Meyer | 6 | -15 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Vito Pugliese | 6 | -15 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Joseph Wolkin | 6 | -15 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Zach Catanzareti | 4 | -17 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| S.D. Grady | 4 | -17 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Amy Henderson | 3 | -18 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| David Ifeguni | 3 | -18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Phil Allaway | 2 | -19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Howell | 1 | -20 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Toni Montgomery | 1 | -20 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Tony Lumbis | -1 | -22 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Greg Davis | -2 | -23 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Aaron Bearden | -2 | -23 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Clayton Caldwell | -3 | -24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |