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: MyAFibRisk.com 400
Tom Bowles, Editor-In-Chief: I think Kevin Harvick comes out and shows why the No. 4 car dominated the regular season. Statement win to start the Chase.
Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: Give me Jimmie Johnson. He can’t suck at Chicago forever, right?
Matt Stallknecht, Senior Editor: Joey Logano.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: My pick for Joliet is Martin Truex Jr.
Tony Lumbis, Financial Manager: Harvick.
Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor: Matt Kenseth.
Matt McLaughlin, Senior Writer: Let’s see if the autumnal alarm clock has gone off at the 48/88 shop and go with Johnson.
Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer: Harvick.
Joseph Wolkin, Assistant Editor: Logano.
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: Harvick says they are going to crush the JGR cars, so for a second I thought maybe he was talking about Monster Trucks. But anyway, I’ll go with Harvick as usual.
Zach Catanzareti, Contributing Writer: Kenseth.
Aaron Bearden, Assistant Editor: Kyle Busch starts his first championship run off with a win.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: JoLo, yo
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: Hurts my soul to predict this, but I’m going for pencil neck Logano.
Jerry Jordan, Contributing Writer: Tony Stewart. He’s done it here before.
Phil Allaway, Senior Editor: I’m going to go with Brad Keselowski to tie Stewart with his third Joliet win.
Results: Federated Auto Parts 400
Writer | Pick | Finishing Position | Points |
Matt Stallknecht | Kyle Busch | 2nd | 3 |
Toni Montgomery | Joey Logano | 3rd | 3 |
Aaron Bearden | Joey Logano | 3rd | 3 |
Huston Ladner | Joey Logano | 3rd | 3 |
Jerry Jordan | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 5th | 3 |
Tom Bowles | Denny Hamlin | 6th | 1 |
Tony Lumbis | Denny Hamlin | 6th | 1 |
Danny Peters | Denny Hamlin | 6th | 1 |
Zach Catanzareti | Brad Keselowski | 8th | 1 |
Amy Henderson | Clint Bowyer | 10th | 1 |
Joseph Wolkin | Kyle Larson | 12th | 0 |
Mark Howell | Kevin Harvick | 14th | 0 |
Matt McLaughlin | Kevin Harvick | 14th | 0 |
Sean Fesko | Kevin Harvick | 14th | 0 |
Jeff Wolfe | Kevin Harvick | 14th | 0 |
Vito Pugliese | Kurt Busch | 15th | 0 |
Greg Davis | Tony Stewart | 29th | -1 |
Standings
Writer | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
Matt Stallknecht | 54 | — | 26 | 7 | 14 | 19 |
Jeff Wolfe | 48 | -6 | 24 | 5 | 14 | 19 |
Mike Neff | 46 | -8 | 23 | 6 | 12 | 16 |
Aaron Bearden | 39 | -15 | 25 | 3 | 12 | 18 |
Huston Ladner | 36 | -18 | 23 | 2 | 10 | 16 |
Matt McLaughlin | 31 | -23 | 25 | 3 | 9 | 14 |
Mark Howell | 26 | -28 | 26 | 1 | 8 | 13 |
Vito Pugliese | 23 | -31 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 13 |
Amy Henderson | 23 | -31 | 26 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
Danny Peters | 21 | -33 | 22 | 2 | 8 | 12 |
Brett Winningham | 19 | -35 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
Sean Fesko | 19 | -35 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
Tom Bowles | 18 | -36 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
Joseph Wolkin | 16 | -38 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
Tony Lumbis | 15 | -39 | 26 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
Zach Catanzareti | 14 | -40 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
Toni Montgomery | 14 | -40 | 26 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
Phil Allaway | 6 | -48 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Jeff Meyer | 5 | -49 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Jerry Jordan | 5 | -49 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
S.D. Grady | 4 | -50 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Clayton Caldwell | 3 | -51 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
David Ifeguni | 3 | -51 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Greg Davis | 1 | -53 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
Dan Greene | -1 | -55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Frontstretch Staff is made up of a group of talented men and women spread out all over the United States and Canada. Residing in 15 states throughout the country, plus Ontario, and widely ranging in age, the staff showcases a wide variety of diverse opinions that will keep you coming back for more week in and week out.
Ok, I can’t afford to forget to post my prediction two weeks in a row. Gonna go out on a limb and take Jimmie Johnson