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: Bank of America 500
Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: With nothing to race for but wins, Jimmie Johnson gets No. 5 on the year.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Since autumn makes me sentimental, my pick for Charlotte is Jeff Gordon.
Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor: Kasey Kahne.
Matt McLaughlin, Senior Writer: Well since the editors have sharpened their scalpels this week I’ll go with Matt Kenseth.
Joseph Wolkin, Assistant Editor: That Kenseth guy.Â
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: Since I didn’t pick him last week… Kevin Harvick.
Zach Catanzareti, Contributing Writer: Denny Hamlin.
Aaron Bearden, Assistant Editor: Matty Ice (Kenseth).
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: Kenseth.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: Harvick. Yawn.
Jerry Jordan, Contributing Writer: Kurt Busch.
Mike Neff, Short Track Coordinator: I’ll take Kyle Busch for his first career Cup win at Charlotte.
Greg Davis, Senior Writer: Harvick (in back-to-back wins).
Phil Allaway, Senior Editor: I’m going with Carl Edwards.
Results: AAA 400
| Writer | Pick | Finishing Position | Points |
| Matt Stallknecht | Kevin Harvick | 1st | 5 |
| Vito Pugliese | Kevin Harvick | 1st | 5 |
| Aaron Bearden | Kyle Busch | 2nd | 3 |
| Matt McLaughlin | Dale Eanrhardt Jr. | 3rd | 3 |
| Sean Fesko | Matt Kenseth | 7th | 1 |
| Toni Montgomery | Matt Kenseth | 7th | 3 |
| Huston Ladner | Joey Logano | 10th | 1 |
| Amy Henderson | Martin Truex Jr. | 11th | 0 |
| Tony Lumbis | Carl Edwards | 15th | 0 |
| Zach Catanzareti | Brad Keselowski | 16th | 0 |
| Jerry Jordan | Tony Stewart | 26th | -1 |
| Mark Howell | Jimmie Johnson | 41st | -3 |
| Jeff Wolfe | Jimmie Johnson | 41st | -3 |
| Joseph Wolkin | Jimmie Johnson | 41st | -3 |
| Danny Peters | Jimmie Johnson | 41st | -3 |
| Mike Neff | Jimmie Johnson | 41st | -3 |
| Clayton Caldwell | Jimmie Johnson | 41st | -3 |
Standings
| Â Writer | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| Matt Stallknecht | 65 | — | 29 | 9 | 16 | 22 |
| Aaron Bearden | 46 | -19 | 28 | 3 | 14 | 21 |
| Mike Neff | 43 | -22 | 26 | 6 | 12 | 16 |
| Jeff Wolfe | 41 | -23 | 27 | 5 | 14 | 19 |
| Huston Ladner | 41 | -24 | 26 | 2 | 11 | 19 |
| Matt McLaughlin | 34 | -31Â | 28 | 3 | 10 | 15 |
| Amy Henderson | 26 | -39 | 29 | 4 | 8 | 15 |
| Vito Pugliese | 23 | -42 | 24 | 2 | 10 | 14 |
| Mark Howell | 21 | -44 | 29 | 1 | 8 | 13 |
| Toni Montgomery | 21 | -44 | 29 | 3 | 9 | 14 |
| Zach Catanzareti | 20 | -45 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Brett Winningham | 19 | -46 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Danny Peters | 19 | -47 | 25 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
| Sean Fesko | 18 | -48 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 14 |
| Tom Bowles | 15 | -50 | 19 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Tony Lumbis | 15 | -50 | 29 | 1 | 6 | 13 |
| Joseph Wolkin | 13 | -52 | 28 | 2 | 7 | 11 |
| Phil Allaway | 7 | -58 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Jeff Meyer | 5 | -60 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| S.D. Grady | 4 | -61 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| David Ifeguni | 3 | -62 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Jerry Jordan | 2 | -63 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Clayton Caldwell | 0 | -65 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Greg Davis | -1 | -66 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Dan Greene | -1 | -66 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
About the author
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.
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11 Chasers qualified in the top 15. The nerve of the Futile Four. Brian will see that there are repercussions, except for the 48.
Good thinking, Amy.
I don’t quite understand this fantasy points system and it’s boring. How can Greg Davis have one negative point? He’s got a win and I thought he was guaranteed a playoff position. Stallknecht is way ahead in another zip code and I’ve heard his daily driver is a Toyota. Coincidence??? I think not. Surely there is a way to make this fantasy points race more competitive and interesting. Just spit balling while outside my box, I would suggest it’s time for a debris on the Frontstretch caution flag, an elimination, a playoff or something. There is something wrong when a Fantasy sport has more integrity than the show it’s based on.
Not one right pick and it’s not like Logano was a longshot. I know… hindsight is 20/20.
Yeo, no joy here in Mudville this week. Thought I was sitting pretty for the first 72 laps but Gibbs decision to have the 3 Stooges pit Kenseth did me in.
As to J. Smith’s comment, there’s one flaw to the game I have tried to point out, but I was loudly booed down at the staff meeting here in the palatial FS world headquarters, had rotten fruit tossed at me, and lost my reserved parking spot. The maximum points swing per round is 8. (5 points to pick winner versus -3 to for picking a driver who finishes 41st, 42nd, or 43rd.) In a race like Talladega if you’re points racing (as in trying to protect your position not take over the spot above you) your best option is not to play that round at all. By not playing you get 0 points, the same as someone who picks a driver who finishes 11th through 20th. Thus if Matt S sits out the next four races and Aaron picks the winner for each race (a statistical anomaly) Matt would resume the contest down by one point My suggestion was if you miss a round you get -10 points. Look at the standings above to see how that would have things shaken up right now. (Yes, I’m being self serving. I’d be in third.)