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: Ford EcoBoost 400
Tom Bowles, Majority Owner: My heart says Jeff Gordon. My head says Kevin Harvick. The way this season has gone? I’ll go with Martin Truex Jr. for both the win AND the title. That might be the best possible outcome for the sport long-term.
Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: Jimmie Johnson checks another track off the list. Champion? Hell if I know who wins the crapshoo—er, title.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Call me nostalgic or sentimental, but I’m choosing Gordon. He has shown us his ability to excel when it counts, and this is one time when it most certainly counts.
Toni Montgomery, Senior Editor: Let’s go with Harvick. I’m not really sorry if I jinx him.
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: HARVICK!
Zach Catanzareti, Contributor: Harvick for the championship aaaaand Brad Keselowski for the win.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: Race: Johnson. Title: Harvick.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: Race and title winner: Harvick.
Jerry Jordan, Contributor: Kurt Busch for the win and Kyle Busch for champion.
Matt Stallknecht, Senior Editor: Race and title: Gordon.
Sean Fesko, Contributor: Race and title: Gordon.
Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer: Joey Logano for the win, Truex for the title.
Matt McLaughlin, Senior Writer: Based on sentiment (and qualifying) Gordon. Harvick for champion. Yes, I know that’s impossible. It’s called hedging your bets.
Joseph Wolkin, Assistant Editor: I seem to be the ultimate jinx and I don’t want to jinx a title favorite, so I’ll go with Greg Biffle for the race win.
Aaron Bearden, Assistant Editor: Going Kyle Busch all the way, for better or for worse. I picked him for the title and it’ll probably take a win to accomplish it.
Greg Davis, Senior Writer: Race and the Cup: Harvick (back-to-back champ).
Results: Quicken Loans 500
| Writer | Pick | Finishing Position | Points |
| Toni Montgomery | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Jeff Wolfe | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Sean Fesko | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Matt McLaughlin | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Greg Davis | Kevin Harvick | 2nd | 3 |
| Matt Stallknecht | Joey Logano | 3rd | 3 |
| Mark Howell | Kyle Busch | 4th | 3 |
| Amy Henderson | Jimmie Johnson | 5th | 3 |
| Huston Ladner | Jimmie Johnson | 5th | 3 |
| Jerry Jordan | Kurt Busch | 7th | 1 |
| Mike Neff | Kurt Busch | 7th | 1 |
| Danny Peters | Brad Keselowski | 9th | 1 |
| Vito Pugliese | Brad Keselowski | 9th | 1 |
| Aaron Bearden | Brad Keselowski | 9th | 1 |
| Joseph Wolkin | Carl Edwards | 12th | 0 |
| Zach Catanzareti | Jamie McMurray | 15th | 0 |
Standings
| Â Writer | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| Matt Stallknecht | 71 | — | 35 | 10 | 19 | 25 |
| Mike Neff | 51 | -20 | 32 | 6 | 14 | 20 |
| Jeff Wolfe | 51 | -20 | 33 | 5 | 17 | 23 |
| Aaron Bearden | 50 | -21 | 33 | 3 | 16 | 24 |
| Huston Ladner | 46 | -25 | 32 | 2 | 14 | 23 |
| Matt McLaughlin | 37 | -34Â | 33 | 4 | 12 | 17 |
| Vito Pugliese | 36 | -35 | 29 | 3 | 13 | 19 |
| Mark Howell | 31 | -40 | 35 | 2 | 10 | 16 |
| Zach Catanzareti | 30 | -41 | 31 | 1 | 10 | 18 |
| Danny Peters | 29 | -42 | 31 | 3 | 11 | 17 |
| Toni Montgomery | 29 | -42 | 35 | 4 | 12 | 18 |
| Amy Henderson | 27 | -44 | 35 | 4 | 9 | 18 |
| Sean Fesko | 24 | -47 | 28 | 2 | 4 | 17 |
| Tony Lumbis | 24 | -47 | 32 | 1 | 9 | 16 |
| Tom Bowles | 23 | -48 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| Brett Winningham | 19 | -52 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Joseph Wolkin | 12 | -59 | 34 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
| Phil Allaway | 8 | -63 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Greg Davis | 8 | -63 | 28 | 1 | 6 | 13 |
| Jerry Jordan | 6 | -65 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 9 |
| Jeff Meyer | 5 | -66 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| S.D. Grady | 4 | -67 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| David Ifeguni | 3 | -68 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Dan Greene | -1 | -72 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clayton Caldwell | -2 | -73 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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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I’m always with the little guys – even I like Jeff Gordon. That #78 car for the title and Bad Brad for the win.
How could anyone who pays attention pick a driver not in the Lucky Four?
I pick… Aw, who cares.
How about which non-Chaser crew chief gets called to the NASCAR hauler for their driver daring to race with the Final Four? Remember Chad getting sent to the principal’s office mid-race last year while Jimmie had the nerve to not want to be one of the 39 props?
“Martin Truex going for the title”….seriously, does that not reek of stupidity and falseness on every possible level? As well as Jeff Gordon and Busch, but yet the narrative is, it is the most organic and the truest thing in the universe. OMG. Blinders on, 4 race tomorrow, “they battle like no others all year”, and one will be crowded the “true Champ” in Nascar’s WWE eyes over a 36 race period, in reality a faux climb to a final 4. And then the joker gets crowned. Same thing last year. Happy Holidays to all. May Nascar grow a brain and realize what is wrong, not that they will..but a least for the thousands employed by a once great American Sport and at least think of them and their families. This nonsense of blinders on to the truth cannot be sustained.