Welcome back for another year of staff predictions. Each week our writers duke it out to see who will reign supreme, and with a few tweaks to the rules for 2016, it’s sure to be a closer battle than ever.
This week, racing is back, baby, and we’re ready! Check out our picks for the Daytona 500 and see how yours stack up.
How we roll:
Each driver can be picked only twice each week. We can’t pick the same driver two weeks in a row. And if anyone is daring enough to pick from a pool of higher-risk drivers…well, he or she reaps some serious bonus points…but it’s not without its risks!
Points:
Win: +5 (High risk pick: +8)
2nd-5th: +3 (High risk pick: +5)
6th-10th: +1 (High risk pick: +2)
11th-20th: 0
21st-30th: -1
31st-36th: -2
37th-40th: -3
Daytona 500
High-risk drivers:
Robert Richardson, Jr.
Michael McDowell
Matt DiBenedetto
AJ Allmendinger
Michael Annett
Bobby Labonte
Landon Cassill
This week’s predictions:
Tom Bowles, Editor-In-Chief: Kyle Busch will bring Joe Gibbs Racing their first Daytona 500 win since 1993.
Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: I said earlier this week Casey Mears was one to watch, and he proved it in his duel right up until he ran out of fuel. I don’t love his starting position, but I think he’s got a good enough car to make up a lot of spots.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: I’ll take Kyle Busch for the win.
Clayton Caldwell, Contributor: I’ll take McMurray and hope he doesn’t wreck the field like he did on his Duel.
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: Since I picked him earlier this week I will go with Ryan Blaney.
Zach Catanzareti, Contributor: I’ll have Jimmie J.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: Carl Edwards.
Kevin Rutherford, Managing Editor: Matt Kenseth.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: I’ll take the No. 11, please!
Jeff Meyer, Semi-retired Contributor: I got Carl Edwards.
Tony Lumbis, Financial Manager: Kurt Busch.
Mike Neff, Short Track Coordinator: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Sean Fesko, Contributor: Denny Hamlin breaks the Joe Gibbs Racing 500 drought by holding Junior off on the last lap.
Summer Bedgood, Senior Editor: Kurt Busch.
Dan Greene, Webmaster: The website guy wants to play this year. I’ll take Joey Logano.
Joseph Wolkin, Assistant Editor: Greg Biffle.
Aaron Bearden, Assistant Editor: Aight, give me @Keselowski.
Phil Allaway, Newsletter Editor: I like the new high-risk bonus. It’s enticing. Probably could have snagged those big 8 points at Talladega when David Ragan won in 2013. On that note, I’m taking Landon Cassill. I’m going ultra-aggressive this week.
Vito Pugliese: Senior Writer: Give me Dale Jr. for win #3….oh what a coinky!
Jerry Jordan, Contributor: I’ll take Joey Logano.
Bryan Gable, Contributor: I’ll take Brad Keselowski.
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.