Welcome to our ninth 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!
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!
Prediction Scoring
+5 – Win
+3 – 2nd-5th
+1 – 6th-10th
0 – 11th-20th
-1 – 21st-30th
-2 – 31st-36th
-3 – 37th-40th
High-Risk Drivers—Phoenix:
Trevor Bayne
Cole Whitt
Michael McDowell
Brian Scott
Landon Cassill
Matt DiBenedetto
Michael Annett
This week’s predictions: Good Sam 400
Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: I’m going with Kevin Harvick, which is sure to jinx him terribly for whoever else takes him…
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer: Joey Logano.
Matt Stallknecht, Senior Editor: Kurt Busch.
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. for the win. An added prediction: he’ll propose to Danica in Victory Lane.
Jeff Meyer, Semi-retired Contributor: Carl Edwards.
Aaron Bearden, Assistant Editor: #BoomConfetti…JimmieJohnson.
Tony Lumbis, Financial Manager: Matt DiBenedetto.
Joseph Wolkin, Assistant Editor: Paul Menard.
Zach Catanzareti, Contributor: Austin Dilly.
Jason Schultz, Contributor: Kyle Busch.
Danny Peters, Senior Writer: Kyle Busch.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor: Jimmie Johnson.
Dustin Albino, Contributor: Martin Truex, Jr.
Greg Davis, Senior Writer:Â Trevor Bayne (because why not?)
Clayton Caldwell, Contributor: Brad Keselowski.
Bryan Gable, Contributor: I’ll take Dale Jr.
Sean Fesko, Contributor: Dale Jr.
Michael Finley, Contributor: Kevin Harvick.
Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer: Kurt Busch.
Kobalt 400
Writer | Pick | Finishing Position | Points |
Dustin Albino | Brad Keselowski | 1st | 5 |
Bryan Gable | Joey Logano | 2nd | 3 |
Sean Fesko | Jimmie Johnson | 3rd | 3 |
Mike Neff | Jimmie Johnson | 3rd | 3 |
Jeff Wolfe | Kyle Busch | 4th | 3 |
Aaron Bearden | Kyle Busch | 4th | 3 |
Danny Peters | Kevin Harvick | 7th | 1 |
Dan Greene | Kevin Harvick | 7th | 1 |
Matt Stallknecht | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 8th | 1 |
Joseph Wolkin | Kurt Busch | 9th | 1 |
Vito Pugliese | Kurt Busch | 9th | 1 |
Huston Ladner | Kasey Kahne | 10th | 1 |
Jeff Meyer | Martin Truex, Jr. | 11th | 0 |
Clayton Caldwell | Ryan Newman | 13th | 0 |
Zach Catanzareti | Paul Menard | 15th | 0 |
Mark Howell | Carl Edwards | 18th | 0 |
Tony Lumbis | Carl Edwards | 18th | 0 |
Phil Allaway | Denny Hamlin | 19th | 0 |
Michael Finley | Aric Almirola | 24th | -1 |
Kevin Rutherford | Aric Almirola | 24th | -1 |
Amy Henderson | Matt Kenseth | 37th | -3 |
Jason Schultz | Matt Kenseth | 37th | -3 |
Standings
 Writer | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
Sean Fesko | 11 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Dustin Albino | 10 | -1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Jeff Meyer | 6 | -5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Danny Peters | 6 | -5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Huston Ladner | 4 | -7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Mark Howell | 4 | -7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Jerry Jordan | 4 | -7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Jeff Wolfe | 4 | -7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Mike Neff | 4 | -7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Bryan Gable | 4 | -7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Dan Greene | 3 | -8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Tom Bowles | 3 | -8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Aaron Bearden | 3 | -8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Matt Stallknecht | 2 | -9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Clayton Caldwell | 1 | -10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Tony Lumbis | 1 | -10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Summer Bedgood | 1 | -10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Amy Henderson | 0 | -11 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Jason Schultz | 0 | -11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Zach Catanzareti | 0 | -11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Vito Pugliese | 0 | -11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Joseph Wolkin | -1 | -12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kevin Rutherford | -2 | -13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Phil Allaway | -2 | -13 | 3 | 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.
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Not the obviously “Where did he came from” but #21 Ryan Blaney for the second time