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2017 Frontstretch Cup: Kobalt 400 Predictions

Welcome to our tenth 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 writer picks the drivers they they think will win the first two stages and the overall race.  We can’t pick the same driver two weeks in a row or more than four times in a season. The first two stages pay one bonus point, with three bonus points if someone can get all three winners correct.  Overall race points remain the same:

Prediction Scoring
+5 – Win
+3 – 2nd-5th
+1 – 6th-10th
0 – 11th-20th
-1 – 21st-30th
-2 – 31st-36th
-3 – 37th-40th

This week’s predictions: Kobalt 400

Amy Henderson, Senior Editor: Stage 1: Martin Truex, Jr., Stage 2: Brad Keselowski, Race Winner: Brad Keselowski
Corey Brewer, Staff Writer:
Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Brad Keselowski, Race Winner: Brad Keselowski
Dan Greene, Webmaster:
Stage 1: Martin Truex, Jr., Stage 2: Chase Elliot, Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
Vito Pugliese, Senior Writer:
Stage 1: Martin Truex, Jr., Stage 2: Kevin Harvick, Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
Joseph Wolkin, Assistant Editor:
Stage 1: Kyle Busch, Stage 2: Kevin Harvick, Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
Mark Howell, Senior Writer: Stage 1:  Jimmie Johnson, Stage 2:  Kevin Harvick, Race Winner:  Joey Logano
Dustin Albino, Assistant Editor: Stage 1: Martin Truex Jr., Stage 2: Matt Kenseth, Race Winner: Joey Logano 
Clayton Caldwell, Staff Writer:
Stage 1: Kyle Larson, Stage 2: Martin Truex, Jr., Race Winner: Martin Truex, Jr.
Huston Ladner, Senior Editor:
Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Ryan Blaney, Race Winner: Kyle Busch
Greg Davis, Staff Writer: Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Kevin Harvick, Race Winner: Clint Bowyer
Frank Velat, Staff Writer: Stage 1: Denny Hamlin, Stage 2: Martin Truex, Jr., Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
Michael Massie, Staff Writer:
Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Brad Keselowski, Race Winner: Matt Kenseth
Bryan Gable, Staff Writer: Stage 1: Martin Truex, Jr., Stage 2: Martin Truex, Jr., Race Winner: Matt Kenseth
Jeff Wolfe, Senior Writer:
Stage 1: Chase Elliott, Stage 2: Kevin  Harvick, Race Winner: Kevin Harvick 
Davey Segal, Staff Writer:
Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Chase Elliott, Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
John Douglas, Staff Writer:
Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Martin Truex Jr., Stage 3: Brad Keselowski

Results: Folds of Honor Quik Trip 500

Writer Stage 1 Stage 2 Race Winner Winner Pick Finish Points
Jeff Wolfe Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson Brad Keselowski 1st 6
Mark Howell Kevin Harvick Chase Elliott Kyle Larson 2nd 4
Amy Henderson Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson Chase Elliott 5th 4
Dan Greene Kevin Harvick Martin Truex, Jr. Chase Elliott 5th 4
Michael Finley Kevin Harvick Chase Elliott Chase Elliott 5th 4
Dustin Albino Kevin Harvick Joey Logano Chase Elliott 5th 4
Bryan Gable Kevin Harvick Kyle Larson Chase Elliott 5th 4
Davey Segal Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson Chase Elliott 5th 4
Michael Massie Kyle Busch Kevin Harvick Chase Elliott 5th 4
Huston Ladner Kevin Harvick Brad Keselowski Joey Logano 6th 2
Clayton Caldwell Brad Keselowski Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick 9th 2
Frank Velat Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson Kevin Harvick 9 2
Vito Pugliese Kyle Busch Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch 16th 1
John Douglas Kyle Larson Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson 19th 1
Joseph Wolkin Ryan Newman Kevin Harvick Jimmie Johnson 19th 1
Mike Neff Chase Elliott Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Jimmie Johnson 19th 0
Corey Brewer Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 30th 0

 

Standings

 Writer Points Behind Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10
Michael Massie 7 2 0 2 2
Jeff Wolfe 6 -1 2 1 1 1
Michael Finley 4 -3 2 0 1 1
Dan Greene 3 -4 2 0 1 1
Clayton Caldwell 2 -5 2 0 0 1
Bryan Gable 2 -5 2 0 1 1
Dustin Albino 2 -5 2 0 1 1
Mark Howell 2 -5 2 0 1 1
Corey Brewer 1 -6 2 0 0 1
Frank Velat 1 -6 2 0 0 1
Amy Henderson 1 -6 2 0 1 1
Davey Segal 1 -6 2 0 1 1
Huston Ladner 0 -7 2 0 0 1
Phil Allaway 0 -7 1 0 0 0
Tom Bowles 0 -7 1 0 0 0
John Douglas 0 -7 2 0 0 0
Joseph Wolkin 0 -7 2 0 0 0
Zach Catanzareti -1 -8 1 0 0 0
Vito Pugliese -2 -9 2 0 0 0
Greg Davis -2 -9 1 0 0 0
Danny Peters -3 -10 1 0 0 0

 

 

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.