Welcome to our 10th 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: STP 500
Amy Henderson: Stage 1: Chase Elliott, Stage 2: Clint Bowyer, Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Corey Brewer: Stage 1: Martin Truex Jr, Stage 2: Kyle Busch, Race Winner: Kyle Busch
Dan Greene: Stage 1: Â Denny Hamlin, Stage 2: Kyle Busch, Race Winner: Â Clint Bowyer
Mark Howell: Stage 1:  Denny Hamlin , Stage 2: Chase Elliott, Race Winner:  Kyle Busch
Dustin Albino: Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Kyle Busch, Race Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Clayton Caldwell: Stage 1: Brad Keselowski, Stage 2: Denny Hamlin, Winner: Clint Bowyer
Joseph Wolkin: Stage 1: Joey Logano, Stage 2: Chase Elliott, Race Winner: Joey Logano
Huston Ladner: Stage 1: Â Joey Logano, Stage 2: Denny Hamlin, Race Winner: Â Kyle Busch
Frank Velat: Stage 1: Joey Logano, Stage 2: Martin Truex, Jr., Race Winner: Kyle BuschÂ
Michael Massie: Stage 1: Chase Elliott, Stage 2: Brad Keselowski, Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Bryan Gable: Stage 1: Martin Truex Jr., Stage 2: Brad Keselowski, Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Greg Davis: Stage 1: Chase Elliott, Stage 2: Kurt Busch, Race Winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Wolfe: Stage 1: Denny Hamlin, Stage 2: Denny Hamlin, Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Davey Segal: Stage 1: Joey Logano, Stage 2: Jimmie Johnson, Race Winner: Joey Logano
Results: Auto Club 400
| Writer | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Race Winner | Winner Pick Finish | Points |
| Vito Pugliese | Kyle Larson | Martin Truex, Jr. | Kyle Larson | 1st | 8 |
| Frank Velat | Kyle Larson | Joey Logano | Kyle Larson | 1st | 6 |
| Davey Segal | Kyle Larson | Kyle Larson | Kyle Larson | 1st | 6 |
| Jeff Wolfe | Denny Hamlin | Brad Keselowski | Kyle Larson | 1st | 5 |
| Dustin Albino | Denny Hamlin | Jamie McMurray | Kyle Larson | 1st | 5 |
| Huston Ladner | Kyle Busch | Kevin Harvick | Kyle Larson | 1st | 5 |
| Greg Davis | Kyle Larson | Brad Keselowski | Clint Bowyer | 3rd | 4 |
| Mark Howell | Kevin Harvick | Kyle Busch | Clint Bowyer | 3rd | 3 |
| Amy Henderson | Kyle Larson | Kyle Larson | Martin Truex, Jr. | 4th | 4 |
| Corey Brewer | Kyle Larson | Denny Hamlin | Kyle Busch | 8th | 2 |
| Bryan Gable | Denny Hamlin | Kyle Larson | Kyle Busch | 8th | 1 |
| Clayton Caldwell | Kyle Larson | Martin Truex, Jr. | Kevin Harvick | 13th | 2 |
| Michael Massie | Kyle Larson | Martin Truex, Jr. | Jimmie Johnson | 21st | 1 |
Standings
| Â Writer | Points | Behind | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| Clayton Caldwell | 14 | — | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Amy Henderson | 13 | -1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Dustin Albino | 13 | -1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Jeff Wolfe | 12 | -2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Mark Howell | 12 | -2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Michael Massie | 11 | -3 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| John Douglas | 8 | -6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Corey Brewer | 8 | -6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Bryan Gable | 7 | -7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Frank Velat | 6 | -8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Davey Segal | 6 | -8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Vito Pugliese | 6 | -8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Huston Ladner | 5 | -9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Michael Finley | 4 | -10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Greg Davis | 3 | -11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Dan Greene | 1 | -13 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Phil Allaway | 0 | -14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Bowles | 0 | -14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Catanzareti | -1 | -15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joseph Wolkin | -3 | -17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Peters | -3 | -17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |