2016 Daytona 500, NASCAR season staff picks
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- As the NASCAR Sprint Cup season kicks off with the 58th running of the Great American Race, Paste BN Sports' NASCAR team delivers picks and predictions for the Daytona 500, the 16 Chase for the Sprint Cup qualifiers and the champion:
Jeff Gluck: @jeff_gluck
Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Chase 16: Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Jimmie Johnson; Kasey Kahne; Ryan Blaney; Brad Keselowski; Joey Logano; Ryan Newman; Kurt Busch; Kevin Harvick; Kyle Busch; Denny Hamlin; Carl Edwards; Matt Kenseth; Martin Truex Jr.; Clint Bowyer; Aric Almirola
Top 12: Earnhardt Jr.; Johnson; Blaney; Keselowski; Logano; Kurt Busch; Harvick; Kyle Busch; Hamlin; Edwards; Kenseth; Newman
Top 8: Earnhardt Jr.; Johnson; Keselowski; Logano; Harvick; Kyle Busch; Hamlin; Kenseth
Final four: Earnhardt Jr.; Logano; Busch; Hamlin
Champion: Logano
Brant James:@brantjames
Daytona 500: Brad Keselowski
Chase 16: Jimmie Johnson; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Carl Edwards; Matt Kenseth; Denny Hamlin; Kyle Busch; Kevin Harvick; Kurt Busch; Brad Keselowski; Joey Logano; Clint Bowyer; Martin Truex Jr.; Jamie McMurray; Kyle Larson; Ryan Newman; Danica Patrick
Top 12: Johnson; Earnhardt Jr.; Edwards; Hamlin; Kyle Busch; Harvick; Keselowski; Logano; Truex Jr.; McMurray; Larson; Kenseth
Top 8: Johnson; Edwards; Busch; Harvick; Keselowski; Logano; Kenseth; Truex Jr.
Final four: Johnson; Edwards; Busch; Logano
Champion: Johnson
Mike Hembree: @mikehembree
Daytona 500: Jimmie Johnson
Chase 16: Jimmie Johnson; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Brad Keselowski; Joey Logano; Kurt Busch; Kevin Harvick; Kyle Busch; Carl Edwards; Matt Kenseth; Denny Hamlin; Martin Truex Jr.; Kyle Larson; Ryan Newman; Chase Elliott; Kasey Kahne; Austin Dillon
Top 12: Johnson; Earnhardt Jr.; Keselowski; Logano; Kurt Busch; Harvick; Kyle Busch; Edwards; Kenseth; Hamlin; Truex Jr.; Newman
Top 8: Johnson; Earnhardt Jr.; Keselowski; Logano; Harvick; Kyle Busch; Kenseth; Edwards
Final four: Johnson; Logano; Harvick; Kenseth
Champion: Logano
Jeff Olson: @jeffolson77
Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Chase 16: Jimmie Johnson; Dale Earnhardt Jr.; Kevin Harvick; Joey Logano; Matt Kenseth; Kyle Busch; Carl Edwards; Martin Truex Jr.; Denny Hamlin; Jamie McMurray; Chase Elliott; Kurt Busch; Brad Keselowski; Kasey Kahne; Kyle Larson; Greg Biffle
Top 12: Johnson; Earnhardt Jr.; Harvick; Logano; Kenseth; Kyle Busch; Carl Edwards; Denny Hamlin; Chase Elliott; Kurt Busch; Brad Keselowski; Kyle Larson
Top 8: Johnson; Earnhardt Jr.; Harvick; Logano; Kenseth; Kyle Busch; Hamlin; Keselowski
Final four: Harvick; Logano; Busch; Hamlin
Champion: Logano
Heather Tucker: @HeatherR_Tucker
Daytona 500: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Chase 16: Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson.
Top 12: Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Kenseth, Hamlin, Harvick, Kurt Busch, Logano, Keselowski, Truex Jr., Newman, Bowyer.
Top 8: Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Harvick, Logano, Keselowski, Truex Jr.
Final four: Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin, Logano
Champion: Johnson
PHOTOS: NASCAR Cup champions