USA TODAY Sports’ Brant James gives his preview thoughts on the great American race. USA TODAY Sports
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As the NASCAR Sprint Cup season kicks off with the 58th running of the Great American Race, USA TODAY Sports’ NASCAR team delivers picks and predictions for the Daytona 500, the 16 Chase for the Sprint Cup qualifiers and the champion:
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
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Dale Earnhardt, celebrating his final title with his wife Teresa, won seven championships (1980, ’86, ’87, ’90, ’91, ’93, ’94). He was from Kannapolis, N.C. Ruth Fremson, AP
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