Only nine races remain in the 2017 season, and those nine races will determine the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.
Martin Truex Jr. won the first race of the postseason, and he automatically qualified for the Round of 12. Four NASCAR analysts--Kenny Bruce, Holly Cain, Zack Albert and Jonathan Merryman--made their predictions for the 2017 champion and who would be the final four drivers competing for the champions.
All four analysts picked different champions. Merryman's final four included Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson, and he went with the favorite in Truex as his champion. "Homestead starts during the day and ends at night, 78 team's bread and butter," Merryman said. "Predicted radio chatter 'Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champ... MTJ.'"
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Albert also included Truex, Busch and Larson in his final four, but he had Denny Hamlin in the mix instead of Johnson. Albert picked Kyle Larson to win the championship. "First-time coronation for Larson, who edges out Truex with his flair for Homestead's well-worn surface," Albert said.
Cain's final four is the most surprising considering it doesn't include Kyle Busch. Instead, it includes Truex, Larson, Johnson and Kevin Harvick. She also picked Johnson to win his eighth championship. "Yep, No. 8! No matter what's thrown at them, this team succeeds," Cain wrote.
Bruce chose the most surprising winner of the four analysts. He had Truex, Larson and Busch in the final four, but he also included Matt Kenseth. He believes Kenseth will win his second championship this season. "Because karma is a beautiful thing," Bruce said, referring to Joe Gibbs Racing's decision not to renew Kenseth's contract.
Here are my predictions for each round of the postseason:
First four out: Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Round of 8: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth.
Championship Four: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kyl`qe Larson, Kevin Harvick
Champion: Martin Truex Jr. Truex has been the best driver this season, and quite frankly, he's due to win a title. The 37-year-old has dominated this season, and he has one of the fastest cars in the field. He might be the best driver in NASCAR without a championship, and I think he edges out Busch in a tight race at Homestead.
Who do you think wins it all?
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(h/t NASCAR.com)