Dale Earnhardt Jr. knows all things racing, knows talent. In is new job as an analyst for NBC, it's his job (now) to dissect who has the best chances of winning, and where. So he sat down with ESPN and named his pick for Cup Series Champion and more.
Rookie of the year: He's going with William Byron or Bubba Wallace. My pick is Byron only because I think he has a better car and support system.
Daytona 500 winner: He's picking Joey Logano and familiarity plays a part. Junior notes that T.J. Majors, his former spotter, is working with Logano, and both are excellent at restrictor plate racing. Sorry Junior, I'm going with his teammate, Brad Keselowski.
Most popular driver: Junior won the award 15 times so he knows something -- a lot really -- about what it takes to win. He didn't make a pick here but said it will be between Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. I'm thinking Elliott is a no brainer and he's going to win it going away.
Cup Series Champion: Junior likes Kyle Busch. Vegas also likes Kyle Busch. So do I.