Well, the offseason is over, personnel from all three of the touring series will becoming “travelers”, some of the haulers have unloaded at Daytona, and the Advance Auto Parts Clash took the checkered flag this past Sunday.  That means that there is just a few days until the activities crank up and shift into high gear at “The World Center of Speed”!

For the last couple of years I have jotted down my pre-season pick to win the Cup championship prior to the running of the Daytona 500.  I neatly tuck that choice away in a place that I won’t forget where I put it, (does that sound familiar to anyone?) so that I can review that pick once the season is over at Homestead.  This year I have enlisted the players of the Fantasy League a couple of weeks ago via email to respond with their choices. Nine players responded with their not-so-surprising choices.

Herein lies their responses.

A trio of players is hoping that the 2015 champion, Kyle Busch, can add a second ring to his finger and bring home the championship hardware.  That trio includes Jim, aka Chiefy, Bobby Blue Crush, and Karen The Highly Opinionated Southern Belle.  It did take Joe Gibbs Racing many races, about 15 in all, before any of those teams visited Victory Lane.  However, once JGR figured out the 2018 Camry, three of the four teams began dominating the races.

Meanwhile, Doug The Gandy Candy Man and Leon Your Most Humble Sheriff are backing “Young Money”, Kyle Larson for another run at the championship in 2018.  Young Money, had a career year, winning four races.  Once the playoffs began when the wheels just fell off of his hot rod.  Last year Larson proved that all the hype that preceded him to NASCAR was all based in fact.  That, in fact, this young man is a very talented race car driver.

Likewise, Edie The Las Vegas Super Star and Kathy The Church Forecloser are putting all their marbles in the marble sack of the reigning MENCS champion, Martin Truex, Jr.  As well as Truex ran all season, and his uncanny ability to win of the mile and a half tracks, fuels these two ladies to think that Truex can go back-to-back this season.

Lonna The Quilt Angel is backing another former MENCS champion, Kevin Harvick, to add the 2018 Cup championship to his resume.  Now that Stewart-Hass Racing has successfully negotiated the transition from Chevy to Ford last year Harvick may be a force to contend with in 2018.

Lastly, Jeremy, The Coach has weighed in with his pick of Danny Hamlin.  Reflecting back on 2017, Hamlin came on fairly strong in the closing races in The Playoffs.  JGR got the Camry figured out and they clicked off a few wins as the season wound down.

As I mentioned previously, it will be very interesting to revisit this post after we have “traveled” around this country to 25 race tracks, and the checkered flag has flown at Homestead.  Maybe next year more players may want to contribute their predictions!

TIL NEXT TIME, PULL YOUR GLOVES UP, FLIP YOUR VISOR DOWN, AND LET’S GO RACIN’!