Fearless NASCAR Predictions - Dover

Most weeks, the people who run this blog already know by Friday evening who seems to be likely candidates for our weekly predictions about which NASCAR drivers will finish in the top 10 for that week's race.

Then you have weeks like this one.

First, Denny Hamlin disputed Clint Bowyer's account of how his car failed its inspection. Then, Kevin Harvick decided to use Saturday's practice session not to get his car ready for Sunday's Sprint Cup race, but to express his displeasure with Hamlin.

As of this writing, both Hamlin and Harvick are still scheduled to drive the race at Dover International Speedway. However, since they still might turn that race into their own personal demolition derby, neither driver will appear in these predictions. (Neither will Bowyer, whose crew chief has been suspended for six races.)

As for last week's forecasts, they went 5-5, leaving us with a season record of 124-136.

Now, on to this week's predictions.

1. Jimmie Johnson. Four Cups, the pole and the ability to drive away from Harvick and/or Hamlin if either driver still has any residual anger.

2. Kyle Busch. Who benefits when the points leader has a dispute with the driver in second place? The driver in third place, of course.

3. Jeff Gordon. Unless it's the driver who leaped up to fourth place.

4. Matt Kenseth. Since he is appearing in the People's Pitstop lineup for the last time this season, he might as well make the most of it.

5. Tony Stewart. He probably would rather be known for something other than the answer to the trivia question "Who was the last driver other than Johnson to win the Cup?"

6. Greg Biffle. Of the top 10 qualifiers for this race, only five are participating in the Chase for the Cup: Johnson, Biffle, the ineligible-for-these-picks Hamlin ...

7 and 8. Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards. ... and these two.

9. Juan Pablo Montoya. Would you have guessed that, among non-Chase drivers, Montoya has the most top 10 finishes this season (13)? Neither would we.

10. A.J. Allmendinger. This week's medium to long shot was an easy pick. Allmendinger, by hook or by crook, is starting on the front row.

Remember that the lineup polls for the People's Pigskin are still open. You have until Sunday morning to help the Internet's favorite fantasy football team defeat the Chicago VinSethBears and raise its record to 3-0. Please vote now.

We'll be back with the poll results.