NASCAR.com’s Zack Albert, Kenny Bruce and Holly Cain make their predictions for the 2016 NASCAR season:
Zack Albert
Camping World Truck Series champion: Cole Custer. With bounds of talent, expect the 18-year-old with the flat-brimmed cap to emerge from a four-way scrap with Matt Crafton, John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick.
XFINITY Series champion: Erik Jones. Changing series, but same result. The prodigy collects another big trophy as Toyota grooms him for a Sprint Cup seat.
Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year: Ryan Blaney. Expect the Wood Brothers’ young star in the making to edge Chase Elliott in the series’ most compelling rookie crop in recent memory.
Surprise Chase qualifier: Clint Bowyer. Seeing Bowyer’s name among the postseason field is no surprise, but pushing the underdog HScott Motorsports team to its first Chase berth would be.
Surprise Chase miss: Kasey Kahne. The No. 5 team needs to shake a severe case of the doldrums that handcuffed Kahne’s 2015 season.
Daytona 500 pick: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Championship 4: Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano. As in the previous two years of the new-look Chase, don’t count on one organization having multiple cars vying for the title in Homestead.
2016 Sprint Cup champion: Kevin Harvick. The only two-time Championship 4 driver gets there again. This time, he cashes in for championship No. 2.
Kenny Bruce
Camping World Truck Series champion: Cole Custer. Talented kid in solid equipment; lack of experience the only concern.
XFINITY Series champion: Erik Jones. Last year’s Truck Series champion already has two career XFINTY Series wins.
Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year: Ryan Blaney. That he and the Wood Brothers team made 16 starts together should give them a bit of an advantage in the early going.
Surprise Chase qualifier: Kyle Larson. Much has been expected of the youngster; this year he delivers.
Surprise Chase miss: Jamie McMurray. While his teammate makes his first Chase appearance, McMurray fails to repeat his effort of 2015.
Daytona 500 pick: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Championship 4: Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick. They had the speed and the wins last year. Nothing has changed.
2016 Sprint Cup champion: Joey Logano. Willing to take chances, and has the talent and equipment to back it up.
Holly Cain
Camping World Truck Series champion: John Hunter Nemechek. This would be a big step for the 18-year-old, but he has the talent and the drive.
XFINITY Series champion: Erik Jones. He has both the natural talent and the equipment to be another rookie champion in the series.
Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year: Chase Elliott won the award as an XFINITY driver and with his talent plus the Hendrick Motorsports backing, he should fare best among the first-year drivers.
Surprise Chase Qualifier: Greg Biffle, Normally “The Biff” wouldn’t be considered a surprise, but it’s been a rough winless two seasons for him. He seems in good competitive form with a new look — and a highly motivated team.
Surprise Chase Miss: Paul Menard. That he qualified last year marked a career-best achievement, but too many other high-achievers will be back in the mix in 2016.
Daytona 500 pick: Denny Hamlin.
Championship 4: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. After two early Chase exits, Johnson is poised to make his first Championship 4 appearance — perhaps the hardest to predict of all the categories.
2016 Sprint Cup Champion: Jimmie Johnson earns his record-tying seventh title in a timely reminder of what makes him among the greatest champions of the sport.