NASCAR Cup Series: 2018 championship prediction

By Asher Fair | Feb 13, 2018

HOMESTEAD, FL - NOVEMBER 19: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota, poses with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy after winning the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19, 2017 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

When all 36 races on the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series schedule are in the books in November, which driver will be this season’s champion?

I recently published an article detailing my predictions for each of the four rounds of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs: the round of 16, the round of 12, the round of 8 and the Championship 4.

However, I did not make my official championship prediction in that article. Without further ado, here is that 2018 Cup Series championship prediction.

2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship prediction

. No. 9. Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet. CHASE ELLIOTT. #9

Chase Elliott is set to enter the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series, his third career full-time season in the sport, as a 22-year-old who has never won a single Cup Series race. However, the fact that he has done so well in his career so far without winning a single race has made a lot of people wonder just how good he could be if he starts winning.

Elliott finished in 5th place in the championship standings in the 2017 season despite the fact that he did not win a single race. In fact, he was the only driver who finished in the top 10 in the standings who did not win a single race in 2017.

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Expect the wins to come early and often in the 2018 season for Elliott, who recorded four of his seven career 2nd place finishes in the 10 playoff races in 2017. Despite failing to qualify for the Championship 4 last year, he enters the 2018 season with tons of momentum.

Once that first win comes for Elliott, don’t expect him to stop winning. Given the fact that he was one spot away from making the Championship 4 in the 2017 season even without winning, at least Championship 4 berth should be expected of Elliott in the 2018 season.

Seeing as how all four championship winners in the Championship 4 era have won the season finale despite having no previous wins at the track, Homestead-Miami Speedway, expect Elliott to get to the Championship 4 and win the race, thus securing himself the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship ahead of all of the other title contenders.

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Which driver will win the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship? Will Chase Elliott be able to secure his first career title in just his third season in the sport, or will another driver emerge as the sport’s best? The season is set to get underway in just days now on Sunday, February 18th with the 60th annual Daytona 500.