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Staff picks for today’s Sprint Cup race at Martinsville

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 - Qualifying

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 23: (L-R) Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Red Vest Chevrolet, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Skittles Toyota, talk during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 23, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

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NASCAR’s final race of the season at a short track should feature plenty of action in 500 laps, but who will win?

NBC Sports’ writers can’t agree. Some have picked title contenders and some have picked those no longer eligible for the crown.

Here are today’s picks:

Nate Ryan (@nateryan)

Kyle Busch

Fastest of the title contenders on 10-lap averages in final practice, the defending series champion sweeps Martinsville Speedway in 2016 to ensure a shot at a repeat crown in Miami.

Dustin Long (@dustinlong)

Brad Keselowski

Although no longer eligible for the championship, Keselowski will make an impact by taking this race and preventing a Chase driver from automatically qualifying for the Miami finale.

Daniel McFadin (@danielmcfadin)

Kyle Larson

In Jeff Gordon’s last (?) Sprint Cup race, the kid who has been called the next Gordon will earn his first grandfather clock, leaving Larson eight shy of Gordon’s mark.

Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall)

Jimmie Johnson

The 48 team are sharks who smell blood in the water when it comes to getting back to victory lane at Martinsville and giving themselves their first real shot at a seventh championship.
Jerry Bonkowski (@JerryBonkowski)

Matt Kenseth

Kenseth will pick up where he left off at last year’s Chase race at Martinsville. Instead of wrecking Joey Logano again, he’ll be the first Joe Gibbs Racing driver to advance to the final round of the Chase.