Mark Smith continued his hot streak last week at New Hampshire, as once again he was the only person to score any points, as his pick of Matt Kenseth had a third place finish, netting him seven points. Neither Stephen Furst or Stevie Larson were able to score any points, which left Smith in the lead with 92 points. 


How it works

- Every week, the members of the VAVEL NASCAR team choose who they think will win that week's race, as well as why they chose that particular driver.

- After each race, points are tallied based on the following criteria:

- 10 points for a win, going down in descending order with a 10th place finish getting one point

- Every 10 laps led gets a bonus point added


Current Standings

Here are the standings after the New Hampshire 301.


This week's picks

Mark Smith

Driver: Jeff Gordon

Reason: "It's hard to believe that the one FOX NASCAR presenter has only been out of the Sprint Cup Series for 19 races. Gordon has a number of wins, five, this week at Indianapolis and I can see him getting another one whilst subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr."

Stevie Larson

Driver: Jimmie Johnson

Reason: "Johnson has four career wins at Indy, which is second only to Gordon, who is returning this weekend to substitute for Earnhardt Jr. He already has two wins this season and is looking very good to get his third win this weekend. Look for Johnson to be in victory lane at the end of the race on Sunday afternoon."

Jimmie Johnson leads Clint Bowyer during last year's race.
(Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)

Stephen Furst

Driver: Tony Stewart

Reason: "Stewart always has a good run at Indy. He certainly is no stranger to victory lane at the Brickyard either. He may not lead the most laps, but at the end of the day he'll be kissing the bricks.

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About the author
Stevie Larson
NASCAR Editor, Minnesota sports fan. Contact: [email protected]