PREDICTIONS

2009’S TOP 10
DRIVERS (POINTS)
R&R RACING: 2010 PREVIEW
48 JIMMIE
JOHNSON
’09 points finish: 1st
Races/wins: 291/47
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary
sponsor: Lowe’s
Team: Hendrick Motor.
Crew chief: Chad Knaus
Lug nut: Last year, Johnson became the
first race-car driver to be named The Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year.
What fans really need to know to be ready for the new NASCAR season
5 MARK
MARTIN
’09 points finish: 2nd
Races/wins: 758/40
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary sponsors:
Kellogg’s/GoDaddy.com
Team: Hendrick Motor.
Crew chief: Alan Gustafson
Lug nut: Martin, who has never won a Cup
championship, finished second in points
last season for the fifth time in his career.
24 JEFF
GORDON
’09 points finish: 3rd
Races/wins: 581/82
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary
sponsor: DuPont
Team: Hendrick Motor.
Crew chief: Steve Letarte
Lug nut: Won only one race last year, but he
led the Cup series in top-five finishes (16),
top-10s (25) and average finish (10.2).
2 KURT
BUSCH
JEFF GORDON vs. JIMMIE JOHNSON
NASCAR’S REIGN MAN:
Jimmie Johnson has made
winning Sprint Cup titles look
easy during his record run
over the past four seasons.
Comparing the drivers, it’s almost eerie. Gordon was a mentor to Johnson, both hail from California and both
have won four Cup championships. But how do they really compare? Chris Wilbers provides the tale of the tape:
AIR GORDON?
Jeff Gordon
had reason
to celebrate
after
clinching his
second Winston
Cup points
title in 1997 at
Atlanta Motor
Speedway. He
also has won
Wins in his first
eight full seasons
Hometown
JEFF
GORDON
Attempts
at facial hair
Top-10 finishes in his
first eight full seasons
52
Vallejo,
Calif.
(in 256 races)
47
El Cajon,
Calif.
180
(in 288 races)
(in 288 races)
’09 points finish: 4th
Races/wins: 328/20
Manufacturer: Dodge
Primary sponsor:
Miller Lite
Team: Penske Racing
Crew chief: Steve Addington
Lug nut: 2004 Chase champion has qualified
for the postseason in four of the six years.
THE
EDGE
GOES
TO
Gordon. As good as
Johnson and Chad
Knaus have been
together this decade,
Gordon and Ray Evernham were even better in
the mid-1990s. Gordon
posted double-digit victories in three seasons,
something Johnson has
done only once.
Johnson.
Perhaps Gordon
thought the facial
hair made him
look older. But
Keith Hernandez
called, and he
wants his mustache back. Also,
the half-mullet
was a nice touch.
Johnson. His ability to
adapt and transform a
bad afternoon into a great
points finish is unmatched
these days. Gordon is a
great front-runner, but
Johnson’s positive attitude
in the worst of circumstances allows him to earn
points that others don’t,
and those points add up.
Johnson. Although few will
forget Vandebosch’s touching
performance as the third robber in “Taxi” (the 2004 movie
starring Jimmy Fallon and
Queen Latifah, not the arguably
more popular TV show starring
Tony Danza and Danny DeVito in
the 1970s), Janway’s decision to
not be seen in any Fallon movie
is enough to win her the nod.
14 TONY
STEWART
’09 points finish: 6th
Races/wins: 392/37
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary sponsors: Old
Spice/Office Depot
Team: Stewart-Haas
Crew chief: Darien Grubb
Lug nut: His win June 7 was the first by a
driver-owner since Ricky Rudd in 1998.
16 GREG
BIFFLE
’09 points finish: 7th
Races/wins: 258/14
Manufacturer: Ford
Primary sponsors:
3M/Post-It/Red Cross
Team: Roush Fenway
Crew chief: Greg Erwin
Lug nut: Last year was the first fulltime winless season of his Cup career (seven years).
42 JUAN
MONTOYA
’09 points finish: 8th
Races/wins: 109/1
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary
sponsor: Target
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi
Crew chief: Brian Pattie
Lug nut: Qualified for Chase for first time
last season; won first Cup pole at Talladega.
39 RYAN
NEWMAN
’09 points finish: Ninth
Races/wins: 296/13
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary sponsors: U.S.
Army/Tornados/Haas
Team: Stewart-Haas
Crew chief: Tony Gibson
Lug nut: Never won in 2009 but led the
Cup series with 10,468 laps completed.
9 KASEY
KAHNE
’09 points finish: 10th
Races/wins: 216/11
Manufacturer: Ford
Primary
sponsor: Budweiser
Team: Richard Petty
Crew chief: Kenny Francis
Lug nut: Three finishes of 32nd or worse in
the Chase proved costly to Kahne.
CUP SCHEDULE
Sunday: Daytona 500
at Daytona Beach, Fla., 1:15 p.m., Fox
Feb. 21: Auto Club 500
at Fontana, Calif., 3:15, Fox
Feb. 28: Shelby American
at Las Vegas, Nev., 3:15, Fox
March 7: Kobalt Tools 500
at Hampton, Ga., 1:15, Fox
March 21: Food City 500
at Bristol, Tenn., 1:15, Fox
March 28: Goody’s Fast Pain
Relief 500 at Martinsville, 1:15, Fox
April 10: Subway Fresh Fit 600
at Avondale, Ariz., 7:45, Fox
April 18: Samsung Mobile 500
at Fort Worth, Texas, 1:15, Fox
April 25: Aaron’s 499
at Talladega, Ala., 1:15, Fox
May 1: Crown Royal 400
at Richmond, 7:45, Fox
May 8: Southern 500
at Darlington, S.C., 7:45, Fox
May 16: Autism Speaks 400
at Dover, Del, 1:15, Fox
May 22: Sprint All-Star Race*
at Concord, N.C., 7:30, Speed
May 30: Coca-Cola 600
at Concord, N.C., 7:45, Fox
June 6: Pocono 500
at Long Pond, Pa., 1:15, TNT
June 13: Huluva Good! Dips 400
at Brooklyn, Mich., 1:15, TNT
June 20: Toyota/Save Mart 350
at Sonoma, Calif., 3:15, TNT
June 27: Lenox Industrial Tools 301
at Loudon, N.H., 1:15, TNT
July 3: Coke Zero 400
at Daytona Beach, Fla., 7:45, TNT
July 10: LifeLock.com 400
at Joliet, Ill., 7:45, TNT
July 25: Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis, 1:15, ESPN
Aug. 1: Pennsylvania 500
at Long Pond, Pa., 1:15, ESPN
Aug. 8: Huluva Good! at The Glen
at Watkins Glen, N.Y., 1:15, ESPN
Aug. 15: CARFAX 400
at Brooklyn, Mich., 1:15, ESPN
Aug. 21: Irwin Tools
at Bristol, Tenn., 7:45, ABC
Sept. 5: Labor Day Classic 500
at Hampton, Ga., 7:45, ESPN
Sept. 11: One Last Race to Make
the Chase at Richmond, 7:45, ABC
Sept. 19: Sylvania 300
at Loudon, N.H., 1:15, ESPN
Sept. 26: AAA 400
at Dover, Del., 1:15, ESPN
Oct. 3: Price Chopper 400
at Kansas City, Kan., 1:15, ESPN
Oct. 10: Pepsi Max 400
at Fontana, Calif., 3:15, ESPN
Oct. 16: NASCAR Banking 500
at Concord, N.C., 7:45, ABC
Oct. 24: TUMS Fast Relief 500
at Martinsville, 1:15, ESPN
Oct. 31: AMP Energy 500
at Talladega, Ala., 1:15, ESPN
Nov. 7: Lone Star 500 at
Fort Worth, Texas, 1:15, ESPN
Nov. 14: Arizona 500
at Avondale, Ariz., 3:15, ESPN
Nov. 21: Ford 400 at
Homestead, Fla, 1:15, ESPN
Even. Sure, Johnson has
a small edge (Gordon
won his fourth title in
his ninth season), and
Johnson has won with
the old car and new one.
But Gordon would have
won the 2007 points title
under the old system,
and he was dominant in
two of his title seasons.
*Nonpoints race
Remember back to the good old days of racing, when the winner might finish as the only
driver on the lead lap? The lack of competition notwithstanding, some fans preferred
then to now, when cookie-cutter drivers wheel around cookie-cutter tracks for monopoly
money. A quick fix might be having NASCAR mandate postrace fights to create more
soap-opera drama. Just imagine the ratings as Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski throw
down after yet another confrontation on the track. Here are some dream fights:
PHOTOS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND NASCAR
Denny Hamlin (left) said before the Nationwide Series finale last
November that he would knock Brad Keselowski out of the race at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. Then he went on the track and proved it.
1
Denny Hamlin vs. Brad Keselowski
This tops the list because there is a decent chance it could happen this season,
particularly with Keselowski driving the Sprint Cup Series full time for Penske
Racing. Keselowski said last month he sent Hamlin a Christmas card with the
words “Peace on Earth.” But when the former Chesterfield resident was asked on his
Twitter account if he could take Keselowski to the hole in basketball, Hamlin’s response:
“I’d rather play a 10yr old girl.” Apparently, nothing is settled after last season’s clashes.
2
3
Jimmie Johnson vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It has to annoy Johnson that Earnhardt continues to reign as NASCAR’s most
popular driver as Johnson reigns in victory lane. And it has to annoy Earnhardt
knowing that Johnson has the best crew chief in the business. Have the winner
earn the services of Chad Knaus the rest of the season.
Kyle Busch vs. anyone
Another race, another driver who earns the ire of NASCAR’s best villain.
Considering all the smack he talks, I’m curious how well “Rowdy” actually fights.
Maybe make chairs legal to level the playing field.
— Chris Wilbers
DANICA ON NASCAR
IndyCar star Danica Patrick is making a transition
into NASCAR this season. Here are some of her
most memorable comments about stock-car racing:
“I bumped from the side. I bumped from the front.
I got bumped from the back. I learned a lot, and I
had so much fun in a race car today. So I can’t wait
to do it again.”
He made car ownership look easy in 2009 and
dominated in the regular season. However, he’s
traditionally a stronger second-half driver, and
I’m predicting he nabs a second Chase title.
Jimmie
Johnson
Did NASCAR mandate his crash late last year
to generate interest for the Chase? The law of
averages suggest he has to slip sooner or later,
but it’s up to someone to take the title from him.
Denny
Hamlin
As much as I’d like to make him my preseason
favorite, I’m curious if he has the physical
toughness to win the championship. Battling
that knee injury all year won’t be easy.
Jeff
Burton
RCR was wretched for long stretches of 2009,
but the combination of Burton and Todd Berrier
posted top-nine finishes in the final four races.
That momentum should continue this year.
Kurt
Busch
Kurt is hoping the addition of crew chief Steve
Addington, who enjoyed success with Busch’s
brother Kyle the past few seasons, will help
him become a more consistent winner.
Kyle
Busch
The omission of NASCAR’s resident villain
didn’t help in creating interest for the 2009
Chase. He’ll be back in this year, but his inconsistency makes him a long shot to win the title.
Jeff
Gordon
The other active four-time Sprint Cup champion
was remarkably consistent last season, but he
isn’t the threat to win he used to be. And if you
can’t win in the Chase, you won’t win the title.
Greg
Biffle
“The Biff” can lament some missed chances
in the 2009 regular season, but he was a
nonfactor in the Chase. The testing ban
continuing this season doesn’t help, either.
Mark
Martin
NASCAR’s senior citizen made up for a poor
start in 2009 by staying with Johnson through
most of the Chase. He won’t start so poorly
this year, but don’t expect him to finish as well.
31 JEFF
BURTON
Juan Pablo
Montoya
He showed amazing improvement last season,
and his consistency should get him back in the
playoffs in 2010. If he were driving for Hendrick, he might have been my pick to win it all.
Carl
Edwards
Roush’s miserable 2009 season was capped by
Edwards, who got no practice on his backflips
following Sprint Cup races. The new spoiler
might help him, but the testing ban won’t.
Ryan
Newman
Considering how strong Newman ran in
stretches of his first season at Stewart-Haas,
not winning a race this season nor making the
Chase would be a huge disappointment.
Still with Hendrick Motorsports. Check. Still
has Chad Knaus. Check. Still have the Chase
format. Check. Still have the same tracks in
the Chase. Check. Five in a row. Yawn!
1
Jimmie
Johnson
2
Juan Pablo
Montoya
3
Jeff
Gordon
Won only one race last year yet finished
third in the points and is part of the powerhouse Hendrick operation. He will let teammate Jimmie Johnson know he is there.
4
Denny
Hamlin
The Manchester High graduate faces a ton
of expectations, but he’s in the final year of
his deal. Will that plus his recent knee injury
blunt his momentum? It certainly could.
5
Tony
Stewart
Everything fell right for the owner-driver last
season until the Chase started. That won’t
happen this year, and the dual responsibilities of being an owner/driver will take its toll.
6
Mark
Martin
Out of nowhere he nearly won the title last
season. Can the 51-year-old driver do it
again? He’ll have quality equipment, but it’s
too much to ask for him to contend again.
7
Matt
Kenseth
He doesn’t excite people, but just finishes
consistently near the top of the points every
season. But it’s Kenseth’s fault that the Chase
exists, so his title chances now are tiny.
8
Carl
Edwards
The opposite of Kenseth, he is capable of
anything and is always entertaining. Can he
stay out of disagreements with other drivers and keep his focus on winning a title?
9
Ryan
Newman
The king of qualifying will win a race this
year, but don’t expect much else from him
because Stewart-Haas Racing won’t have
as good a year as last season.
10
Greg
Biffle
Another Roush driver that gets the most
out of what he has. He is another driver
who was shut out last year who will win. But
the Roush jinx will bite him in the Chase.
11
Kyle
Busch
Might be the most talented driver in Sprint
Cup. He’s been in a tailspin since the
beginning of the 2008 Chase. But he can’t
possibly miss two years in a row, can he?
12
Martin
Truex Jr.
He’s a superb driver and demonstrated the
ability to compete at the Chase tracks. He
was right on the heels of Mark Martin and
Johnson before getting derailed at Concord.
— after finishing
ing sixth in last Saturday’s ARCA race
“If somebody does something to me that I don’t like,
you have to expect that you get something in return.
And I have fenders now, so that’s pretty exciting.”
— on potential on-track contact in NASCAR
“I think there were some Hot Wheels, but I do
remember Barbie dolls — I’m a girl, you know. I
got into racing when I was 10, but I do remember quite a few Barbies.”
— on her preference
ence of toy growing up;
onsor
Hot Wheels will appear as a primary sponsor
on Patrick’s
’s Nationwide Series car in August
’09 points finish: 12th
Races/wins: 208/2
Manufacturer: Toyota
Primary
sponsors: Red Bull
Team: Red Bull Racing
Crew chief: Ryan Pemberton
Why to watch him: Vickers was one of last
season’s biggest surprises, including his
second career Cup win (Michigan). However, he never posted a top-10 in the Chase,
including five finishes of 26th or worse.
’09 points finish: 14th
Races/wins: 364/18
Manufacturer: Ford
Primary sponsor:
Crown Royal
Team: Roush Fenway
Crew chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Why to watch him: Missed Chase for first
time despite winning first two races in 2009
(had five top-fives in the final 34 races).
How will the Chase leader board look in late November?
R&R Racing co-hosts Chris Wilbers (left) and George
Templeton tell you which drivers will qualify for the Chase.
Tony
Stewart
83 BRIAN
VICKERS
17 MATT
KENSETH
PREDICTIONS
FIGHTING FOR MORE FANS
’09 points finish: 11th
Races/wins: 193/16
Manufacturer: Ford
Primary sponsors:
Aflac/Subway/Claritin
Team: Roush Fenway
Crew chief: Bob Osborne
Why to watch him: So which driver will
show up this season: the one that won
nine Sprint Cup races and nearly claimed
the points title in 2008, or the one who
was shut out of victory lane last season?
’09 points finish: 13th
Races/wins: 186/16
Manufacturer: Toyota
Primary sponsors:
M&M’s/Pedigree
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Crew chief: Dave Rogers
Why to watch him: Even in a poor year,
Busch won four races. And with Rogers now
on his pit box, the duo is hoping to build on
its chemistry from last season, when Busch
finished with three consecutive top-12s.
11 DENNY
HAMLIN
’09 points finish: 5th
Races/wins: 151/8
Manufacturer: Toyota
Primary
sponsor: FedEx
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Crew chief: Mike Ford
Lug nut: Claimed all four of his Cup wins
last year in the final 16 races of the season.
99 CARL
EDWARDS
18 KYLE
BUSCH
4
U.S. model
Chandra Janway
2009
Johnson. A scene
in Top Gun was
filmed on El Cajon
Boulevard (and
no, it wasn’t the
volleyball scene).
By contrast, Vallejo
became the largest
California city ever
to file for bankruptcy in 2008.
3
Belgian model
Ingrid Vandebosch
1993
JIMMIE
JOHNSON
Championships in his
first eight full seasons
166
(in 256 races)
championships
in 1995, ’98
and 2001.
Wife
OTHER DRIVERS
WORTH WATCHING
Although he isn’t with a top team, he’s a good
driver and Pat Tryson did a nice job with Kurt
Busch last year. There is always one surprise
entry in the Chase; why not Truex?
’09 points finish: 17th
Races/wins: 547/21
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary sponsor:
Caterpillar
Team: Richard Childress
Crew chief: Todd Berrier
Why to watch him: Failed to win a Sprint
Cup race last season for the first time since
2005, but he finished the season with runner-up finishes at Phoenix and Homestead.
49 MARCOS
AMBROSE
’09 points finish: 18th
Races/wins: 47/0
Manufacturer: Toyota
Primary sponsors:
Little Debbie/Kingsford
Team: JTG/Daugherty
Crew chief: Frank Kerr
Why to watch him: Made a remarkable
transition from road-course specialist to allaround threat last year, including top-fives at
Infineon, Watkins Glen, Talladega and Bristol.
29 KEVIN
HARVICK
’09 points finish: 19th
Races/wins: 322/11
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary sponsors:
Shell/Pennzoil
Team: Richard Childress
Crew chief: Gil Martin
Why to watch him: Led a career-low 159 laps
in 2009, but he posted top-fives in two of the
final three races with Martin on his pit box.
88 DALE
EARNHARDT JR.
’09 points finish: 25th
Races/wins: 363/18
Manufacturer: Chevy
Primary sponsors: AMP
Energy/National Guard
Team: Hendrick Motor.
Crew chief: Lance McGrew
Why to watch him: Last year’s 25th-place
finish in Cup points was his worst full-season
result in any NASCAR series. Will the change
to McGrew finally pay dividends this year?
19 ELLIOTT
SADLER
’09 points finish: 26th
Races/wins: 393/3
Manufacturer: Ford
Primary sponsors:
Stanley Tools
Team: Richard Petty
Crew chief: Wally Rogers
Why to watch him: Emporia native will drive
a Ford for the first time since moving from
Robert Yates Racing in the middle of 2006.
— Chris Wilbers