For us NASCAR and Fantasy NASCAR fans, this is such an exciting time of the year. The weeks before Daytona hold so much hope and expectations for the teams, drivers and their loyal fans. So much hard work and dedication have been put into the preparations for the nearly year long battle. With all of the shake ups of teams, crews, drivers and ownerships it will make for a fascinating year. My favorite thing is to sit down before the start of each seasonand make my predictions. My predictions will include the 12 drivers who will make the Chase, the top three for the year, a dark horse, and a feel good story for the 2009 NASCAR season..
For us NASCAR and Fantasy NASCAR fans, this is such an exciting time of the year. The weeks before Daytona hold so much hope and expectations for the teams, drivers and their loyal fans. So much hard work and dedication have been put into the preparations for the nearly year long battle. With all of the shake ups of teams, crews, drivers and ownerships it will make for a fascinating year. My favorite thing is to sit down before the start of each seasonand make my predictions. My predictions will include the 12 drivers who will make the Chase, the top three for the year, a dark horse, and a feel good story for the 2009 NASCAR season..
All the changes in NASCAR this year have made predictions for 2009 very challenging to say the least. I think there are two drivers that will have a huge impact on the 2009 NASCAR season. First, Mark Martin driving the 5 (I fondly call him "Old Man Martin"). He has been there and done all that. I feel he will make that entire Hendrick Motorsports Team better..which can't be good for the other teams. The other driver that will be intriguing to watch is Tony Stewart in the 33. I can't wait to see what he will do as a driver and as an owner.
Here are my 2009 NASCAR Chase Contenders:
These twocan't/won't miss the Chase
1) Carl Edwards: Look for him to be the leader of the pack heading into the Chase. I feel he'll get off to a fast start and stay hot all year.
2) Jimmie Johnson: I have a feeling this team might start out a little slow. But no doubt he'll make the Chase and be there when it counts.
I would be shocked if these drivers didn't make the Chase:
3) Matt Kenseth: This team really started figuring things out towards the end of last year. We all know Matt will drive the wheels off anything he can.
4) Greg Biffle: He'll be in the mix all year. Last year is just a sign of where this team can and should be.
5) Mark Martin: I wouldn't besurprised if he battles Carl Edwards for the number one pre-Chase spot.
6) Dale Jr: He'll benefit the most with the addition of Mark Martin. Look for a solid year from June Bug. If he gets hot for the Chase watch out! The Hendrick honeymoon is over and now it's time to race.
I feel pretty solid about this next group:
7) Denny Hamlin: Losing Tony Stewart will have an impact on this team. I am just not sure if it will bepositiveor negative.
8) Jeff Burton: Rumor has it that Childress Motorsportsjust don't have it this year. However, Burton istoo smart of a driver not to make the Chase.
9) Jeff Gordon: I am looking for an off year for the 24 but I just can't see him not making the Chase. This last group will have their work cut out for them and was very hard for me to predict.
There are about 7-8 drivers who could make the 2009 NASCAR Chase for the Cup..
10) Clint Bowyer: It makes me nervous with his new team but he is a stud and I think he'll be fine.
11) Kasey Kahne: If he can just avoid the bad luck that has plagued him over the last few years, he'll have a great year.
12) Tony Stewart: It was very hard for me to pull the trigger on this pick. With everything being new for Smoke this year,he will have his ups and downs. I hope his expectations will be lowered and h ecan just focus on solid finishes. No doubt he is one of, if not the best, driver in NASCAR. I for one would never bet against Smoke.
There will be some very good teams on the outside looking in. I feel this will be the most closely contested regular season since the introduction of the Chase format. I can see 8-10 teams fighting for the last 4 spots to get into the Chase. My dark horse is Juan Pablo Montoya. If things come together for this team look for see him have a breakout year. My feel good story of the year. Bobby LaBonte I think he'll be very strong in the 96.
My Top 3 3) Mark Martin 2) Jimmie Johnson 1) Dale Jr. That's right - Jr. Nation 2009. June Bug will get his first title in 2009. You heard it here first.
I would love to hear what you guys think of my predictions. Feel free to submit your predictionsand we'll see how we match up throughout the year. I hope everyone has a great 2009 NASCAR season.
Rad