Kenseth, Hendrick For Sprint Cup
2008 NASCAR Preview- Driver Rankings (5th to 1st)
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哈, 拭目以待, 看谁是英雄?
2008 NASCAR Preview- Driver Rankings (5th to 1st)
5. 2-Kurt Busch, Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Team- Penske Racing South
There were times throughout the summer of 2007 when it appeared as if Kurt Busch was going to surface as a serious championship contender. He absolutely dominated the July race at Pocono, and backed it up with a victory at Michigan a couple of weeks later. Despite a 100-point penalty in June following a pit road tussle with Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch rallied to qualify for the Chase for the Championship. It appeared as if his season took a turn for the better once Pat Tryson joined the staff as the team’s crew chief. The 2004 Sprint Cup champion displayed resilience in 2007; however, he was a couple of steps behind Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
Kurt Busch is full of buoyancy as the 2008 season commences. However, he must improve his performances in the Car of Tomorrow. His performances were hit or miss in the new car unlike his teammate Ryan Newman. Still, Busch will emerge as a championship contender.
2007 prediction- 10th
2007 result- 7th
4. 20-Tony Stewart, Home Depot Toyota Camry
Team- Joe Gibbs Racing
Tony in a Toyota may take some getting used to, but we are already accustomed to him winning races and contending for championships. That will not change in 2008. Two sure things in life- Tony Stewart will win races and controversy will corner him. Stewart is the most versatile driver in NASCAR and can win at any type of venue. When he catches fire, he is the most dangerous driver on the circuit. Stewart can win races in bundles, typically in July and August. However, he has the propensity to hit a dry spell that may last three or four races. Usually, the dry spell is due to built-up frustration. Then again, some of Stewart’s greatest performances have occurred in the midst of controversy.
Stewart and Matt Kenseth are the two most likely drivers to end the Hendrick Motorsports ascendancy. Expect Tony Stewart to win multiple races and tenaciously contend for his third Sprint Cup championship. However, he will come up a bit short.
2007- prediction- 2nd
2007- result- 6th
3. 24-Jeff Gordon, DuPont Chevrolet Impala
Team- Hendrick Motorsports
Jeff Gordon has materialized as the trendy pick to win the 2008 Sprint Cup championship, and rightfully so following his ridiculously consistent season in 2007. His six wins and thirty top ten finishes were reminiscent of the Rainbow Warrior days in the mid to late 1990’s. Under the traditional championship format, Jeff Gordon would have clinched his fifth title with two races remaining. The Chase for the Championship format gave Jimmie Johnson life, and when that 48 team smells the championship, they are difficult to beat.
How realistic is it to expect Gordon to produce those astounding numbers for a second consecutive season? His stats will likely fall off from last season. Nevertheless, Gordon will win multiple races and easily qualify for the Chase for the Championship. He may have to wait yet another season before he celebrates his fifth championship.
2007 prediction- 8th
2007 prediction- 2nd
2. 48-Jimmie Johnson, Lowe's Chevrolet Impala
Team- Hendrick Motorsports
Winning ten races and another championship is sure to be a tough act to follow. However, if anyone is up for the challenge, it is the Chad Knaus-led team. Jimmie Johnson has won 20 races and two championships in the last three years and has shown no signs of decelerating. They may not lead the most laps or dominate the race, but that 48 car is always in the right place in the right time once the race reaches its closing laps. Loads of talent and a little bit of luck have catapulted Johnson into the limelight and the champions table at the annual NASCAR Award Banquet.
As usual, Johnson is one of the championship favorites as he sets out to become the first driver since Cale Yarborough to win three consecutive championships. Yarborough was the champion from 1976 to 1978. Winning back-to-back titles in today’s NASCAR is unheard of, but to win three in a row would be an unprecedented accomplishment. Nonetheless, Johnson’s luck may run out and one driver will be there to capitalize.
2007 prediction- 4th
2007 result- 1st
1. 17-Matt Kenseth- DEWALT Tools Ford Fusion
Team- Roush Fenway Racing
After he finished the 2007 season with five consecutive top five finishes, which included a convincing win at Homestead, it was difficult not to pick Matt Kenseth to capture his second Sprint Cup championship. While most analysts are sticking with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, I firmly believe that Kenseth is capable of knocking Hendrick Motorsports off their towering pedestal. He is debatably the most consistent driver in all of NASCAR, and he can win just about anywhere, well, anywhere but the road courses. Roush Fenway Racing’s Car of Tomorrow program has significantly improved and Kenseth will be the first in the group to profit from the innovation.
Kenseth will fly under the radar throughout the season while Johnson, Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Tony Stewart share the spotlight. Nevertheless, when the checkered waves at Homestead in November, Kenseth will be hoisting the Sprint Cup trophy, joining Tony Stewart as the only drivers to win championships in both the traditional and Chase for the Championship formats.
2007 prediction- 7th
2007 result- 4th
My championship picks since I started analyzing NASCAR
2001- Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (tragically switched to Jeff Burton)
