NASCAR’s Fave Five- My Top Five Of The Week

While Jimmie Johnson appears to be closing in on NASCAR’s top prize for the third year in a row, I am not going to go the route of the mainstream media and just hand it to him now. As I’ve said before, it will take a major slip-up to stop Johnson from making history and putting his name up alongside Cale Yarbrough as the only driver to win three titles in a row.

It’s not over. Until it is, you can’t count on anything. Ask Kyle Busch.

#5- Jeff Burton- I hate to say it, but Martinsville was a setback for one of NASCAR’s true gentlemen. Deep down inside, I think all NASCAR fans have a place in their heart for J.B. The real challenge for the RCR crew of Burton, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer is that their engines just don’t seem to have the same pep as the other top teams. Alas, it could be worse. There are about 35 NASCAR drivers who’d give anything to be in Burton’s position right now.

#4- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- He may not be a serious contender to wrest the Cup away from his teammate, but make no mistake Junior has served notice that he will not mail in his 2008 finish. Roll the clock back to this time last year, and the struggles of his swan song at DEI are a distant memory. I’ll go out on a limb and say he’s got one more win in him before the season’s done- maybe even two.

#3- Carl Edwards- Safe to say Cousin Carl’s head is on straight again, and perhaps the announcement of his engagement to “Dr. Kate” will provide incentive to finish the 2008 campaign in style. It will take a major hot streak to seriously consider Edwards as a serious threat to Johnson, but we’ve seen Edwards get that hot before. Edwards is quite capable of great runs on mile and a half tracks.

#2- Greg Biffle- “The Biff” is becoming Roush- Fenway’s answer to Jeff Burton. Biffle keeps hanging around and he’s poised to capitalize on any break he gets. No question, anyone in the “Cat In The Hat” garage has some of the best equipment in NASCAR to work with. A Sprint Cup title for Biffle would earn him a trifecta no one else has ever earned in NASCAR- a Sprint Cup, a Nationwide and a truck title. Look for a profile on the pride of Vancouver, Washington in my driver profile series next week.

#1- Jimmie Johnson- Johnson was good off the hauler at Martinsville. Overtaking the defending champ won’t get any easier there’s no reason to expect any foreseeable weaknesses for him at Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix or Homestead. About the only person who can stop Jimmie is Jimmie.