Who’s heading into the the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with the wind at their backs? Who’s looming on the horizon, ready to capitalize on any bobble by a top driver? What about any drivers just a little further back in the pack; are there any drivers among them to keep on the radar?
For the unfamiliar, these are the things we track in our “Bump Drafts Big 10 Power Rankings,” known simply as the “Bump Drafts Big 10.” This year, I’m humbled to announce I’ve become a panelist with Race Talk Radio. There I am one of several writers, such as Bob Pockrass, Godwin Kelly and John Close, who chime in on the top drivers of the week.
Here, you get a glimpse into how I voted and why:
THE BIG 10
10. Denny Hamlin- How much will an ACL knee injury affect a race car driver? We’ll find out now. If it doesn’t affect him, and he keeps his head right, he could be every bit as good as the driver who claimed last November he was aiming to dethrone Jimmie Johnson. Emotions can be good, and they can be bad. In what way will this driver’s emotions affect him?
9. Kasey Kahne- KK has a lot of eyes turned his way, and it’s not just the girls. The guy who barely looks old enough to ask your teenage daughter to the prom may very well be THE hottest free agent not named Kevin Harvick after this season. This- in a sense- is a contract year for Kahne. I have no doubt he will be motivated, and he looked pretty good in the Shootout with that Ford engine.
8. Carl Edwards- I wouldn’t blame his lackluster-by-Carl-standards 2009 on his driving. He darn near won Talladega in the spring, and what’s more, there wasn’t anybody at Roush setting the world on fire. This season will be better, maybe even much better.
7. Kyle Busch- I’m just a little surprised at how many people AREN’T forecasting a possible championship run for the younger Busch brother. Let’s not forget, he won races in 2009. It was consistency that was the issue. There’s little doubt in my mind Shrub will be in the mix, and the ‘10 season marks a return to Chase contention.
6. Clint Bowyer- By the time Homestead is in the books, we may find that it was Bowyer who led the RCR revival. Considering the struggles of his team, Bowyer clawed pretty hard to remain in contention. What I like about this guy is that he looks good on a wide variety of tracks, so if the machine is there….
5. Jeff Burton- Obviously, I’m thinking THIS guy is bouncing back in a big way. The Mayor is consistent enough; he just needs better qualifying efforts to keep him out of the deep traffic. Like everyone else at RCR, Burton looked a lot better at season’s end in ‘09.
4. Mark Martin- The man deserves props just for hanging on well enough to get into the Chase in the first place. If he starts this season better than last, and he still had lots of fun last year, Martin could be very dangerous in 2010. Can he keep it up? I don’t see why not. The only question may be his motivation, which he certainly doesn’t lack right now. But what if he hits a long streak of bad luck? Will retirement start looking better? The fan in me wishes for him the championship he’s never won at this level.
3. Jeff Gordon- My pick to win it in 2010 ran with uncanny consistency; he just needed to close the deal more often than he did. Something tells me THIS is the year Gordon makes a few dates with history, as he takes his career win total past the revered likes of Yarborough, Waltrip, and Allison. Heck, people might start booing him again.
2. Tony Stewart- If he accomplished what he did in just his first year with his new organization, imagine what this year may hold in store. The reset at the Chase won’t permit it, but this is the one driver who truly possesses such an ability to get hot, he may stink up the show in 2010. My hunch tells me if Martin or Gordon knock off Jimmie, it will be with consistency. If Stewart does it, he’ll likely do so with dominance.
1. Jimmie Johnson- He’s the “King For A Day” until someone dethrones him. Based strictly on how it all ended, Johnson is well poised to do it again. I contend there’s a place where bad luck catches you, the same way injuries catch you playing in the NFL. Jimmie and Chad won’t beat themselves, but that doesn’t account for the part that 42 other drivers play in a racer’s season. I could be wrong, very wrong- but I do know nothing in this life lasts forever.
READY TO STRIKE
Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth can still wheel a car. Harvick has already proven that in the Shootout. Most of the struggles for Harvick and Kenseth in ‘09 were not of their making. The law of averages says at least two or three drivers in my top ten struggle, and either one or both of these drivers will be there to capitalize…There was once a guy named Bush who said he was “misunderestimated.” I may be guilty of doing that where a driver named Busch, Kurt Busch- the “blue Deuce” guy is concerned… What about Greg Biffle? Good question. Stay tuned…I still need a little convincing where Juan Pablo Montoya is concerned. Success from JPM would not be a big shock to me… With consistency, David Reutimann could crash the party.
DISTANT THUNDER
Martin Truex, Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jamie Mc Murray are all looking to make comebacks of sorts in 2010. “Lil E’” has the Hendrick horsepower, Truex has hitched on to an up and comer at Michael Waltrip Racing, and Jamie Mac looks very much at home in his ride at EGR… Marcos Ambrose is another poised to make a move. Joey Logano is another flying under the radar.
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