Post by dalejrfan on Feb 5, 2006 1:59:52 GMT -5
NASCAR preseason predictionsThe Charlotte Observer / Kansas City StarThree Knight Ridder Newspaper writers who cover NASCAR offer up their preseason predictions.
DAVID POOLE, THe Charlotte Observer
NEXTEL CUP
I'M ALMOST SURE ... Hendrick Motorsports will have more than one car and Roush Racing will have fewer than five in this year's Chase for the Nextel Cup.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... Jeff Gordon's rebound from a disappointing 2005 season will be more pronounced than Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Bobby Labonte put the No. 43 Dodge back in Victory Lane, and that's something that could very well happen - especially at a place like Martinsville.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: It will be a race worth watching all season long. Seven drivers are candidates for this award, and most of them will be in good equipment with strong teams behind them. Oh, you want an actual prediction? Well, it's more like a wild guess, but I'll go with Martin Truex Jr.
DAYTONA 500 WINNER: Will likely be a surprise. The smart money going in will be on Tony Stewart, since he won the Pepsi 400 last year and seems overdue to win the sport's biggest event. Sterling Marlin has a good Daytona record, and his new MB2 Motorsports ride will have Hendrick Motorsports power under the hood. So let's go way on out on the limb and take Marlin.
THE CHASE DRIVERS: Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman.
Yes, I know that's only seven. But those are the seven I feel very confident will be there after 26 races.
The other three slots are up for grabs among eight to 10 with a real shot at joining the fun. If I have to pick them, I'll go with Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth.
FIRST-TIME RACE WINNERS IN 2006: Casey Mears, Brian Vickers and at least one of the rookie of the year candidates would be strong candidates.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE: Tony Stewart.
BUSCH SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... That So many of this year's races (most likely at least 30), will be won by drivers also running in the Nextel Cup Series that NASCAR will change the rules so Cup drivers don't earn points toward the Busch Series drivers championship.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... A weather or travel issue on a weekend when the Cup and Busch series aren't at the same track will force Cup regulars to miss a Busch race and have an impact on the championship standings.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Kenny Wallace win a race, just to see how giddy he'd be.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Carl Edwards.
TRUCK SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... That somebody driving a Toyota will win the championship.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... Mark Martin will win more than one race in the Truck Series this year.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Dennis Setzer win a championship after finishing second so many times.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Jack Sprague.
JIM UTTER, The Charlotte Observer
NEXTEL CUP
I'M ALMOST SURE ... Either Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. will once again miss the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... The first big controversy of the 2006 season will be one team accusing another of violating the new testing policy or tire lease program.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Brian Vickers win his first Cup race.
THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WILL BE ... A surprise. I'm going to go against the tide and pick David Stremme. Nobody did more with less in the Busch Series last season.
THE DAYTONA 500 WINNER: Is like picking a name out of a hat. But Kevin Harvick has done everything but win on a restrictor-plate track, so if he is going to win one, why not the biggest one?
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... : Jimmie Johnson. Sooner or later, finishing fifth in points year after year has to pay off!
BUSCH SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... We're going to get tired of Cup drivers winning all the races and poles.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... Jon Wood will have a big season, perhaps even challenging for the series championship.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Busch drivers actually have a chance to win the Busch series title.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Carl Edwards, unless there is a scheduling conflict. Then pick the next Cup driver running both series (by alphabetical order is fine).
TRUCK SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... Toyota will dominate for a second consecutive season.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... A good race in the series' first visit to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, but this race just scares the heck out of me.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Todd Bodine.
JIM PEDLEY KANSAS CITY STAR
NEXTEL CUP
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE: Jeff Gordon. He and his crew chief will spend first half of the season getting acquainted and the second half of the season estranging themselves from mediocrity. They will peak in the Chase and the thumb will get an ornament.
THE 2006 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WILL BE: Clint Bowyer. He took a giant leap forward in 2005 in the Busch Series. He takes another leap forward as a rookie in the Nextel Cup Series.
THE DAYTONA 500 WINNER WILL BE: Bill Elliott. Driving for a Chevrolet for MB2 rejuvenates the guy and gives him the inside track on the 2006 feel-good-story of the year award.
THE HALL OF FAME SWEEPSTAKES WINNER WILL BE: Charlotte. It's where it belongs.
DAVID POOLE, THe Charlotte Observer
NEXTEL CUP
I'M ALMOST SURE ... Hendrick Motorsports will have more than one car and Roush Racing will have fewer than five in this year's Chase for the Nextel Cup.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... Jeff Gordon's rebound from a disappointing 2005 season will be more pronounced than Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Bobby Labonte put the No. 43 Dodge back in Victory Lane, and that's something that could very well happen - especially at a place like Martinsville.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: It will be a race worth watching all season long. Seven drivers are candidates for this award, and most of them will be in good equipment with strong teams behind them. Oh, you want an actual prediction? Well, it's more like a wild guess, but I'll go with Martin Truex Jr.
DAYTONA 500 WINNER: Will likely be a surprise. The smart money going in will be on Tony Stewart, since he won the Pepsi 400 last year and seems overdue to win the sport's biggest event. Sterling Marlin has a good Daytona record, and his new MB2 Motorsports ride will have Hendrick Motorsports power under the hood. So let's go way on out on the limb and take Marlin.
THE CHASE DRIVERS: Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman.
Yes, I know that's only seven. But those are the seven I feel very confident will be there after 26 races.
The other three slots are up for grabs among eight to 10 with a real shot at joining the fun. If I have to pick them, I'll go with Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth.
FIRST-TIME RACE WINNERS IN 2006: Casey Mears, Brian Vickers and at least one of the rookie of the year candidates would be strong candidates.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE: Tony Stewart.
BUSCH SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... That So many of this year's races (most likely at least 30), will be won by drivers also running in the Nextel Cup Series that NASCAR will change the rules so Cup drivers don't earn points toward the Busch Series drivers championship.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... A weather or travel issue on a weekend when the Cup and Busch series aren't at the same track will force Cup regulars to miss a Busch race and have an impact on the championship standings.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Kenny Wallace win a race, just to see how giddy he'd be.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Carl Edwards.
TRUCK SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... That somebody driving a Toyota will win the championship.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... Mark Martin will win more than one race in the Truck Series this year.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Dennis Setzer win a championship after finishing second so many times.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Jack Sprague.
JIM UTTER, The Charlotte Observer
NEXTEL CUP
I'M ALMOST SURE ... Either Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt Jr. will once again miss the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... The first big controversy of the 2006 season will be one team accusing another of violating the new testing policy or tire lease program.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Brian Vickers win his first Cup race.
THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WILL BE ... A surprise. I'm going to go against the tide and pick David Stremme. Nobody did more with less in the Busch Series last season.
THE DAYTONA 500 WINNER: Is like picking a name out of a hat. But Kevin Harvick has done everything but win on a restrictor-plate track, so if he is going to win one, why not the biggest one?
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... : Jimmie Johnson. Sooner or later, finishing fifth in points year after year has to pay off!
BUSCH SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... We're going to get tired of Cup drivers winning all the races and poles.
I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT ... Jon Wood will have a big season, perhaps even challenging for the series championship.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... Busch drivers actually have a chance to win the Busch series title.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Carl Edwards, unless there is a scheduling conflict. Then pick the next Cup driver running both series (by alphabetical order is fine).
TRUCK SERIES
I'M ALMOST SURE ... Toyota will dominate for a second consecutive season.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE ... A good race in the series' first visit to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, but this race just scares the heck out of me.
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE ... Todd Bodine.
JIM PEDLEY KANSAS CITY STAR
NEXTEL CUP
THE 2006 CHAMPION WILL BE: Jeff Gordon. He and his crew chief will spend first half of the season getting acquainted and the second half of the season estranging themselves from mediocrity. They will peak in the Chase and the thumb will get an ornament.
THE 2006 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR WILL BE: Clint Bowyer. He took a giant leap forward in 2005 in the Busch Series. He takes another leap forward as a rookie in the Nextel Cup Series.
THE DAYTONA 500 WINNER WILL BE: Bill Elliott. Driving for a Chevrolet for MB2 rejuvenates the guy and gives him the inside track on the 2006 feel-good-story of the year award.
THE HALL OF FAME SWEEPSTAKES WINNER WILL BE: Charlotte. It's where it belongs.