AthlonSports.com - 2009 Preseason Top 30

2009 Preseason No. 1: Jimmie Johnson

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Uncharted waters. That’s where Jimmie Johnson is headed in 2009, trying to set the bar higher than has ever been seen in NASCAR through six decades by winning a fourth straight Sprint Cup title.

2009 Preseason No. 2: Carl Edwards

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0600

What does it take to win a Sprint Cup Championship? As Carl Edwards found out in 2008, it’s not enough just to be good, or even great, to beat Jimmie Johnson in the Chase — you need to be flawless.

2009 Preseason No. 3: Kyle Busch

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Considering all the win records set by Kyle Busch in 2008, it’s hard to imagine what he could do to improve in 2009 — though finishing higher than 10th in the Chase will no doubt be Job No. 1 for the No. 18 team.

2009 Preseason No. 4: Mark Martin

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

The Best Driver Never to Win a Championship. That’s the title Mark Martin has been tagged with for over a decade, and although he has come tantalizingly close over the years, he remains the Dan Marino of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

2009 Preseason No. 5: Greg Biffle

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Even if you’re happy where you are, it’s always nice to feel wanted. For the last 12 months, that’s been Greg Biffle’s world — but the reasons have bounced between both ends of the spectrum.

2009 Preseason No. 6: Jeff Gordon

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Jeff Gordon still has plenty of good years left ahead of him. Many drivers have been competitive well into their 40s, and Gordon has the best team in the business behind him in Hendrick Motorsports.

2009 Preseason No. 7: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Now or never. Those words go through a driver’s head with every pass, every race, every tight points battle. For Dale Earnhardt Jr., there’s no time like the present after a successful transition into a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet last year.

2009 Preseason No. 8: Matt Kenseth

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Matt Kenseth hasn't lived up to lofty expectations thus far with Roush Fenway Racing. To turn things around, Kenseth will need to work on some driver/crew chief chemistry with his second new crew chief in as many years.

2009 Preseason No. 9: Jeff Burton

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Sometimes it’s easy to forget that quietly consistent Jeff Burton has made NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship three seasons running. Though he has never finished in the top 5 in the standings, Burton’s sixth-place ranking in 2008 was the closest he’s come to achieving that mark.

2009 Preseason No. 10: Kevin Harvick

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:00:00 -0600

Like the rest of the drivers who made the 2008 Chase but failed to win the title, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team will be trying to rectify that situation in 2009. But that’s not all; even more fundamental for the team this year will be winning races.

2009 Preseason No. 11: David Ragan

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:00:00 -0600

For David Ragan, there was no sophomore slump. He passed his second year with flying colors, coming painfully close to earning one of 12 coveted spots in the Chase for the Championship.

2009 Preseason No. 12: Denny Hamlin

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0600

Denny Hamlin, at age 28, is one of those talented drivers who seems to be just a notch below living up to his full potential. Whether it’s bad timing, a bad car part, or just plain bad racing luck, something always prevents him from crossing the threshold that separates stars from superstars at the Sprint Cup level.

2009 Preseason No. 13: Tony Stewart

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:31:00 -0600

Is it really better to reign in hell than serve in heaven? Perhaps Tony Stewart is hoping to find out this season, as he trades the security of a car he’s driven his entire Cup career for the challenge of an owner/driver position with his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing.

2009 Preseason No. 14: Clint Bowyer

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:30:00 -0600

Clint Bowyer will move from the No. 07 over to the new No. 33 but his owner points won't go with him. That leaves Richard Childress’ youngest Cup driver starting from scratch — literally.

2009 Preseason No. 15: Ryan Newman

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:01:00 -0600

After giving notice in July that he wouldn’t be returning to Penske Racing, Ryan Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 champion, will start anew in 2009 after signing on the dotted line with Stewart-Haas Racing, trading in his Alltel blue for U.S. Army camo.