Your predictions for the 2009 Nascar season

[Burgundy Burner]

Feel free to make the list shorter or longer than mine. When the 2009 season ends, here is how I see them finishing...

61. Norm Benning

60. Kirk Shelmerdine

59. Gunselman/Bodines

58. Carl Long

57. Stanton Barrett

56. Kelly Bires

55. Jon Wood

54. Derrike Cope

53. Tony Raines

52. David Gilliland

51. Johnny Sauter

50. Mike Skinner

49. Sterling Marlin

48. Mike Wallace

47. Boris Said

46. Brad Keselowski

45. Bill Elliott

44. John Andretti

43. Regan Smith

42. Joe Nemechek

41. Scott Riggs

40. Max Papis

39. Aric Almirola

38. AJ Allmendinger

37. Travis Kvapil

36. Jeremy Mayfield

35. Dave Blaney (Terry Labonte)

34. Scott Speed

33. Michael Waltrip

32. David Stremme

31. Robby Gordon

30. Sam Hornish

29. Marcos Ambrose

28. Reed Sorenson

27. Elliott Sadler

26. Casey Mears

25. David Reutimann

24. Bobby Labonte

23. Ryan Newman

22. Paul Menard

21. Joey Logano

20. Juan Pablo Montoya

19. Kurt Busch

18. Martin Truex, Jr.

17. Kasey Kahne

16. Tony Stewart

15. Jamie McMurray

14. Clint Bowyer

13. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

12. Denny Hamlin

11. Jeff Burton

10. Brian Vickers

9. David Ragan

8. Jeff Gordon

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Mark Martin

5. Kevin Harvick

4. Jimmie Johnson

3. Carl Edwards

2. Greg Biffle

1. Kyle Busch

[Springfield]

Go Jr.!

Not a huge Nascar fan, but I'll throw something out there in the mix.

5. Jimmie Johnson

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

3. Jeff Gordon

2. Kyle Busch

1. Carl Edwards

[BigMike619]

I personally think Kyle had a great year last year but he showed his true colors at the end when he faded.

[SkinsBry]

12. Denny Hamlin

11. Elliott Sadler

10. Tony Stewart

9. Matt Kenseth

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

7. Kevin Harvick

6. Greg Biffle

5. Kyle Busch

4. Jimmie Johnson

3. Carl Edwards

2. Jeff Gordon

1. Mark Martin

[Springfield]

I'd love to see Kevin Harvick win the cup, but personally I don't think he has any chance. He's a good driver that will never really break above the cream.

[GoSkins561]

Happy Harvick wins it all this year, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th is for losers.

[Bubble Screen]

12. Denny Hamlin

11. Elliott Sadler

10. Tony Stewart

9. Matt Kenseth

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

7. Kevin Harvick

6. Greg Biffle

5. Kyle Busch

4. Jimmie Johnson

3. Carl Edwards

2. Jeff Gordon

1. Mark Martin

Sadler? Yeah, I know he is coming off a good finish to start the year. Although I seriously doubt he finishes that high if the race had gone the distance. Anyway, I don't see this happening. I would be hard-pressed to put him 20th.:2cents:

[88Comrade2000]

All auto racing will be outlawed as harmful to the environment by the end of the year.

[dcoles11]

All auto racing will be outlawed as harmful to the environment by the end of the year.

Viewing a NASCAR race will be the number one prescribed medication for those suffering from insomnia.

[Teller]

I predict Dale Punt-hardt Jr. will deliberately cause the Big One at the Daytona 500, and NASCAR will turn its usual blind-eye toward the whole thing. (I bet Jason Leffler wishes his name was "Jason Earnhardt.")

There's no doubt Vickers threw a HARD block on Jr., and forced him below the line. But it's up to NASCAR to decide if there should be any penalties involved for forcing him down there. It's NOT up to Jr. to cause a retaliatory wreck in front of the ENTIRE FIELD; ESPECIALLY when he's a lap down.

So thanks, Jr., for taking out Carl who, unlike you, ran top-5 most of the day, and hit his pit box every single time. I'm sorry that you had to take out your frustration for your own failure to do something so utterly rudimentary as pulling into your pit stall on the rest of the field. Course, I know you're a Skins fan, and we DO need a punter, so maybe we've got a career for you after all.

Now that that's out of the way. Congratulations to Matty K, Drew, Jack, and that whole 17 team. Listening to the Sirius post-race was awesome. Matt told Claire B. Lang that after last year, he wasn't sure if he'd ever win again. Apparently he was really questioning himself, and now he's a Daytona 500 champion. Nice career swing, Matt!!!

And now that THAT is out of the way, here are my 2009 Chasers, in order of finish:

2009 Champion -- Jeff Gordon

2 -- Carl Edwards

3 -- Jimmie Johnson

4 -- Kyle Busch

5 -- Matt Kenseth

6 -- Greg Biffle

7 -- Kevin Harvick

8 -- Dale Punt-hardt Jr.

9 -- David Ragan

10 -- Jeff Burton

11 -- Tony Stewart

12 -- Clint Bowyer

To be clear, putting Jimmie Johnson 3rd is not intended to show disrespect. Those guys are the very best in the business. I just can't imagine that their luck -- which is necessary no matter HOW good you are -- can hold for a fourth year in a row. If it does, it's time to talk about JJ in the same breath as #3 and #43, IMHO.

[endzone_dave]

I think things will be a little different than normal. I predict JJ finallys gets a little bad luck at the end of the year:

1. Kenseth

2. Biffle

3. Gordon

4. Hamlin

5. Edwards

6. Johnson

7. Harvick

8. Burton

9. Jr.

10. McMurray

11. Busch (still a bunch of bad luck in the Chase)

12. Ragan

[RammsteinSkins]

Happy Harvick wins it all this year, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th is for losers.

Sounds good to me

[SkinsBry]

Sadler? Yeah, I know he is coming off a good finish to start the year. Although I seriously doubt he finishes that high if the race had gone the distance. Anyway, I don't see this happening. I would be hard-pressed to put him 20th.:2cents:

Gee, thanks for that wonderful insight. Especially since you went out on a limb and ranked at least the 12 that would be in the chase.

I predict Dale Punt-hardt Jr. will deliberately cause the Big One at the Daytona 500, and NASCAR will turn its usual blind-eye toward the whole thing. (I bet Jason Leffler wishes his name was "Jason Earnhardt.")

Jason Leffler should be penalized 10 laps every race for that ridiculous haircut he has.

[zoony]

wohoo! Go Kenseth :applause:

Happy to see him get a 500 finally

[Capt Rich Fla]

I had a huge eye on the 18 year old guy yesterday. I just can't imagine doing that at such a young age. I knew he was going down sooner or later. I was impressed it took so long and it really wasn't his fault IMO. It will be interesting watching the boy develope.

[Teller]

I had a huge eye on the 18 year old guy yesterday. I just can't imagine doing that at such a young age. I knew he was going down sooner or later. I was impressed it took so long and it really wasn't his fault IMO. It will be interesting watching the boy develope.

Another reason to like the new car too. That was one hard hit, and nearly 90 degrees. Glad he's OK.

[mbws]

it will be just as boring as 2008.

[dcoles11]

it will be just as boring as 2008.

I used to kinda like NASCAR when I was younger and every now and then I give it another shot even today, i'll try to sit down and watch and race but I just can't do it, it is unwatchable garbage at this point.

People can say whatever they want and lie but I would bet a lot of money that more than half of NASCAR fans watch it for the wrecks.

You can't tell me that a majority of NASCAR fans are satisfied to watch cars go around in a circle for 3 hours without any sort of wreck.

I don't know much about NASCAR but I listen to people talk about it on the local sports shows around here and the one thing i've gathered is, while this new car of tomorrow or whatever they call it has made racing much safer it has also made racing really boring.

I heard yesterday that it took until the night before to sell out all the seats for the Dayton 500. I was kinda surprised to hear that. Maybe that's just an effect of the bad economy or is NASCAR maybe losing it's popularity?

If I had to take a guess i'd say that NASCAR will follow the patter of wrestling, for a while wrestling or as I like to call it, "soap operas for men" was the most popular thing going but it lost steam and today I hardly hear anyone talk about it.

I think NASCAR will lose more and more of it's popularity, which was once very high, as the years go by.

It just isn't very entertaining, I can't see it attracting many new and young fans.

[TimmySmith]

Dale Jr. decides to take out half the cars in every race and blame everybody else, knowing that NASCAR would never punish him.

[dcoles11]

Dale Jr. decides to take out half the cars in every race and blame everybody else, knowing that NASCAR would never punish him.

Can you blame them? Dale Jr. is NASCAR, whether you like it or not. And i'm speaking as someone from the outside cause I don't like or dislike him.

You take Earnhardt out of NASCAR, you don't have much left. Being that all of the senior's fans adopted Jr.

[MikeSellers45]

1. Jeff Gordon

2. Carl Edwards

3. Kyle Busch

4. Jimmie Johnson

5. Kevin Harvick

6. David Ragan

7. Tony Stewart

8. Brian Vickers

9. Greg Biffle

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Jeff Burton

12. Mark Martin

13. Matt Kenseth

14. A.J. Allmendinger(If he gets sponsorship)

15. Clint Bowyer

16. Denny Hamlin

17. Martin Truex Jr

18. Ryan Newman

19. Kasey Kahne

20. Jamie McMurray

[dcoles11]

And while we are on the topic of predicting where drivers will finish this season.

Why doesn't NASCAR just go ahead and make a rule saying that the top 3 or 4 most popular drivers are automatically in the chase?

I mean seriously, how transparent was it when they decided to extend it from 10 to 12, the year after Dale Jr and Gordon didn't make the chase?

They may as well just let the fans vote on who is in the chase because I promise you NASCAR would suffer to no ends if Dale Jr didn't make the top 12 this year, he is the sport, without him NASCAR becomes the LPGA.

Thats the difference between real sports and NASCAR. The NFL can survive if the Redskins, Cowboys, Giants, Bears, aren't very good, all those teams from large markets and are very popular. But the popularity of the league doesn't depend on those teams doing well and making the playoffs.

NASCAR cannot survive unless the Dale Jr. fans are happy. They are the life blood of NASCAR

[SkinsBry]

Dale Jr. decides to take out half the cars in every race and blame everybody else, knowing that NASCAR would never punish him.

Hmm, my memory just isn't what it used to be. Could you please list the 21 or 22 drivers he took out of every race last season? Just the 36 point races, you don't have to do the shootout or all star race, nor the previous seasons that he's been in Cup. Thanks in advance.

[Teller]

I used to kinda like NASCAR when I was younger and every now and then I give it another shot even today, i'll try to sit down and watch and race but I just can't do it, it is unwatchable garbage at this point.

People can say whatever they want and lie but I would bet a lot of money that more than half of NASCAR fans watch it for the wrecks.

You can't tell me that a majority of NASCAR fans are satisfied to watch cars go around in a circle for 3 hours without any sort of wreck.

And you couldn't possibly be more wrong. In fact, most of us root AGAINST those situations that can (and have) cause/d the deaths of our favorite drivers. Can you imagine?! People wanting athletes they admire to live to drive another day?! WTF are we all thinking?!?!

I don't know much about NASCAR but I listen to people talk about it on the local sports shows around here and the one thing i've gathered is, while this new car of tomorrow or whatever they call it has made racing much safer it has also made racing really boring.

I fully agree with you on the part in red.

The people calling into those shows are wrong as well. It has absolutely made plate racing better. If you watched the Bud Shootout, you'd know that. It has opened up new driving lines, and allowed cars that loose the draft to "suck back up" to the other cars, when in the past, if you lost the draft you were done.

There may be a feeling out process as there is with anything else that's brand new, but make no mistake, the COT will improve racing when it's all said and done. Just like every other bodystyle change in NASCAR history has. (But I guess some people miss the days of Richard Petty winning "exciting" races by 5 laps. I don't know.)

I heard yesterday that it took until the night before to sell out all the seats for the Dayton 500. I was kinda surprised to hear that. Maybe that's just an effect of the bad economy or is NASCAR maybe losing it's popularity?

It's not losing its popularity at all. As a matter of fact, the economic downturn started during last season. And while ticket sales decreased some, TV ratings INCREASED.

If I had to take a guess i'd say that NASCAR will follow the patter of wrestling, for a while wrestling or as I like to call it, "soap operas for men" was the most popular thing going but it lost steam and today I hardly hear anyone talk about it.

If you had made that same guess at any point during the last 60 years, you'd have been wrong. My guess is you'll be wrong for the next 60 as well. Racing has survived economic downturns before, and it will do so again.

I think NASCAR will lose more and more of it's popularity, which was once very high, as the years go by.

Care to support that with even one fact?

It just isn't very entertaining, I can't see it attracting many new and young fans.

I happen to think soccer blows. The rest of the planet disagrees. Maybe I'd like soccer though, if I understood it. (And the same just might be true of you and NASCAR. But I know soccer and NASCAR are the two sports that it's "cool" to jump into a thread and criticize, so I'm not holding my breath.)

[endzone_dave]

I don't think NASCAR is going to grow much in popularity but I don't think it is going to shrink either. I think us core fans will always enjoy watching it.

One area that I think NASCAR messed up on was building those wide flat tracks like Cali and Chicago. I know track owners wanted to make their tracks available to Indy cars but watching a race where the cars never get within five feet of each other is tough sometimes. Fortunately for every Cali and Michigan race, theres a Bristol and Darlington race.