Jan
26
Peering into the Crystal Ball for 2007: NASCAR Championship Predictions
January 26, 2007 | Posted by VroomDude
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We’re still finding our sea legs here at Vroomchatter, but we actually do plan to *gasp* provide a little original content of our own from time to time, as opposed to simpy riffing off other stories and posts out there on the Web. And what better way to do that than to pull some predictions out of our butts, so that everyone can mock us now and then mock us again when the season is done, and we have egg all over our faces.
Lacking the stamina or moxy to pretend to know how everything will play out, here’s our prediction for the 12 drivers that will make the Chase, followed by some explanation, and then our pick for who will take home the 2007 championship.
Drivers who Will Make the 2007 Chase (in no particular order):
1) Jimmie Johnson
2) Matt Kenseth
3) Kevin Harvick
4) Jeff Gordon
5) Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
6) Tony Stewart
7) Brian Vickers
Carl Edwards
9) Kurt Busch
10) Ryan Newman
11) Clint Bowyer
12) Kyle Busch
Some of these are no brainer picks that I won’t dwell on, as far as your Jimmie Johnsons, Tony Stewarts, and Kevin Harvicks. You can argue that Junior might be at risk due to all the distracting hoopla going on or that Jeff might be focusing on that whole being married and procreating thing, but you have to go out on a pretty big limb to say they won’t make the Chase, especially with it expanding to 12 drivers this year.
Brian Vickers was really strong towards the end of last year and looks poised to have a breakthrough year, having put all the puzzle pieces together as far as what it takes to succeed. Clint Bowyer is a reach, but something wacky happens every year as far as someone unexpected showing up and making the Chase. The Busch brothers seem positioned to both do well and improve on 2006, with Kurt getting his wheels underneath him at Penske after all of the upheaval last year. Ryan Newman might be a reach, as he’s at a tipping point of his career where he might fade away into the middle of the pack, or come roaring back after an off year. Carl Edwards has looked too good at times to not make it, although he finished last season on a pretty poor note, and could be looking at a long, miserable year if he gets off to a bad start.
So who’s not there that made it last year? Mark Martin, obviously, with the whole part-time schedule. (Although we’ll see how part-time that remains, especially if he does well early on, as I have a sneaky suspicion he might end up running more races than they’re claiming he will.) No offense to Denny Hamlin, but there’s the whole sophomore slump to contend with, plus I think he was driving over his head for much of last year. I gave Kasey Kahne the boot, too, which is probably dumb due to how strong he was towards the end of the year, but he’s been pretty inconsistent throughout his career with lots of DNFs. No love for Jeff Burton, who’s a fine driver but I think last year was the exception to the rule, with him drifting back a bit in the pack in 2007.
So who’s going to win the whole dang thing?
Kevin Harvick.
It’s hard to not give Mr. Eyebrows the nod to defend his championship, as you it’s hard to be more consistently at the top than he has the last three or four years, but it’s been nearly a decade since Jeff Gordon won back to back titles in 1997-1998. History isn’t on Jimmie’s side as far as pulling off the repeat, so I’m going with Kevin to crank it up a notch further and improve on his impressive 2006 season.
But, you know, who the hell knows. Kirk Shelmerdine might win it all next year. Robby Gordon might grow a brain. Wonders never cease.