The 2007 NASCAR season hit the ground running three weeks ago with the annual Speed Week in Daytona. With plenty of controversies involving such names as golden boy Jeff Gordon and never-going-to-be-as-good-as-his-older-brother, Michael Waltrip, the season picked up where 2006 left off. With such a close finish in the standings last year, it’s only fitting that the Daytona 500 would have the closest finish in the race’s history. However, it didn’t involve favorite, Tony Stewart, who was taken out early in the race, even though he had the best car of the day.
It involved new blood, the young, hotheaded Kevin Harvick, and veteran favorite, Mark Martin. Harvick would win by an extremely small margin, which pretty much summed up Martin’s great career–a great driver coming so close so many times (he has never won a championship).
Harvick is showing promise after his top-5 final standing last year. And after sweeping California in winning both the Busch and Nextel Cup races, Matt Kenseth is looking to stay as hot as he was much of last year. However, neither of these two are the favorite as the season will progress. Both have an excellent shot of winning the championship, but many are looking at this season as a three-man race between Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon.
Two-time champ Tony Stewart was recently called the “best driver of his generation” by Mark Martin. Even though he missed the playoff chase last year, he was definitely the hottest driver during it, winning three of the ten races. Most imagine that the exclusion from the chase was a wake up call.
Jimmie Johnson is coming off his first championship after getting so close the years prior. With a top ten and a top five in his first two races this season, a repeat is definitely a possibility.
And of course, there’s always Jeff Gordon, the golden boy of the sport. Gordon is a four-time champion and made the chase last year. It also helps that he is Johnson’s teammate. With these two running well together, it’s hard to imagine them both not making the chase and competing for the 2007 title.
Of course there are the other drivers like Harvick and Kenseth who can make a run. Kenseth won the title a few years ago and can definitely do it again. There are also a lot of young talents in Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, and the Bush brothers who can all contend.
Now, the one name that I love that I don’t think has a prayer is Dale Earnhardt Jr. There is just too much controversy at DEI, his team and company, and he’s simply too inconsistent. He’s definitely a great driver, but I don’t see him getting over the hump this year. I think it’d be in his best interest to join another team, like Joe Gibbs Racing, for instance, if he really wants to win a championship. It’d be a pay cut, but with as many endorsements as he has, I don’t think he’ll miss a few million dollars.
The 2007 season is sure to be full of feuds, controversies, and surprises. ESPN has picked up coverage, and I’m sure they will do nothing but feed it to its viewers throughout the year. No matter who crosses the finish line first for the championship, it’s sure to be a season to remember.