What Lincoln is Thinkin - Preseason Driver Terrific 13

What Lincoln is Thinkin' - Driver Terrific 13

1. Jimmie Johnson And the legend lives on... for how many more years? Two years ago I posted an all-time driver Terrific 13, and Jimmie Johnson did not make the list. How high would he be now? 5th? 6th? If you made me choose between Jimmie and the field this year to win the Cup, I would probably pick the field. But it is close.

2. Mark Martin Old Man Mark had his best season in his legendary career in 2009. Yes it wasn't good enough to win a Cup, but, he has shown no signs of slowing down (as seen by his pole at the 500). With Hendrick's dominance right now, I pick the best driver not to have won a Cup title to be the best chance to challenge JJ.

3. Tony Stewart Smoke had great success in year one as an owner/driver. You would think that he has nowhere to go but up. But I wonder if there is a ceiling to how high he could finish - when he's using Hendrick engines, will Hendrick really let Stewart win a Cup title over his own guys?

4. Jeff Gordon Gordon is officially flying under the radar. For the first time his resume' is being compared to his teammate, and for the first time you could make a valid argument that Johnson may be the more talented driver. That must eat at Gordon. With a healed back, I'm curious to see if Gordon can really make a run at his teammate when it matters the most.

5. Kyle Busch I'm expecting something more like his 2008 season (when he finished with more victories than any other driver) than his 2009 season (when he missed the chase). But the guy is a winner, he's getting married and I wonder if he will continue to mature. If so, I would push my chips behind him if I was Gibbs, not Denny Hamlin.

6. Carl Edwards I don't love what Roush did last year, but I think Edwards has the best chance from that team to breakthrough and challenge the Hendrick boys up top. If he struggles, then it will tell me more about Roush then the 99 team.

7. Denny Hamlin I understand that his bum knee doesn't affect the way he drives. But right now a driver needs everything to go right to unseat Jimmie Johnson. When you're walking around with the torn up knee, it has to put a strain on you physically and mentally. Hamlin will probably win a Cup championship before his career is over, but not this year.

8. Kasey Kahne Kahne has to be sick of being the baby-face cutie-pie of NASCAR. He's getting older now (it's been six years since he won the last truck race at Darlington) and I like his chances of winning races this year and comfortably making the chase.

9. Ryan Newman Ryan Newman bores me. One win in the last four years (A Daytona 500 victory, but so what?). He seems to accumulate points every week but not really contend and drive aggressively. That bores me. Give me Kyle Busch anyday.

10. Juan Pablo Montoya I'm not quite sure where his career is headed. There's no question he's progressed slowly, but steadily, and is now a very serviceable NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver. But does he have the team and equipment to push him up to the upper echelon. I'm not sure.

11. Clint Bowyer Hard to believe RCR getting shut out two years in a row from the Chase. Bowyer had a great early 2009, and then faded away. I don't expect that to happen in 2010.

12. Kurt Busch Busch is carrying the torch for Dodge, he's the number one driver for Penske, the only Dodge team left. I see this as a negative, he'll come back down to Earth after a great 2009.

13. Greg Biffle Other than Edwards, I'm not convinced the rest of the Roushketeers will have a great 2010. Biffle is always solid, but the Ford cars right now just can't hang with the Chevys.

What are you expecting from 2010?

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