30 in '10

And here we are – the top ten, as we wind down our “30 in ’10.” As with the previous two segments, the two of us had our own thoughts on who should be where, and why, and feel free to let us know how right we are or why we screwed up, either through the email links below or by joining our weekly live discussion every Wednesday evening in our Chase for the Sprint Cup podcast.

#10:  Kurt Busch

HE SAID:  Kurt was the better Busch in ’09, but he will just be an OK Busch in ’10.

SHE SAID:  Kurt was the best-finishing Dodge in 2009; Penske will be the only Dodge team in 2010. Steve Addington as crew chief could be a huge plus if they get in the swing of things quickly.

#9:  Jeff Gordon

HE SAID:  Jeff lacked some aggressiveness in 2009, and he will need that to come back in 2010. Also, are the back problems starting to take their toll? They just might be.

SHE SAID:  It was tough justifying having Gordon this far down the list, but with so many other drivers on the upswing and with HMS concentrating so much on the No. 88 team, it had to be done.

#8:  Carl Edwards

HE SAID:  The second half of 2009 was weak for this team, and his name simply never even came up in the announcers’ discussions in the second half of the season.

SHE SAID:  Will the addition of more teams under the Ford banner combined with Carl’s 14 top tens and 7 top fives from 2009 actually translate into wins in 2010? I’m guessing so.

#7:  Ryan Newman

HE SAID:  There might not have been a win for Newman in 2009, but his consistency put him in the chase. That consistency has to pay off with a win in 2010 at some point.

SHE SAID:  Even without a win in ’09, this team seemed to be right on the verge of victory lane consistently throughout the year. Those sorts of results in 2009 set them in the right direction for 2010.

#6:  Kyle Busch

HE SAID:  Kyle should do better with more relaxed Nationwide and Truck series schedules this year. No matter what Kyle might have said, racing 2-3 races every weekend did take its toll.

SHE SAID:  Missing the Chase with more wins than the majority of teams in the Chase had put a glaring spotlight on the need for consistency. In interviews, Kyle seems to understand that, we’ll have to wait and see if he remembers it when he’s behind the wheel.

#5:  Juan Pablo Montoya

HE SAID:  Juan continued to get better as 2009 went along and finally seems to be comfortable with stock cars.

SHE SAID:  It will be interesting to see if this team keeps the same conservative pre-Chase strategy in 2010 that they used to get into the chase in 2009. Having Jamie McMurray, who is used to having four other teammates to communicate with, may be helpful to Juan.

#4:  Mark Martin

HE SAID:  Mark is amazingly consistent despite his age, and he had the second-most wins in ’09.

SHE SAID:  Mark is the sentimental favorite of most fans. It would be a boon for both Mark and NASCAR if this team can keep up their momentum from 2009 and win a championship.

#3:  Denny Hamlin

HE SAID:  It was a very close call as to if Denny or Tony Stewart should be in second place on our list. They had the same number of wins and top fives in 2009, but Tony was more consistent.

SHE SAID:  The only numbers that tell the 2009 tale for this team are the number of mechanical failures they had. With three wins in the last eleven races (two of those in the Chase), this team may very well be the one that can dethrone Jimmie Johnson if they can keep their cars together.

#2:  Tony Stewart

HE SAID:  This ranking is based on 2009 awesomeness. Tony was behind only Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon in top fives and top tens, and he had four wins. Oh, and he did that all with a brand-new team. With one year under their legs now, watch out.

SHE SAID:  Never underestimate Tony Stewart. The majority of the NASCAR world didn’t think he’d come out of the gate strong with the new team in 2009. I expect them to show even better in 2010.

#1:  Jimmie Johnson

HE SAID:  So far, we have absolutely no proof that anyone can topple Jimmie from the top spot, and it will take someone stepping up their game, since Jimmie will not beat himself.

SHE SAID:  I have to wonder if the only team that can beat the No. 48 is themselves. I’m sure many drivers are hoping the addition of Baby Johnson will slow Jimmie down and allow them to move up the prestigious Crucial Taunt Top 30 list in 2011.