30 in '10

Picking up from yesterday’s list of drivers 30-21, here is the middle half of our rankings for the upcoming 2010 season of the Sprint Cup Series.

#20:  Martin Truex, Jr.

HE SAID:  Truex could theoretically be the best “Jr.” on this list.

SHE SAID:  Would like to see Martin further up the list, but the great unknowns of a new team and new crew chief wouldn’t allow it.

#19:  Joey Logano

HE SAID:  Sliced bread didn’t catch on overnight either.

SHE SAID:  Got progressively better each time he returned to a track last year. Unless the “sophomore slump” kicks in, expect him to be higher in the standings than on the Crucial Taunt top 30 of 2010.

#18:  Marcos Ambrose

HE SAID:  A champion in Europe and a two-time champion back home in Australia, Ambrose will start to come into his own in 2010.

SHE SAID:  Ambrose outshined his fellow MWR racers last year. With the addition of Truex, will he still show as top dog?

#17:  Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

HE SAID:  I wanted him in the top 12, but Laura won’t let me.

SHE SAID:  I have to believe that with reports of Rick Hendrick throwing every available resource at this team, Dale will have a final showing higher than 17^th, but I have to see it to believe it after two less than stellar seasons with HMS.

#16:  Clint Bowyer

HE SAID: Bowyer was fairly consistent with top ten finishes in ’09 (16), but rarely found the top five (4).

SHE SAID:  I came to the stark realization that doing a top 30 list ain’t so easy. I wanted many drivers, Clint included, higher in the standings due to their potential, but couldn’t figure out whom to bump down!

#15:  Kasey Kahne

HE SAID:  The positives for Kasey Kahne:  two wins in 2009. The negatives: his fan base support consists mostly of fourteen-year-old girls.

SHE SAID:  Kasey has made no bones about being unhappy with the state of things at RPM. With his contract up after 2010, will the distractions cancel out the positive step of switching to Ford?

#14:  Greg Biffle

HE SAID:  Very vanilla, un-Biffle-like 2009 despite his making The Chase.

SHE SAID:  Even with the quiet 2009 season, I have a hard time believing Jack Roush will allow his teams to languish back in the top 15 in 2010, but Mark wouldn’t let me move the Biff up.

#13:  Kevin Harvick

HE SAID:  Harvick will be playing for a contract in 2010.

SHE SAID:  After mid-season 2009 upheaval due to rumors of Kevin leaving RCR with a year left in his contract, this team really began picking up at the end of the year. If they can keep focused despite their driver most likely leaving in 2011, expect more of the same.

#12:  Matt Kenseth

HE SAID:  Consistency was an issue for Kenseth in 2009, but that should improve in 2010.

SHE SAID:  After such a strong start in 2009, this team ended up as one of the biggest disappointments of the year. If they can brush it off, expect them to finish even higher than this list.

#11:  Brian Vickers

HE SAID:  The six poles Vickers won in 2009 will pay off for him more in 2010. He has one win under his belt, with plenty more to come.

SHE SAID:  This still very young team is right on the edge of showing some major results. Expect it in 2010 so Crucial Taunt can rank him even higher for 2011.

Interested in hearing more on picks 20 through 11, or want to be part of the conversation? Join Laura and Mark this Wednesday, and every Wednesday, by clicking the link here!