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well....2006 is here.to many it's a fresh start, i feel like every driver can do better than they did last year.But realisticaly, that's impossible...so i was wondering who do you think will be either a flop, or a disappointment this year?

I think obviously michael waltrip will be a disappointment leaving a high quality team for a first year team..

although i am a fan of bobby labonte and jeff burton, i don't see them doing too much better than last year..bobby will do better, and i believe he can win a race, but i just don't see him getting the 43 into the chase...not just cause it's a petty car, but mainly cause it's a dodge.

I don't think jimmie johnson will be as good this year either.He's finished 2nd in the points for what i believe is about 3 years now..and with this new rookie class, it will be even harder to do good..I think he'll make the chase, but won't be as spectacular as the last 2 years..

kurt busch......I really don't think he'll be too much worse this year..People say he won't be very good, but i beileve he'll win at least a race or two, even without being with roush..He's in probably one of the best cars out there, even if it is a dodge..

all of roush will remain strong this year....

I don't think robert yates racing will really be too much better this year...elliott sadler may be better, but like i said, there's a very strong rookie class and a lot of good drivers to compete against.

Brain vickers will win a race..Along with casey mears..

the rookie battle will be against martin truex jr, denny hamlin, and clint bowyer.....And maybe david streme....judging from his races last year in cup, jj yeley will take some time to get used to the cars..

gordon and junior will be better...

I believe that jeremy mayfield and joe nemecheck will improve just a little more than they did last year...i don't believe anyone gives these guys enough credit, i'm not saying they will make it, but they are possible dark horses in the race to the chase

tony stewart probably won't have as magical of a season as he did last year...but will be in the chase.

I think sterling marlin will do much better this year, and will be a chase contender, but i think he will probably miss the chase...mb2 isn't that bad of a team..

richard childress will still be struggling...kevin harvick will probably miss the chase again.....Jeff burton will do a little better...and i think clint bowyer will probably be the best childress car, judging on how he raced in busch last year.but i don't think he'll make the chase.

kyle busch will be a threat to make the chase, along with vickers, and mears.

mcmurray will make the chase.

robby gordon will be more competitive this year, and may win a road course...I think he'll surprise us once or twice this year with a bold move or strategy....he'll probably finish in the top 30 in points.

Ken schrader will pick up where ricky rudd left off.but i don't expect him to be that much better...

My predictions:

1) Dale Jr will make the Chase along with guys like Jeff Gordon, Elliot Sadler, Kasey Kahne and Kevin Harvick.

2) There will be at least one to two rookies in the Chase or outside, aim to get that million dollar bonus and my picks are Martin Truex Jr and Reed Sorenson

3) ROTY will go to Martin Truex Jr cause he's proven that he can run with the Cup guys, all he has to do is build his momentum with great finishes, maybe even a win or two.

4) Jamie will have a good year with Roush Racing. he'll get some top-10s, and maybe even top-5s, or a win.

5) This the year for Casey Mears to get his first win. It'll happen towards the middle of the season at it will be a win that everyone will talk about.

6) The champion for this year, hard to tell. Its between these guys in my eye- Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. Edwards, Biffle, Stewart, Martin. One of these guys will win it or it could be someone else, who knows.

7) Kurt Busch is gonna probably struggle for a few races being with a new team. And having to live up to Rusty's accomplishments in that #2 is gonna be hard, but he can get the job done.

8 ) As for the Daytona 500, look for these guys to have good finishes- Gordon, Earnhardt Jr, Kyle 'Shrub' Busch( thats rite, shrub!), Truex Jr (He knows how to draft) Stewart, Edwards, McMurray.

9) Most dominat team for this year will be between DEI, Hendricks and Roush. RCR, Penske, RYR, Evernham and the others just haven't been working to good.

10) Toyota in '07 is a big strecth for NASCAR to include it in it's elite division, and it will take a while before fans become accoustmed to these cars.

11) Some driver changes are gonna work, and other won't. For instance, Michael Waltrip racing for Bill Davis will give that team more of a market with a name like that, but he'll probably miss the Chase and come up short on another win.

12) Look out for guys like Kyle Busch and J.J Yeley contending to get in the Chase, these guys can do it, and they'll rattle the vertans chains.

13) The Busch Series will lose some excitemnet since many of the Busch regulars have moved up to Cup. The best thing will probably be the Buschwackers (Newman, Sadler, Earnhardt Jr, etc...)

14) Guys like Mark Martin nad Sterling Marlin will probably have great runs. I can see another win in Mark's future, so he can go out with a win.

15) Single car teams like Robby Gordon's team will have a good year and run up there with the big time teams.


And that's my two cents.

im not sure who'll make the chase this year. i'll be happy with it, as long as jimmie johnson does'nt win. no offense to jimmie johnson fans on here it's just that i dont particularly care for him.