The 2007 season is finally underway! So what better time than now to list our predictions for the top 12 finishers in The Chase for the Nextel Cup title.

We polled a group of our fellow expert auto racing writers (expert being a loosely-based term!) and took everyone’s top 12 and created an average from everyone’s list…so here it is!

Now this where you come in. Comment below and give us your top 12 and vote for the Champion below as well.

So without further ado…let the debate begin!!
—————————————————————————-

1. Tony Stewart

2006 Stats:

Wins: 5

Top 5’s: 15

Top 10’s: 19

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 11th

2007 Outlook: No one in Nextel Cup has a bigger chip on his shoulder than Tony Stewart. After missing ‘The Chase’ last year, Tony went on a tear, winning 3 of the last 10 races in the Chase and creating huge momentum for 2007. The #20 team has no weaknesses and crew chief Greg Zippadelli has become one of the best in the business. Stewart had more first place votes among our panel than any other driver and he could win 8 plus races en route to his second Nextel Cup title.

2. Jimmie Johnson

2006 Stats:

Wins: 5

Top 5’s: 13

Top 10’s: 24

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 1st

2007 Outlook: Jimmie Johnson certainly has everything he needs to repeat as Nextel Cup Champion. He drives for one of the top teams in NASCAR (Hendrick) and has a great team behind him led by crew chief Chad Knauss. That’s why he ended up 2nd on our list…but only second. Tony Stewart simply will out gun Johnson.

3. Kasey Kahne

2006 Stats:

Wins: 6

Top 5’s: 12

Top 10’s: 19

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 8th

2007 Outlook: Kasey Kahne is an emerging star in NASCAR, no doubt about it. He led Nextel Cup in race wins in 2006 and is a great qualifier. Even though Kahne won at Lowe’s, overall he faded in the Chase with four finishes outside the top 30. Kasey should have another strong year and do better in the Chase in 2007 but his consistency isn’t up to the level of the 2 drivers ranked above him. Multiple Nextel Cup titles await the talented Kahne but not in 2007.

4. Matt Kenseth

2006 Stats:

Wins: 4

Top 5’s: 15

Top 10’s: 21

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 2nd

2007 Outlook: Kenseth is another consistent performer. 2006 saw him grab 4 wins and have an average finish position of 9th. Solid, but just that…solid, not spectacular. And even though he improved his qualifying efforts in 2006, he needs to be better so his race starts don’t see him crawling through the field from the back. Losing crew chief Robbie Reiser for 4 races to suspension won’t help his cause either.

5. Kevin Harvick

2006 Stats:

Wins: 5

Top 5’s: 15

Top 10’s: 20

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 4th

2007 Outlook: Harvick won five races in breakout Cup season in 2006 while also posting one pole, 15 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. Harvick should be able to duplicate that in 2007 and winning Daytona doesn’t hurt either!

6. Kurt Busch

2006 Stats:

Wins: 1

Top 5’s: 7

Top 10’s: 12

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 16th

2007 Outlook: After an up and down first season with Penske South in 2006 which saw him win at Bristol and grab six poles, Kurt Busch will have a major rebound in 2007. His second year with Penske will see Busch have more consistent finshes and a few more wins.

7. Jeff Gordon

2006 Stats:

Wins: 2

Top 5’s: 14

Top 10’s: 18

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 6th

2007 Outlook: Finished sixth in series points in first full season with crew chief Steve Letarte in 2006. Won two races but seven DNFs hampered his championship effort. Gordon’s life outside the car coninues to become busier and with his first child on the way, we don’t see Gordon cracking the top 5 this year.

8. Dale Earnhardt, Jr

2006 Stats:

Wins: 1

Top 5’s: 10

Top 10’s: 17

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 5th

2007 Outlook: (Why do we get the feeling that we’ll hear alot of comments for this ranking!) Finished fifth in series points in 2006 and led a total of 444 laps over the course of the season, leading in 18 races. Dale Jr. and DEI hasn’t shown the consistency that’s needed to win a Nextel Cup, pure and simple. The talent is there…the team is not…yet. Jr’s ongoing contract squabbles and quest to control DEI will do nothing to help his 2007 campaign either.

9. Carl Edwards

2006 Stats:

Wins: 0

Top 5’s: 10

Top 10’s: 20

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 12th

2007 Outlook: After a stellar 2005 season, Edwards fell back to earth in 2006 finishing 12th in the series points while going winless for the year. However, Edwards earned seven top-10 finishes in final nine races of season in ‘06 and this momentum will get him back in the Chase in 2007.

10. Elliott Sadler

2006 Stats:

Wins: 0

Top 5’s: 1

Top 10’s: 7

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 10th

2007 Outlook: A definite darkhorse pick to make the Chase by several of our panelists, Sadler started his season with Robert Yates Racing but was released from his contract before season’s end and began driving Evernham Motorsports’ No. 19 Dodge for the Aug. 19 Nextel Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway in ‘06. A change of scenery will do Sadler wonders under the tutelage of Ray Evernham and will see him back in the top 10 this year.

11. Kyle Busch

2006 Stats:

Wins: 1

Top 5’s: 10

Top 10’s: 18

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 10th

2007 Outlook: Finished 10th in series points, making the Chase For The Nextel Cup after being in the top five for nine weeks in 2006. Kyle will have another solid year, but not neccessarily spectacular. He’s young, talented and great things await him in the future.

12. Jeff Burton

2006 Stats:

Wins: 1

Top 5’s: 7

Top 10’s: 20

2006 Nextel Cup Finish: 7th

2007 Outlook: Made the Chase For The Nextel Cup for the first time in 2006, finishing seventh in points and ended a streak of 175 races without a win with a victory at Dover International Speedway in September. Burton is steady and solid but there’s too many young lions to climb over to grab a title this late in his career.

————————————————————————————————