| 1 |
NR |
 |
Jimmie Johnson |
In the past 12 months he’s won nine races, married a tall, attractive blonde and won millions of dollars. Which means his younger brother can’t wait to get a Nextel Cup ride. |
| 2 |
NR |
 |
Jeff Gordon |
Funniest line of a press release we saw in the offseason: "Coming off my 14th year of racing in NASCAR, Halston Z-14 will be my signature fragrance,” said Jeff Gordon. “I love wearing it because it is a bold, masculine scent that’s perfect for men like me who are active, sophisticated and modern." |
| 3 |
NR |
 |
Kurt Busch |
He’s trying to win over some fans this year, and signing Crown Royal as a sponsor was a step in the right direction. Now all he needs is Pabst Blue Ribbon. |
| 4 |
NR |
 |
Mark Martin |
This guy is going to have the best closing season in NASCAR history. |
| 5 |
NR |
 |
Kasey Kahne |
He made an appearance on QVC over the winter, which explains the recent spike in fan mail from 64-year-old women. |
| 6 |
NR |
 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
He says the power in the motor isn't all that good, so they gave it to Robby Gordon. |
| 7 |
NR |
 |
Elliott Sadler |
He showed up at Daytona with a much-needed haircut. And that was only to avoid questions as to why he had more hair than Boris Said. |
| 8 |
NR |
 |
Jamie McMurray |
We’re not sure if he is headed to Penske next year, but watch and see if Newman starts treating him like he is already his teammate by avoiding him in the garage and running into the back of him at Martinsville. |
| 9 |
NR |
 |
Ryan Newman |
This Newman-Wallace feud is getting out of hand. On Sunday, they even made sure they are in separate 150-mile races for Thursday. |
| 10 |
NR |
 |
Tony Stewart |
You know it’s early in the season when he’s smiling in interviews. Or even granting them. |
| 11 |
NR |
 |
Dale Jarrett |
Aside from Greg Biffle's, this is probably the most improved team for 2005. |
| 12 |
NR |
 |
Greg Biffle |
He is supposed to debut a new Subway commercial later this year. After what happened on Sunday, they should use his car in the commercial to toast a sub. |
| 13 |
NR |
 |
Kevin Harvick |
There’s a lot of untrue rumors that he is going to Penske Racing, but if he does, it’ll only be because he’s tired of having a car owner with more hair than him. |
| 14 |
NR |
 |
Jeremy Mayfield |
He talked over the winter about how glad he was to leave Penske. And that was only because they refused to pay for his buzzcuts. |
| 15 |
NR |
 |
Jeff Burton |
He is probably worried people think his No. 31 still has Robby Gordon driving, so instead of having his name above the driver’s door, he had it placed on the rear bumper in big letters. |
| 16 |
NR |
 |
Matt Kenseth |
He might have a 23-year career in NASCAR with one career Bud Shootout start. Weird. |
| 17 |
NR |
 |
Bobby Labonte |
He admitted in the offseason that he is not the most exciting person, which means he needs to stop watching the Weather Channel two hours a day. |
| 18 |
NR |
 |
Rusty Wallace |
We’ve come up with a simple barometer for this year to determine whether Rusty will return in 2006. Finish of 20th or worse in the points: Retired. 15-19th: Run Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. 11-14th: 10-race schedule. Top 10 points finish: One more season. Championship: New 10-year contract, baby!
|
| 19 |
NR |
 |
Ricky Rudd |
It probably wasn’t too smart for Fatback to get mad at Casey Mears over the weekend. The two are next-door neighbors, and Casey is sure to let his dog poop all over Fatback’s yard. |
| 20 |
NR |
 |
Carl Edwards |
He certainly does not like to spend money – he still lives in a two-bedroom apartment. What does he tell his dates? That he lives in a gated community? |
| 21 |
NR |
 |
Joe Nemechek |
If you haven’t put him on your fantasy team ($19.00) for Daytona, do it. Now. Or else you'll be stuck with Mike Skinner, who even isn't on the roster yet. |
| 22 |
NR |
 |
Brian Vickers |
His new sponsor is Garnier Fructis, owned by L'Oreal. Because he’s worth it. |
| 23 |
NR |
 |
Jason Leffler |
It’s really a matter of great debate who the shortest driver is in the Nextel Cup Series – Leffler or Mark Martin. Next year, there will be no debate. |
| 24 |
NR |
 |
Michael Waltrip |
Another reason drivers shouldn’t wear their firesuits in commercials: Waltrip’s firesuit still says “Winston Cup” in some of them. |
| 25 |
NR |
 |
Scott Riggs |
He enjoys having Boris Said as a teammate, even if he is half his size. |