Passing out gifts at the NASCAR Christmas party

It's the season of giving, and I'm feeling particularly generous. So, without further ado, here are some of my gifts to the stars of NASCAR:

• To Dale Earnhardt Jr., I give a victory in the Daytona 500. Junior's failure to win a race in 2007, his final season with Dale Earnhardt Inc., frustrated NASCAR's most popular driver to no end.

In moving to Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt enters a pressure cooker of lofty expectations. A victory in the 50th running of the Great American Race would do a lot for his comfort level.

• To Kyle Busch, I give a new nickname: "Fire." Tony Stewart sees his new teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing as a younger version of himself -- aggressive, outspoken and prone to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Chances are, they'll get along famously -- as in "Where there's Smoke, there's Fire." (read more)

• To Denny Hamlin, I give a set of blinders to help the third member of the Gibbs troika keep his focus through the inevitable pyrotechnics that will come from Stewart and Busch.

• To Kasey Kahne, I give a great lawyer -- to get rid of the misdemeanor charges and nuisance lawsuit filed by security guard Archibald Hutchinson, whom Kahne allegedly pushed to the ground during a confrontation over access to the motor home lot at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. Given the year Kahne had in 2007, this is a distraction he doesn't need. (read more)

• To Michael Waltrip, I give a clean slate. The fuel additive found in Waltrip's No. 55 Camry during pre-qualifying inspection at Daytona last year tainted Toyota's ballyhooed debut in Cup racing. This year, Michael Waltrip Racing starts the season with three new crew chiefs and the wisdom gained from a rough first season. Look for improved performance from the MWR teams, as all the Camry drivers benefit from the addition of Gibbs to the Toyota camp. (read more)

• To Yates Racing, I give two solid sponsors. I want to see what Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland can do in equipment that's top-drawer. With the retirement of Robert Yates, the organization has become, in essence, an extension of Roush Fenway Racing, but the engine expertise of Doug Yates is still critical to the team's success. Kvapil and Gilliland should be factors at Daytona. (read more)

• To Robby Gordon, I give a clone of himself. NASCAR might shudder at the notion of two Gordons, but this way, Robby can go off-road racing in Dakar and test at Daytona at the same time. He also can find out what it's like to be his own crew chief -- the recent turnover in that department is beginning to rival that of Dale Jarrett.

• To Jarrett, I give a huge vote of thanks for confining his "farewell tour" to six races. Richard Petty could pull off a yearlong swan song, but no other driver has been able to sustain a respectable level of interest for a full season. (read more)

• To David Stremme, I give a quality Cup ride. Of the drivers squeezed out by the sport's open-door policy for open-wheel drivers, he's perhaps the most notable. Stremme showed flashes of brilliance with Ganassi in 2007; he'll run a partial schedule in 2008 for Rusty Wallace in the Nationwide Series and compete in an occasional Craftsman Truck Series race -- while waiting for the Silly Season dominoes to fall. If I'm an owner looking for a talented, level-headed, well-spoken driver, Stremme is my first phone call. (read more)

• To Jeff Gordon, I give a fifth Cup championship. Gordon did everything necessary to win the 2007 title but came up short in the wake of teammate Jimmie Johnson's phenomenal closing run. The sport owes Gordon one. (read more)

• To the Car of Tomorrow, I give a significant increase in front-end suspension travel. The consensus among drivers is that more travel will help the cars turn through the corners and make them more "racy." That's a good thing for all concerned. (read more)

• To Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, I give ... nothing. What can you give to man who has everything? (read more)