New Year brings plusses, minuses and two misses

Wouldn't it be cool if it was Thanksgiving already? I mean, heck -- the season would be over already -- Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Ron Hornaday would be champions -- and that doesn't even take into account how time seems to fly when you get to be, ahem, my age.

But as 2009 gets truly and well under way, it's pretty neat to see who's got the most to be smiling about and who's trying to get the smiles to overrun the frowns.

Dave Rodman

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Since I try to be a positive guy, well, I'll try to determine who's got the biggest grin plastered on their face -- and don't go wild, because this doesn't propose to be comprehensive.

Edwards would be a good starting point.

In everything from getting some big checks in New York City, turning laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking a consultation call before his Nationwide crew chief was promoted to the Cup Series (read more), getting big props in London from Michael Schumacher (read more), driving with basically no rules in Thailand, completing a circumnavigation of the planet, and finally getting married to a hometown woman, Edwards was just busting out smiling.

In this book, all of it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Jamie McMurray was just as ecstatic about what the New Year was going to bring via his reunion with crew chief Donnie Wingo (read more) -- and this was a month before anyone could officially talk about it. Since, McMurray's had plenty of karting action (read more), including what had to be the highlight -- a road trip with his dad to Daytona driving his equipment.

Chalk up a couple of more for the good guys -- including Wingo, who displayed the patience of a saint while fending off inquiries for comment at the end of last season.

Jimmie Johnson's got to be part of the grin parade. After celebrating the holidays as a three-time Cup champion he's favored -- at least in this corner -- to take sole possession of the mark as a four consecutive champion. Plus, he got to make some laps in a Grand-Am Rolex Series hot rod, a Pontiac Riley, the past couple of days (read more).

Who wouldn't be grinning after that?

And how about adding Robby Gordon to the positive list? He doesn't want to be smiling too wide because that would invite too much Argentine pampas dust into his mouth; but after a less-than-exemplary opening stage in the Dakar Rally, Gordon cranked off two top-10s in the next two specials, getting him back into the top 10 overall (read more).

As if engineering a Toyota deal (read more) for 2009 in the Sprint Cup Series and having at least the better part of his season sponsored -- thanks to Jim Beam and Menards -- wasn't enough, Gordon celebrated his 40th birthday this past Friday in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Continued)