Five to Watch: Championship sleepers

Chase Elliott

The Hendrick Motorsports driver came thisclose to winning his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race during his rookie campaign in 2016. As the Hendrick camp began to find more speed toward the end of the season, Elliott's results on track reflected the progress, notching five straight top-12 qualifying results and finishes to conclude the season. With a year of experience under his belt and results on the upswing, expect Elliott to emerge as one of the guys to beat in 2017.

Daniel Suarez

Bold, but very possible pick. Suarez flexed his muscle in the Joe Gibbs Racing XFINITY ride last season, winning his first race the same year he nabbed his first championship at the conclusion of the 2016 season. This shows that he's a fast learner with raw talent. Now that he's in the best possible equipment with the elite Joe Gibbs Racing fleet, Suarez could surprise everyone by contending for the title in his rookie season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior Nation has been waiting on his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title for years now. This season feels like it could be Earnhardt's time, as he makes his big return to racing after being sidelined for half of 2016. Everyone saw what happened to Kyle Busch when he was injured; he came back stronger, wiser and won that season's championship. With some fast cars, Junior could be poised to do the same.

Kyle Larson

After a somewhat disappointing sophomore slump in 2015, Larson came back strong in 2016 with his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Michigan and a playoff berth. Larson's aggression on the track coupled with experience as he hones his craft bode for a strong, long career. Look for him to sneak into the title mix undetected, but very much a threat.

Clint Bowyer

Bowyer's frustrations last season are relevant no longer, as he steps into the famed No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford of retired Tony Stewart. He's proven he can win, having won eight races in his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career and finishing as runner-up in 2012. And now that he's driving top-shelf equipment with former champions Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch as teammates, Bowyer's motivation could be enough to propel him directly into the title hunt.