What YOU expect from the 2009 Sprint Cup Season

I believe that Dale Jr. will do better, probably quite a good bit better than he did last season, but he will never be as good as his dad. And I don't think that it is fair at all for people to continuously compare him to his dad because he is NOT his dad. He has the same name. That's all. They are two completely different entities altogether. My brother has the same name as my dad, but that doesn't mean they are exactly the same. If anything, I act more like my dad than he does and he's got the name. Dale Jr. is good. He's damn good. But he will never be given the proper credit he deserves simply because he's got that giant three shaped cloud hanging over him.

Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will do well. They won't do great, but they will do well. I expect at least one win between the two of them, and at least one of them will make the chase (and it probably won't be the one that wins a race). As it is a heavily renovated organization, where Stewart was GIVEN half of the team while the other half remains in the hands of a man in prison for tax fraud, it's going to operate like a fledgling operation nonetheless. Expect many problems, but in a way that you can look at it and be like, "Hey, when they get their crap together they're going to be bad to the bone."

The GEM-Petty Merger will do wonders for at least the Petty Organization, which has struggled since the mid-eighties. Gillett-Evernham won't hurt from it since they're getting the legendary 43 car in their stable, which has needed an extreme makeover Ty Pennington wouldn't even touch. Kasey ought to have a good season. But look for Reed Sorenson in the 43 (if the rumors are true) to shock the world and don't be surprised if Petty blue doesn't show up in victory lane at least one more time.

If Jimmie Johnson manages to win four in a row, which obviously isn't unthinkable, it will send the NASCAR community in an uproar, and not in a good way. The chase format was designed so people like Matt Kenseth couldn't win one race and then take the cup, a play-off system was included to stop this. A play-off system works in things like football or other collegiate athletics, but for the past five years we have seen the Chase for the Cup format go over like the sports version of No Child Left Behind. the Chase format has done nothing but promote top teams to drag-ass throughout the entire regular season and then with ten to go actually make a charge for it. That's the only way Jimmie Johnson knows how to do it. I honestly don't think he could stand a chance if he had to actually race the entire season like he has the last ten races for the past three years. He's good, don't get me wrong. He's damn good. But the chase format has been his best friend since implemented. If they want the chase format to work, they're going to have to actually make a legitimate system like they do with the Hooters Pro-Cup Series. They have a northern and a southern division, and the top ten or so from both division come seasons end gets put in a playoff series where they fight for the NATIONAL title in their series. But until that is taken care of, done away with, etc., except a mass exodus out of Sprint Cup as it will soon basically become nothing more than an extremely expensive ARCA Re/Max Series with Frank Kimmel winning ten championships in a row.

What I expect:

Earnhardt Ganassi Merger:
It will help. Not much, but it will help. Bobby Labonte is reported to either be going to the 8 or the 41. Expect him to do the best he has done in years. Sadly, that's really not saying much considering the track record at Petty. Montoya should do well in a Chevy. Almirola may or may not have a full-time ride. If he doesn't, he should consider bolting for another team again, as he did with Joe Gibbs.

GEM Petty Merger:
I already went over this, but to recap it should improve a little bit. I don't know how much, but it should.

Marcos Ambrose in what was the 00 at Michael Waltrip Racing:
Ambrose has considerable talent. Whether he will shine or not, the jury is still out.

Mark Martin in the Hendrick #5:
The Hendrick line-up is the best field of people that Rick has ever had. Martin has got the best chance he has ever had of winning a title, and he knows it. He will make the chase, and expect him to win somewhere he either never won at before or never expected to win at again. Will he win the title in his final attempt? Storybook endings are possible in the sports world. But there are 42 other guys vying for that same spot at the Waldorf.

Wood Brothers scaling back operations:
It is a sad day indeed. Petty merges with someone else, and The Wood Brothers go back to only running superspeedway races again like they did in the 70s. Unless someone like Yates Racing absorbs the 21 into their stable and put someone at least halfway decent in the car, expect the Wood Brothers 21 to go the way of Holman-Moody's #6 and Smokey Yunick's #22.

Bill Davis Racing:
As far as I know, Dave Blaney is back in the #22 this season, but Bill Davis got tired of the organization and sold it off to an investor. Will they be able to bring in sponsors? they haven't yet. Or they at least won't tell. This is another team that needs to assimilate or die. Or maybe they should have begged Ward Burton to come back.

I'm sure I'll think of more things to say in the near future.