NASCAR 2009 Preview, Pt. 2: Drivers Riding Highs and Lows of Momentum

NASCAR drivers come into Daytona thinking they could win it all. Every one of them believes they have just about as good a chance as the next driver. That's why hope springs eternal in Speedweeks.

For some drivers, it is about keeping last year's momentum going strong into this season.

For Carl Edwards that means that he should just continue to win. Edwards led the Sprint Cup series last year with nine wins. However, it still couldn't beat out Jimmie Johnson for the the series title.

Edwards needs to focus on continuing to improve, lead laps and pick up wins. In 2008 he had 19 top fives and 27 top 10 finishes, with an average finish of 9.5. Edwards looked like the best driver in NASCAR last season, but being the best driver overall doesn't guarantee a championship.

Just ask Jeff Gordon about that.

For Edwards, 2008 is not only about challenging for wins—it's about challenging for the championship. Edwards believes that if anyone else is going to win the championship, they will have to beat him first.

Edwards should have a another great year. Edwards is one of this sports rising stars and he should make the chase and he should be a contender in 2009.

Kyle Busch was probably one of the few drivers in the chase that couldn't wait for 2009 to come. Busch's 2008 season was capped off by a disappointing chase, leaving Busch with something to prove that in 2009 he will finish the job.

Busch dominated NASCAR's top three series all year long even without a championship title in any of them.

Last season, Busch had 17 top fives and 21 top 10s. He was unbeatable for the first 26 races. But as expected, other drivers started to catch up and improve, and this once indestructible driver was now chasing everyone else.

Busch will be a contender in 2009, but will he have the same success that he found early on in 2008? 

Other drivers have not only caught up to him—they passed him late in the year.

Some of the things that hurt Busch were out of his control late last season. But will that late-season slump continue in 2009?

For Jimmie Johnson, it's all about timing. The chase is perfect timing for his team. At the end of 2008, Johnson made it look easy.

That wasn't the case for his team throughout the year. They struggled early and often.

They ran well, but were never contenders for a win until Indianapolis.While everyone else was blaming Goodyear and the awful tires, Johnson and crew were kissing the bricks.

This victory was a springboard for the team.

Johnson's team struggled early on in the year with the handling of this car and the "48" team got to work and tested. All that testing paid off with a Cup Series championship and a place in history.

This team will be a contender for the championship but I don't think it will come as easy.

Johnson should, and will, go down as one of the greats in this sport. He doesn't need to win another championship to prove that, but it wouldn't hurt.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s, 2008 was good but it could and should have, been better. He did end his winless streak in June at Michigan. Earnhardt did the make the chase but really he wasn't a factor.

Earnhardt struggled late in the season which hurt his chances for the title.

Earnhardt had 10 top fives and 16 top 10s last season, which were not bad stats, but he underachieved.

2009 should be a better year for Earnhardt. I expect to see him win more this year and make the chase. But can he shake off the disappointment of 2008?

I think so.

If the wins and the consistency doesn't come for Earnhardt, expect his fans to start voicing their anger and the media asking the questions they have avoided asking the last few years.

If you were looking for a driver to be a sleeper in 2009, David Ragan would be your guy. I wouldn't really call him a sleeper. He is expected to make the chase, and many other people have picked Ragan as the one to watch.

Ragan barely missed the chase in 2008. In 2009, he hopes to equate strong runs into some wins this year.

Last season, Ragan had six top fives and 14 top 10s. Those numbers might not be flashy but it helped Ragan gain confidence behind the wheel

Under a new sponsorship deal with UPS, Ragan's team is looking to make a statement out of the gate to prove his 2008 success was not a fluke.

The Daytona 500 represents a new season and new hope, but for many drivers, they will be hoping to be riding high on momentum they left in 2008.

For others, the race is about finding and riding that wave of momentum that eluded them in 2008.