Someone will beat them. It's up to that team to step it up and get it done. I can't wait for it to happen either, don't hate Jimmie, but I'm tired of watching him win everything.

He is just adorable!! Congrats to the Sadlers!

I've watched the last lap several times now, and I still can't believe it...WOW!! That was awesome!!

It's almost time...I can't wait!!!!!!!! :D

I know, I know, I just said it's too early to make predictions on the other thread, but just for fun I guess....haha

-Dale Jr will make the chase
-Kyle Busch will make the chase
-Matt Kenseth will make the chase

I'd like to think Jimmie's reign will end this year, but I haven't seen any reason to believe that. Someone is going to have to beat him at his own game. Hopefully SOMEBODY at least brings competition this year!

I think these drivers will make the chase:
Johnson
Gordon
Martin
Earnhardt
Stewart
Edwards
Kenseth
Ky. Busch
Hamlin
Burton
Harvick
Ku. Busch
Not necessarily in this order

I also think Logano will come close to the chase and possibly make it

We'll have to wait and see!!

It's way too early to make predictions about anyone, not just Dale Jr. Anyone can be good, and anyone can suck. We'll have to wait and see who has done their homework in the offseason.

It's going to take wins nowadays to get anywhere in the championship battle. Top 10's are good, top 5's are great, but wins get the big prize. I'd be happy if he was consistently in the top 10. That's a great start, considering last year's struggles. I don't think that will make Dale Jr happy though. The man wants to win! Three wins isn't an unreasonable goal. If the changes were good ones, then he should run as good as his teammates, and he should be winning. He should be able to easily make the chase. That's all you can really ask for.

I definitely prefer the old format over the Chase. I don't like it. There needs to be more variety in the Chase. The guy who wins the Championship should have to run well on different types of tracks in the Chase. Right now, there are way too many of the same type of track. Only one short track. No Road Courses. The only change they've made is adding California to it. Not a good idea.

I would like to see a road course and another short track race or two in the chase. More variety. I don't like the fact that the champion only has to run well at these 10 tracks; most of which are very similar. I want to see a championship awarded to someone who has to run well everywhere again.

I'm sure Johnson will be just as good as ever this year. One of these times, someone is going to beat him though. Only time will tell when and who that will be. I honestly can't wait to see someone else, just about anybody else, win it. Nothing personal against Johnson or the 48 team, but I'm tired of them winning everything. The chase we have right now plays right into their favor. How many of these tracks has Johnson excelled at? Martinsville, Dover, Phoenix, Charlotte, and now California--those are some of, if not his best tracks. Someone needs to beat these guys at their own game. It's up to them to do their homework and knock the 48 team off the top. That's what it's going to take.

Dale Jr will get his butt back in Victory Lane!! LOL

I really think he'll make the chase this year too, and hopefully contend for it. I'll be happy if he's running as well as his teammates, considering they're running as well as they did last year.

-Matt Kenseth will make the chase
-Kyle Busch will make the chase
-Jimmie will likely be the strongest again in the chase, but I hope we're able to see some competition this year. I'd be okay with anyone from the Hendrick stable posing that threat. I really thought Mark and Tony were gonna give him hell, but it didn't happen. I hope someone else finally gets it done in 2010

Chase contenders:
Johnson
Gordon
Martin
Earnhardt Jr.
Kenseth
Stewart
Logano
Hamlin
Biffle
Edwards
Both Busch brothers

Top contenders? Well, it's hard to say right now. We'll see who can put up the fight against Johnson.

That's what I really want to know. I don't see Jimmie or Chad handling anything less than a stellar season very well, and understandably so. They get pretty animated on the radio when running 2nd or so and are not able to catch the leader to win the race. I couldn't imagine what they'd do having problems for a several week stretch, or even a season. It will be interesting to see when someone is beating them every week instead of them beating everyone. It will happen someday. I'm ready for it as soon as 2010...lol...ready to see someone else winning everything!

Steve Addington!

If only....

The chase is designed to award the driver winning the most races, and that's exactly what it is doing. Old points or new, the same guy would be on top I believe.

Next year, all of these other guys need to really step it up or it will be the same result. Top 5's and 10's are just not enough anymore...not when one guy is winning so many races.

I think the problem I have with it is that I feel the guys who actually raced all day were more deserving of a top 10 than the 48 team. This race is a complete crapshoot though, anybody could finish anywhere really. The big wreck can happen in the front, middle, or back of the pack. That didn't stop everybody else from racing. I just need to get it in my head that this sport isn't always fair, and that the fastest car doesn't always win. Strategy has won and lost many races, as it has in this case. The win being a top 10 finish, and a lot more points for the 48 team.

Oh, please like the 48 team was the first to deploy this strategy at a plate track. This article makes Chad out to be a genius for thinking of this, when in reality I've seen this strategy from many teams before his.

I would have been more impressed had Jimmie actually tried to race all day and got that good finish. I hate that ride in the back all day strategy it's a complete wuss out!! He had a pretty sizable lead that he could have actually tried to put on a show...plenty of guys raced all day and got good finishes.