NASCAR- Top 45 Countdown 2007

35. 14-Sterling Marlin, Panasonic/Waste Management Chevrolet (Ginn Racing)

2006 prediction (28th) 2006 results (34th) - Somewhat Accurate

Sterling Marlin struggled tremendously in his first season with MB2 Motorsports, now Ginn Racing. Marlin, a two-time Daytona 500 champion, has not really been a force ever since his collar bone injury in 2002. Bobby Ginn will bring in more financial support, which will bolster the team's resources, so it is plausible that Marlin will improve. But this team will be a top 25-team at best in 2007.

34. 6-David Ragan, AAA Ford (Roush Racing)

David Ragan has yet to really stand out in any of NASCAR's three premier series, but Jack Roush sees boundless potential in the Georgia native, and is willing to give the 21 year old a shot. Ragan will supplant Mark Martin in the famous # 6 Ford. Martin, one of NASCAR's most popular driver, will be a tough act to follow, so how Ragan handles the onus may determine how he will perform. I project that Ragan will struggle early on, but will display signs of improvement as the season progresses.

33. 22-Dave Blaney, Caterpillar Toyota (Bill Davis Racing)

2006 prediction (30th) 2006 results (26th) - Accurate

Dave Blaney's fourth place finish at Richmond last September was practically unnoticed. Unfortunately, the best run of his career was overwhelmingly eclipsed by the race to the Chase for the Championship. Blaney was able to keep this team solidly in the top 35 in Nextel Cup owner's points throughout the 2006 season, and he will likely do the same in 2007, but I frankly do not see this team as a consistent front-runner.

32. 7-Robby Gordon, Jim Beam Ford (Robby Gordon Motorsports)

2006 prediction (36th) 2006 results (30th) - Accurate

There were times in 2006 when Robby Gordon displayed signs of squashing the notion that driver/owner teams cannot be competitive in today's NASCAR. Gordon had stellar runs at Atlanta and Texas early in the season, but poor luck prevented him from finishing in the top ten. As usual, Gordon was stout on the road courses, but this team still has a ways to go before they can consistently contend for wins on an oval track. After two seasons of fielding Chevrolet's, Gordon and company will join the blue oval brigade in 2007. Robby Gordon Motorsports will be one of only four full-time Ford teams. Look for Gordon to continue to show improvement on his intermediate program, and possibly win one of the road course races at Infineon or Watkins Glen.

31. 40-David Stremme, Coors Light/Lone Star Steakhouse Dodge (Chip Ganassi Racing)

2006 prediction (31st) 2006 results (33rd) - Accurate

David Stremme's rookie season would have been considered standard ten years ago. Unfortunately for him, drivers such as Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick set the bar so high for rookies back in the early 2000's. No longer will Stremme have that yellow rookie stripe decorating his back bumper, so it is time for him to step it up. Stremme does not have the veteran support that other young drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer have, so it is not surprising that his development is advancing at a sluggish pace. Stremme should at least show marginal improvement in 2007. I wouldn't expect a win, but he will likely score his first top ten in Nextel Cup.

30. 36-Jeremy Mayfield, 360 OTC Toyota (Bill Davis Racing)

2006 prediction (14th) 2006 results (39th) - Not even close

The 2006 season was perhaps the worst of Jeremy Mayfield's career. After qualifying for the Chase for the Championship in 2004 and 2005, Mayfield felt as if he was unappreciated at Evernham Motorsports and he was not introverted in voicing his discontentment. Eventually, the hostility between Mayfield and Ray Evernham turned into an all-out war. Evernham accused Mayfield of intentionally incapacitating the 19 team, and Mayfield claimed that Evernham was an absentee owner, and that he engaged in a close, personal relationship with a particular female employee. But just because the 2006 season has concluded doesn't mean that this is the end of the feud between Mayfield and Evernham. Mayfield feels as if he has a lot to prove, as he will grip the wheel of Bill Davis Racing's Toyota Camry's in 2007. It will interesting anytime that green 36 Toyota is in the vicinity of the 19 Dodge. Other than Dale Jarrett, Mayfield may be Toyota's best chance of rewarding the foreign manufacturer with their first Nextel Cup victory.

29. 83-Brian Vickers, Red Bull Toyota (Red Bull Racing)

2006 prediction (18th) 2006 results (15th)- Accurate

Brian Vickers finally won his first Nextel Cup race in 2006 at Talladega, but it came with diminutive fanfare. On the final lap of the UAW-Ford 500, Vickers, running in third place behind Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr, inadvertently clipped his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson, which began a chain reaction. Johnson was forced into Earnhardt Jr, and the two leaders totaled their cars on the backstretch. Vickers would go on to celebrate in the winner's circle, however the fans vociferously displayed their displeasure, as did Johnson. This all occurred months after Vickers opted to leave the Hendrick Motorsports organization for the newly formed Red Bull Racing team. Vickers will have his work cut out for him. He struggled with a powerhouse organization, and he will likely struggle even more with a first-year organization. Vickers is a proficient qualifier, so he should have no trouble qualifying for races on speed.

28. 42-Juan Pablo Montoya, Texaco/Havoline Dodge (Chip Ganassi Racing)

With the exception of Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon, no other name carries as much clout in the world of auto racing as Juan Pablo Montoya. The Colombia native has won the Indianapolis 500, as well as a CART Championship. He also became a frequent winner in Formula One. Montoya proved that he was more than just a great open-wheel racer when he helped his Chip Ganassi Racing team win the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona. Despite Montoya's remarkable resume, he will not just come in and take the NASCAR world by storm. He will go through the typical exigent transition that most rookies encounter. But eventually, Montoya will be a winner in NASCAR Nextel Cup; it just will not be in 2007.

27. 15-Paul Menard, Menards Chevrolet (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.)

Okay, here is my rookie of the year prediction. While most analysts project that Juan Pablo Montoya will be NASCAR's top rookie, I will go against the grain and say that Paul Menard will take that trophy. Menard vastly improved ever since he first joined Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2004. In fact, Menard was one of the few Busch Series regulars who could hold a candle to the army of Buschwhackers that raided the series. Menard will not have a Denny Hamlin-like rookie season, but he is best among the 2007 freshmen class.

26. 38-David Gilliland, M&M's Ford (Robert Yates Racing)

Speaking of drivers that were able to tame the invasion of the Buschwhackers, David Gilliland shocked the NASCAR world when he won at Kentucky in June in a sponsorless, underfunded, single car team. Gilliland won the race, a race that featured Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley, and Greg Biffle. It was arguably the biggest upset of the decade. The surprising win put Gilliland in the spotlight, and he caught the eyes of several powerhouse organizations. Eventually, Robert Yates Racing signed the 30 year old California native. Gilliland replaced the popular Elliott Sadler in the M&M's Ford, and as the case with most rookies, he tore up a lot of equipment. But Gilliland continued to improve under the guidance of crew chief Todd Parrott, and he may have scored his first top five at Homestead if it were not for a cut tire. Gilliland will continue to improve in 2007.