This is a big season for NASCAR, with a new car and a talented group of young drivers, but NASCAR would prefer to see certain drivers win more than others.

1. Danica- Say what you want about Jr. , a Danica win would be bigger because of the gender.  Imagine if she had to wreck boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse to do it, it would be national news.   Best Shot:  Super speedways, Road Courses

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Like NASCAR or not, you know Jr.  If he competes for a title people will watch, but he has to win at a higher rate than he does now to keep fans engaged.  Best Shot: Super Speedways, Michigan, Richmond

3. Brad Keselowski- He’s now NASCAR’s most engaging driver, and fans know him after his cup championship.  Best Shot: Bristol, Kentucky, Kansas

4. Aric Almirola-  He’s young, would be a first time winner, of hispanic descent, and drives the famous 43.  It’s also not as big of a long shot as you probably think it is.  Best Shot: 1.5 mile and 2 mile tracks.

5. Jeff Gordon/ Clint Bowyer: Door to door against each other would be best, pick a side, but really either guy winning would be good for the sport.  Best Shot: Martinsville, Talladega, Dover

6. Trevor Bayne: He’s one of the most likeable people in the sport, a win for him would be huge.  Best Shot: Any Nationwide race

7. Ricky Stenhouse- He’s Danica’s boyfriend, and the sport needs new winners.  Best Shot: Michigan, Atlanta, Auto Club

8. Busch Brothers: It’s good to see people fans hate win on occasion.  Best Shot: Anywhere

9. Nationwides Next Generation: The Dillon brothers, Kyle Larson, James Buescher, Darrell Wallace Jr., Ryan Blaney, Travis Pastrana.  The future of the sport is really bright, and this is the cream of the crop, Wallace and Pastrana would be the biggest for obvious reasons though.

10. Somebody from Tommy Baldwin Racing, Front Row Motorsports, BK Racing,Swan Racing, FAS Lane Racing, Phoenix Racing.  Admit it, sometimes it’s cool to see the little guy win.  These teams are planning to drive the full race each time and hopefully are rewarded for that.  Best Shot: Talladega, Daytona, fuel mileage race 

The top 54 athletes currently.  This is my opinion, I would love to hear yours.  This is list 54-40. 

Take a look at my reasons and then tell me why I’m right or why I’m wrong

Owners:
1. Rick Hendrick- This is a guarantee, his cup championships with Labonte, Gordon, and Johnson pretty much make him a lock.

2. Richard Childress- His success with Dale Sr. puts him among the best

3. Jack Roush/ Joe Gibbs- To me they are almost equal, both have cup championships and have produced boat loads of talent.

Crew Chiefs:
1. Chad Knaus- Nobody pushes the limits more and ultimately nobody has more current championships.  

2. Greg Zippadeli- He hasn’t had success recently but his success with Smoke makes him a pretty safe bet.

Drivers:
1. Jimmie Johnson- He accomplished something nobody has ever done before, that is enough plus he has over 50 victories.

2. Jeff Gordon- He’s still a 4-time champ and one of the sports great ambassadors.

3. Tony Stewart- He has 3 championships and one as an owner, few people drive a car like Smoke.

4. Matt Kenseth- He’s a rookie of the year, Coke 600, 2 time Daytona 500, and Sprint Cup champ, that should be all that is needed.

5. Dale Jr.- Not off of driving alone but his impact on the sport is huge.  He kept the sport going after the death of his father and deserves some credit.

Something left to prove:

Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch,Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Steve Addington, Chip Ganassi, Roger Penske, Danica Patrick