Carl Edwards
He made it into the Chase in what was effectively his rookie year and finished third (actually tied for second with points, but the position went to Biffle based on wins) only 35 points behind Stewart. It was a very impressive first year, though he did have lots of ups and downs. If he can find more consistency he'll be amazing. So far in 2006 he hasn't had that consistency. He finished dead last at Daytona thanks to somebody else's wreck, and that will be a lot to overcome. He made a good effort at that at California finishing third, but he'll need to be consistent all year.

Jeff Gordon
Last year was a year to forget for Gordon, though he still wracked up four wins. So far 2006 hasn't been much better. If he can't get it together it will be another year lost. Of course he's still Jeff Gordon, where a bad year is four wins, eight top fives, 14 top tens and 11th place in the standings.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale who? The most visible man off the track is not so visible on the track. He's another guy who would rather forget 2005, and so far his 2006 isn't much to write home about. He finished well at Daytona, but it wasn't the usual DEI dominance. California hasn't been so kind.

Mark Martin
It's his final year in Cup racing (for real this time) and Martin is as consistent as they come. He had a decent finish at Daytona (which is good for Martin at a restrictor plate track) and actually ran up front. He ran strong at California and has the added bonus of wracking up a few Truck series wins for confidence (as if he needs that). Could this be Martin's year? You can never count him out.

Greg Biffle
He hasn't had a good start, but his strong run at California before his engine gave out is proof of what he could do. He finished second in the standings last year and if he's able to battle back he could be a threat. It seems like consistency is what Biffle really needs to work on.

Ryan Newman
Again, I'm not that impressed with Penske Racing, but Newman has been consistently in the Chase. He can put the wins together, but I think consistency is his problem. He finished third at Daytona but wasn't particularly strong at California. I think he'll be in the hunt, but not a real threat.

Kasey Kahne
There's been a lot of hype for Kahne, but I'm not so sure he's lived up to it. He rarely runs up front and seems awfully inconsistent. However, he's had a better 2006 so far. He finished decently at Daytona and did manage to run up front at California and score a top five. Could this be Kahne's year? He's not a threat for the championship, but getting into the Chase would be awesome. In the post-race interview he seemed to realize the benefit of being interviewed after the race. What a concept.

Casey Mears
He came on strong last year and so far he's second in the championship standings. It'd be great to see him put together a strong run.

Jeremy Mayfield
He finished the 2005 season in ninth and was in the Chase in 2004. How does he do it? He runs solid but mediocre. He's consistent. I think this is the year when that won't be enough.

Jaime McMurray
He's got a new team this year and that could be enough to make him a contender. He ran well at Daytona, but screwed it up late. He ran strong at California, fell back, and then battled back to finish sixth. I think it'll be a learning year for him, but his best ever.

Who Else?
There are plenty of other drivers who could be stong this year--who do you think has what it takes?
There's p