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5 drivers on the hot seat:
* Elliott Sadler: His team was going to dump him around Christmas despite signing him to a contract extension in May. Sadler threatened legal action and kept his job. If he doesn't perform this season, nothing will save his ride.
* Jamie McMurray: Likely the odd driver out at Roush, which has to cut back from five cars to four cars after this season to comply with NASCAR's ownership rule. His team might just move over to Yates Racing, which has a close relationship with Roush.
* Martin Truex Jr.: He has a one-year contract. He's on the hot seat only because a poor season could hurt his value. There likely will be few winning rides available after this season unless something surprising happens.
* Casey Mears: He moves to Richard Childress Racing - his third team in four years - and has many of Clint Bowyer's crew. If Mears can't succeed
here, he'll have nowhere to
go but down.
* Joey Logano: There were whispers about him last year after his struggles in the few Cup races he ran. The rookie has big-bucks sponsor behind him. Question is how patient can his sponsor afford to be with a driver anointed as the next prodigy.

5 races not to miss:
* Daytona 500 (Feb. 15): Turbulent offseason for teams fades away as focus returns to the track.
* Richmond (May 2): Last year it was Kyle Busch vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final laps before contact opened the door for Clint Bowyer. Does history repeat?
* Infineon (June 21): Ex-Formula One drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Speed square off against NASCAR's band of road-racing veterans.
* Atlanta (Sept. 6): It's not Darlington, but NASCAR returns to the South on Labor Day weekend to race.
* Talladega (Nov. 1): Race moved deeper into the Chase, so there's less time for recovery if caught up in a mistake here.

5 Races where Jeff Gordon most likely will end his 41-race winless streak:
1. Daytona 500
2. Bristol in March
3. Martinsville in March
4. Talladega in April
5. Darlington in May

5 drivers to keep an eye on:
* Kyle Busch: The kid continually amazes folks with what he can do in a car or even a truck.
* Tony Stewart: Can he remake a poor team into one that can compete for wins? When he's close to the front, he's fun to watch.
* Scott Speed: The rookie is still learning, but the ex-Formula One driver has made his mark in lower series.
* David Reutimann: What he's done with Michael Waltrip Racing cars the past two years is remarkable.
* AJ Allmendinger: Only has part-time ride but often keeps things exciting on the track.

5 ways to describe Mark Martin's attitude in his first year with Hendrick Motorsports:
1. Excited
2. Really excited
3. Really, really excited
4. Gosh darn excited
5. Over the top excited

5 shocking changes that are not likely but just might happen this year:
1. Juan Pablo Montoya going to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive a fourth car.
2. Kevin Harvick leaving RCR for Stewart-Haas Racing.
3. Kasey Kahne going to Red Bull Racing.
4. NASCAR moving one of the two races at California's Auto Club Speedway to Kansas Speedway.
5. An exciting title Chase that goes down to the final laps.

5 things that would be fun to do if you could with drivers:
1. Hunt with Elliott Sadler. Just be prepared for wild times.
2. Ride a dune buggy with either Casey Mears or Jimmie Johnson
3. Go bike riding with Carl Edwards. Just be ready for long trips.
4. Ride motorcycles with Matt Kenseth and Kyle Petty
5. Hang with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at his downtown Charlotte bar

5 things Tony Stewart will likely do the first time something goes wrong:
1. Yell
2. Scream
3. Fire someone
4. Calm down
5. Repeat