Breaking Down the Top-12 Drivers, Part 2.

9. Carl Edwards - Despite winning the now-Nationwide Series title last season, Edwards & Co. struggled with the COT, for the most part. Half of the races he competed in were mediocre, at best. Now, with Matt Kenseth having to adjust with his new crew chief, Edwards may very well have to carry the burden of Jack Roush's Chase hopes. Edwards will run the Nationwide Series, so he's the dead-on favorite to win another one of those titles. However, with Ford having the least-powerful engines among the major manufacturers, I expect Edwards to encounter his fair share of struggles during the season.

8. Jeff Burton - Burton is at the peak of his racing career, making the Chase for a second consecutive season in 2007. He'll split his time between the Nationwide and Cup series, and move into a leadership role at RCR. Burton needs to avoid a similar early season struggle from last season when he scored just one top-10 finish in a span of eight races leading to the summer, and lock himself into the top-10 early. Burton has to battle against the Hendrick and Gibbs powerhouses, while at the same time contend with his own teammates, so those top-10 finishes will be certainly hard to come by.

Aaron Larsen