Media picks Gordon to win fifth series championship
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A preseason media poll conducted by NASCAR has picked Jeff Gordon to succeed in his "Drive for Five." Last week, members of the media were asked to predict the top 12 drivers in the final 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (formerly the Nextel Cup Series), as well as the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year. The consensus of more than 200 voters is that Gordon will win his fifth series championship. In the final tally, Gordon edged Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart, as the three former champions finished 1-2-3. Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., the newest member of a powerful Hendrick Motorsports stable that also features Gordon and Johnson, was close behind at No. 4 in the poll. Earnhardt was the only driver in the preseason top 12 who missed the Chase in 2007. The man he replaces in the preseason top 12: former teammate Martin Truex Jr. Other than that swap, the voters feel 2008 will mostly mirror 2007. Here's how the media think the final 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings will shake out: 1. Jeff Gordon In the Raybestos Rookie of the Year balloting, voters picked 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti as this year's top rookie. Juan Pablo Montoya won last season's Raybestos Rookie of the Year trophy. Franchitti edged out Regan Smith and fellow former Indy 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr. |
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