Joey Logano finished in 20th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points in 2009. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

4. JOEY LOGANO, Joe Gibbs Racing — Is it too much to expect a Chase appearance from the 19-year-old Logano in just his second season of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition? Maybe, but probably not. After all, he will have top-flight equipment at his disposal in the form of JGR Toyotas and a championship-winning crew chief in Greg Zipadelli.

More telling, perhaps, was the consistent improvement Logano showed during his rookie season. After nine races, he was languishing way back in the 33rd position in points. But he went on to end the year a respectable 20th, and during the final seven races of 2009, he had two top-five and five top-20 finishes. If he continues to improve, look out.

5. BRAD KESELOWSKI, Penske Racing — This one, admittedly, is something of a long shot. The 2010 season will be Keselowski’s first full-time campaign behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car, and given the way things work — and his natural aggression behind the wheel — there’s a good chance he’ll tear up some of The Captain’s Dodges next year.

On the other hand, there’s no disputing the fact that Special K is fast and fearless. In 15 Cup starts with a variety of teams in 2009, Keselowski posted a victory in the spring Talladega race and four top-10 finishes. If he can harness and focus his energy, he could be the surprise story of 2010.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to