ESPN Sprint Cup

ESPN.com preseason rank: No. 2

2009 outlook

Why shouldn't Johnson's outlook for the upcoming season be positive?

The guy has won three straight championships, has one of the most diligent and intense crew chiefs in the garage in Chad Knaus, and is part of the Hendrick Motorsports mega-team.

Like his chances? Why not. Little has changed in the few months since he was crowned champion at Homestead.

Perhaps because change is not unwelcome in sports, perhaps because it's more fun to have underdogs than overdogs, Johnson enters this season as, yes, an underdog.

Some preseason projections show Carl Edwards, who finished second in the points race behind Johnson last season, the favorite to win it all in 2009.

Johnson begs to differ: "I heard that … they ranked him as the favorite to win, and I'm like, 'Uh, really?' I just won three of these things. I can't believe I wouldn't be."

Sure you want the underdog riled up already?

2008 Review

While Kyle Busch was dominating the early part of last season, Johnson was, well, Johnson.

He had a slow-ish start to the season after finishing third in the Daytona 500 and finally got a victory on April 12 at Phoenix. What Johnson did in 2008 pretty much mirrored what he generally does -- become a force in the Chase.

He won the final two races before the cutoff to the Chase, and then turned on his Mr. Consistency ways. Johnson had three wins during the Chase, and maintained an average finish in the top 10. During his career, he has earned 14 of his 40 career victories in the Chase. He became the first driver since Cale Yarborough (1976-1978) to win three straight championships.

He has a shot at the title if: Knaus is on his game and Johnson maintains his consistency.

He won't win because: Carl Edwards is due and made that more than apparent toward the end of last season.

-- Angelique S. Chengelis