by Darrell Waltrip

Updated: December 30, 2005, 6:59 PM EST

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Just think of all the driver/team combinations that are going to be different. They're talking about repaving Charlotte and Talladega. And the new Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Ford Fusion. Those are unknowns. Is Dodge going to get any concession on the Charger nose? There are just so many aspects of trying to make a good prediction that are up in the air, it's almost a waste of time, but still it's fun to do.

Penske Racing

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First of all, you've got to look at the teams. With all the drivers moving around, you've still got to take a look at the teams. I base a lot of my beliefs on the team themselves. Just think about Kurt Busch for instance, going to the No. 2 car. That's a good team with a lot of resources. They're bringing in Busch who is an aggressive, talented driver. You put him in with that crowd, and that's going to be a good combination. That car ran really well this past year with Rusty Wallace, and Busch is going to do everything he can to step it up a notch. I like that combination: Busch and the No. 2 car. And it will help Ryan Newman.

Again the problem that all the Dodge teams are going to have is the nose. The new Fusion and even the Monte Carlo were developed this past year with the new aero reduction program in place so they're going to have a more balanced car. On the other hand, the Dodge Charger's nose was developed before the aero reduction program was put into place so that car is out of balance. They're going to need to do something. They can't go back and run the old Intrepid so NASCAR, Dodge or somebody needs to come up with some kind of solution for the Dodge guys because that could be the Achilles heel for all the Dodge teams in 2006, particularly if the Fusion and Monte Carlo are better than the cars those teams have now. The Taurus has been an awesome car and so has the old Monte Carlo so Dodge could be in big trouble.

Roush Racing

With Jamie McMurray going over to Roush Racing, he and crew chief Jimmy Fennig are going to be a good combination. McMurray is leaving an older crew chief in Donnie Wingo, but he's picking up with another guy who has a very similar personality and work ethic in Fennig. Putting McMurray in one of the new Fusions with Fennig and Roush's resources and teammates, that's going to be a great combination. The only unknown for the Ford guys is the Fusion, but that car has been developed with the current aero package so it will probably be a really good car. We saw what Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth could do last year.

People got on me for picking Mark Martin as my 11th man. I'm just concerned about Martin emotionally. He was all geared up to make this past year his last year. He was comfortable with that decision, and then it changed. He got talked into doing another year. I hope he doesn't start second-guessing himself. Martin had an awesome year in 2005. I just hope he didn't drain the tank, and I hope he's got enough emotion, energy and enthusiasm for one more year. That's the only reason I picked him to finish 11th. I'm a Mark Martin fan. He's one of my best buddies and dear friends, but I'm a little bit concerned about him.

Hendrick Motorsports

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Jumping over to the Hendrick crowd, I'm a little bit concerned about my friend Jimmie Johnson. Rumors started surfacing that his crew chief, Chad Knaus, might be leaving. Crew members have left. Those rumors and moves all stem from the fact that some of these guys are looking at each other and saying, "Hey, dude. How come we haven't won a championship? We've finished second a couple of times. We've been in the hunt. But we haven't won the championship yet." Sometimes, you've got to make a change. That's something to keep an eye on in the '06 season.

The combination of Jeff Gordon and his new crew chief, Steve Letarte, still has to prove itself out. Gordon will be good at Daytona, Talladega and Martinsville. He always has been, and he always will be. But can the team get that No. 24 car like he wants it at some of the superspeedways? He looked better the latter part of the year with Letarte there. We'll have to see how that goes.

And Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers? Busch won a couple of races, and Vickers didn't. You've got to give Busch credit. Vickers needs to win some races, and both guys need to be more consistent. They're young and talented, but they've just got to get that consistency thing down so they finish every week like their teammates.

Joe Gibbs Racing

Looking at Tony Stewart's team, there shouldn't be much change there. Tony should be Tony. He's surrounded himself with some young bucks, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley. Stewart wasn't getting a lot of help from his teammate before, and these two rookies are really going to lean on him a lot. I hope it doesn't take its toll on him as he tries to help his young teammates get to where they need to be.

Dale Earnhardt Inc.

You've got two Juniors and Paul Menard so we'll just have to see. The verdict is still out on where DEI is headed. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. working together will definitely be a plus. Martin Truex Jr. and Earnhardt are good friends, and Menard certainly showed a lot of improvement in the Busch Series so there's some potential there.

Petty Enterprises

I'm excited for Kyle and Richard Petty because with Bobby Labonte, Robbie Loomis and now Todd Parrott, there are some names that have some clout. We'll see if they can produce on the racetrack.

Bill Davis Racing

With my brother Michael being over at Bill Davis Racing, he's bringing NAPA and some resources. Davis brought back Dave Blaney, who is one of those consistent guys. If you put Blaney in a good car next year, Michael and Blaney could work well together next year. They brought in Larry Carter from the No. 2 car to help them. That's going to be a big plus. Derrick Finley has a few years under his belt as a crew chief. I see good things happening at Bill Davis Racing. But Michael has to stay out of trouble and finish races — that's got to be his number 1 priority.

Chip Ganassi Racing

Casey Mears is obviously the star of that team. He has shown the last couple of races of the year that he can get it done. He just needs a breakthrough win, but he's surrounding himself with some young guys, Reed Sorenson and David Stremme. I don't know how much help they can be to him. Mears is going to have to be the leader of that team, and he really needs somebody to help him so we'll see how that turns out.

Evernham Motorsports

Golly gee, I don't know what's going on there with no crew chiefs — the teams will be led by committee — and the problems with the Dodge. Scott Riggs, Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield have their work cut out for them.

Richard Childress Racing

It's the same way for Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. They have to step it up and do whatever it takes. They're making a lot of changes, and they need to.

MB Motorsports

Sterling Marlin will be good in that No. 14 car with Joe Nemechek as a teammate. Riggs ran well in Marlin's car a lot in 2005. Put a veteran behind the wheel of a car like that, there could be some good results.

Robert Yates Racing

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Man, there's been a lot of changes in the last few weeks, headed into the '06 season. Dale Jarrett and Elliott Sadler better be ready to step it up a notch, or there might be some more changes in the future.

When you ask me about my predictions and maybe criticize some of my picks, I try to look at the big picture. It's not just about a driver and his name. It's about what he's surrounded by. That's part of the thought process that goes into why I feel the way I do about certain teams and drivers and where I think they're headed. With all of the unknowns that we're faced with in the new year from new cars to repaving tracks to driver/ team/crew chief combinations, it's pretty tough to make any solid predictions, but at least you know a little bit about what I'm thinking and why I feel the way I do. We'll see how it all turns out. That's what makes it so much fun, and that's what I love about our sport. It's unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen next.

And, oh by the way, I don't have any idea if any significant rule changes are going to take effect before the season starts. Right now, it sounds like everything is status quo, but whatever monkey wrench NASCAR throws into the equation, that could change things a lot, too. We'll see if NASCAR turns out to be a factor in some of these predictions as well.