MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE

From a historical perspective that really doesn’t have much history to it, Tony Stewart may have been better off not winning NASCAR’s regular season.

Only one driver — Stewart in 2005 — has won the regular season and the championship since NASCAR instituted its playoff system five years ago.

While he intends to repeat that feat, the odds are against him.

Kyle Busch, for instance, led after the regular season last year. He finished 10th as Jimmie Johnson won his third consecutive championship.

Mark Martin, by virtue of his four regular-season wins, starts first in the reshuffled seedings this year with 5,040 points. He’s followed by Stewart (5,030), Johnson (5,030), Denny Hamlin (5,020), Kasey Kahne (5,020), Jeff Gordon (5,010), Kurt Busch (5,010), Brian Vickers (5,010), Carl Edwards (5,000), Ryan Newman (5,000), Juan Pablo Montoya (5,000) and Greg Biffle (5,000).

So who’s the favorite this year? Here’s who some of the drivers named (besides themselves):

Brian Vickers (1 win): "It would be hard to bet against Jimmie [Johnson] right now. Obviously, four in a row has never been done, but he’s won the past three, so I would be hard-pressed to pick someone else. Tony [Stewart], if I had to pick someone besides Jimmie. He is looking really good right now. They have the same equipment, same car, same engine, same engineering staff, same information, so it’s going to be left to the drivers and the crews. We know both of those teams are going to be very strong."

Tony Stewart (3 wins): "Whoever is in it. How do you make a favorite? I guess Jimmie Johnson after three years of winning in a row would be considered the favorite. But with the field the way it is this year, I don’t know how you can just pick one guy. This series thing can change so fast in the course of one race. The whole complexion of the season can be changed after one week."

Ryan Newman (0 wins): "That’s a tough question to answer because I think there is more potential for any team to beat themselves than there is to beat who they think is a better competitor. If you’re sitting here thinking about who you have to beat, then you’re not thinking about your own race car and what you have to do to be successful. You’d be crazy not to sit there and say that Hendrick Motorsports and Jimmie Johnson are the team to beat, but if I sit here and think about that, then I would just be doing your job."

Greg Biffle (0 wins): "I really feel like the 99 [Edwards] has pretty good momentum. He’s done well, and he’s proven he can do well everywhere he goes. I think that he’s definitely a guy that can do it. The 14 [Stewart] has shown signs that they’re capable this year. You can’t really count the 48 [Johnson] out, and I hate to bet against any of those guys up there like Denny Hamlin or Jeff Gordon. .¤.¤. I think everybody is capable, but there are a few guys that have run extremely well that look like favorites."

Jimmie Johnson (3 wins): "Maybe other people view it that [I have a target on my back], but I live by the thought that that’s last year. ... If we take last year’s setup to the tracks, we’ll run 15th. .¤.¤. Nobody has had a clear advantage. I’m optimistic and feel we have a very good chance. We led a bunch at Michigan and didn’t get it done. Bristol we were fast and had troubles. .¤.¤. We have the speed."

Mark Martin (4 wins): "All of ’em. All it takes is a 10-race roll to win that thing."

Denny Hamlin (2 wins): "Us. We’re the ones to beat right now."

Besides yourself?

"We’re the only ones that can beat ourselves," he said, grinning.