Go with the flow

The rumors have been flying at warp speed throughout the garage for weeks. Drivers, crew chiefs, and pit crewmen have speculated endlessly about the Car of Tomorrow, forecasting who's going to be strong in the new car design, who's going to be weak and who's going to be the wild card. Here's a quick look at five drivers who appear to be poised to do very, very well in the COT this season.

1. Jimmie Johnson

At the most recent test session at Bristol Motor Speedway, JJ clocked the fastest time. His team, Hendrick Motorsports, has more resources at its disposal than any other in NASCAR, so expect Johnson's equipment to continue to be as good as anyone's in the sport. Plus, Johnson has the luxury of having Chad Knaus atop his pit box. Over the last three years Knaus has proven to be the top crew chief in NASCAR. He's certainly the most driven, and his sleepless nights spent fretting over the COT will translate into speed on Sundays.

2. Jeff Burton

The general consensus in the garage is that the Chevys of Richard Childress Racing will be the class of the field in the first COT race. This obviously bodes well for Burton, an RCR driver. A 14-year veteran of Cup racing, Burton makes fewer mistakes on the track than any other full-time driver in the series now that Mark Martin has shifted to a part-time schedule. He excels at keeping his fenders clean and not pushing his car too hard. These attributes will serve him well as drivers adapt to the COT.

3. Tony Stewart

Stewart, the most versatile driver in NASCAR, shouldn't have any problem moving into the COT. He's won races on dirt, on pavement, in open-wheel cars, in stock cars and within a month I'm guessing he'll win in a COT.

4. Jeff Gordon

Like Stewart, Gordon comes from a diverse racing background. Gordon and Stewart are generally acknowledged to be the two most naturally talented drivers in the sport, and they both should adapt quicker to the COT than the other drivers. Gordon, who flourishes on the short tracks, is my pick to win this Sunday in Bristol.

5. Denny Hamlin

Hamlin has something going for him that is normally a liability in racing: his youth. I chatted with the 26-year-old last weekend in Atlanta, and Hamlin couldn't wait to hop into the COT. Unlike the older drivers who are set in their ways and are extremely comfortable in the old design of car, Hamlin doesn't have a lot of experience with the old stock car, and he won't have as many habits to break. Hamlin believes -- and so do I -- that this will make his transition into the COT easier than it is for most of the other drivers. "To me the COT feels a lot like the old car," Hamlin says. "Honestly, there's not as big of a difference as everyone says."