In a NASCARMedia.com poll, members of the media picked 2009’s final top 12, and Columbia native Carl Edwards received almost twice the first place votes as Johnson. Edwards finished with 70 first-place votes, compared to Johnson’s 37.
Edwards told NASCAR.com "It is an unreal compliment for 70 [media members] to think that I will win it all, it’s just great. What Jimmie has done is spectacular. For the media to say they think that I might be able to stop that is pretty neat."
Here are the media’s final top 12 predictions:
1. Carl Edwards
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Kyle Busch
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
6. Greg Biffle
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Mark Martin
9. Jeff Burton
10. Matt Kenseth
11. Denny Hamlin
12. Tony Stewart