Hot: Jimmie Johnson. We can officially shed Jeff Gordon’s nickname for J.J. Four-Time is now Five-Time. Congrats once again to the champ!

Not: Denny Hamlin. It was a good year for Denny, but the last two races of the season didn’t go his way, and it cost him the title. He’s a darn good driver, and he will win a title. It just wasn’t meant to be this year.

Hot: Carl Edwards. After not winning in 70 races, Carl won back-to-back events to close out 2010. Umm, Carl? Where were you all season?

Not: The other JGR drivers. If Denny’s day didn’t go well, Joey Logano and Kyle Busch’s days were downright dreadful. Joey got spun, though maybe not intentionally. Kyle got turned, possibly intentionally, and his car started on fire. Yeah, not the way you want to end any season.

Hot: Richard Childress Racing. They didn’t win the title, but the RCR drivers had a bounce-back year in 2010 and there’s a lot to be said about that. Harvick, Burton, and Bowyer all had tremendous seasons, and if they improve again in 2011, they may all contend for the title.

Not: Jeff Gordon. While his teammate was off winning another title, Gordon blew an engine and had to watch his ingenious nickname for J.J. go to waste. What a shame.

Hot: Richard Petty Motorsports. Financial problems, sponsorship issues, and losing their star driver may have resulted in the worst season any team has ever had. But RPM pulled it together at Homestead and placed AJ Allmendinger and Aric Almirola in the top 5. Nice work, guys!

Not: The Chase. It was one of the closest title battles in NASCAR history. But for the fifth year in a row, the same guy won the championship, and ultimately that’s what fans are going to remember. With NASCAR already talking about changes for 2011, don’t expect this exact system in place next year.

Hot: Kevin Conway. Yes, his best finish this season was 14th at Daytona. Yes, he may have the most embarrassing sponsor in NASCAR. Yes, his competition was weak if not non-existent. But give it to him; Kevin Conway is your 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Congrats Kevin!

Not: Dale Earnhardt Jr. I loved writing about Junior this year. I feel like we’re almost pals now I’ve talked about him so much. 2010 didn’t start or end well for Dale, but another crew chief change in the offseason should put him on the right side of this list a lot next year…right?

Hot: Carl Edwards. Good to see Carl end his 70-race winless streak on Sunday. My pick isn’t going to win the title, but there’s a lot of momentum to be built up for 2011. Let’s see if he can snag some more at Homestead.

Not: Denny Hamlin. Denny was fast in Phoenix, but some tough luck cost him some ground in the title run. He won at Homestead a year ago, and he may need to do so again. He’s more than capable.

Hot: Ryan Newman. Rocketman is going to petition for the whole 2011 season to be run at Phoenix. His average finish in the desert this year is 1.5, and though his season hasn’t gone as planned, a solid run at Homestead could be a good lead into his 2011 campaign.

Not: Kasey Kahne. Kasey and his former team(which will be mentioned later) parted ways a few weeks ago, but the results haven’t changed much. Since joining Team Red Bull four races ago, Kahne’s best finish is 13th, and he had a difficult time cracking the top 30 at Phoenix. That gas can on the back sure looked sporty though.

Hot: Joey Logano. This year, it’s Denny. Next year, Joey may be the one going after the title for Joe Gibbs Racing. At least, if his recent string of four consecutive top 5s is any indication.

Not: Brendan Gaughan. Brendan made his first Cup start since 2004 on Sunday. It didn’t last long, as Gaughan wrecked out on the first lap. Oh well, maybe next year. Or the year after. Or six years from now.

Hot: Greg Biffle. Again, Biffle didn’t win, and he probably isn’t happy about it. But there’s a lot to like about Biffle for the 2011 season with the way he’s been running.

Not: Brad Keselowski. It seems as though his Nationwide championship came so long ago. Brad can dominate in the old car, but he has had a hard time doing much in the Cup cars this season. Phoenix didn’t do much to boost his confidence.

Hot: Jimmie Johnson. J.J. picked up some ground in Phoenix courtesy of a late pit stop by Hamlin. Luck plays a big hand in championship races, but he may need to beat Hamlin outright at Homestead if he’s going to keep his title streak alive. It’s going to be very interesting.

Not: Richard Petty Motorsports. The RPM cars almost didn’t make it to Phoenix, and maybe it would have been best for them to stay in Texas. With the exception of AJ Allmendinger’s 19th-place finish, the RPM cars all failed to finish inside the top 25. Oh yeah, the team has a minor financial issue as well.