The paranoia will set in some time this week. Of that, Jeff Gordon is sure.

	Who will stop Gordon from hoisting a fifth Winston Cup championship trophy?

The man who won his fourth Winston Cup championship last season, silencing critics who opined that his parting with former crew chief Ray Evernham would doom him, is poised to race for his fifth title in 2002. But Gordon can't help but feel the tingling down his spine as the competition gains on him.

"It's like their breathing down my neck," Gordon joked. "I know these guys are hungry. I know everybody's going to be gunning for us. But I've been in that position before. It isn't new. Last year really motivated me. I know what we're capable of and it's so much more than what we were able to show in 2001. So, while everybody's trying to catch us, we'll be trying to get better."

Gordon pulled off back-to-back championship seasons in 1997 and '98. But if he's going to do it again in 2002, he's going to have to fight those chop-licking chasers who have their own title thirsts to quench. At the front of that pack are five guys looking for their first championship trophy.

5. Sterling Marlin
Marlin was the best of the Dodge troops last season, notching the manufacturer's first victory since returning to Winston Cup after 16 years when he took the checkered at Michigan International Speedway. He followed up that performance with a win at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., and matched his career-best third-place finish in the standings.

But as good as the season was, it didn't feel complete to Marlin. He was in contention to win at least a dozen more races, finishing among the top-five 18 times, not including the races he won. This year, Marlin doesn't want to leave anything to be desired.

"As good as it was, we're not satisfied," Marlin said. "Everybody was real excited with what we did in the first year with Dodge, but we expect to do better. We want to win a championship."

4. Kevin Harvick
What Harvick was able to accomplish under the duress of taking over for a legend was remarkable. After Dale Earnhardt died on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Harvick was thrown into his Winston Cup aspirations a year early. Still, he finished ninth in the standings.

If he can pull that off after missing a race and concentrating on fulfilling his Busch schedule (he won that championship, mind you), just imagine what Harvick will be able to do while focusing only on Winston Cup in 2002.

"What that guy is capable of is scary," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "He's an amazing driver. I don't think people realize everything that he had to deal with -- mentally, not just physically -- and he still won races and ran well all year."

3. Jeff Burton
Burton's name ring a bell? Before last season, he was the man to beat. Everybody, from the media to the folks tweaking shocks in the garage, thought he would follow up a 2000 season in which he won four races and finished third in points with a championship run in 2001. He got off to a rough start, though, finishing 30th or lower in four of the season's first six races. He orchestrated a brilliant come back, however, winning twice and salvaging a 10th-place finish in points -- which was still his worst finish since 1996.

Burton showed in the season's second half that he could have contended for the title, if not for such a disappointing beginning. He concedes that perhaps jitters rocked his start, and points out that the same team that was picked to win last year is returning this year -- without the nerves and with a vengeance.

"We were really embarrassed with how we started out," Burton said. "The worst part about it was we couldn't figure out what we were doing wrong. This year, we're determined to jump right out of the gates. From that green flag at Daytona until the season's over, we're going to race hard."

2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Jr. is a sentimental choice to win. Guess what ... he's a smart choice, too. Last year was Junior's second season and he showed vast improvement from his rookie campaign. He won three races and finished eighth in points. He might have finished even better, if not for a string of bad runs immediately following his father's passing.

"I think this is the first year that we started out focused on winning the championship," Earnhardt Jr. said. "My rookie year, we just didn't want to look stupid. Last year, we wanted to get better. But this year, I think there's no reason why we can't win the championship unless we mess it up for ourselves. And we don't intend to do that."

1. Tony Stewart
Stewart had a better year in 2000 than he did in 2001, and still he was runner-up for the championship last season. He's won 12 races and earned four poles, as well as finishes of fourth, sixth and second in the points during his three years in NASCAR's top circuit. Basically, he's contended for championships right from the start.

This year, he could break through if -- and it is a big if -- he can keep his composure. Stewart's bevy of off-track altercations are not as much a problem as is his sometimes over-aggressive driving. If he doesn't allow himself to get rattled, Stewart has more than enough talent and instinct to put himself at the very front of the pack and dethrone Gordon.

Rupen Fofaria is a beat writer for the Raleigh News and Observer.