It’s almost time for NASCAR to get back on the track and begin the season. Two weeks from today the 2012 season will begin with the Daytona 500. It will begin a new season of new expectations, new rivalries, new teammates, but the same old excitement that is always there.
Last season was one of the most memorable in the history of NASCAR. It started with 20-year old Trevor Bayne’s Daytona 500 victory and concluded with Tony Stewart ending Jimmie Johnson’s championship streak in the final race of 2011. In between there were numerous first time winners, Jeff Gordon moving to third on the all-time win list, Dale Earnhardt Jr. beginning to race competitively for the first time in years, Kyle Busch getting suspended for two races, and Johnson’s era of dominance coming to a close.
It will be hard to top all of what happened last year but it should be a great season. Here are my 10 drivers to watch this season
Tony Stewart- #14 Office Depot Chevrolet
The 2011 Champion has to be the obvious favorite to win the 2012 Championship. He had five wins last year, all coming in the final ten races of the season. He has a new crew chief so it will take some time to build some chemistry. However, as Stewart showed last season, you don’t have to start winning until the Chase starts.
Carl Edwards- #99 Fastenal Ford
He only won one race in 2011 but he had 19 Top 5’s and 26 Top 10’s, those two statistics were the best for any driver. The only bad news for Carl is he finished second in the 2011 standings. Since 2007, the driver that has finished second has not finished in the Top 5 of the next year’s standings.
Kevin Harvick- #29 Budweiser Chevrolet
“Happy” was one of the favorites when the Chase started but he wasn’t able to win any race and only had 6 Top 10’s in NASCAR’s postseason. Harvick and his new crew chief will look to continue the regular season success the team had last year and carry that into the Chase this year.
Brad Keselowski- #2 Miller Lite Dodge
Nobody, in the history of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, has ever earned a spot like Keselowski did. After the Brickyard 400, he was 21st in points. In the next nine races before the Chase, Brad drove like a bat out of hell, won two races and clinched the #11 seed. He wasn’t able to win any of the ten races in the Chase, but he proved that he can race with the best of them and finished in the Top 5 four times.
Jimmie Johnson- #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet
The five-time Sprint Cup Champion was finally dethroned. Johnson finished sixth in the standings and only visited winner's circle once. It will be interesting to see how Johnson handles this season, the first one he won’t be the reigning champ.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. - #88 National Guard/ Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet
Break out the #88 t-shirts and hats Jr. fans because this may be the year he finally breaks his losing streak that dates back to 2008. Dale and his crew chief Lance McGrew really gelled last year and came pretty close to winning a couple of races. They should be even better this year and that should translate into some wins.
Kasey Kahne- #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
To say Kasey has had it easy in the first half of his NASCAR career easy would be a complete fabrication. Through those difficulties in the past, Kahne has accumulated 12 wins and 102 Top 10’s in his 8-year career. He has never been a part of a team so financially sound and consistently successful as his new team, Hendrick Motorsports. He is one of the most talented drivers in the garage and this could be the year he finally proves that.
-It could be an interesting year at Hendrick. The #24 and #48 have been so successful for the past decade and forced the #88 and #5 to just be an afterthought. This could be the year the #88 and #5 take the front stage.
A.J. Allmendinger- #22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge
It’s no secret that A.J. is my favorite driver, but I’m not the only one expecting big things from his this year. The Dinger has only gotten better in his five-year NASCAR career and he came very close to winning more than one race in 2011. In similar fashion to Kasey Kahne, A.J. has never been on a healthy team like Penske. He raced for Red Bull Racing in 2007-2008 and then raced at Richard Petty Motorsports from 2009-2011.
-To make it even more difficult for us Allmendinger fans, his number has changed almost every year. From 2007 until now, he has been: #84, #84, #44, #43, #43, and #22. Four different numbers plus four different sponsors is why I refuse to buy Dinger apparel.
Regan Smith- #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet
Smith got the first victory of his career in 2011 at one of NASCAR’s crown jewels, Darlington Speedway. That was clearly the apex of his season though as he finished 26th in the points standings. Regan is part of one-car operation so he doesn’t have the same amount of resources as bigger operations like Roush, Childress, or Hendricks. That could prohibit him from making the Chase, but he should be able to rack up some more Top 10’s and sneak in a win or two.
Marcos Ambrose- #9 Stanley Tools/DeWalt Ford
Like Smith, Ambrose got the first win of his career in 2011 too. His win came on a road course, which is his specialty. This year Marcos is looking to break the stereotype that he can only win on road courses though. He and his crew chief Todd Parrot have tons of confidence and believe they can win at every track. I expect Ambrose to compete for a Chase spot this season and get a win on an oval.
Other notables:
Kyle Busch- #18 M&M’s/Snickers/Combos Toyota
Jeff Gordon- #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
Matt Kenseth- #17 Valvoline/Best Buy Ford
Denny Hamlin- #11 FedEx Toyota
Ryan Newman- #39 U.S. Army/ Quicken Loans/Haas Automation Chevrolet.
It’s also going to be fun watching drivers getting acquainted to their new teams. Kurt Busch was released by Penske Racing and is now the sole driver for lower-tier team Phoenix Racing. David Reutimann, who has two career wins, was released by Michael Waltrip and will split time with Danica Patrick as part of Tommy Baldwin Racing. Mark Martin is also racing part- time, but he takes Reutimann’s spot at MWR and will split time with Michael Waltrip. Clint Bowyer is also new to the MWR team since he decided to leave Richard Childress Racing; that move was a real head scratcher. David Ragan was let go by Roush Racing and will drive for Front Row Motorsports. Aric Almirola takes over the famed #43 after Allmendinger left.
I would make predictions for the Chase, but come on, nobody can predict what’s going to happen in one race, let alone 36. I will say, however, that Carl Edwards is my favorite to win the championship. I would also recommend keeping an eye on Brad Keselowski and Dale Jr.
Watch for a Daytona 500 preview in about a week. Also, don’t forget the IndyCar season starts March 25th. I will have a preview of their season around that time.
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