Chad's Fantasy NASCAR Blog

The racing starts for real on February 26^th with the biggest and most prestigious race of the season.  Can Trevor Bayne actually pull it off and win back-to-back Dayton 500s?  Not likely, but then again, it wasn’t likely he would win the race last year either.  That’s the thing with Daytona and the restrictor plate races in general.  You really never do know who will end up winning.  There are usually about 20 drivers in position with two or three laps to go that could win the race.  It’s also hard to tell when “the big one” will happen and take out 10 or so quality cars.  The chances of that happening seem higher this year since NASCAR is tweaking the cars to not run in the two-car tandems like last year and get back to the freight train type lines that we’re all used to seeing.

Either way, it’s always an exciting race, and feels good to get the season under way.  With the changes made to the cars we will hopefully see an entertaining race with lots of green flag passing.

Reminder of how recommendations are made:
All recommendations are based on the rules of Chad’s Fantasy NASCAR.  I’ll select one chaser, and an alternate chaser. Then I pick three other drivers that did not make the chase last season, one of them being a dark horse. In order to be a dark horse the driver must be 20th or worse in the point standings. For the first 5 races of the season I’ll use the standings from 2011 to pick the dark horse.

This Week’s Recommendations:

Chaser: Kevin Harvick
Harvick had a very good 2011 season finishing 3^rd in points and looks to continue the momentum at Daytona, where he has fared pretty well in his career.  In 21 races Harvick has won here twice with five top five and nine top ten finishes.  Harvick has finished in the top ten at Daytona in three of the last four races.  He won the 500 in 2007, so we know he can get it done.  There’s no reason he can’t do it again in 2012.

Alternate Chaser: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
If Kevin Harvick isn’t your chaser, then maybe Dale Earnhardt Jr. can be.  No one has a better average finish at the track than Earnhardt (15^th), and he has top ten finishes in 13 of 24 career races in Daytona.  That’s pretty impressive.  Even the great drivers of Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson can’t say they finish in the top ten more than 50% of the time at Daytona.  Add in the fact that Earnhardt has two wins and eight top fives he becomes one of the top choices.

Clint Bowyer
Want to know what driver has the 2^nd best average finish at the Daytona International Speedway?  Yup, it’s Clint Bowyer.  He’s averaging a 15.1 place finish over his 12 race career at the track.  Bowyer has never won here, but he does have two top five and six top ten finishes.  After finishing 13^th in points in 2011 Bowyer should have some extra drive to start the season hot to try and make the chase in 2012.

Juan Montoya
People may not think of Montoya as a superspeedway driver, but his record at Daytona is getting more and more impressive.  His career at the track had a rough start, averaging a 27^th place finish in his first five races.  In the five races since Montoya is averaging a 12.2 place finish with four top tens!  That is quite a turnaround for the former Indy Car driver.  Whatever you do, don’t overlook Montoya for the race.  He has proven that he can get the job done on the big speedways.

Dark Horse: David Ragan
After a 23^rd place finish in points in 2011 Ragan lost his ride at Roush racing and is now looking to prove critics wrong.  There has certainly been nothing wrong with his performances at Daytona.  At the track he’s averaging a 15.2 place finish with one win.  Ragan has also finished in the top five three time and top ten four times.  Want someone on your team that most won’t have?  David Ragan could be that guy.  He should have a good points day and make you look good as well.

It’s time once again to try and predict some of the outcomes of the NASCAR season.  Each year I do this, and sometime I actually get close on a few of the categories.  It can be tough to make predictions two weeks before the season even starts, but overall everyone has a decent feel for who should do well, and who may struggle.  Some drivers got hot at the right time last year to make the chase or finish the season strong, and others struggled when it was crunch time and they needed to perform.  Can drivers like Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Kasey Kahne keep the momentum they built in 2011?  Will drivers like Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, and Joey Logano carry their struggles from 2011 into 2012?  Some of that could happen.  Let’s take a look at specific categories to see how things may play out.

Champion: Matt Kenseth
Lots of people may be going for Jimmie Johnson on this for obvious reasons, or picking Tony Stewart to repeat.  Others may say Carl Edwards was so close in 2011, how can he not be a top pick to win in 2012?  Since the chase began in 2004, of the 7 drivers that finish 2^nd in points, the best that they have done the next season is finish 4^th.  Four of them didn’t even finish in the top ten the next season.  Because of that I can’t pick Carl Edwards to win the championship.  Since 2005 NASCAR has only known two champions; Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson.  That should change this year.

Matt Kenseth is always a contender and won the championship in 2003.  He has finished in the top five 4 times since the chase format was adopted.  2012 will be his year to prove he can win races and take home the top prize once again.

Most Disappointing: Kasey Kahne
Kahne could be one of the drivers with the most pressure on him.  He had a strong finish to the 2011 season finishing 14^th in points and is now driving for one of the best teams in Hendrick Motorsports.  Anything outside of making the chase will be a big disappointment for this team.  Kahne has all of the resources necessary to win races and make the chase, but that is not what will happen.  Kane has made the chase twice (2006 & 2009) but he fizzled instead of taking advantage of the opportunity, which is what will happen in 2012.  Kahne has not showed that he’s an elite driver.  Last year after he was out of chase contention with no pressure he started to do well.  There will be pressure on Kahne all season to finish in the top 10 or 15 like his teammates.  We’ll see how he handles it, but my prediction is that it won’t be good, and he’ll fail to qualify for the chase yet again.

Most Surprising: Joey Logano
Logano is in the final year of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing.  He needs to prove to the team and others in NASCAR that he belongs.  He was brought up with a ton of hype and promise that has been unfulfilled.  His best points finish was 16^th in 2010 when he averaged a 16.8 place finish.  That’s not good enough to be considered a top driver, but 2012 could be different.  Gibbs has brought in a new crew chief (Jason Ratcliff) for Logano after Zipadelli left to join Stewart’s team.  Both Ratcliff and Logano have something to prove and should gel this season.  Logano will be the feel good story of the year, similar to Keselowsi in 2011, and make the chase to show he can compete with the big boys.

Rookie Of The Year: Josh Wise
NASCAR has announced the guys officially running for Rookie Of The Year.  It’s Timmy Hill and Josh Wise.  Probably not names you have heard of, but they do have experience at other levels of NASCAR.  I don’t think NASCAR’s website it up to date since it says both Hill and Wise have 77 Nationwide starts with 2 top five and 6 top ten finishes each.  Too much of a coincidence if you ask me.  Either way, I give the edge to Josh Wise since he did start four Cup races in 2011.

Comeback Driver: Jeff Burton
2011 was one of the worst in Jeff Burton’s career.  His finish of 20^th in points was the worst of his career while driving a full season.  2 top five, and 5 top ten finishes are also among the worst of Burton’s career.  It was pretty much an embarrassment all around.  Don’t look for that to be the same in 2012.  Burton is way too good of a driver and there is no way he’ll have two seasons in a row of doing so poorly.  Making the chase may not happen, but he will definitely be contending for the chase and hanging around the top 13 in points most of the year.

Most Wins: Kyle Busch
Remember the days when the FOX broadcast team couldn’t stop talking about Kyle Busch and how great he was?  He’s kind of fell out of favor the past couple years, but the guy still knows how to win races.  Busch has said that he will compete in fewer Truck races in 2012 so he can focus on the Cup series.  Smart move by Busch and should help keep him more sharp and focused come Sundays.  This is why he’ll win the most races in 2012.  I’m not saying he’ll have a great season, but winning 5 or 6 races would sure help.

Leave a comment and tell everyone your own predictions.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday!  Without a doubt the most hyped sporting event every year.  It is impossible to not hear about the game and know at least a little of what is going on.  The big deal this year is that Indianapolis, Indiana is playing host.  The mid-sized town of about 780,000 will host the most watched sporting event, with over 100 million people expected to tune in.  Historically the privilege to host this game has been reserved for the large, warm-weathered cities like Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Atlanta.  The NFL is opening it up to more colder-weather cities with Indianapolis hosting this year, and New York in 2014.

Some reports said that more than 150,000 people flooded the downtown streets of Indy leading up to the Super Bowl.  Another report said there were more than 300,000.  Of course Indianapolis is no stranger to hosting large events, and the people that come into town to party.  Indianapolis and Indiana in general are widely known for two main sports; auto racing and basketball.  The Indianapolis 500 used to bring in 500,000 race fans each year, and still brings in more than 300,000.  Since 1994 the Brickyard 400 has become one of the top races for NASCAR, and the fans know it as well.  Each year more than 300,000 fans come to town to watch the race.

Outside of the 500 and Brickyard 400 Indianapolis has hosted six NCAA basketball Final Fours and will host another one in 2015.  The city is the permanent backup host for the Final Four Tournament, and some feel that it should be the primary host every year.  Indianapolis has also hosted the men’s Big Ten basketball tournament in 8 of the last 11 years including the 2012 tournament.

So, how does all of this benefit NASCAR?  This biggest benefit is to the fans of NASCAR that make the trek to Indianapolis and either partake in the pre-race party, or actually attend the Brickyard 400. 

1. There are a lot more hotel rooms available then ever before.  Since the city was awarded the Super Bowl a few years ago the planning committee knew the need for more rooms, and today there are more than 6,500 hotel rooms available in the city.  In the recent past many fans that wanted to stay in Indianapolis simply couldn’t find a hotel room.  They would have to stay in a city close to an hour outside of Indianapolis and drive in the day of the race.  It should be much easier now to find a room in the city.
2. There will be more things to do in downtown Indianapolis than ever before.  Not all of the entertainment that was put up for the Super Bowl will be taken down.  Some of it will be a permanent fixture of the city for everyone to enjoy year-round.  According to a CNN.com article; The village — a $12 million, three-block, “family-friendly festival” with shops and restaurants — has been built not just for [the Super Bowl], but for the future. “After the fans have long gone, other people are going to be able to come in and use this space for decades,” Boyce said.
3. Indianapolis is a smaller city and uses that size to its advantage.  The downtown area is very walkable with everything close, and all of the attractions within arm’s reach.  Also, the speedway is only about 6 miles from downtown, so it’s easy for the fans to stay there, enjoy all it has to offer, and take a cab or drive to the race.

I doubt NASCAR and the Indianapolis city planners have talked much about how they may be able to reuse some of the Super Bowl ideas for NASCAR events, but once the race gets closer I’m sure they will.  Maybe they can stage a “NASCAR City” or something similar for the fans like they had for the Super Bowl and try to make it more of a vacation destination for race fans and their entire family.

What do you think Indianapolis could apply to the NASCAR marketing and fan appeal that they learn from hosting the Super Bowl?

For some of us all we have to look forward to come Fantasy NASCAR season is trying to have the coolest team name in our league.  Sure, you may finish in last place, but if there were payouts for best name, you would definitely be in the running for the top prize.  You want a name that isn’t too complex and hard to figure out, but it can’t be boring either.  There’s nothing better than being in first place, but being there with a cool name for everyone else to see is pretty good too.

There are a few different methods to picking team names.

Since it is NASCAR we’re talking about, most people like to integrate racing terms into their name like Speedy, <yourname>racing, etc.  Some of my favorites over the last couple years have been nakedonthetrack, blowntires, and poles_are_4_dancing.  Many also like to use their favorite driver’s car number, name, or nickname.  Ole Gordo, JrFan, Lowes, and silverfox for example, or my favorite, i_<3_dick_trickle.

Others like to use the names of their favorite sports teams, musicians, etc.  Not necessarily original, but you do let everyone else know where your heart is.

Then of course there are the wild card names that can come from anywhere; your own nickname, hobby or pretty much anything else.  Beertime, beachbums, and fishhook are a few of these types of teamnames that have played at Chad’s Fantasy NASCAR.  It’s always interesting to see the new and different names that everyone comes up with each season.  I always get a good chuckle when reading some of them.

So, how will you come up with your Fantasy NASCAR team name this season?  Are you a person that wants to use your favorite driver in your name?  If so, there is actually a webpage that can help you generate a name.  http://darrenfauth.com/generators/fantasy-nascar-team-name  (It looks like it’s been a few years since the name generator has been updated, but it has some good suggestions and could give you a head start on picking a name.)  This site: http://www.squidoo.com/fantasy-team-names has more naming strategies for all of your fantasy teams and how they like to pick something that will strike fear in your opponents.

Whatever name you come up with it should be something fun and entertaining.  Just using your name or some combination of it is boring. Challenge yourself a little to come up with something that will either make the other players laugh, or let them know more about you.  Tell them who you cheer for or make up some nickname.  No matter what you do have fun with it and enjoy the upcoming season!

There have been a lot of drivers changing teams this off-season.  This includes top-tier and middle-of-the-pack guys alike.  Kurt Busch going to Phoenix Racing, A.J. Allmendinger to Penske, and Clint Bowyer to Michael Waltrip Racing are just a few examples that could mix up the chase picture in the 2012 season.  Making the chase and winning the championship is the ultimate goal of every driver.  Making the chase in one year should help a driver’s confidence and odds of making it the next, but of course there are no guarantees.  On average, there is a 4.5 driver turnover per season in the chase.  So, with that in mind, who will make the chase in 2012?

First, let’s take a look at the chasers from 2011 and see which of them can make it again in 2012.

Lock to make it:

-     Tony Stewart: Stewart only missed the chase in 2006, and the defending champ is looking to repeat
-     Carl Edwards: On the top of his game, Edwards will be in the chase again.
-     Matt Kenseth: Kenseth has made all but one chase.  Mr. Consistent will be there again in 2012.
-     Jimmie Johnson:  Is there any doubt that the 5-time champ would make it?
-     Jeff Gordon: He’s Jeff Gordon, and he’s good.
-     Denny Hamlin: Has made it every year he has been a full-time driver.  No reason to think he won’t do it again.

Should be in:

-     Kevin Harvick: Harvick missed the chase in 2004, 2005 & 2009, but looks to be in a groove now.
-     Dale Earnhardt Jr: Earnhardt didn’t make it in 2005, 2007, 2009, & 2010, but may have things figured out with Hendrick Motorsports.
-     Kyle Busch: Busch still annoys a lot of people, but he fact is that he’s very good, and is always a top bet to make the chase.

Out in 2012:

-     Brad Keselowski: Keselowski caught fire to make the chase in 2011, but don’t count on that happening again.
-     Ryan Newman: Newman has missed 4 of last 6 chases.  Odds are pretty good he’ll miss it in 2012.
-     Kurt Busch: Busch is a good driver, but his new team will probably not be able to get the job done.

We’ll have to assume that one of the “should be in” drivers doesn’t make it to get four new chasers in 2012, and be closer to the average turnover of 4.5 drivers.  Who will the new chasers be?

New Chasers:

-     A.J. Allmendinger: He has never made the chase yet in his career, but Allmendinger is getting better, and under Penske he should be in.
-     Greg Biffle: After a tough 2011, Biffle will be out to show everyone he is still a top driver.
-     Clint Bowyer: Bowyer is a solid driver, and makes the chase about every other year.  2012 should be his year.
-     Joey Logano: Logano is in a contract year and needs to prove he’s worth the money.  He will.

Of course we won’t know for sure who makes it until September 10^th, so it’s hard to tell who may go on another run like Brad Keselowski did in 2011.  Until then, these are my predictions.  Let me know who you think will or won’t make the chase in 2012.

The contract was signed way back in April of 2010, but didn’t take effect until this offseason.  Everyone has heard about it for more than a year and a half now, and finally, Kasey Kahne is driving for Hendrick Motorsports.  Kahne is taking over Mark Martin’s 2011 ride in the No. 5 car.  Back when the signing was announced I posed two questions; did Rick Hendrick sign NASCAR’s most disappointing driver? And, Can Hendrick Motorsports make him better?  This post will take a closer look at the latter by diving into Kahne’s career numbers and seeing what needs to improve before he can become a serious threat to make the chase year-in and year-out.

If you look at the numbers by themselves across Kahne’s eight year career they are not too bad; 288 races, 12 wins, and 102 top ten finishes.  It’s when you start looking at the races where Kahne didn’t finish in the top ten that they don’t look so impressive.

Kahne needs to learn how to manage an ill handling car and coax it around the track without tearing it apart, causing a wreck, or getting caught up in someone else’s mess.  Finishing out of the top twenty 41% of the time is unacceptable if you want to contend for the chase.  People always talk about top five and top ten finishes, which are important, but not finishing outside of the top twenty is also important.  If the goal for Kasey Kahne is to make the chase, then we need to compare him to the other drivers that made the chase.  Let’s take a look at the 2011 chasers and see what their career numbers look like for finishing outside of the top twenty.

As you can see, besides Brad Keselowski and his great run of 2011, all of the chasers finish outside of the top twenty 35% of the time or less, and their cumulative average is only 27.8%.  If Kahne can improve his numbers to match the other contenders, his chances of making the chase would improve significantly.  This means that instead of averaging 15 races outside the top twenty per season Kahne can only afford to do it 11 or 12 times.  It may not sound like much, but with the new point system it would be huge.  With four less finishes outside of the top twenty Kahne could realistically accumulate 20 – 40 more championship points, which could easily be the difference between making the chase and battling for 13^th position.

Now, we know the problem, but can it be fixed?  It will not be an easy task for Kahne and the race team to accomplish.  It’s easy to say that you need to eliminate bad finishes, but if it were easy everyone would be able to do it.  The Hendrick Motorsports equipment at Kahne’s disposal will be the best of his career, so there should be no issues there.  Ultimately it will be up to the driver to adjust to the race car and ensure it makes it to the end of the race in decent position.  He can’t afford to push a car too hard that does not have a top ten finish in it.  That would cause more problems than the team needs.  On the plus side Kahne is sharing a garage with Jeff Gordon.  Any time you get to pick the brain of a 4-time champion it should be a good day.  Although, so far in his career it doesn’t seem like Jeff has been good at mentoring, or passing on wisdom.  Maybe since he’s getting a little older and seems to have the fire back, he will be able to help Kahne out a bit more with race strategy and how to handle cars that are a little off.

What are your thoughts?  Will Kahne make the chase and fulfill some of his potential now that he’s with Hendrick Motorsports, or will he continue to be a disappointment?

The NFL playoffs are getting started, and we’re seven weeks away from the Daytona 500.  Chad’s Fantasy NASCAR is ready for its 8^th year of Fantasy NASCAR fun, and the 2012 season.  Last year more than 200 people played, and the overall champ took home $1000! 

This year we’ll have the largest payouts ever with the overall champion guaranteed $1500!!  League champions are still guaranteed $100!  Tell others that you know would want to play and let them in on the fun.

The NASCAR season starts on Feb. 26^th in Daytona, so you have plenty of time to sign up and set your team.

Recruit More Players
As always, we need your help to recruit as many people to play as you can.  The more we get to play, the more fun it will be.  We ask you to tell others about the website and encourage them to sign up.  The goal is to double the number of players and have over 400 so we can have about 10 leagues and keep the payouts high.

Link to the site: http://chadsfantasynascar.com

How to sign up

• Online with a Credit Card or using your PayPal account
• Chad’s Fantasy NASCAR costs $20.95.
• The credit card processing is secure and run through PayPal, so we never see your card number.
• If you played last year you can use your existing id and password by logging in at http://chadsfantasynascar.com (If you can’t remember your password there’s a “forgot password” link that you can use to have a new, random password mailed to you.)
• If you didn’t play last year and want to sign up, you can use this link: http://chadsfantasynascar.com/pswd/signup.cgi
• After you sign up online you will be able to start picking your drivers instantly.

Any winnings or credits you received last year, and not paid via PayPal were carried over to 2012 and your price will be discounted accordingly.

Payouts
The winner of each league is guaranteed $100, and the overall champion is guaranteed $1500!  You can see all of the payout info on the site at: http://chadsfantasynascar.com/payouts.cgi

Rules
The rules are simple.  You get 4 drivers.  How ever many points they score in the race is how many points you get.  Easy!  The only catch is that you can only have 1 driver on your team that made the chase last year.  You’ll get trades each week, so you can change the drivers throughout the season.  To see the official rules you can use the following link: http://chadsfantasynascar.com/rules.cgi  

Updates For 2012

Perfect Week Pool: This year we are introducing the perfect week pool.  This is a pool of money that will go to the first team that picks the drivers that will finish 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th in a race.  The pool will start at $100 this season and increase by $2 each week until someone wins.  If no one wins, then the pool is rolled over into the next season.

Mobile Site: We are in the process of creating mobile web site for those of you with smart phones.  On the site you’ll be able to update your team, view the standings and track stats, and more.

Social Media Sites: Chad’s Fantasy NASCAR is now on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.  Follow us to get the latest updates and information for the league.

Here’s to another exciting season of NASCAR racing.

Good luck, and Happy Racin’

Confused with all of the driver, crew chief, and sponsor changes since last season?  Don’t worry, we have it all sorted out for you.  Most of the changes have happened in the off-season, but there were quite a few that started during the 2011 season, and even before.  Don’t worry though; you don’t have to read through all of the articles and press releases to get up to date on what drivers have changed teams, and who’s sponsoring them.  I’ve already done that.  Below is a list of drivers and teams that are making changes in personnel and/or sponsors for the 2012 season.  Is your favorite driver on the list, or did I miss anyone?  Leave a reply and let me know.

Drivers

Kurt Busch – There probably wasn’t a bigger name driver changing teams this off-season.  Busch’s trouble with the press in 2011 was well documented, and captured on video.  He and Penske claimed a mutual parting on December 5^th.  Since Busch left Penske with four years remaining on his contracts it is believed that he gave up $40 Million in salary.   Busch has now picked up a ride with Phoenix Racing.  He will be driving the No. 51 car, which was Landon Cassill’s ride in 2011.  This should be a shot in the arm to Phoenix Racing.  They have never come close to having a driver with talent like Kurt.  They will have work to do to build a contending team around the 2004 Cup Champion.  This is a one year deal for Busch, and is for the full 36-race schedule.  Nick Harrison will be his crew chief.

Landon Cassill – A new team, named BK Racing, purchased the No. 83 Red Bull team’s assets and championship points and named Cassill the driver of the Toyota.  The points guarantees Cassill a starting spot in the first five races of the season.  Cassill said that this is a full year ride.  Doug Richert is slated to be the crew chief.  The car is owned by investors that were previously involved with TRG Motorsports. The team name and sponsorship announcments are to come soon.  The team also owns the points from Kasey Kahne’s 14th place car last year, so they could field two cars with guaranteed starting spots in the first five races if they choose.

A.J. Allmendinger – Allmendinger left Richard Petty Motorsports after they were initially looking to sign Kurt Busch, and because his No. 43 car had no sponsorship for the 2012 season.  (Best Buy left Richard Petty Motorsports to go to Foush Fenway Racing.)  That may have been a great move on Allmendinger’s part as he will now fill the No. 22 car that Kurt Busch left open after splitting with Penske Racing.  This may only be a one year contract, but it sounds like they’re going to work on making it a long-term deal.  Todd Gordon will be the crew chief. 

Aric Almirola – After running full-time in the Nationwide Series in 2010, and finishing fourth in the standings, Almirola has now been signed with Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 43 car.  Smithfield’s, a meat company, is expected to be at least a partial sponsor for the car.  Last year’s sponsor, Best Buy, is no longer with RPM.

David Ragan – Ragan’s No. 6 team was dismantled by Roush Fenway racing, so Ragan asked for his release and it was granted, even though there were still a few years left on his contract.  Ragan wanted to go to Penske and race the No. 22 car, but that didn’t work out.  Ragan has now signed with Front Row Motorsports to race the No. 34 Ford that David Gilliland was in last year.  His crew chief will be Jay Guy.  No sponsorship has been announced yet.

David Gilliland – Gilliland will stay with Front Row Motorsports, but will run the No. 38 car in 2012, and Pat Tryson will be his crew chief.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Since Ragan is no longer in the No. 6 car, Stenhouse Jr. will drive it for the Daytona 500.  No word if he will driver other Sprint Cup races in the car.

Jeff Burton – RCR has named Drew Blickensderfer as the new crew chief for Burton and the No. 31 team.  Blickensderfer comes from the disbanded No. 6 team of Roush Fenway Racing.  General Mills will be sponsoring Burton for the 2012 season, coming from the No. 33 car that Bowyer left.  Wheaties will be the main brand that General Mills advertises.  BB&T Corporation will also be a sponsor on the car for five races in 2012.

Clint Bowyer – Bowyer has left Richard Childress Racing and signed with Michael Waltrip Racing; scheduled to drive the No. 15 car sponsored by 5-hour Energy.  Brian Pattie will be his crew chief.  This is a pretty big get for Michael Waltrip as Bowyer is definitely a driver that can battle to make the chase and bring more sponsor dollars.  No terms of the contract were disclosed, but it must have been for quite a bit.  Richard Childress made a comment that he could not afford to keep Bowyer and pay the salary that Michael Waltrip Racing offered.

Austin Dillon – Dillon, Richard Childress’ grandson, may drive a handful of Cup races in 2012 for Richard Childress Racing in Clint Bowyer’s former ride, the No. 33 car if they don’t find a driver to run full-time.

Michael Waltrip & Mark Martin – Both drivers will race the No. 55 car in 2012 for Michael Waltrip Racing.  Martin will compete in 25 Cup races and Waltrip will compete in seven.  Aaron’s will be the primary sponsor.  There will be a combination of other drivers and sponsors for the four races that Waltrip and Martin are not competing.

Danica Patrick – Patrick will attempt to qualify for 10 Sprint Cup races in 2012 in the No. 10 car for Stewart-Haas Racing.  Greg Zipadelli will be her crew chief.  Zipadelli was released from his Joe Gibbs Racing contract to go back to Tony Stewart and Stwart-Haas Racing as the competition director.  There is an interesting quote from Patrick about not moving from Arizona to Charlotte to be closer to her team for the upcoming season and 43 races she’ll run.  “I’m always available by phone and if they need me to fly to Charlotte that’s exactly what I’ll do. But I don’t feel the need to set-up shop [near Charlotte] — I don’t get that many days off [smiling] so to be honest I probably wouldn’t be at the shop that many days.”  She won’t stop by the shop that many days?  Hmm.  Doesn’t sound like a winning attitude to me.  Sounds like someone that is after the money and marketing.

David Reutimann– Reutimann was let go from Michael Waltrip Racing, even though he had one more year on his contract, to make room for Mark Martin.  Reutimann originally signed with Tommy Baldwin Racing for 26 races in the 2012 season.  Reutimann was to race the second car for Tommy Baldwin with David Blaney keeping his ride in the first car, but that has now changed.    Reutimann will now drive the No. 10 car with Danica Patrick.  Patrick will drive the car in ten races and Reutimann the other 26.  Doing this will also keep the No. 10 car in the top 35 in points and ensure it’s able to start every race.  On the down side of the deal, Reutimann will not have a ride for the Daytona 500 since Tommy Baldwin Racing will not field another car for him.  Tommy Baldwin will serve as Reutimann’s crew chief. Update: On Feb. 18th NASCAR announced that David Reutimann will be driving the No. 93 Toyota for BK racing in the Daytona 500.

Travis Kvapil – Kvapil has signed on with BK racing as well, to drive the No. 93 Toyota, beginning in the second race of the season in Phoenix.

Joey Logano – Since Zipadelli left Joe Gibbs Racing, Jason Ratcliff will replace him as Logano’s crew chief.  Dollar General has also signed on to be the primary sponsor for 12 Cup races for Logano’s car No. 20.

Tony Stewart – Stewart let Darrien Grubb, his crew chief, go and hired Steve Addington to fill the role in 2012.  Addington previously worked for Penske Racing and the No. 22 that Kurt Busch drove in 2011.

Denny Hamlin – Mike Ford, Hamlin’s crew chief since 2005 was let go.  Word is that Joe Gibbs Racing will go for Darrien Grubb (won the title as Tony Stewart’s crew chief in 2011) to replace him.

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski and crew chief Paul Wolfe received multi-year extensions with Penske Racing.  Keselowski’s original contract was up at the end of the 2011 season.  It’s now reported that Keselowski’s new contract runs through the 2014 season with an option for2015.

Kevin Harvick – Richard Childress Racing announced that Shane Wilson will be Harvick’s crew chief in 2012.

Juan Montoya – Montoya’s contract with Earnhardt Ganassi was up after the 2011 season, but he has re-signed with the team for 2012.  No word on the length of the contract.  Chris Heroy will be the crew chief for Montoya in 2012.

Bobby Labonte – Labonte will stay with JTG Daugherty Racing after they left as a satellite operation to Michael Waltrip Racing.  Daugherty’s team has their own shop now, and Labonte will be their driver while Todd Berrier will serve as the crew chief.  After announcing the move Daugherty had some critical words for Michael Waltrip Racing as well as his own team. “I’ve been very disappointed in what we’ve done this year,” Daugherty said. “We’re embedded in the Michael Waltrip program, and as they have gone, we have gone. As they have faltered, we have faltered. … We qualify decently and run OK for a while, but once we start adjusting our race car, it seems like we just go back, back, back. I don’t think we can be any worse. … I don’t think we can do any worse, to be honest with you.”

Brian Vickers – Vickers lost his ride after Red Bull shut their doors to NASCAR.

Kasey Kahne – It’s been planned for over a year now that Kahne would take over the No. 5 car of Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.  Farmers Insurance will be the primary sponsor for 22 races in the 2012 – 2014 seasons.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Earnhardt signed a five year extension with Hendrick Motorsports, so he’ll now be with the team through the 2017 season.

Scott Speed – Speed will race for Leavine Family Racing in 2012.  He will be in the No. 95 car running a 15 race schedule in 2012.

Kenny Wallace – Wallace will be driving for RAB Racing and attempt to qualify their No. 09 Toyota for the Daytona 500.  American Ethanol will be the sponsor.  The crew chief has not been announced yet. 

Tim Andrews – Andrews will debut at Bristol in March for the Go Green team.  His father Paul Andrews will be his crewchief.  The team will get cars from Rouch Racing.  No information has been released about sponsors or the car number.  They will try to qualify for 10 – 12 races focusing on short-tracks.

J.J. Yeley – Yeley has signed with the new Robinson-Blakeney Racing team.  He will drive a full season in the No. 49 Toyota with Tony Furr as the crew chief.

Elliott Sadler & Brendan Gaughan – Both drivers will share the Richard Childress Racing No. 33 car for the first five races of the season.  Sadler will run at Daytona, and Gaughan the other four.  Gil Martin will serve as the crew chief.  General Mills will be the sponsor for the Daytona 500 and South Point Casino for the other four races.

Bill Elliott – Elliott can’t stop himself from getting behind the wheel.  This year he will drive a Wal-Mart-sponsored No. 50 (for Wal-Mart’s 50th anniversary) Chevrolet in a one-race deal for the Coke Zero 400 on July 7 at Daytona.  Turner Motorsports is the team Elliott will race for.

Geoff Bodine – Bodine is looking for a team to help him compete in about 12 to 15 races in 2012.  Bodine has some sponsorship lined up with Luke & Associates, but no one to partner with for a car.

Dave Blaney – Blaney is with Tommy Baldwin Racing and trying to get funding to race the entire 2012 season in the No. 36 car.  Ryan Pemberton will be Blaney’s crew chief. 

Michael McDowell – McDowell has signed with Phil Parsons Racing for the 2012 season.  He will drive the No. 98 Ford.  Gene Nead will serve as his crew chief. 

Sponsors

Best Buy – Best Buy will be a part-time, primary sponsor of two Roush Fenway Racing cars in 2012.  Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 Ford for nine races as well as Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Ford for two races. In addition, Best Buy will serve as associate sponsor for each.

Sprint – Sprint has renewed its agreement with NASCAR to be the title sponsor through the 2016 season.  The deal is reportedly worth $100 Million per year.

UPS – UPS will not be a primary sponsor in 2012.  Instead they will be an associate sponsor for Carl Edwards.  This is one of the reasons Roush Fenway Racing had to disband the No. 6 team. 

Crown Royal – Like UPS, Crown Royal will not be a primary sponsor in 2012 for Roush Fenway Racing.  Because of this Matt Kenseth is looking for a new sponsor.  Crown Royal will put their focus on sponsoring the Brickyard 400.

Quicken Loans – Quicken Loans is new to NASCAR and will sponsor Ryan Newman’s No. 39 car for nine races in 2012.  They will also be an associate sponsor for Newman for the races they’re not primary, and be an associate sponsor for Tony Stewart the entire 2012 season.

General Mills – Richard Childress Racing announced that the sponsor of the No. 33 car in 2011 will move to the No. 31 of Jeff Burton in 2012.  Wheaties will be the main brand that General Mills will advertise.

Dollar General – The discount store has signed with Joe Gibbs Racing to sponsor 12 Cup races for the No. 20 car driven by Joey Logano, and a full Nationwide Series schedule for driver Brian Scott.

Goodyear – In October of 2011 NASCAR announced a contract extension with Goodyear to have them provide tires to the top three NASCAR circuits through the 2017 season.

Red Bull – It’s been well documented that 2011 was the last for Red Bull in NASCAR.  Their departure leaves Brian Vickers without a ride, and Kasey Kahne was already under contract with Hendrick Motorsports for 2012.

Pepsi – The soft drink manufacturer currently sponsors the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Pepsi was pushing the Amp Energy Drink brand in 2011, but that will change to Diet Mt. Dew for 16 races in 2012.  Amp will be on the hood for four races in 2012.  Also noteworthy is that 2012 is the final year of the current contract between Hendrick Motorsports and Pepsi.  The sponsorship was valued at $25 million to $30 million to be the primary sponsor for 20 races on the No. 88 car.

Lowe’s – nascar.com has a great article about how the Lowe’s sponsorship of Jimmie Johnson came about.  http://www.nascar.com/news/110914/jjohnson-lowes-success/index.html  In in they say that, “Lowe’s agreed to pay each crew member $480 every time they won a race and offered the pit crew $480 every time they turned in a pit stop under a specified time, Tillman said. The company even agreed to give crew chief Chad Knaus a Porsche for the team’s first top-five finish and Johnson a power boat for his first victory.”  In 2009, it signed a three-year renewal with Johnson and maintained its position as primary sponsor for all 36 races.

3M – Roush Fenway Racing signed a three year extension with 3M to remain a primary sponsor.

Golden Corral – The restaurant is not renewing their sponsorship with Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2012.

Farmers Insurance – In June of 2011 Farmers Insurance agreed to sponsor the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 car for the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons.

BB&T Corporation - Has renewed with Richard Childress Racing for the 2012 season.  They will be the primary sponsor of Jeff Burton’s No. 31 car for five races.

Wal-Mart – Will sponsor Bill Elliott in one race at Daytona for the Coke Zero 400.

Keep checking back for more driver and sponsor changes since this post is updated as we learn more.

Each year, before the season starts, I make my NASCAR predictions on who will win the championship, the most races, etc.  Sometimes the predictions come true and sometimes they are way off.  Let’s take a look at this year’s and see how they turned out.

Champion: Prediction: Jimmie Johnson   Actual: Tony Stewart
What can I say?  I went with the safe bet and was wrong.  Jimmie had his “worst” year ever in NASCAR with career lows in point standings (6^th) and wins (2).  His average starting position of 12.9 was his worst since 2002.  To my defense, I did say that I wouldn’t be surprised if someone like Carl Edwards won the championship.  He tied for it, so I guess that doesn’t really count.  Congrats to Tony Stewart and his great run in the Chase.  Maybe we should have known he would break Jimmie Johnson’s streak since he was the driver that won the championship back in 2005, before Johnson’s amazing run began.

Most Disappointing: Prediction: Clint Bowyer
I was pretty close on this one.  Bowyer did not make the chase, and finished 13^th in points.  I thought he may be further down in 15^th – 20^th, but overall it wasn’t a good year for Bowyer.  He had 16 top ten finishes in 2011.  The only time he had fewer in a full season was 2006, his first one as a full-time driver.  Bowyer will have to work hard to get back in the chase.

Most Surprising: Prediction: A.J. Allmendinger
I think my prediction of Allmendinger’s season was a darn good one.  He didn’t have to make the chase to be surprising, but he almost did it anyway.  Also, finishing 15^th is a good accomplishment for Allmendinger.  He’s improved each season of his career, and should be a legitimate contender to make the chase next season.

Rookie Of The Year: Prediction: Trevor Bayne    Actual: Andy Lally
Winning the Daytona 500 is a great way to start off your career!  Officially, Bayne wasn’t a rookie in 2011, but how can you say he wasn’t the best first year driver out there?  NASCAR has recognized Andy Lally as the 2011 Rookie Of The Year.  He won by default since he was the only official rookie racing in the Sprint Cup Series.  Lally averaged a 30.8 place finish in 2011 while Bayne averaged a 25.8 place finish.  Both have a ways to go, but Bayne got the big win and shows a lot of promise.

Comeback Driver: Prediction: Brian Vickers    Actual: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
It can be hard to judge the comeback driver of the year, but it’s safe to say that , although Vickers does have a great story with his comeback, his performances on the track weren’t good enough.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the other hand, really stepped up in 2011 and proved that he is still a good driver and can contend with the elite.  Earnhardt made the chase and finished 7^th, right in between his teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

Most Wins: Prediction: Tony Stewart     Actual: Tony Stewart
Nailed it!  Five wins for Stewart gets him the award for most wins this season.  The amazing part is that he did this in the Chase, propelling himself to the championship.  Stewart really is a great driver, and I guess we can now call him a pretty good owner.

It all comes down to this race!  Only three points separate Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart.  Can Stewart get the job done and pass Edwards in the last race to win the Championship?  Is it possible for them to be tied in points at the end of the race and have to go to a tie-breaker to see who wins the championship?  Stewart has more victories this season, so the edge should go to him.  Don’t plan on any of the drivers challenging Stewart or Edwards for position on the track.  No one wants to be the guy that wrecked them, destroying their chance at a title.  They will be the only ones racing each other hard in the final race.  With that in mind it should be no surprise who I’m picking as my chaser, and alternate chaser this week.

This Week’s Recommendations

Chaser: Carl Edwards
If past history at Homestead-Miami Speedway is any indicator, Carl Edwards should hang on to his slim points lead and win the championship.  Edwards has the best average finish at the track (5.7) and two career victories here as well.  In his seven career races Edwards has four top five and six top ten finishes.  His only finish outside of the top ten was his first race here in 2004 when he finished 14^th.  I think it’s safe to say Edwards will get a top ten finish.  The question is, can Stewart do much more to put pressure on him?

Alternate Chaser: Tony Stewart
If anyone can do it, Stewart can.  He, like Edwards, has two wins in Homestead-Miami.  Stewart also has three top five and six top ten finishes to go with the wins, in 12 career races.  His average finish of 12.4 isn’t quite as good as Edwards, but it’s not too shabby.  Given the fact that Stewart is trying to win his third NASCAR championship and drivers will be giving him plenty of room to run around the track, he should be a top ten finisher this week.  Again, the question is, will it be enough to win the title.  He may have to win the race, and lead the most laps to get it done; especially if Edwards is on his tail in 2^nd or 3^rd place.

A.J. Allmendinger
Believe it or not, A.J. Allmendinger owns the third best average finish at this track among active drivers.  In his three career races here Allmendinger is averaging an 8.7 place finish.  He’s finished 11^th, 10^th, and 5^th in those races.  Allmendinger is 16^th in points, only 3 away from Greg Biffle in 15^th.  He will be pushing hard to pick up another spot in the standings and finish a very respectable 15^th.  Also, Allmendinger has been one of the hottest drivers lately, averaging a 13^th place finish over the last five races.  There’s no reason to believe he won’t contend for another top ten finish this weekend.

Martin Truex Jr.
Truex Jr. has a top ten finish in the last three races, and four of the last five at Homestead-Miami.  He’s averaging an 11.7 place finish in his 6 race career at the track; good enough for sixth best among active drivers.  Just over 12% of you had Truex on your team last week when he finished 20^th.  This looks to be a better track for Truex and he should contending for a top ten finish and get you more points this week.

Dark Horse: Jeff Burton
Burton finds himself down in 23^rd place.  Way too low for a driver of his caliber.  He has turned it around a little over the past five races.  In that span he’s averaging an 11.7 place finish with two top five and three top ten finishes.  Burton has also had some success at Miami-Homestead in his career with four top five and five top ten finishes.  I’m sure Burton will be glad the 2011 season is over after the race, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be fighting for another quality run and keeping momentum for the 2012 season.