As NASCAR comes out of its winter hibernation (Yeah, not much of a winter this year, I know.), we are once again greeted with a slew of driver and crew chief changes, track re-pavings, mechanical changes, and drivers to look out for this coming season. It always keeps anticipation high for a new season to see what difference all of these factors will make. So lets check out what driver changes occurred this offseason.
1. Kasey Kahne goes from the #4 Red Bull Racing team that shut down to the #5 at Hendrick Motorsports, taking Mark Martin's ride. Expectation are high for Kahne this year as he arguably gets the best equipment he's had in his career and by far the most stable situation he's had in four years, also bringing crew chief Kenny Francis with him from Red Bull. After a late season win last season at Phoenix, Kahne was on fire and should carry that momentum over to 2012. Look for him to be a championship contender this season.
2. Mark Martin goes from the #5 Hendrick car to the #55 at Michael Waltrip Racing, taking David Reutimann's ride. Martin will be paired up with Michael Waltrip and one other unnamed driver. Martin will drive for 25 races, while Waltrip will do 5 (both Daytona's and Talladega's as well as Kentucky, his home track) and the unnamed driver taking the last 6 races. Obviously only running 25 races will prevent Martin from earning a Chase berth, but don't be surprised if you see him win a race or two this year. He's still very competitive and has the equipment to win.
3. David Reutimann goes from the #00 (#55 now) to the #10 at Tommy Baldwin Racing. Now this is where things get fun. Reutimann will drive 26 races in this car, while the popular Danica Patrick will make her Sprint Cup debut for the other 10 races under the Stewart-Haas Racing banner. Tommy Baldwin Racing is still using Earnhardt-Childress engines for Reutimann, but will get support from Hendrick for Danica. This creates an interesting split for this car. But don't be surprised to see either of these driver's contend for a win this year, as Tommy Baldwin Racing has now firmly established itself in the Sprint Cup series.
4. Clint Bowyer goes from the #33 Richard Childress Racing car to the #15 Michael Waltrip Racing car. MWR was able to secure new sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy to open a third team to field Bowyer's cars. The number #33 at RCR now essentially folds, with the exception of the first five races (Elliott Sadler will drive the Daytona 500 and Brendan Gaughan the other four). This will be an unproven team, with crew chief Brian Pattie coming over from Juan Pablo Montoya's team. Bowyer has shown he can win in anything though, so don't count him out for a win or two.
5. A.J. Allmendinger goes from the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports car to the #22 Penske Racing car. Alright, A.J., this is your big chance! Allmendinger benefited from Kurt Busch's bad behavior to step into the best ride of his career after Busch cut ties with Penske. He will be piloting a car that made the Chase and won two races last year. With new crew chief Todd Gordon coming up from Penske's Nationwide stable, it will be a fresh start for both driver and crew chief. Allmendinger has the potential, now he's got his best chance to show what he can do. A Chase berth and wins are within reach for this new team.
6. Aric Almirola goes from the #88 JR Motorsports Nationwide car to the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports car. Welcome back Aric! Nearly five years after Almirola got booted from his Sprint Cup ride at the now defunct Earnhardt Incorporated and working his way back up through Truck and Nationwide, he's back in the top tier. Almirola takes over Allmendinger's ride that was fairly successful last year. Almirola has a great upside when it comes to talent and can easily generate top 10's in this ride. It wouldn't be too surprising to see him sneak a win either.
7. Kurt Busch goes from the #22 Penske Racing car to the #51 Phoenix Racing car. Oh Kurt, you keep shooting yourself in the foot. Because of bad behavior, Kurt cut ties with Penske to go to an underfunded Phoenix team where he is hoping to find the "fun" in racing again. He'll be on a short leash by boss James Finch, not to mention more short on quality equipment than he's ever had. However, this car has won before (Brad Keselowski at Talladega) but this season will be tougher for Busch.
Other Driver Changes
-David Ragan goes from the #6 Roush Fenway Racing car to the #34 Front Row Motorsports car.
-J.J. Yeley goes to the newly formed #49 Robinson-Blakeney Racing car.
-Landon Cassill goes from the #51 Phoenix Racing car to the #83 unknown team.
-Michael McDowell switches numbers from #66 to #98.
So there's the 2012 Silly Season round-up! All in all, there is a lot of possibilities for this season and it should easily be as competitive as last season!
Only 15 days until Daytona!
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