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Lack of sponsorship shuts down No. 2 team

Richard Childress Racing will not field the part-time entry of driver Tim George Jr. in the Camping World Truck Series in 2013, the team has confirmed.

The No. 2 truck was slated to compete in 13 races this season with George behind the wheel. According to the driver’s representative, a sponsorship package to back the vehicle could not be put together in time for this season.

George suffered a fractured ankle while skiing in Colorado over the holidays and is currently in a cast scheduled to be removed at the end of the month. The driver’s representative said George would undergo rehabilitation and be able to race in the season-opener at Daytona if a ride were available, adding that the skiing accident and the closure of the No. 2 team were unrelated.

RCR was working to reassign employees on the shut-down No. 2 team to other positions within the organization or at a start-up program outside the company. RCR is slated to field two full-time Truck Series entries in 2013, for drivers Ty Dillon and Brendan Gaughan.

George, 32, competed in 12 events last season in the Truck Series, all but one of them for RCR. The New York City native recorded a best finish of eighth at Talladega, and won a pole at Kansas.

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Move from Roush Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing could impact season

Though his first 15 years in NASCAR’s premier series were with the same organization, Matt Kenseth has seen his share of change. He’s weathered new teammates, new sponsors, new body styles and new crew chiefs — sometimes a few in the same season. But he’s never been though anything quite like this.

Matt Kenseth

No. 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota

2012 rank

7th

Team

Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew chief

Jason Ratcliff

Biggest change for 2013 is…

A potentially power-shifting move from Roush Fenway to JGR, where he takes over for Joey Logano. Also Kenseth’s first time working with Ratcliff, and driving anything other than a Ford.

Watch out for…

The perils of moving to a new team. Kenseth can be demanding of his crew chiefs, and his working relationship with Ratcliff is an unknown. Then there are the quality-control issues that have prevented JGR from winning a title since 2005.

Will win the title if…

Gibbs adds to Kenseth’s consistency a degree of explosiveness that helps him win more races, and Kenseth’s reliability helps JGR ensure every bolt is tightened and every part lasts.

2012 was…

Watch the video below for Matt Kenseth’s 2012 season in review.

The 2003 champion has changed teams for the first time in his career, jumping from Roush Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing, where his experience adds a veteran savvy to a program previously known for its youth. In the process, though, everything Kenseth has ever known is different. It’s quite a transition for a driver who was a fixture in the No. 17 car for over a decade.

VIDEO: Watch Matt Kenseth sink a half-court shot on Wednesday at practice with the Atlanta Hawks

“It’s a completely different team, crew, crew chief, organization, manufacturer, car body style, teammates — I mean, everything is brand new,” he said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was a little nervous about it. But I’m also really excited and really looking forward to it.”

The change is big — but so is the potential. In replacing Joey Logano, Kenseth adds heft to a lineup that returns Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Although Gibbs hasn’t won a title since Tony Stewart left, and mechanical failures have dogged this team in the past, the pieces have long seemed in place. Kenseth, a hands-on driver who ran his No. 17 team with a certain degree of autonomy, could lend a steadying presence that helps his new organization get past its shortcomings and take the next step.

“When you look at Roush, and when they’ve had their peaks and valleys, (Kenseth’s) always at the top of the organization,” Hamlin said. “So he knows how to gets the most out of what he’s got. So I’m willing to relinquish whatever role I have to make sure we have the best race cars on the track. If it’s him directing our guys to that, then that’s good with me.”

Kenseth began visiting the Gibbs shop in December, to get fitted for seats, decide on a spotter, and confer with new crew chief Jason Ratcliff. He made his first laps in the No. 20 car in testing later that month, and was nervous enough that he over-revved the engine. He’s aware of the talk about what a driver with his reputation could bring to a team that’s historically misfired in the Chase. But he’d like to settle into his new program first.

“People have asked me all these questions about experience and leadership, and I’ll be honest with you — I feel the opposite,” said Kenseth, 40. “I feel like the new kid. I feel like I’m going to go in there with my eyes and ears open.”

Kenseth’s seventh-place Chase standing belied a strong 2012 campaign where he was among the top drivers in the regular season and won twice in the playoff. He left Roush on a high note and on good terms, even delivering bottles of champagne to his former mates as a Christmas present. Now comes the test of maintaining that level of performance and integrating with a new team at the same time.

“It will be a different challenge,” he said. “… I’m really curious, I’m really interested, I’m really looking forward to seeing what it brings.”

See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Jeff Gordon

9. Tony Stewart

8. Kevin Harvick

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Denny Hamlin

5. Greg Biffle

4. Kasey Kahne

3. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

1. Brad Keselowski

Posted on by Holly Cain

Harvick poised to leave Richard Childress Racing with a season to remember

With a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye, Kevin Harvick declared that he fully expects 2013 to be “the best year of my career.’’

With an impending, if not yet officially confirmed, move to Stewart-Haas Racing for the 2014 season, Harvick coyly told reporters during NASCAR Champions Week in Las Vegas that he’s convinced his final year with Richard Childress Racing has all the makings of a proper farewell.

Kevin Harvick

No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet

2012 rank

8th

Team

Richard Childress Racing

Crew chief

Gil Martin

Biggest change for 2013 is…

After being reunited with Kevin Harvick late in the 2012 season, Gil Martin gets a full year to lead his team and try to better their career-best third-place showing in the Sprint Cup championship.

Watch out for…

Tagged with the “lame duck” status, Harvick must convince his team and crew that he is still committed to 2013 and not already looking ahead to a new start elsewhere in 2014.

Will win the title if…

Harvick has the confidence that his team is behind him. Chevrolet certainly has the ability to accelerate the development of NASCAR’s Gen-6 car, and if Harvick can come out of the gate strong, it will go a long way toward setting the tone for a championship run.

2012 was…

Watch the video below for Kevin Harvick’s 2012 season in review.

“We will focus on 2013 and do what we need to do to make this race team as good as possible,’’ Harvick said, careful not to divulge any further details about his future plans. “A lot of effort has gone into the new car and for us, we’re racing as hard as we can and doing everything we can do to win races and championships.”

Harvick’s reunion with crew chief Gil Martin late in the 2012 season certainly points toward a resurgence after an inconsistent and often frustrating start to last year.

Harvick and Martin recorded consecutive third-place finishes in the 2010-11 Sprint Cup seasons, and had a shot at the championship in the final race of 2010. But they parted prior to 2012, when Harvick teamed with Shane Wilson, searching for what he hoped would be the difference-maker in a title run. It became clear to Harvick, in what he considers a hard-learned lesson, that the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” he said.

Yet issues weren’t limited to the crew chief’s position. Harvick joked that he didn’t have enough time to explain all the improvements that needed to be made for 2013. One key element is a full season under the guidance of Dr. Eric Warren as RCR’s competition director. Harvick had stressed the importance of filling that position and was eager to see the difference it could make company-wide.

“Richard and those guys are working hard on putting back structure and pieces in places and trying to get everything where it needs to be,’’ Harvick said. “It’s a big machine.’’

 There was an almost immediate improvement once Harvick was reunited with Martin prior to the Chase, which bodes well for the upcoming campaign. Harvick recorded five top-10 finishes in the last 12 races, including his only victory of the year at Phoenix. He led as many laps (126) in those 12 races as he had in the previous 24. With Martin leading the team, Harvick finished worse than 12th only four times, and closed out the year with three consecutive top-10s.

NASCAR’s introduction of the new Generation-6 car this year could even the playing field considerably. Or it could give one manufacturer an advantage, depending on who figures it out the fastest. Either way, both Harvick and Childress are committed to ending their 13-year relationship on a good note.

"I’m looking forward to finishing out this season on a strong note with RCR, and continuing to build our program going into the 2013 season with the ultimate goal of winning a championship," Harvick said.

See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Jeff Gordon

9. Tony Stewart

8. Kevin Harvick

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Denny Hamlin

5. Greg Biffle

4. Kasey Kahne

3. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

1. Brad Keselowski

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Keselowski, Johnson among 60 drivers to participate in season kickoff

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and fellow titleholders Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte are among more than 60 drivers from three NASCAR national series set to participate in NASCAR Preview 2013 on Saturday, Feb. 9.

The NASCAR Acceleration Weekend fan event will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center and feature autographs from NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck drivers, on-stage Q&As, the opportunity to get a close-up look at the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Gen-6 race car and other special events.

Tickets, priced at $20, are available at www.nascaracceleration.com. A NASCAR Preview ticket includes same-day admission to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. For the full driver autograph schedule, please see the bottom of this release.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend begins Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. with the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Former NASCAR premier series champions Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Rusty Wallace, championship car owner Cotton Owens and innovative mechanic, crew chief and engine builder Leonard Wood will be the fourth class enshrined.

Tickets to Friday night’s Induction Ceremony start at $45 and can be purchased at www.nascaracceleration.com and the NASCAR Hall of Fame box office.

Eight NASCAR Hall of Fame members will appear at the hall from 4 to 4:45 p.m. on Feb. 8 and sign autographs for those with a NASCAR Hall of Fame ticket. They include Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Bud Moore, Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip and Glen Wood.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend wraps up Sunday, Feb. 10 with the unveiling of the five NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees’ granite markers. Wallace and Leonard Wood will sign autographs at 10 a.m. for hall ticket holders.

NASCAR Preview 2013 is expected to draw thousands of fans to the Convention Center to meet their favorite drivers. Last year’s event, the first of its kind in Charlotte, was the successful rebirth of what for many years officially signaled the beginning of a new NASCAR season. The 2013 season is exactly one month away and begins with The Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway — the traditional lead-in to the 55th running of the Daytona 500 at 1 p.m. ET on Feb. 24. Both races will be broadcast live by FOX Sports, MRN and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Reigning series champions in all three NASCAR national series head the list of drivers confirming their participation in NASCAR Preview 2013. Keselowski will appear at 1:30 p.m. along with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher. NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is slotted at 9 a.m.

The Keselowski-Buescher group also includes Danica Patrick, who will seek NASCAR Sprint Cup Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 along with Stenhouse.

Driver Appearance Times

9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (autographs begin at 9:30 a.m.)

Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Jamie McMurray, Mark Martin, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier, Eric McClure, Brian Scott, Timothy Peters, Miguel Paludo, Elliott Sadler, Dylan Kwasniewski and Todd Peck.

10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (autographs begin at 11 a.m.)

Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Aric Almirola, Paul Menard, Joey Logano, Hal Martin, Sam Hornish Jr., Jamie Dick, Sean Corr, Brennan Newberry, Ross Chastain and Ron Hornaday Jr.

Noon to 2 p.m. (autographs begin at 12:30 p.m.)

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., David Ragan, David Gilliland, Marcos Ambrose, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Johanna Long, Austin Dillon, Michael Annett, Nelson Piquet Jr., Ty Dillon, Joey Coulter, Trevor Bayne and Todd Bodine.

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (autographs begin at 2 p.m.)

Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bobby Labonte, Justin Lofton, John Wes Townley, Regan Smith, Parker Kligerman, Max Gresham, Jeb Burton, Dakoda Armstrong, James Buescher, Michael McDowell, Daniel Suarez, Casey Mears, Jeremy Clements, Ryan Blaney, Johnny Sauter and Alex Bowman.

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On heels of 2012 K&N Pro Series West title, driver takes his talents to Turner Scott Motorsports

With a 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship trophy already sitting on his mantle, Dylan Kwasniewski will compete for another in the Pro Series East with Turner Scott Motorsports in 2013, the driver announced Wednesday.

"It is really exciting and an honor to join Turner Scott Motorsports, especially at this time when the organization has just announced their expansion," said Kwasniewski, according to the official release. "Everyone I’ve met at TSM so far is dedicated and committed to results and performance. Moving from the West Series to the East is a natural progression for me as I continue to develop as a driver.”

Backed by TSM, which also has NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series teams, Kwasniewski begins his 2013 campaign at the UNOH Battle at the Beach in Daytona. He was awarded placement in the race with his 2012 NKNPSW title.

Kwasniewski has come a long way from competing in go-karts at the age of 5, moving up the ranks to become the youngest champion in track history in the Semi Pro Legend Car series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kwasniewski made his NASCAR debut in 2011, finishing an impressive fifth place in the NKNPSW final point standings despite not competing in the first race. Kwasniewski tallied two wins, two poles, eight top fives and nine top 10s.

Not to be outdone by his performance from the previous season, 2012 was one for the record books. Kwasniewski recorded three wins, six poles, 12 top fives and 15 top 10s en route to becoming the youngest champion in NKNPSW history.

“The chance to drive for Turner Scott Motorsports under the direction of Steve Turner, Harry Scott Jr. and veteran Mike Greci came up last fall,” he said. “I knew immediately it would be a perfect fit for me. TSM has consistently put the best equipment on the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series, and I know they will do the same in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, giving me the best opportunity to win races and make a run at the championship this year."

"Being able to add another young talent like Dylan to our portfolio of drivers for 2013 is great for this entire organization," said Steve Turner, co-owner of Turner Scott Motorsports. "Not only is he (talented) on the track, but he is an amazing young man off the track. Everyone at Turner Scott Motorsports is looking forward to working with Dylan."

Details regarding Kwasniewski’s sponsor, crew and car number will be announced in the near future.

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Driver thrills 4-year-old with hug at Preseason Thunder

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — At just 4 years old, Anthony Zotaro learned a valuable life lesson about being in the right place at the right time.

On the final day of Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway, Zotaro’s grandfather decided to take the young race fan to the track, knowing it was something they could appreciate together.

“Every Sunday, he sits in front of the TV and watches races,” Tim Spry said about his grandson. “He’s been to five or six races, and he’s not even 5 yet.”

"It was just unbelievable. He’s amazed with it. I was shaking to see it happen."

— Tim Spry, grandfather of 4-year-old Anthony Zotaro

Tim Spry and Anthony Zotaro

The two spent the early part of Jan. 12 in the track’s infield watching the cars and lining up for autographs. Toward the end of the morning practice, they walked to the garage’s entrance gate, hoping for just a little more.

“We went around the corner of the building and all of sudden we see her come out, standing there,” Spry said.

It was NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Danica Patrick. She was walking back to her car after a short break, with the top half of her driver’s suit tied around her waist. Zotaro immediately recognized Patrick and let out a high-pitched “Danica!” scream appropriate for a 4-year-old.

Patrick heard Zotaro’s call and looked in his direction with a smile. Zotaro blew her a kiss, and Patrick returned the favor. Then she went one step further.

“She said ‘Come here, I’ll give you a hug’.  And I said ‘He can’t go in there,’ ” said Spry, who was in disbelief his grandson would be allowed to pass the security gate. “And she goes ‘Yes he can.’ ”

With little hesitation, Zotaro made the short sprint and Patrick met him halfway.  Even with Patrick down on one knee, he stood on the tips of his toes to get his arms around her. The result was a smile that will be hard to ever duplicate.

“It was just unbelievable,” Spry said. “He’s amazed with it. I was shaking to see it happen.”

The moment, of course, didn’t last long. But it was long enough that Patrick posed with the young boy while Spry took out his flip phone and did his best to snap a photo. She went back to her race car, while Spry put his grandson up on his shoulders, still grinning from ear to ear.

“I feel like I want her to be my girlfriend,” Zotaro said.

Patrick’s gesture reinforced the feelings Spry already had about the sport. A fan since the 1980s, he praised the access fans have to drivers.

“NASCAR is the only place you can get this close to drivers and get autographs and be able to sit down and talk to them,” he said. “You go to any other stick and ball sport, you can’t get that close. I’m a big sports fan. I go to football games. You can stand on the sideline but you can’t get close to them. They won’t even recognize you.

“This is a moment we’ll never forget.”

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Blaney has bold goals for 2013

Ryan Blaney isn’t the kind of driver who typically sets goals for himself. But this offseason, on the heels of his first victory at NASCAR’s national level, he sat down with his father and sketched out some objectives for the coming Camping World Truck Series campaign.

Bold ones.

“I want to win five to eight races and win the championship,” said Blaney, who turned 19 on New Year’s Eve. “I honestly want the championship to be locked up going into Homestead. That’s the goal I set for myself. I think we have the team to do it, the car, the support. So we’ll see if we can get there. I believe that with the growth myself and the team have had, we can really get there.”

It seems the confidence of Blaney’s team owner, reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski, is rubbing off on a driver who last September at Iowa Speedway became the youngest race winner in the Truck circuit’s 18-year history. With good reason, perhaps — the son of veteran NASCAR driver Dave Blaney was fast almost everywhere he went in 2012, scoring a runner-up finish in a Nationwide race at Texas to go along with his Truck triumph, and showing a level of maturity well beyond his years.

"There’s a lot of good young talent out there today, and we certainly want to support him."

— Roger Penske, team owner

POLL: Which Truck series driver will be the first to win in 2013?

Now the next step looms, in the form of a full-time Truck Series campaign in the same vehicle he piloted on a limited basis last year — the No. 29 Ford of Brad Keselowski Racing, backed by sponsor Cooper Standard. There will almost certainly be a slate of Nationwide races as well, with a Penske Racing team for whom Blaney is a developmental driver. Regardless, the secret is out. Blaney’s Iowa breakthrough will reverberate into 2013, in the form of increased expectations on a driver smart enough to realize he’s raised the bar.

“I think it all changes,” he said. “I’ve been in the Truck Series, I’ve had a lot of races there, I’ve had a lot of races in the Nationwide Series. And then you come back kind of in my sophomore year here, and you really have to prove yourself. You have to prove you can keep learning, keep growing, and you’re not a rookie anymore. You’ve got to act like a veteran and try to make smart decisions and show that you can keep doing it. So I think the expectations are definitely raised for your second year coming back.”

Blaney’s No. 29 will be one of two full-time BKR trucks competing in 2013. The team will also field a No. 19 Ford which will vie for the Truck Series owners’ championship, and feature four different drivers in the seat — Keselowski, his Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano, Ross Chastain and Dave Blaney. Chastain will pilot the truck for 15 events, including the opener at Daytona. The complete race schedules for Keselowski, Logano and Chastain have not yet been determined.

Dave Blaney will drive the No. 19 truck for one race — the July 24 dirt-track event at Eldora Speedway, where he’s won six World of Outlaws features, twice including the King’s Royal, one of that circuit’s biggest events. The vehicle will feature Chad Kendrick as crew chief and sponsorship from Cequent Consumer Products and Melon 1.

“Last season was a huge stepping stone for the organization as we claimed our first victory,” Keselowski said. “We are looking forward to building on last year’s success this season.”

Ryan Blaney’s goals of five to eight wins and a title — clinched before the season finale, no less — would certainly do that. Those are some daring aspirations, particularly given that no Truck Series driver has recorded more than four victories since 2009. Even in a limited role, though, the flashes were clearly there in 2012, when Blaney placed 11th or better in every Truck race where he was running at the finish. He also notched seven top 10s in 13 Nationwide starts, splitting time between Penske Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing, a team his father competed for at the Sprint Cup level.

He did it all at an age when many are more concerned about their senior prom. Everyone noticed, the Penske Racing brass included. 

“We think that he’s a fine young man,” team owner Roger Penske said late last year. “He’s got a lot to learn, like they all do. But coming from a family that’s been racing, he seems to have the talent. There’s a lot of good young talent out there today, and we certainly want to support him.”

What Blaney is aiming for now, though, is a considerable step up. “It really is,” he conceded. “But honestly, when you set that high of a goal, you always have something you’re chasing for. And you tell your team that goal, and it kind of motivates them even more to work harder and push harder. I definitely think it helps when you set a goal, for the driver and the team, to push themselves that much harder. We’ll try our best to try to get there.”

The presence of Keselowski, whose confidence and go-big-or-go-home mentality fueled his run to the 2012 premier-series crown, certainly can’t hurt. Blaney said he’s learned much about racing from the Sprint Cup champion and he reaches out to Keselowski frequently, especially on event weekends. Blaney may have held back some during last year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup — the boss did have a title on the line, after all — but not now. 

“In the offseason, I’ve been on him hard. I’m just trying to dig information out of him and learn as much as I can,” he said.

“He’s a smart guy and he knows the game and can play it well,” added Blaney, who returns with Doug Randolph as crew chief. “It’s a big advantage for me to be able to know him personally like that, and be able to talk to him anytime I want, and ask him any questions that I’d like.”

That line of communication may prove even more valuable this year, as Blaney makes the transition from part-time racer to full-time championship contender, laden with expectations from his performance a season ago. The breakthrough at Iowa has become as much a part of him as his dark hair, coloring what everyone expects of him going forward. Yet he doesn’t run from it. “I believe last year was a really big defining moment,” he said. But this 19-year-old is also mature enough to realize that any driver is only as good as his last race.

“You never really feel relief when you’re trying to prove yourself as a younger driver. It’s hard to do,” Blaney said. “You have to keep working, keep showing it. I actually don’t think there’s ever relief as a race car driver. You’ve got to keep proving yourself race after race and year and after year. You can never really sit back and give yourself some breathing space. You have to keep after it and keep fighting hard, especially when you’re trying to make it.”

Posted on by Holly Cain

Veteran experience aids transition to Gen-6 car

It was hard to tell who was happier in the minutes following the final checkered flag of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season: newly crowned champion Brad Keselowski, or race winner Jeff Gordon.

From the size of Gordon’s smile and decibel level of his celebration, you’d have thought the veteran had won the title. As he hoisted his race winner’s trophy, there was no mistaking the feeling that Gordon was back on track for the bigger hardware in 2013.

Jeff Gordon

No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet

2012 rank

10th

Team

Hendrick Motorsports

Crew chief

Alan Gustafson

Biggest change for 2013 is…

The biggest change for Gordon is the same for every driver: the Gen-6 car NASCAR is introducing for 2013. His team remains intact and he and Gustafson remain paired for a third consecutive year.

Watch out for…

Another bout of the incredibly bad luck he suffered in 2012, and the inability at times to salvage decent finishes with a mid-pack car. His DNFs were both uncharacteristic and too often in what was an all-or-nothing 2012 season.

Will win the title if…

Gordon doesn’t have to climb out of a huge early season hole — as in 2012 — and if the wily veteran gets a quick handle on the Gen-6 car, which he is already quite fond of. Gordon’s biggest asset is his motivation to win another championship before he retires.

2012 was…

Watch the video below for Jeff Gordon’s 2012 season in review.

The emotion was understandable.

A week earlier, a rare on-track temper tantrum resulted in a $100,000 fine, the loss of 25 championship points, and a whole lot of head-shaking for the prototypical All-American Gordon, who only weeks earlier had clawed back from a slow start (40th place in the Daytona 500 after an engine failure) to qualify for the Chase.

VIDEO: Jeff Gordon season in review

The dramatic run for the berth in NASCAR’s playoffs — coming in the waning laps of the final regular season race — was typical of Gordon’s atypical season, which was an all-or-nothing fight for every lap.

It’s exactly the kind of drama he’d prefer to avoid in 2013.

For all intents and purposes, Gordon gets to enjoy a three-month reign as the Sprint Cup Series’ most recent winner. And while his 10th-place final ranking in 2012 was his lowest since 2005, the 25-point penalty he received for wrecking Clint Bowyer at Phoenix was the difference between 10th and seventh in the standings.

“We’ve had to have one another’s back because we’ve all made mistakes this year,’’ Gordon said shortly after leaving Homestead-Miami Speedway’s Victory Lane. “That’s the kind of team we’ve been this year. So to be able to celebrate with them in Victory Lane was very special, very meaningful and gives a tremendous amount of momentum to go into 2013 with the new race car.’’

As a senior member of the Sprint Cup ranks, Gordon has plenty of experience transitioning to new race cars, and is optimistic it will play in his favor for the upcoming season. He was one of the first to test the new Chevy during its development stages, and came away impressed with the possibilities of the Generation-6 car.

“The manufacturers are more involved, the teams are more involved, (and) I feel like we’ve just got a step ahead with where we are starting with this car,’’ Gordon said. “It drove great in traffic. I feel like we’re going to just continue to evolve this car at a rapid pace. I feel like they look good and drive great, and are only going to get better and better.

“This car right out of the box drove good, and that’s a very good sign.’’

A good sign for the cars, for NASCAR and for Gordon, who, at age 41, has never been more committed to winning his first championship since 2001.

Other than figuring out the Gen-6 package as quickly as possible, Gordon said there’s very little his team needs to change in 2013. The pit crew could be more consistent, he allowed. And it wouldn’t hurt to be more aggressive — he in the car and crew chief Alan Gustafson on the pit box.

Gordon had 18 top-10 finishes in his 15th multi-win season, but also five DNFs and three more showings of 30th or worse.

“We had great race cars, but we kind of do need a reset, and I’m looking forward to the 2013 car,’’ Gordon said.

"I think we’ve got some great things in store for that."

See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Jeff Gordon

9. Tony Stewart

8. Kevin Harvick

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Denny Hamlin

5. Greg Biffle

4. Kasey Kahne

3. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

1. Brad Keselowski

Posted on by Holly Cain

Team hopes for better qualifying to better results

Whenever he’s asked what his race team needs to fix to be more competitive, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart delivers a standard answer: “If I knew that, don’t you think I’d be doing it?”

Tony Stewart

No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet

2012 rank

9th

Team

Stewart-Haas Racing

Crew chief

Steve Addington

Biggest change for 2013 is…

The addition of a third car driven by Danica Patrick to the Stewart-Haas stable will stretch the resources and focus of the organization.

Watch out for…

Stewart is a master multi-tasker. But this season will be a new test for the team owner/driver/track operator, with the burden of an additional team in the Cup Series, the need to get more than one car qualified for the Chase and management of the highly-anticipated Camping World Truck Series debut at his beloved Eldora (Ohio) dirt track.

Will win the title if…

He does what he does best: drive the race car aggressively. He and Addington will need to continue to solidify their relationship, with each having the confidence in the other’s race calls. Improved qualifying results from 2012 will go a long way, too.

2012 was…

Watch the video below for Tony Stewart’s 2012 season in review.

Usually Stewart is smirking or kidding, but by late in the 2012 season, the tone was more serious.

VIDEO: Tony Stewart season in review

After one of the most remarkable championship runs in NASCAR history in 2011, Stewart’s No. 14 Chevy was less frequently a trophy threat in 2012. Despite a very respectable three wins, Stewart defended his title with a ninth place in the standings — his worst showing since a ninth place in 2008. It marks only the third time in his 14-year Cup career he’s placed worse than seventh overall.

“A lot of places that we were so good at last year in the Chase, not being good this time and this year was a little disappointing,” Stewart said.

His five wins during the 2011 Chase were record-worthy, but since he changed crew chiefs for 2012, there was a bit of a reset during the get-to-know-you phase between Stewart and new hire Steve Addington.

Expectations quickly rose, however, when Stewart won two of the first five races — including a first-time victory at Las Vegas. But as the months went on, that quick start to the season was tempered by inconsistency and, especially, poor qualifying. These are two of the team’s priorities for 2013.

Stewart started 20 races from 21st or farther back on the grid, forcing him to play a game of catch-up before the green flag even dropped.  And still, Stewart’s 12 top-five finishes were more than the nine top-fives he posted in his 2011 championship season, and more than any season since 2006.

To salvage such good results despite poor starts should be encouraging, but Stewart has a low threshold for any weakness in the program. And that will be tested this year, as he and teammate Ryan Newman welcome a third car to the Stewart-Haas Racing, driven by rookie Danica Patrick.

“We’ve got such a different car and different package, everybody just kind of starts over,” Stewart said. “I am discouraged that we (finished 2012) this way, but not because of what it’s going to lead to next year.

“Everybody is going to start with stuff that is totally different, package-wise, than what we have. … There are a lot of changes and it’s going to be a whole new learning process starting over in Daytona.”

Stewart had not turned a lap in NASCAR’s new Generation-6 cars entering the new year, but he was impressed with the new look of his Chevrolet SS — and the possibilities.

“Anytime you start with anything completely new, it’s an unknown variable,” Stewart said.

“You’ve got to establish a baseline first and the hardest thing is getting the cars built right now. We’ve got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.

“Nobody knows who’s going to find the right combination with this new car. A lot can change during the course of the season and how teams will develop it."

See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Jeff Gordon

9. Tony Stewart

8. Kevin Harvick

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Denny Hamlin

5. Greg Biffle

4. Kasey Kahne

3. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

1. Brad Keselowski