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http://www.scenedaily.com/news/arti..._step_up_have_something_to_prove_in_2012.html
Two of the sport’s most respected drivers are riding three-year winless streaks.
A former champion is trying to resurrect his career after losing a lucrative ride with a winning team.
A former championship contender is trying to shake off the doldrums that sunk him last year after coming up short in 2010.
And one of the sport’s youngest drivers is fighting to save his ride after another disappointing season.
They are among more than a dozen drivers with something to prove this year. Here’s a look at some top drivers that need to step it up in 2012 in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Jr. accomplished one major goal in 2011, returning to the Chase for the first time since 2008 after two miserable seasons at Hendrick Motorsports.
But Earnhardt Jr. still has a major goal to accomplish – returning to victory lane.
Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t won a race since June of 2008 – a span of 129 races.
Even if he makes the Chase again, this season will be considered a disappointment if Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t snap that winless streak and return to victory lane.
2. Denny Hamlin
Hamlin had a shocking season in 2011 – shocking for all the wrong reasons.
After winning a career-high eight races and carrying the points lead into the final race in 2010, Hamlin won just one race and barely made the Chase last year. He and his Joe Gibbs Racing team seemed to be suffering from a major hangover from the 2010 letdown and were never able to right the ship in 2011.
As a result, crew chief Mike Ford was released and replaced by Darian Grubb, who led Tony Stewart on his incredible march to the 2011 title.
So which is the real Hamlin – the one who nearly won the championship in 2010 or the one who stumbled through 2011 and barely even made the Chase?
3. Kurt Busch
Rarely has such an accomplished driver suffered such a startling fall from grace as Busch, who was banished from Penske Racing after a series of emotional outbursts and after imploding during the season finale at Homestead.
The loss of his Penske ride left Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, scrambling to find a ride for 2012. He landed with Phoenix Racing, an underfunded, mid-pack team that finished 30th in the standings last year.
Busch faces two major challenges in 2012: Proving he is good enough to lift a mediocre team and win without a top-flight operation; and proving he can control his emotions, clean up his act and repair his damaged image and reputation.
4. Kyle Busch
There is no question about Kyle Busch’s talent. He continues to win races at an impressive clip – four Cup wins in 2011 and a total of 18 in NASCAR’s top three series.
But Busch still has plenty to prove when it comes to contending for a Cup championship, controlling his emotions and maturing on and off the track.
Busch was nabbed for speeding at 128 mph in a residential area early last season, damaging his reputation and getting him in hot water with his teams and sponsors.
He engaged in long-running feuds with Kevin Harvick and his teams as well as Richard Childress Racing.
The feud featured a heated confrontation with Harvick at Darlington, a punch from team owner Richard Childress and culminated with Busch being suspended from a Cup and Nationwide race for intentionally wrecking Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Ron Hornaday at Texas.
If that wasn’t enough, Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team struggled again in the Chase, falling to last in the Chase points after his suspension. The ultra-talented Busch has now finished eighth or worse in the standings each of the past four years.
He must not only prove he can control himself on and off the track, but remain focused long enough to be a serious contender in the Chase.
5. Joey Logano
The 21-year-old Logano seemed poised for a breakout campaign after a strong finish to 2010, but struggled in 2011 and finished 24th in points, his worst in three seasons.
He has a new crew chief in Jason Ratcliff and will be under pressure to step up in 2012. He is near the end of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and how he performs in 2012 could determine whether he remains with the organization.
6. Clint Bowyer
Bowyer has proven that he can win races, make the Chase and contend for the championship, but he did it with Richard Childress Racing, one of the oldest and strongest teams in the sport.
Now he moves to Michael Waltrip Racing, a five-year-old team still trying to make its mark in the sport.
MWR has been revamped with new competition director Scott Miller, crew chief Brian Pattie and veteran driver Mark Martin, but it is counting on Bowyer to win races and make the Chase.
Bowyer has been a solid, consistent driver, but can he do it with MWR and give the organization the boost it needs?
7. Martin Truex Jr.
Bowyer is not the only MWR driver that will have the spotlight on him in 2012. Truex was the organization’s first big free agent signing, and it has not gone as hoped.
Truex struggled to a 22nd-place finish in points in 2010, finished 18th last year and has yet to win a race for the organization. He is in the final year of his contract with MWR and must step up in 2012 and prove that he can win and challenge for a spot in the Chase.
8. Juan Pablo Montoya
Montoya was one of the most highly regarded drivers to enter NASCAR in decades when he moved from Formula One in 2006 to join Chip Ganassi Racing.
But the international star has struggled more often than not in his five years driving stock cars. He has two wins, both on road courses, but has yet to win an oval-track race.
He made the Chase in 2009, but slumped to 17th in the standings in 2010 and struggled again last year, finishing 21st. He also has drawn the ire of numerous drivers with his aggressiveness on the track.
He just signed a new contract with long-time car owner Chip Ganassi, so there’s no danger of Montoya losing his ride. But it’s time for him to prove he can consistently challenge NASCAR’s best and win.
9. Jamie McMurray
A driver couldn’t have had two drastically different seasons than McMurray has experienced in the past two years.
After having the greatest season of his career in 2010, winning three races, including the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, McMurray came crashing back to earth in 2011, suffering through the worst season of his career.
McMurray scored just two top-five and four top-10 finishes and wound up 27th in the final standings – numbers worse than his final season at Roush Fenway Racing.
In his final year of a two-year contract, McMurray must bounce back and prove that 2010 was no fluke.
10. AJ Allmendinger
Allmendinger has driven for two different organizations in his five years in the series, but has yet to win a race. Last year’s 15th-place finish in points was the best of his career.
Now he gets a golden opportunity, replacing Kurt Busch at Penske Racing.
Busch won 10 races in six years at Penske and made the Chase four times. Allmendinger must prove he is ready to win at NASCAR’s highest level and can produce with a contending team.
11. Jeff Burton
Burton has 21 career victories, has made the Chase four times and finished as high as third in points, but he hasn’t won a race in three years and had his worst season since 1995 last year.
Burton struggled all season, scoring just two top-five and five top-10 finishes, and at age 44 the odds of him suddenly returning to championship contention seem slim.
As one of the most respected drivers in the sport and a leader in the industry, Burton is in no danger of losing his ride at RCR, but he desperately wants to return to victory lane and Chase contention.
Can he do it at an age when most drivers are on the downside of their careers?
12. Paul Menard
Many were surprised when Menard landed a ride at RCR, but Menard paid immediate dividends with a fast start and by scoring his first Cup win in the prestigious Brickyard 400.
But Menard slumped badly in the second half of the season, scoring just two more top-10 finishes after his win and wound up 17th in the final standings.
Now he must prove that his fuel-mileage win at Indy was no fluke and that he can challenge for a Chase spot with one of the sport’s top teams.
Two of the sport’s most respected drivers are riding three-year winless streaks.
A former champion is trying to resurrect his career after losing a lucrative ride with a winning team.
A former championship contender is trying to shake off the doldrums that sunk him last year after coming up short in 2010.
And one of the sport’s youngest drivers is fighting to save his ride after another disappointing season.
They are among more than a dozen drivers with something to prove this year. Here’s a look at some top drivers that need to step it up in 2012 in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series:
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt Jr. accomplished one major goal in 2011, returning to the Chase for the first time since 2008 after two miserable seasons at Hendrick Motorsports.
But Earnhardt Jr. still has a major goal to accomplish – returning to victory lane.
Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t won a race since June of 2008 – a span of 129 races.
Even if he makes the Chase again, this season will be considered a disappointment if Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t snap that winless streak and return to victory lane.
2. Denny Hamlin
Hamlin had a shocking season in 2011 – shocking for all the wrong reasons.
After winning a career-high eight races and carrying the points lead into the final race in 2010, Hamlin won just one race and barely made the Chase last year. He and his Joe Gibbs Racing team seemed to be suffering from a major hangover from the 2010 letdown and were never able to right the ship in 2011.
As a result, crew chief Mike Ford was released and replaced by Darian Grubb, who led Tony Stewart on his incredible march to the 2011 title.
So which is the real Hamlin – the one who nearly won the championship in 2010 or the one who stumbled through 2011 and barely even made the Chase?
3. Kurt Busch
Rarely has such an accomplished driver suffered such a startling fall from grace as Busch, who was banished from Penske Racing after a series of emotional outbursts and after imploding during the season finale at Homestead.
The loss of his Penske ride left Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, scrambling to find a ride for 2012. He landed with Phoenix Racing, an underfunded, mid-pack team that finished 30th in the standings last year.
Busch faces two major challenges in 2012: Proving he is good enough to lift a mediocre team and win without a top-flight operation; and proving he can control his emotions, clean up his act and repair his damaged image and reputation.
4. Kyle Busch
There is no question about Kyle Busch’s talent. He continues to win races at an impressive clip – four Cup wins in 2011 and a total of 18 in NASCAR’s top three series.
But Busch still has plenty to prove when it comes to contending for a Cup championship, controlling his emotions and maturing on and off the track.
Busch was nabbed for speeding at 128 mph in a residential area early last season, damaging his reputation and getting him in hot water with his teams and sponsors.
He engaged in long-running feuds with Kevin Harvick and his teams as well as Richard Childress Racing.
The feud featured a heated confrontation with Harvick at Darlington, a punch from team owner Richard Childress and culminated with Busch being suspended from a Cup and Nationwide race for intentionally wrecking Kevin Harvick Inc. driver Ron Hornaday at Texas.
If that wasn’t enough, Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing team struggled again in the Chase, falling to last in the Chase points after his suspension. The ultra-talented Busch has now finished eighth or worse in the standings each of the past four years.
He must not only prove he can control himself on and off the track, but remain focused long enough to be a serious contender in the Chase.
5. Joey Logano
The 21-year-old Logano seemed poised for a breakout campaign after a strong finish to 2010, but struggled in 2011 and finished 24th in points, his worst in three seasons.
He has a new crew chief in Jason Ratcliff and will be under pressure to step up in 2012. He is near the end of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and how he performs in 2012 could determine whether he remains with the organization.
6. Clint Bowyer
Bowyer has proven that he can win races, make the Chase and contend for the championship, but he did it with Richard Childress Racing, one of the oldest and strongest teams in the sport.
Now he moves to Michael Waltrip Racing, a five-year-old team still trying to make its mark in the sport.
MWR has been revamped with new competition director Scott Miller, crew chief Brian Pattie and veteran driver Mark Martin, but it is counting on Bowyer to win races and make the Chase.
Bowyer has been a solid, consistent driver, but can he do it with MWR and give the organization the boost it needs?
7. Martin Truex Jr.
Bowyer is not the only MWR driver that will have the spotlight on him in 2012. Truex was the organization’s first big free agent signing, and it has not gone as hoped.
Truex struggled to a 22nd-place finish in points in 2010, finished 18th last year and has yet to win a race for the organization. He is in the final year of his contract with MWR and must step up in 2012 and prove that he can win and challenge for a spot in the Chase.
8. Juan Pablo Montoya
Montoya was one of the most highly regarded drivers to enter NASCAR in decades when he moved from Formula One in 2006 to join Chip Ganassi Racing.
But the international star has struggled more often than not in his five years driving stock cars. He has two wins, both on road courses, but has yet to win an oval-track race.
He made the Chase in 2009, but slumped to 17th in the standings in 2010 and struggled again last year, finishing 21st. He also has drawn the ire of numerous drivers with his aggressiveness on the track.
He just signed a new contract with long-time car owner Chip Ganassi, so there’s no danger of Montoya losing his ride. But it’s time for him to prove he can consistently challenge NASCAR’s best and win.
9. Jamie McMurray
A driver couldn’t have had two drastically different seasons than McMurray has experienced in the past two years.
After having the greatest season of his career in 2010, winning three races, including the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400, McMurray came crashing back to earth in 2011, suffering through the worst season of his career.
McMurray scored just two top-five and four top-10 finishes and wound up 27th in the final standings – numbers worse than his final season at Roush Fenway Racing.
In his final year of a two-year contract, McMurray must bounce back and prove that 2010 was no fluke.
10. AJ Allmendinger
Allmendinger has driven for two different organizations in his five years in the series, but has yet to win a race. Last year’s 15th-place finish in points was the best of his career.
Now he gets a golden opportunity, replacing Kurt Busch at Penske Racing.
Busch won 10 races in six years at Penske and made the Chase four times. Allmendinger must prove he is ready to win at NASCAR’s highest level and can produce with a contending team.
11. Jeff Burton
Burton has 21 career victories, has made the Chase four times and finished as high as third in points, but he hasn’t won a race in three years and had his worst season since 1995 last year.
Burton struggled all season, scoring just two top-five and five top-10 finishes, and at age 44 the odds of him suddenly returning to championship contention seem slim.
As one of the most respected drivers in the sport and a leader in the industry, Burton is in no danger of losing his ride at RCR, but he desperately wants to return to victory lane and Chase contention.
Can he do it at an age when most drivers are on the downside of their careers?
12. Paul Menard
Many were surprised when Menard landed a ride at RCR, but Menard paid immediate dividends with a fast start and by scoring his first Cup win in the prestigious Brickyard 400.
But Menard slumped badly in the second half of the season, scoring just two more top-10 finishes after his win and wound up 17th in the final standings.
Now he must prove that his fuel-mileage win at Indy was no fluke and that he can challenge for a Chase spot with one of the sport’s top teams.
