Since the Sprint Cup cars last hit the racetrack, we’ve seen big name drivers like Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger and Clint Bowyer find different rides and top-tier crew chiefs like Steve Addington and Darian Grubb turning wrenches for new drivers.
NASCAR has also made modifications to the racecar itself, assigning a new rules package to break up the two-car draft at restrictor plate tracks and implementing a new EFI fuel-system across the board.
These changes add up to what promises to be one of the most unpredictable and exciting Sprint Cup seasons in recent memory.
And I’m not talking about a Barack Obama pledge to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term kind of promise. I mean a real promise.
So without further ado, I present six bold predictions for the 2012 Sprint Cup Season:
1. Kasey Kahne will Lead Hendrick Motorsports in Wins
For the second straight season, NASCAR’s Justin Bieber will be switching teams and now joins the Sprint Cup Series juggernaut that is Hendrick Motorsports.
Kahne finished 2011 very strong and will be in the best equipment of his career. Most drivers face an adjustment period as they get used to new surroundings, but Kahne has the luxury of bringing crew chief Kenny Francis along with him, so this team will not miss a beat.
Francis knows what Kahne likes in his racecar and now gets to supplement that with Hendrick’s technology.
Expect the #5 car to start the season fast, contending for wins early and often.
2. Joey Logano Will Get Zero B List Starts in Yahoo Fantasy Racing this Season
I’m done. Entourage, Rachel McAdams, Coldplay and now Joey Logano. All things I’m constantly told are or will be great, only to find out, in reality, are terrible.
Despite being everyone’s breakout driver prior to the 2011 season, Logano’s fantasy value disappeared more quickly than Josh Hamilton’s sobriety.
If he’s serious about winning, Joe Gibbs should consider replacing Logano with the driver who sped off in the wagon that Hamilton fell off of.
Like other trendy breakout picks before him (think Casey Mears, Juan Pablo Montoya and David Ragan), Joey was expected to contend for race wins and a spot in the 2011 Chase.
However, Logano rewarded the experts by recording only six Top 10’s in 36 races while fading away into fantasy irrelevance.
This year’s B List is the deepest I’ve seen and I have no plans to use Logano.
Tags: a.j. allmendinger, chase for the cup, fantasy nascar, fantasy racing, Joey Logano, kasey kahne, Kyle Busch, sprint cup series, yahoo fantasy racing