Predictions for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup

NASCAR writers and analysts did their usual predictions on who they believe will make the top-12 Chase field for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup. Well, I am not going to write about my predictions for the Chase. I’m not ready for that just yet. I’ll wait until after the season has started. I want to at least wait until ten races into the season. I am going to predict how I believe this season will go. Some people believe this 2012 season will be like the 2011 season or even better. The season could be the same, but most of us know that things do not always stay the same. I feel this season will be less about the first time winners, but more about the introduction of fuel injection and the changes to eliminate two car tandems.

The only drivers that are left that could have a legitimate shot to get their first sprint Cup win are Aric Almirola and A.J. Allmendinger. Almirola will drive the famous #43 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports and Allmendinger will drive the #22 Dodge for Penske Racing. Could they get into the win column this season? Yes they could get their first win, but they could also be waiting another year. They will be new to their respective teams. They need to build chemistry with their crew chiefs and crews. It seems when drivers move to a new team, gets a new crew chief, or someone new added to their team they all need to build chemistry. Everyone needs to get use to each other before they can go for that win. They need to set small goals before getting to the big goals. I’m not looking to see any first time winners this 2012 season.

Could this be a competitive 2012 season? It could be, but with the introduction of the fuel-injection could put a wrench into that happening for the 2012 season. When there seems to be something new introduced into the series, teams have to get use to the changes. Some teams catch on faster than others. Things might work a little different than in the past with the fuel injection coming into play. I do feel one thing though that this might cut down on having fuel mileage races. Teams are not going to know what to expect, so some teams might be too scared to try the fuel mileage thing to try to win a race. Well, it is at the beginning of the season and it is better to try it early than later. We will have to wait and see what the fuel injection will do to the races.

The two car tandem was the big talk last season at the restrictor plate races. NASCAR is planning on trying to eliminate the two car tandem. To be honest I was a fan of the dance partner racing. Well up until the Talladega fall race, I now admit that I despise the tandem racing. The negative side of the tandem race had showed it ugly head at the fall Talladega race. You had people to drop their partner at the time to go along with somebody else. It reminds me of someone going on a date with somebody, and then when they get to the dance they see someone else better. Well they thought they were better, but they end up in worse shape than they were before. Do y’all get what I am saying? Anyway that is what had happened at the end of the Talladega race when Trevor Bayne dumped Jeff Gordon for his Ford teammate Matt Kenseth. Well he had ended up in worse shape than he would have if he had stayed with Gordon. Anyway, thank goodness NASCAR is trying to find a way eliminate this problem. This is one good reason why this should be eliminated. There are only 43 cars and someone is going to be without a dance partner. So I would like to take this time to say good bye to dance partners or well tandem racing that is.

I am looking forward to this 2012 NASCAR season. I hope it will be even exciting this time around.


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