IWANNA 2012 NASCAR Preview - Asheville, NC

NEW CUP CHAMPION TONY STEWART

NASCARNASCARN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RTONY S TEWART

N A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA RN A SCA R2012 PREVIEW

BEHIND THE WHEELTHE INS & OUTS OF A NASCAR STOCK CAR

UP & COMING DRIVERS

DANICA READY TO TAKEDAYTONA

A Publication of IWANNA, USA LLC Copyright IWANNA, USA LLC 2012

SCHEDULES, STANDINGS, & PREDICTIONS

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW iwanna.com2 | IWANNA February 2012 2012 NASCAR PREVIEWiwanna.com 2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

2011 TOP PERFORMANCESARTICLE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

F r o m the 2007 season Jimmie Johnsons first as a defending champion through 2010, exactly 100 drivers started at least one race. All took aim at

Johnsons throne. All missed. A shocking victor

claimed NASCARs most famous race to open the 2011 season, as Trevor Bayne, 20, became the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500.

Baynes storybook win signaled a season of change and surprise, none more remarkable than this Johnsons five-year reign as king ended. Somebody didnt miss. That somebody was Tony Stewart.

Stewarts record-breaking five-

win playoff run in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup was just one of the many outstanding performances that took place during the recently completed 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The following is a look

back at some of those standout performers and memorable races, as selected from discussions with the national series directors, competition department, and NASCAR IMC managers.

Tony Stewart

TOP DRIVERTony Stewart Some may

argue Stewart was NOT the top driver of 2011 at least not all of it. He failed to win a single race in the 26-race regular season, thereby starting the Chase as the ninth seed. But on the big stage, Stewart shined and thats why he gets the nod. Over the final 10 races, Stewart won a Chase-record five races including the historic walk-off win at Homestead-Miami Speedway that won him a championship.

With the victory, Stewart became A.) the ninth driver with three or more champion-ships, B.) the first champion to win the finale since 1998, and C.) the first driver-owner to win the title since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. Even after the winless regular season, Stewarts five victories in 2011 were a series-high. Now, one hole remains in Stewarts career: a Daytona 500 victory. Hell get his chance to fill it soon enough on February 26 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Ra-dio Channel 90).

Carl Edwards (Hon-orable Mention) Edwards captured just one victory in 2011

and that was the reason he lost a tie-breaker that cost him the championship to Stewart. Still, 2011 was an impressive and productive season for Edwards. He held the points lead after 21 of 36 points races, by far the longest stretch of any driver this season.

By comparison, Kyle Busch was second, leading the points for seven weeks in 2011. Edwards adds two other accolades to his impressive season. He won his first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (famously tearing up the front of his Ford while celebrating), and set a Chase record of his own. Edwards average finish in the 10-race Chase was 4.9, the lowest ever in the Chases eight-year his-tory. The previous best was Jimmie Johnsons 5.0 in 2007.

COMEBACK DRIVER

OF THE YEARD a l e E a r n h a r d t

Jr. Welcome back to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, a n d c h a m p i o n s h i p contention. NASCARs Most Popular Driver for the ninth consecutive s e a s o n , E a r n h a r d t enjoyed a rebirth of sorts under new crew chief Steve Letarte. With a fresh slate in 2011, Earnhardt piled up four top fives and 12 top 10s, his highest figures since his first season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2008. He also returned to the Chase for the first time in three years, finishing the season seventh in points.

That points finish was his best since 2006, when he finished fifth. Despite a winless drought which stretched to 129 starts, Earnhardt flirted with Victory Lane a couple times in 2011. At Martinsville Speedway, he held the lead with four laps remaining, but lost it to a charging Kevin Harvick. At the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he led on the final lap only to run out of gas and was passed by Harvick yet again.

Kasey Kahne

( H o n o r a b l e M e n t i o n ) Despite missing t h e C h a s e fo r t h e s e c o n d c o n s e c u t i v e s ea so n, K ase y K a h n e l i t u p the back end of t h e s c h e d u l e , finishing in the top 10 in seven of the final eight races. H i s 3 6 8 p o i n t s scored in the Chase trailed only Stewart

Kasey KahneKasey Kahne celebrates winning the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500 on Nov. 13, 2011, his 12th victory in 287 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Last win was Sept. 6, 2009, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which breaks an 81-race winless streak. (Photo courtesy of Nascar Media)

and Edwards, and his victory at Phoenix in the penultimate race of the season snapped an 81-race winless drought.

Kahnes late-season surge provided booming optimism for nex t season, when he and crew chief Kenny Francis join powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports.

TOP TEAMStewart-Haas Racing That

didnt take long. Stewart-Haas Racing needed just three years to win their first championship, as Stewart became the first driver-owner to win the title since 1992.

SHR racked up six wins in 2011, tied for most on the season. Five of those belonged to Stewart. Ryan Newman nabbed the other in the most dominant effort by a team this season. At New Hampshire in July, Newman and Stewart started 1-2, and finished 1-2 the first time since 1957 that a team started and finished 1-2 with the same drivers starting and finishing in the same order.

Richard Childress Racing

(Honorable Mention) This was a tough one, as Roush Fenway Racing made a big play for inclusion into this category. But again, RFR lost the tiebreak to victories. Richard Childress Racing nabbed six victories in 2011. Roush Fenway had five.

But the win total alone isnt everything. RCR captured glory in one of NASCARs crown jewels, with Paul Menard claiming his first career win in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During the Chase, Clint Bowyer who moves to Michael Waltr ip Racing in 2012 collected R C R s m i l e s t o n e 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, i n t h e Ta l l a d e g a S u p e r s p e e d w a y

Chase race. Kevin Harvick, RCRs wins leader with four, finished third in the points for the second consecutive season.

continued on page 4

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Carl Edwards

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Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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TOP BREAKTHROUGH

PERFORMERB r a d K e s e l o w s k i

Dont be surprised if more drivers attempt Keselowskis patented broken ankle-to-victory strategy. During a test session at Road Atlanta in early August, Keselowski broke his left ankle, leaving his avai labi l i ty for the upcoming event at Pocono Raceway in question. He did race. And won. He did the same a few weeks later at Bristol. His three victories after race No. 26 were enough to land him the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the Chase. After a solid Chase that included four top-five finishes, he finished the season fifth in points. Brad Keselowski

R e g a n S m i t h (Honorable Mention) Coming into 2011, here were Regan Smiths career statistics: zero wins, zero top fives, a n d z e ro t o p 1 0 s . Any type of success whatsoever would land him a Breakthrough Performer nod.

Instead, he built a career-year that included a victor y in one of NASCARs most historic races the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. To that feat, he added a third-place finish on another grand stage the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. In all, Smith had one win, two top fives, and five top 10s. Regan Smith

TOP RACEFord 400, Homestead-Miami

Speedway If this race were smack in the middle of the season, it still would get consideration for Top Race thanks to record-breaking numbers in leaders (15) and lead changes (26). But the implications of this race and the clutch performances of those with everything to win and lose made this an instant classic.

Championship clinch scenarios going in were simple: If Carl Edwards wins, hes the champion. If Tony Stewart wins, hes the champion. Edwards shrugged off any pressure as a first championship neared, leading a race-high 119 laps.

But this was Stewarts show. With some early pit road magic to repair a grapefruit-sized hole in his grill, Stewart worked his way back to the front with daring four-wide passes. NASCARs Loop Data counted a total of 118 green flag passes for Stewart, who led the final 36 laps en route to the walk-off win and his third career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Stewart and Edwards finished 1-2 at Homestead, leaving the 2011 season in a points tie. Stewart won the tiebreaker with five wins to Edwards one.

Aarons 499, Talladega S u p e r s p e e d w a y (Honorable Mention) Talladegas April spring race matched two major NASCAR records that of lead changes and margin of victory.

T h e r e w e r e 8 8 lead changes, which matched the record previously set in 2010, a lso in Tal ladegas spring race. With a margin of victory of .002 seconds, the race tied the closest MOV since the inception of electronic scoring in 1993. The record was previously set at Darlingon Raceway in 2003, when Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch to the finish line.

In this one, Jimmie Johnson with teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind him barely beat Clint Bowyer to the finish line. It was Johnsons first victory of the season. His next wouldnt come until October at Kansas.

Tony Stewart (far right) and Carl Edwards (second in line, far left) go four-wide on the frontstretch in a frantic battle for position in the Ford 400 at

Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 20.

Jimmie Johnson celebrates winning the Aarons 499 with a burnout at Talladega Superspeedway in April 17, 2011.

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2002 Chevrolet Camaro SS Z28 35th Anniversary Edition, 5.7L, V8, t-top, automatic, loaded, navy blue, black leather interior, 80,500 miles, excellent condition, Worth-$11,000. Asking-$10,000. 704-878-8779

NASCAR telephones. Earnhardt senior, Jeff Gordon, Bill Elliot, Richard Petty. $15 each. 864-296-9578

NASCAR Legends Racing glass display case featuring Dale Earnhardt Sr., Davey Allison, and other legendary drivers. $300. 864-426-7346

Nascar models. 1990 Bill El-liotts #9 Coors Ford Thunderbird. Dale Earnhardts 1990 Good-wrench Lumina, Neil Bonnetts #75 1989 Valvoline Pontiac. $30 each OBO 828-298-8973

Davey Allison floor mats and jacket (size Small). $100. 828-884-6596

1965 Thunderbird Convert-ible. In storage 30 years, 91,000 Miles. Excellent running 390 engine. Easy restoration. $8000. Call 864-277-4616

Large remote control Dale Earnhardt control car. Never out of box. $200. 828-606-9729

1976 Maverick. 6 cylinder engine, factory A/C, factory power steering, $1500. 828-776-7354

1964 Impala. 327 engine, lots of chrome. New whitewall tires, Flowmaster system, radiator, front wire harness, Headliner needs re-done. Engine needs work. $4500. 864-621-9352

1977 F-100, new red paint job, new red and white bench seat, 3 on the column, nice truck, $4595 OBO. 828-775-4164

1970 Pontiac Grand Prix model J. 455 AT, loaded. $6295 OBO. 864-918-8380 or 864-232-7052

1963 4 door Impala. Has no motor. Call for more information.$1500 864-384-3631

1968 Chevrolet Nova. No engine/transmission, 10 bolt, new quarters, new windshield, 2 14x6.5 spokes, 2 14x6 deep dish steelies, steel cowl hood, title, $2,000. 828-349-4133

1981 Camaro Sport Coupe, T-tops, 305 needs replaced, Turbo-350, Trans Am posi-rear, Trans Am 1 Sway bar, factory tach, 8 Rallys w/nice tires. $2500. 828-349-4133

Bill Elliot Card Board Stand Up, Autographed, $75, 828-606-9729

1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396. 2 door, AT, red, sharp, $19,995 828-456-8000 or 828-734-2222

1934 Ford Pick-up. Power steering & brakes, re-built 302 with auto overdrive, new radiator, wire wheels. Great truck, must see! $22,500 Murphy NC 828-835-9698

British Cars 4 Sale! (1.) 1956 Austin Healey, restored, red/red, $45,000. (2.) 1956 Austin Healey, 100M Kit, white/black, $55,000. (3.) 1962 MGA MK 2 Deluxe, 1 of only 418, very rare, $44,000. (4.) 1966 MGB Outside Dr. Latch, Red/Black, nice, $19,500. (5.) 1966 Sunbeam Tiger, rare car, red/white. $43,500. (6.) 1974 TR6, nice driver, red/black, $6,950. (7.) 1960? MGA FHC body painted, dove grey, red interior it. $15,000. This is for body and kit only! Call 864-787-2118

1968 Pontiac GTO convert-ible. Red, his/her shifter, very nice driver. $29,000. 828-456-8000 or 828-734-2222

1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396. 2 door, AT, red, sharp, $19,995 828-456-8000 or 828-734-2222

1937 Cadillac 4 door sedan. Solid car. Most body work done. $8500. 864-963-4974

1964 Ford Galaxie 500. 4 door, 1987 302 V8 Ford engine with low miles, very good condi-tion, runs great, new 14 Michelin tires, owners manual included. $8000 obo. 864-284-6067, 864-901-7493

1966 Mustang convertible, needs top, framerails and pans re-placement. 289 engine, automatic. Owned 24 years. REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE $3800. Arden NC 828-684-6110

1979 Chevy Camaro, 350 engine, Viper red, auto, stock hood, cowl hood. New part, 17 American racing wheels, low pro-file tires. $5,000. 828-380-9119

1967 Plymouth Valiant Signa Series. 2 door, AT floor, bucket seats, rally wheels, needs some restoration. $2000 or trade for 250 or larger dirt bike. 828-691-3309

1948 Chevrolet Fleetline, mostly parts car, very rough condition, $700. Model AA, 1 ton truck, extremely rustic condition, no engine, $600. 1980 F-150, V6, 4x4, with granny gear, good rebuilt engine and transmission, mostly parts truck, very rusty body, $750. 828-808-9491

2005 Ford Mustang GT. 39k miles, super charged, $26k in upgrades. Asking $32,000. 828-584-4806

1968 Ford Mustang. 289, automatic, 33k miles, show ready. $15,000 firm. 828-584-4806

Classifieds RARE 1979 Chevrolet Stepside Custom Deluxe 10. Chrome-350, V8, 4-barrel carb-braided hoses, race cam/headers. Leather button/tuck interior. Race tach/gauges. Very fast. A MUST SEE!! $9,000. 828-223-0743

1993 Chevrolet Corvette. An-niversary Edition. New tires. New Bose. K+N, Hypertech, 2 tops. Leather seats, 88k miles. $9,500. 828-450-1820 Weaverville, NC

1980 Corvette. 55,000 miles. White, T-Tops. 350 engine, automatic. All original. Wonderful condition. $11,500. 828-685-1488

1979 SS El Camino, 350-400 turbo, white with tinted windows, $4,500. 864-337-5756

1979 Cherolet Corvette L82. Red T-Toppped, 350 cubic inch motor, 375 Hp, only 78k miles, new tires. Really nice car! $6500OBO. 828-667-1967 Barra-cuda. Candy tangerine. Black inte-rior, 360 Magnum, power steering, A/C, solid Texas car. Real eye catcher. Less than insured value. $15K OBO 843-672-5671

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NASCARS TOP MOMENTS OF 2011ARTICLE AND PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

In a special season in which magic moments were many, Tony Stewarts championship-clinching victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway has been voted the Top Moment of 2011. Members of NASCARMedia.com voted in the week-long poll, casting ballots for the top-10 moments from the 2011 season.1 Tony Stewarts H o m e s t e a d -Miami Clincher S t e w a r t t r a i l e d C a r l Edwards by three points entering the 10th and final race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Both drivers had predicted the championship wouldnt be decided until the final lap, and they were right. Edwards, who started on the pole, led the most laps while Stewart yo-yoed through the field after fixing damage to the front of his Chevrolet. Amazingly, Stewart took the lead with 36 laps remaining. Edwards, in second place, stayed in full-out pursuit mode until the checkered flag waved, but finished 1.306 seconds behind Stewart. Both drivers scored 2,403 points with the tiebreaker five wins to one falling in Stewarts favor.

Tony Stewart shows off the Sprint Cup trophy in Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway

after securing his third crown in NASCARs premier series on Sunday, Nov. 20.

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2 Trevor Baynes Daytona 500 WinWinning The Great American Race is a career achievement no matter how many races are won elsewhere. Example: Seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt needed 20 starts to win his Daytona 500 at age 46. All of which made Baynes victory both surprising and historic. Bayne, at age 20 years and one day, was making just his second NASCAR Sprint Cup start, although his team the legendary Wood Brothers had won the Daytona 500 on four previous occasions. Bayne, who started 32nd and led only the final six laps as a record 74 lead changes were recorded became the youngest Daytona 500 winner and just the seventh to make the race his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory. The win was Fords 600th and 98th for the Wood Brothers.

Trevor Bayne climbs out of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford in victory lane after winning the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20,

2011, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.

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3 Brad Keselowskis Wreckers-to-Checkers Win at PoconoPlaying hurt is the measure of athletic success, as Brad Keselowski won Augusts Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway just days after breaking his left ankle in a road course testing accident. Few might have projected a healthy Keselowski as a Pocono favorite. Hed won at Kansas Speedway earlier in the summer, but came to Pennsylvania ranked 21st in points. The race turned out to be a coming-out party for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide S e r i e s c h a m p i o n , w h o f o l l o w e d t h e p e r f o r m a n ce w i t h three more top-three finishes capped by a Bristol victory, a Chase wild card berth, and a fifth place finish in final NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.

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Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway

on Aug. 7 in Long Pond, Pa.

4 Jeff Gordons 85th NASCAR Sprint Cup WinFour-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon fell short in his title bid, but the 2011 season was his first with multiple victories since 2007. He broke a 66-race winless streak at Phoenix International Raceway in February, added another win at Pocono Raceway in June and scored a historic 85th career victory in a weather-delayed AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. Atlantas victory gave Gordon sole possession of third among all NASCAR Sprint Cup winners, breaking a tie with NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bobby Allison and soon-to-be-inducted Darrell Waltrip.

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NASCAR President Mike Helton, left, presents a plaque to Jeff Gordon commemorating his 85th win in the NA-

SCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 6, 2011, in Hampton, Ga.

5 Regan Smiths Southern 500 WinWhat Trevor Bayne began in February, Regan Smith continued in May. Smith entered Darlington Raceways SHOWTIME Southern 500 with a lean resume to say the least: no wins, top fives, or top 10s in 104 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts. Smith, then 27, became the upset winner of NASCARs oldest crown jewel. He led just the final 11 laps and held off Carl Edwards by 0.196 seconds to give Fu r n i t u r e R ow Racing a team headquartered in Colorado its f irst ser ies victory.

6 Jimmie Johnsons Aarons 499 Win at TalladegaAt the time, Jimmie Johnsons final-lap victory with an assist by teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. appeared to be an early harbinger of a sixth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. Johnsons second Talladega Superspeedway win and 54th overall boosted him from fourth to second in the point standings. The race matched records for lead changes (88) and margin of victory under electronic scoring (0.002 seconds).

Regan Smith earns his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win after crossing the line first in the Showtime Southern 500 at

Darlington Raceway on May 7, 2011.

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Fans watch Jimmie Johnson cross the finish line .002 seconds ahead of Clint Boywer at Talladega Superspeedway on April

17, 2011. Johnsons win ties the record for closest finish in NASCAR history.

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7 Paul Menard Holds Off Jeff Gordon to Win Brickyard 400Surprise winners in 2011, take three. For much of its 19 years, Indianapolis Motor Speedways Brickyard 400 had been won by the greatest names in NASCAR: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, bill Elliott champions all. No first-time winners in the bunch until this July. Midwesterner Paul Menard wound up kissing the start-finish line bricks after prevailing in a torrid battle with four-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon. Menard joined Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne and SHOWTIME Southern 500 winner Regan Smith to score a first victory on the schedules largest stages.

8 Austin Dillon Becomes Youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck ChampionThough a number of young drivers have used their experience in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as a springboard to NASCAR Sprint Cup success think Carl Edwards, among others veteran drivers, for the most part, have had a stranglehold on its championships. Only Travis Kvapil (age 27 in 2003) was younger than 30 in the series first 16 seasons. All that changed in 2011 as third-generation driver Austin Dillon, 21, became the youngest to win an NCWTS title. Dillon, a two-time winner, finished six points ahead of NASCAR national series veteran Johnny Sauter. Dillon, Richard Childress grandson, returned a title to RCR that Mike Skinner won in the series 1995 inaugural season.

9 Danica Patrick Posts Best Finish in NASCAR by a Female DriverAll agreed that Danica Patricks part-time NASCAR career was on the upswing in its second season. Patrick proved that with an exclamation point on March 5 with a solid, fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The performance was record-setting: Patrick became not only the highest-finishing female driver in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race but also in any NASCAR national series event. Patricks feat broke a record from NASCARs earliest years Sara Christians fifth-place finish in a NASCAR Sprint Cup (then Strictly Stock) race on October 2, 1949 at Heidelberg, Pa.

10 2010 Sunoco Rookies-of-the-Year Win ChampionshipTwo NASCAR national series champions gave media and fans yet another reason to keep an eye on the newcomers. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., whose uneven performance nearly cost him his job with Roush Fenway Racing in 2010, recovered to claim NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Roushs faith was rewarded as Stenhouse won twice en route to the 2011 championship. Austin Dillons rookie of the year run in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wasnt quite so dramatic but like Stenhouse, he graduated to the champions chair. The season marked the first time that both Nationwide and truck rookies became champions in their sophomore years.

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Paul Menard, driver of the No. 27 NIBCO/Menards Chevrolet, celebrates on the bricks after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 31,

2011, in Indianapolis, Ind.

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Austin Dillon celebrates his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with his Richard Childress Racing team at

Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 18, 2011.

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Danica Patrick became the highest-finishing woman in a NASCAR national series race with a fourth-place result in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Las Vegas on March 3, 2011.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hoists a championship flag after clinching the NASCAR Nationwide Series crown at the Ford 300 season

finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19, 2011.


RANK +/- DRIVER POINTS BEHIND STARTS WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 POLES EARNINGS1 +1 Tony Stewart 2403 Leader 36 5 9 19 1 $6,5298702 -1 Carl Edwards 2403 Leader 36 1 19 26 3 $8,485,9903 -- Kevin Harvick 2345 -58 36 4 9 19 0 $6,197,1404 +2 Matt Kenseth 2330 -73 36 3 12 20 3 $6,183,5805 -1 Brad Keselowski 2319 -84 36 3 10 14 1 $5,087,7406 -1 Jimmie Johnson 2304 -99 36 2 14 21 0 $6,296,3607 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2290 -113 36 0 4 12 1 $4,163,6908 +3 Je! Gordon 2287 -116 36 3 13 18 1 $5,912,8309 +1 Denny Hamlin 2284 -119 36 1 5 14 0 $5,401,19010 -1 Ryan Newman 2284 -119 36 1 9 17 3 $5,303,02011 -3 Kurt Busch 2262 -141 36 2 8 16 3 $5,936,47012 -- Kyle Busch 2246 -157 35 4 14 18 1 $6,161, 020

13 -- Clint Bowyer 1047 -1356 36 1 4 16 0 $5,633,95014 -- Kasey Kahne 1041 -1362 36 1 8 15 2 $4,775,16015 +1 AJ Allmendinger 1013 -1390 36 0 1 10 0 $4,825,560

RANK +/- DRIVER POINTS BEHIND STARTS WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 POLES EARNINGS1 -- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1222 Leader 34 2 16 26 3 $1,106,0002 -- Elliott Sadler 1177 -45 34 0 12 24 5 $944,4423 -- Justin Allgaier 1105 -117 34 1 6 17 0 $915,0124 -- Aric Almirola 1095 -127 34 0 7 18 1 $838,7075 -- Reed Sorenson 1062 -160 34 1 7 18 0 $847,4476 -- Jason Le" er 1028 -194 34 0 2 12 0 $823,1627 -- Kenny Wallace 963 -259 34 0 1 11 0 $790,1428 +1 Brian Scott 947 -275 34 0 2 7 1 $806,8579 -1 Michael Annett 944 -278 34 0 0 7 0 $760,70710 -- Steve Wallace 921 -301 34 0 2 5 0 $761,94711 -- Trevor Bayne 893 -329 29 1 5 14 0 $797,35212 -- Mike Bliss 827 -395 34 0 0 1 0 $744,529

RANK +/- DRIVER POINTS BEHIND STARTS WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 POLES EARNINGS1 -- Austin Dillon 888 Leader 25 2 10 16 5 $464,8402 -- Johnny Sauter 882 -6 25 2 11 16 2 $451,4803 -- James Buescher 859 -29 24 0 10 19 3 $407,6404 -- Ron Hornaday 838 -50 25 4 13 17 1 $515,8405 -- Timothy Peters 832 -56 25 1 7 12 1 $383,9406 -- Todd Bodine 803 -85 25 0 5 11 0 $357,3107 +1 Joey Coulter 796 -92 25 0 5 13 0 $307,2358 -1 Matt Crafton 785 -103 25 1 5 13 2 $349,7659 -- Cole Whitt 764 -124 25 0 2 11 1 $318,21010 -- Nelson Piquet Jr. 752 -136 25 0 6 10 0 $336,61511 -- Parker Kligerman 728 -160 25 0 4 8 0 $341,34012 -- Brendan Gaughan 713 -175 25 0 1 8 0 $290,960

Chase for the Sprint Cup

NASCAR SPRINT CUPSERIES STANDINGS

NASCAR NATIONWIDESERIES STANDINGS

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES STANDINGS


WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Each year since she arrived on the auto racing scene back in 2005, Danica Patrick seems to have a new challenge. And 2012 will be no different.

For the first time, Patrick will compete in the Sprint Cup Series in 2012, with the first stop the Daytona 500 on February 26. Incredibly, this will be Patricks first ride in the Great American Race.

Patrick will drive the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing. Shes ready for the challenge of being only the third female driver to ever compete in the Daytona 500.

Its not been too long of an off-season, thats for sure, Patrick said. But I made the most of the weeks that I had, so its good to be back, and the car seems pretty good so far, pretty fast. Not too different yet as were just running out there by ourselves at this point in time. But its going to be really exciting.

Patr ick understands the importance of the Daytona 500. Not only the history of the race, but the fact that its the season-opener.

Obviously its the biggest race of the year. Id really like to run well, and I dont just want to be here, I want to run well. I think at a place like Daytona theres that opportunity. I think Ill probably have slightly more realistic expectations for some of the other ones, but for this one at Daytona I think theres a real opportunity.

Patrick will be working with a legendary crew chief in Greg Zipadelli, who returned to the Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2012 after leaving Joe Gibbs Racing.

Stewart-Haas Racing said Zipadelli will be focused on helping Patrick prepare for the Daytona 500 and her 2012 race schedule. Patrick will be racing

Danica Patrick

DANICA PATRICK >>> READY TO TAKE DAYTONA, SPRINT SERIES BY STORM

a 10-race Sprint Cup schedule in 2012 with the goal of going full time in 2013. Zipadelli won two Sprint titles with Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005 when he was Stewarts crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Patrick is excited about the opportunity to work with Zipadelli.

His accent is not as thick as Tony Jr.; I understand every word he says, Patrick said, laughing. We get along great. I feel really comfortable with him so far. I feel respected, and I feel like hes been very patient.

Even the little things, getting here this morning and just kind of adjusting a belt a little bit and adjusting a throttle a little bit, he doesnt look at me like Im inexperienced. He investigates and says no problem, lets get it right, and makes me comfortable with that kind of stuff.

Being the new driver on the block, Patrick will pick her spots when to speak up, and when to keep quiet.

Obviously we havent worked together with the whole how the car feels and how were going to change it and that kind of stuff, and especially here at Daytona, were probably not going to get a lot of that, Patrick said. Its not that kind of a track. But I can say so far I feel very comfortable and I feel very fortunate to have him to work with, to have that experience.

Tak i ng o n an other n ew challenge is nothing new for Patrick, and she enjoys working with the top crew chiefs and competing against the best drivers in the world. As soon as she arrived at Daytona for pre-race preparations, she felt at ease.

It is a little like first day. I think that with racing you do have an opportunity to meet some of the people just at the track in general, and then of course making a seat and getting comfortable and fitting everything, you get

a chance to meet everybody, Patrick said. I cant say I remember everybodys name yet. Somebody said hello to me last night, and theyre like, Hey, dont just walk by. Theres so many people, I dont know who everyone is yet. Ive got a lot of people to learn.

But I do just like going to the first day of sch ool , you want to make a good impression, you want to do a good j o b . A n d p r o b a b l y missing pit in on pit road and having to back up is probably not what you want to do at school. I didnt want to trip like that. But its probably not that big of a deal. Its finding your way around, finding my locker literally. Theres no combination for it, of course, but it is a locker that I needed to find, getting in sync with that.

Patrick has always been a natural

on the big stage, but shes ready to start winning some bigger races to really leave her mark on racing.

Im really excited and Im really happy. And thats it. I mean, yeah, theres nerves. Theres a lot of things that are unknown, especially with running the full-time Nationwide championship, wanting to do

really well in that, and wanting to make a good impression in the Cup races that I m doing, Patrick said.

A n d h a v i n g a racing star l i k e T o n y Stewar t as

her boss well, that adds to the pressure on Patrick. But Stewart is confident in her ability.

I think were still trying to figure that equation out, but the good thing is looking on the sheet today, the car seems to have good speed right off the bat, Tony

Stewart said. Ive got the utmost confidence that even in the worst case scenario, weve got the right driver that can get this car in the race, no problem. But were working through that, trying to get that finalized, and trying to figure out our options to make sure we give her the best opportunity to get in the Daytona 500 and get her all the experience that we can get her.

In her last two seasons in the Nationwide Series, Patrick has raced in 25 races with three Top-10 finishes and one Top-3 finish. She had nearly $700,000 in race earnings. Shes hoping for some better finishes in the Sprint Series this year.

O v e r a l l , I m f e e l i n g comfortable, as comfortable as I could imagine myself in this situation, and just really excited and really happy and glad to be where Im at, she said.

For the first time, Patrick will compete in

the Sprint Cup Series in 2012, with the first stop the Daytona 500 on February 26. Incredibly, this will be Patricks first ride in the Great American Race.

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW iwanna.com10 | IWANNA February 2012

iwanna.com 2012 NASCAR PREVIEW IWANNA February 2012 | 15

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DATE RACE VENUE START 02/25/12 Drive4COPD 300 Daytona International Speedway ESPN / 1:15 PM03/03/12 Bashas' Supermarkets 200 Phoenix International Raceway ESPN2 / 4:30 PM03/10/12 Sam's Town 300 Las Vegas Motor Speedway ESPN2 / 5:00 PM03/17/12 Bristol 250 Bristol Motor Speedway ESPN / 2:00 PM03/24/12 Royal Purple 300 Auto Club Speedway ESPN / 5:30 PM04/13/12 O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 Texas Motor Speedway ESPN2 / 8:30 PM04/27/12 Richmond 250 Richmond International Raceway ESPN2 / 7:30 PM05/05/12 Aaron's 312 Talladega Superspeedway ABC / 3:15 PM05/11/12 Darlington 200 Darlington Raceway ESPN2 / 7:15 PM05/20/12 Iowa 250 Iowa Speedway ESPN / 2:00 PM05/26/12 History Channel 300 Charlotte Motor Speedway ABC / 2:45 PM06/02/12 5-Hour Energy 200 Dover International Speedway ESPN / 2:00 PM06/16/12 Alliance Truck Parts 250 Michigan International Speedway ABC / 3:45 PM06/23/12 Road America 200 Road America ESPN / 3:30 PM06/29/12 Feed The Children 300 Kentucky Speedway ESPN2 / 7:30 PM07/06/12 Subway Jalapeno 250 Daytona International Speedway ESPN / 7:30 PM

DATE RACE VENUE TV/START 02/24/12 NextEra Energy Resources 250 Daytona International Speedway SPEED / 7:30 PM03/31/12 Kroger 250 Martinsville Speedway SPEED / 1:30 PM04/15/12 Good Sam Roadside Assist. Carolina 200 Rockingham Speedway SPEED / 1:00 PM04/21/12 SPF 250 Kansas Speedway SPEED / 2:00 PM05/18/12 NC Education Lottery 200 Charlotte Motor Speedway SPEED / 8:00 PM06/01/12 Lucas Oil 200 Dover International Speedway SPEED / 4:50 PM06/08/12 WinStar World Casino 400 Texas Motor Speedway SPEED / 9:00 PM06/28/12 UNOH 225 Kentucky Speedway SPEED / 8:00 PM07/14/12 Iowa 200 Iowa Speedway SPEED / 8:30 PM07/21/12 Chicagoland 225 Chicagoland Speedway SPEED / 8:00 PM08/04/12 Pennsylvania Mountains 125 Pocono Raceway SPEED / 1:00 PM08/18/12 Michigan 200 Michigan International Speedway SPEED / 12:30 PM08/22/12 Bristol 200 Bristol Motor Speedway SPEED / 8:00 PM


BAYNE OUT TO SHOW 2011 DAYTONA WIN WAS NO FLUKE


Trevor Bayne lifts the Harley J. Earl trophy with the No. 21 crew in victory lane after winning the 53rd Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL.

What can Trevor Bayne do for an encore in 2012? Maybe win the Daytona 500 for the second straight year, and in his second attempt, no less? Might be a stretch, but when you look at what Bayne accomplished in 2011, anything is possible.

In only his second career start in the Sprint Series in 2011, Bayne stunned the racing world with a narrow victory over Carl Edwards to win the 2011 Daytona 500. Bayne was the first driver to win the Great

answer the phone and hes like, man, congratulations. What do you think I could have done different? Ive been thinking about it this whole time. Should I have went high, should I have went low? I keep beating myself up. Do you think I made the right move? Im like, I dont know, man. Ive got no idea. I didnt see it from your perspective. But that was really cool when he did that.

Bayne was impressed Edwards took the time to call him after such a tough defeat.

And it did catch me off guard at that time because I didnt know that much about Carl and for him to call me and just be wondering that much, but that just goes to show what kind of person he is, Bayne said. He wants to figure out every little thing that he can do better, and thats what we should all probably do.

Baynes last year as Daytona 500 champion has been a wild ride. After the victory, Bayne competed in 16 more Sprint races, but his best finish was a 15th at Talladega. But working for the Wood Brothers team gives Bayne confidence that he can win in any given week.

Thats whats so cool about them, Bayne said. Theyre not here for anything different than that, and I said that out at the fan forum. I watched that special (on the Wood family). I just saw the depth of that family and how long their history has been.

Its an honor to drive for the oldest team in NASCAR thats still standing,

and its no wonder that theyre still winning races and I think we can do it again this year, were just going to have to work really hard at it.

Bayne recently was back in his hometown of Knoxville, TN, and had a moment in his old house that sparked some memories.

My (Daytona) trophy is in Knoxville, sitting on the dresser that I had growing up. I was home for the last two weeks in Knoxville, and I was looking around, and I found a big trunk in that dresser and it had all my old schoolwork in it, Bayne said.

I found this thing that I wrote in kindergarten, and its kind of embarrassing. But I was looking t h r o u g h i t a n d i t w a s f r o m Thanksgiving, and it s like, Im thankful for my family and churches and my sponsors and my go-karts and Jeff Gordon. Im like, what is this? So I was already thanking my sponsors and Jeff Gordon in kindergarten so, that I thought was kind of funny.

After some uncertainty about his race schedule, Bayne is confident 2012 can be a strong season in the Sprint Series.

(When) finally it all came back together that we could be together again, and theres no better team for me to be driving for I dont think, Bayne said. I think the Wood Brothers are great racers that have done it for a long time, and they just want to race.

American Race in his first attempt since Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500 in 1959.

Bayne was also the youngest driver, at 20, to win the Daytona 500. One year later, hes back to defend his title. And its hard for him to get used to people referring to him as the defending champion.

Yeah, that sounds crazy to me because I never would have expected coming into this last year that we would be the winner, Bayne said. Its really humbling. Im kind of the same mindset that I was last year. Last year I came in thinking theres no way we can win this, and now Im coming back saying theres no way we can win two in a row, but then the Wood Brothers

keep showing up with great race cars and they keep showing up with the guys that can do it and that can win, and I think thats whats so important.

These guys put a lot of work into their speedway cars. The Wood Brothers have given me such great cars all year long. Last year at the speedways I think we qualified in the top 10 every week, which shows the raw speed; then they raced well.

Bayne will be the driver of the No. 21 Ford Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford in the Daytona 500. He appreciates the opportunity for a repeat win.

So coming back here now, its a crazy feeling because I would never expect to have one of these trophies sitting in my room, much less to be

going for two of them, and I have that opportunity again with the Wood Brothers, Bayne said.

What shocked Bayne even more after his victory was a phone call from Edwards a few weeks later. Edwards was beating himself up over the loss, and wondered what he could have done differently to beat Bayne.

I was actually eating dinner and he called me. I was like, man, Carl Edwards is calling me. This is cool, because at that point I had talked to him a couple times. I go outside and


Dave Marcis began his career racing on the short tracks in Wisconsin. A farm boy with a strong work ethic and big dreams, he headed south. In 1968 he competed in his first Daytona 500.

This was the first of 32 record setting consecutive 500 starts. He still holds the record at 33 total. Through his storied career, Dave overcame a lot adversity. He watched many, with large bank rolls, come and go. He won events at Martinsville, Talladega, Atlanta, Daytona, and Richmond. He was the lead test driver for the storied IROC series every year, save one. Dave is a two-time member of the Darlington record club, and was inducted into the Oceanside Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame. He raced through five decades. In good times and bad he was there doing what he loved. The last of the old time independents hung up his famous wing tip racing shoes after the 2002 Daytona 500, or that is what he thought.

What does a NASCAR legend do after 35 years of competition? Would they take it easy and go fishing? Not Dave Marcis. After years competing at stock cars top level, Dave focused on several areas: a restaurant in Wisconsin, designing and building street rods. He also remained IROCs lead test driver until its demise and competed in several charity events around the country. Racing started to be a dream fading away. That is, until the opportunity to compete in land speed racing came about.

I t d i d n o t t a k e m u c h encouragement to get Dave ready to race again. At 70 years old, most may look for a quiet place to enjoy the retirement years. Nothing gets a racer going like a roaring engine and high speed in a finely tuned car. A long time friend and colleague Dewey Livengood was given developmental motor by GM and RCR on his retirement from RCR. It took one phone call from Dewey, and Dave was off

to the races. He had one car left in the stable, his last one. It is an aerodynamic marvel from the final restrictor plate race, the Daytona 500. Perfect for the land speed racing circuit.

Land speed races are held at several venues around the country. The one closest to Dave was in Maxton, NC. About 20 miles from Rockingham, this sleepy corner of Carolina roared to life several times a year at the old airport. Originally built in the 40s for glider development during WWII, its two mile straight is perfect for speed. The event was sanctioned by the East Coast Timing Association. A standing mile that the total speed has to be achieved within that mile.

The first event Dave attended was in September 2011. It was a new experience with new faces, names, and yes, rules to learn. One surprise was despite his extensive resume, Dave was the new kid and considered a rookie. With good humor and humility he fulfilled all

of his rookie obligations. The class he competed in was GCT. That is Gas circle track.

His first weekend a speed of 205.3 was achieved, just shy of a 12 year record of 205.5. Now the fire was lit! The next and final event at Maxton was to be held at the end of October. The record was the first goal and the limit of the equipment was the second. Because this was to be the last event at the track, there were a lot of entries. Dave was only able to make two pass on Saturday and two on Sunday. His first run was 209 mph, the second 212. This shattered the previous

record, but there was more left in the car. Sunday brought new excitement and changes. The first pass was 214 mph and the final was 216 with no signs of slowing down.

Sadly the Maxton event is no more, but the ECTA has secured a new strip in Ohio so the racing will continue in the future. Dave will continue his life and speed on into the future. With no signs of slowing down, the only place you can catch him these days is on the world wide web. Check him out at streetrodsbydavemarcis.com.

DAVE MARCIS, LOCAL LEGEND

Dave Marcis with Dale Earnhardt


WRITTEN BY RICK JENKINS

Well, here we are on the dawn of yet another Daytona 500. In years past, the Daytona 500 was about the only race I looked forward to. NASCAR, I think, in recent years has given us fans nothing to cheer about. It seemed as if it was the announcers trying to drum something up to get the NASCAR fans excited, NOT the drivers. I will have to say, though, that the last 10 races of the 2011 season would have kept a dead man glued to the TV. Tony Stewart showed that when it comes to crunch time he can get the job done. Will he do it again this year? Youll have to keep reading to find out.

THE CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

In my opinion, the best form of racing today. This is a series for the younger drivers to prove their salt and get the Nationwide and Sprint Cup teams to give em a look as future prospects, and let the older dogs get in a few more good years before being put out to pasture. Lets hit some of the high spots of the series:

Mike Skinner, a former Truck Series Champ, will run a one race deal at Daytona in a Chevrolet. Skinner, a former driver for Toyota, needs sponsorship to finish out the year.

Rick Crawford, a former Daytona winner in a Ford truck, is going to try to win the big one, one more time in a one race deal in a Chevy Silverado. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he has always been an asset to the sport. I wish him well.

Former Truck Series Champ Todd Bodine, Ole Onion Head will run a one race deal for Red Horse Racing at Daytona. He will be strapped to a Tundra and trying to get a win for the team. Bodine has had a lot of sucess in the past, but without sponsorship his season will end as quickly as it starts. Todd says he is confident that a sponsor will sign on and he can run a full season for the Red Horse Team. All I got to say is dont hold your breath. In case you havent noticed, the economy sucks and race teams are particularly feeling the brunt of the blow. Red Horse Racing has put their effort in securing sponsorship for their other two Truck Teams and you, my Cue Headed Fool, have got the short end of the stick. Enjoy this season....it will be short lived.

Ward Burton will be returning to Daytona. Thats right, the South Boston Native who can brag about winning a Daytona 500 will sit in a Silverado and run the Daytona truck race for his 19 year old son who at this time in his racing career is not qualified to run the Super Speedways. The younger Burton will start his NASCAR Career in a Chevy at Martinsville.

Finally...Kyle Busch has named Jason Leffler as his driver for the #18 Toyota Tundra for the 2012 season. As you all recall Kyle, in a fit of rage, risked his life, as well as the life of Ron Hornaday, by using his Tundra as a battering ram on a caution lap to get his point across that he was not happy with Ron. This took Ron Hornaday and the Harvick Racing Chevrolet out of championship contention. Jason Leffler...really?

THE NATIONWIDE SERIES

First I would like to congratulate the Wallace brothers Rusty, Mike, and Kenny. This year they will go in the record book for 1,000 combined Nationwide Series starts. No other NASCAR family has ever achieved such a goal. All three men have been an asset to the sport and are passing on the legacy to their children. Love em or hate em, youve got to respect em.

Congratulations needs to go out to Morgan Shepherd. The 70 year old driver from Hickory, NC is being featured on a jumbotron in New York Citys Time Square. This country boy is now the key spokesperson for the Masters Athlete Program. The parenting company, Hylands, commented that Morgan has inspired millions to chase their dream. Im sure you will see his Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge come Daytona.

Richard Petty Motorsports will field a Nationwide team for the 2012 season. I know, its hard for me to believe too! Ive been waiting for RPM to fold up and go to the house for many seasons now. Somehow they find new life, get a breath of fresh air, and live one more season. The #43 Ford will be piloted by Michael Annett. He comes from Rusty Wallace Inc. and has 13 Nationwide top 10s in 105 starts. They have Pilot Flying J as their full season sponsor. Long Live the King!

Trevor Bayne, last years Daytona 500 winner and the all around boy next door has the big smile, the big ring, but he dont have a sponsor. The Jack Roush driver has confirmed that he does not

RICKS PICKS

Rick Jenkins (far right) with his hunting buddies Justin and Desi and their Plott Hounds.

have the funding for a full season in the Nationwide Series.

Tony Stewart, 2011s Sprint Cup Champion will put on the racing gear and run yet another race at Daytona in a Nationwide car. Tony is seeking his seventh win at the superspeedway. May the wind be at your back!

Finally, American Ethanol will sponsor several cars in the 2012 season including Kenny Wallace for the Daytona 500. American Ethanol is trying to raise the awareness of alternative fuel for the American people. Really? Do you think Texaco, Sunoco, BP, or Citgo give a Hoot in Hell about alternative fuel for the American people? The only thing American Ethanol has done is raised corn prices so the American citizen could pay more at the grocery store as well as the gas pump!

THE SPRINT CUP SERIES

Now, lets talk about where the big boys play! I just got two words for ya....Go Daddy! Thats right, Danica Patrick will run a full season for NASCAR and kiss her lucrative at best Indy Car career goodbye. She will take the plunge and try to run with the big dogs of motorsports for one full season. Can she do it? Im sure she can. Will she be successful? Im sure she wont.

If you thought Kurt Busch was an angry young man last year, just wait. Im afraid it will get worse. The tounge lashing Dr. Jerry Punch took at Homestead at the end of the season from Kurt will be a Sunday morning sermon compared to his

wrath someone will feel this year. As we all know Kurt has been relieved from his duties at the well funded, fully orchestrated, Team Penske and found a home at the less funded, hit and miss, Spartanburg one car team of Phoenix Racing. Their sponsorship is not much, therefore I will go out on a limb and say the winning ability is less than adequate, and therefore I can say that Kurt Buschs fuse will be shorter than ever. To supplement Kurts income, he will be running a full season for his brother Kyle in the Nationwide Series. When Kurt popped his mouth off to Dr. Jerry Punch at Homestead in the final race of the 2011 season, he also said goodbye to the millions of dollars he made every year with team Penske. He may be poor but hes proud!

Tony Stewart, NASCARs newest Sprint Cup Champion. Three times he has lifted the trophy high. Can he do it again? I dont see it in the cards. He did drive his butt off and won five of the last 10 races to claim the title, but I dont think he can drive with that intensity for two years in a row. Hes just a man, flesh and blood.

Carl Edwards...is he the man? Could be. He has been so close to claiming the title I dont think he will stop til he gets to the top. The Sprint Cup driver, actor, Subway Spokesperson knows what it means to be flat broke, and raking it in for the old Car in the Hat Jack Roush. I believe he prefers the latter. Look for good things from the #99.

Kasey Kahne...what can you say about him? He now has a silver spoon in his mouth. He won for Ray Evernham, he won for Richard Petty, he was very competitive in a Toyota even though Red Bull had pulled its sponsorship, and now hes in a Hendrick rocket guided by a winning veteran crew chief Kenny Francis. Im telling you, it dont get no better than this! He truly is in the best position of ANY driver in NASCAR. Hes got the looks, hes got the money, and hes got the car! This is going to be a breakout season for the young veteran in the #5 Chevrolet Impala, and with a little luck hell be the one raising the trophy over his head and drinking the champagne when its all said and done at Homestead at the end of the season. Call your bookie and place your bets, Kasey Kahne is the man for 2012.

I know you all are saying, But what about Jr.? OK here goes...Keep placing your votes for him as the most popular driver. This is the only award hell win in 2012. Winning, evidently is not his fort. And thats all I got to say about that!


NASCAR ON THE HIGHWAYWRITTEN BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF

NASCAR MEDIA

Te c h n o l o g y h a s become extremely advanced in todays automobiles. What you may not know is the new car you are driving was influenced by the very vehicle you wish you were driving. A NASCAR stock car.

Todays production cars have borrowed several innovations from both NASCAR and Indy-style racing. Here are five examples of the most useful technologies that have made it to the production line.

KEYLESS IGNITIONSeveral luxury passenger cars are

now offering a push-button feature to start the engine, eliminating the

on the road today. LIGHTWEIGHT BODY

MATERIALSMaterials used on race cars from

different circuits have been applied to modern day car design. On todays cars, some sheet metal body panels have been replaced with plastics or carbon fiber. This reduces the weight of the car and increases aerodynamics which leads to better fuel efficiency. The technology behind these materi-als makes them as strong as steel but not as heavy.

SOFT WALLS

Finally, the technology with the greatest potential to keep drivers safe is not even a part of the car.

When Dale Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, there was a dire need to develop a more energy absorbing wall that surrounds the racetrack. Earnhardt crashed head-on into a concrete wall at 180 mph. Developed at the Univer-

sity of Nebraska, with funding and support by the Indy Racing League, the Steel and Foam Energy Reduc-tion (SAFER) barrier was developed to dissipate the energy of a crash away from the car and driver. It is a system of structural steel tubes backed by Owens Corning Formula 150 foam with similar properties as Impaxx foam.

The system is placed in front of the existing concrete walls. Since the first SAFER wall was installed in 2002, there has not been a serious injury to a driver, despite many soft wall crashes. Several state highway departments are now evaluating the technology for use along dangerous stretches of freeways.

So if you think that NASCAR is nothing more than a bunch of guys racing at 200 mph in a circle, think again. Think about the safety of your vehicle and the ones you care about and remember that NASCAR has contributed much more to your daily commute than you realize!

need to stick a key in the ignition. This is going to become more of a standard feature in non-luxury cars in upcoming years. To prevent a car from being stolen though, youll still need a key fob or a key to actually get into the car. But if youre in your own garage, you wont have to fumble for the keys every morning when youre rushing off to work.

SEMI-AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS

During a Formula 1 race, the driver shifts gears with the flick of a lever located right behind the steering wheel. A mix between automatic and manual transmission, these direct shift gearboxes allow sequential shifting without depressing a clutch pedal or moving a shift lever through the traditional H pattern. With a flick away from the driver, the transmis-

sion moves up gear by gear, with downshifting controlled by flicks toward the driver. So for those who want the convenience of an automatic transmission but want the excitement of a manual shift, this option is a great compromise.

DOOR CUSHIONINGIn a stock car, seat belts and head/

neck restraints protect the drivers against front and rear collisions, but theres more danger in a side collision as there is barely a crumple zone.

NASCARs Car of Tomorrow was tested in recent years in an effort to reduce deaths and serious injuries and developed the idea of cushioning foam being inserted into the doors to absorb as much impact as possible. A polystyrene foam material called Impaxx from Dow Automotive was chosen. Its millions of tiny air bubbles each absorb some of the impact, less-ening the energy transferred to the driver. Impaxx is now used in more than 2 million passenger automobiles

A glimpse into a stock cars interior



JOHNSON HAS PLENTY OF MOTIVATION FOR 2012

The question was an obvious one that J i m m i e J o h n s o n would hear in 2012. Now 36, his run of five straight Sprint Cup titles snapped, does Johnson still have the same fire to win as he did during the five-year streak?

And all this because in 2011 his run of five consecutive Sprint Cup titles ended when Johnson lost the title to Tony Stewart and finished in sixth place, his worst finish since he placed fifth in 2005.

The answer is obvious. Of course

didnt work out as they should and werent handled correctly from my side and the way I went about things. So thats my motivation for this coming season to not make those mistakes and to do the best job that I can and be the best member of this 48 team that I can be.

Johnsons so-called off-season in 2011 would be a great season for most anyone else. He finished sixth overall, had two wins, and 14 Top-5 finishes with $6.3 million in earnings. His career numbers are even more astounding: 55 victories and more than $108 mil-lion in earnings. And 10 straight years in the Top 6, with the five straight titles from 2006-10.

Johnson and his team want to get off to a fast start in 2012, and Daytona is the perfect place, he said.

Yeah, the start of the season with

some lost opportunities.Its been a very good off-season

for me to internalize some things and to really evaluate what goes on from my standpoint and my involve-ment with the team and how good of a teammate and team member I can be for the 48 car, and Im mak-ing changes, Johnson said. I feel like even though I tried to over the five-year run not stall out and tried to continue to evolve and challenge myself and recreate myself, its hard to do it. You have a roadmap thats working and its hard to get too far from it.

This winter has been really good for me to really dive down and un-derstand the areas where I feel like I can do a better job and be a better member of the 48 team. So I know Im stronger and better today than I was leaving Homestead, so Im looking forward to 2012. Last year was the sixth year and we didnt get the results we wanted. But I really felt like we were competitive in a lot of areas.

Johnson will also be welcoming a new teammate at Hendrick Motor-sports in Kasey Kahne. Johnson is impressed with Kahne so far.

Ive been real fortunate that Kasey and I have been friends really since we met, since he came into the series and was a part of the Cup Series, Johnson said. He and I have always had a great relationship and friendship. Its really been the same since hes come on board and even through when the announcement was made until now, were great friends.

As for himself, Johnson is focused on one race right now: Daytona.

Im not sure of the mix but I know what I want the results to be. I want the 48 car in victory lane, John-son said. Theres a fine balance as a competitor with the tandem racing does give the driver some control to race. But at the same point, the fans arent into that style of racing. Thats what we need to pay attention to.

I think were all learning. These three days are going to be very use-ful for teams, for NASCAR to find the right package and right balance. So Im just not getting attached to anything yet and just waiting to get through these three days and see where we are then.

JIMMIE JOHNSON

he still has the fire to win, and hell be out to regain his title when the season starts February 26 with the Daytona 500, a race Johnson won in 2006. That year, Johnson went on to win his first Sprint Cup title.

Johnson will be driving the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

The thing that motivates me is the fire hasnt gone out in me to compete, and as long as that fire is burning, who I am as a person, Im going to give 100 percent, Johnson said. I know when I do a good job, what my responsi-bilities are. Thats the thing that keeps motivating me and thats what Im reflecting on from last year is at times we did a good job, and when we put up 100 percent we got the results that we wanted.

But some other times things just

the 500 as our first event, we walk into a pressure cooker right away, Johnson said. Leaving there with the limited testing that we have, you go to the first cou-ple fast racetracks, downforce tracks, wondering if everything you worked on in the shop is going to pay off or not. So there is a lot of pressure for the first, I dont know, four or five races just to find out where youre at.

And then from there you can address some problems and try to correct any issues that you have or sit there on top of the pile and be real happy with the work that took place over the off-season. Coming out of the gate, there is a lot of pressure for the first few weeks.

Johnson looks back at 2011 with some good memories, but also at

2012 NASCAR PREVIEW iwanna.com24 | IWANNA February 2012 2012 NASCAR PREVIEW

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The 2013 Ford Fusion NASCAR Sprint Cup car was unveiled as part of the Charlotte Mo-tor Speedway Media Tour in January.

This new redesign takes exact styling cues from the new produc-tion model due out in 2013.

The 2013 Fusion Sprint Cup car has been completely redesigned from front fascia to the rear bumper and sports a sleek new silhouette promising to be the face of a new stock car racing era.

The new NASCAR Fusion entries will be tested throughout the 2012 campaign in preparation for their racing debut at the 2013 Daytona 500 in February.

The development was much dif-ferent than with some of the previous models when race teams built and designed the car themselves. The design team for this project faced many challenges which involved NASCAR rules and areas that all of the manufacturer vehicles will share, but overcoming obvious ones presented challenges as well.

For example, the production model is front wheel drive and the race car is rear wheel drive and has a much lower stance. The challenge was to design the racer with the look and feel of the production model. That led to 40 percent size clay models that helped assess the overall look of the car and how it would react aerodynamically in the wind tunnel.

Finally, a full size clay model was constructed and reviewed in the

design center, similar to the way that production models are assessed.

Though the Fusion has to prove itself in performance and other rigor-ous NASCAR testing, it is predicted that not only will fans like it but brand

identity will make its way back into the sport as many fans have complained that all the cars look the same. In 2013, when NASCARs season begins, all of that will change when the Fusion races around the track.

WRITTEN BY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNAPHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Side view of the 2013 Ford Fusion Sprint Cup car


WWE STAR JOHN CENA: HONORARY STARTER AT 54TH ANNUAL DAYTONA 500PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

WWE superstar John Cena sits down with Carl Edwards during an episode of Monday Night Raw.

WWE Superstar John Cena is all set to wave the green flag as Honorary Starter of the 54th annual Daytona 500 NA-SCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, February 26 at historic Daytona International Speedway (FOX, 1 p.m.).

Cena was invited to participate in this years biggest race by Carl Edwards, 2011s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series runner-up, during an episode of WWEs Monday Night Raw. If you didnt happen to see the episode, Edwards got out of his No. 99 Fastenal Ford and told Cena, NASCAR asked me to come to Monday Night Raw and personally invite you to drop the green flag and officially start the Daytona 500 on February 26. And how did John Cena respond? How would anyone respond to that kind of honor?! With an enthusiastic Yes!

According to Daytona Interna-tional Speedway President Joie Chitwood III, John Cena is the greatest Superstar in WWE today. We look forward to seeing him on the flag stand waving the green flag to start The Great American Race and kick off the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Cena, a World Champion 10 times over, started his WWE debut 10 years ago in 2002. You can see him in all his buffness on the series, Monday Night Raw on USA Network. You wont want to miss him headlining WrestleMania against The Rock on Sunday, April 1, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. Oh yeah, and hes a serious NASCAR fan.

Past Honorary Starters for the Daytona 500 include NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, actor Ashton Kutcher, come-dian Whoopi Goldberg, and singer Mariah Carey.

Tickets for Speedweeks 2012 events, including the 54th annual Daytona 500, are available on-line at daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1.800.PITSHOP.

If you are unable to attend in person, be sure to tune in to the Daytona 500 on FOX on Sunday, February 26 at 1 p.m.

Stay connected throughout all the Daytona craze by logging onto Twitter (twitter.com/disupdates) and Facebook (facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway). Feel free to follow NASCAR on Twitter (@NASCAR) and stay up to speed on the latest news by using hashtags #NASCAR and #DAYTONA500.


WWE STAR JOHN CENA: HONORARY STARTER AT 54TH ANNUAL DAYTONA 500


KAHNE EXCITED ABOUT NEW OPPORTUNITY IN 2012


Ta l k a b o u t s o m e pressure. Kasey Kahne, a consistent performer for the last eight years in the NASCAR Sprint Series, will not only be driving in the Daytona 500 on February 26 in the season-opener, hell also be driving for a new team, one of the best in NASCAR.

Kahne, 31, will be driving the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, one of the dominant racing teams in the business.

Kahne has won 12 career races in the Sprint Series, but has not finished in the Top 10 in the overall standings since he placed 8th back in 2006. That year, Kahne won 6 races with 12 Top 5 finishes.

But that year, he won more races (six) than he has in the last five years combined (5). Still, his numbers are solid. Kahne finished in the Top 20 overall each of the last five seasons. Hes about $1.5 million short of $50 million in career earnings in the Sprint Series.

Kahne welcomes the opportu-nity for a fresh start with Hendrick Motorsports in 2012 after driving for Richard Petty Motorsports for most

that, and then just all the people that they have there. I dont know, its just been kind of a different feeling more than anything than what Ive had before at other race teams. Its a great opportunity, and I want to take full advantage of it.

Making his first start for Hendrick Motorsports in the Daytona 500 adds to the pressure, and the excitement.

Today we had a really good day just trying to get our car figured out. They do things differently, and were trying to kind of feel it out and see how things felt...So I thought we had a good day. It was a nice first day

at Daytona, Kahne said.Another newcomer to Hendrick

Motorsports in 2012 will be crew chief Kenny Francis. Francis will team up with Kahne. Francis has partnered with Kahne during the last six Sprint Cup seasons, and together, the duo has earned 11 wins and 16 pole positions and qualified twice for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kahne and Francis will bring some new ideas into Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, although they know theyre working for an outfit that does things right already.

Yeah, I think the way they look at things and the way theyve been doing things for a long time is a great way, and its really worked for them, Kahne said. I think Kenny looks at some of the things that way, and then others a different way. Theres so many ways to go about this car and about getting around each corner and around the racetrack.

So its something were always learning, theyre always learning and just putting in time to figure it out. But I think theyve worked really well together so far. Its been pretty awe-some on my side to see how Kenny has fit right into that group, how theyve wanted Kenny, how hes wanted to be part of it.

Francis first worked with Kahne in 2006, during his breakout season, when he won six races. It was also Francis best season. Being the new driver has been exciting for Kahne, and having Francis to work with will make things easier.

I had a question earlier today, Was this something you demanded that Kenny Francis be your crew chief? and it really wasnt, Kahne said. It was something where I went in, and when I was talking to Mr. Hendrick when we were getting the deal done, I told him,

man, Kenny is really good, he should be part of this place, and it would be great if he was my crew chief. And theyre like, yeah, were going to look at it, were going to figure it out. And from there it was all them wanting Kenny Francis.

So its been good. Its been a re-ally good fit for everyone, and I think together we should all be able to grow more than where weve been in the past for sure.

Kahnes 2011 also ended with some controversy. The driver made some critical comments on his Twit-ter account about seeing a woman breast feeding her child in public. The comment created a firestorm, leading Kahne to issue an apology.

Kahne learned a lesson that quick comments on the Internet can lead to trouble, even if he felt he was just kidding around. Now, he wants talk about him to focus on racing.

I took a little time off Twitter, and I just got going again now, Kahne said. Im glad were racing again. I just talk about racing like Ive always done on Twitter. Thats kind of where that stands.

After working with several outfits in his career, Kahne is excited to land his four-year contract with such a top outfit.

Well, I think the biggest thing is the stability and knowing that I have four years here I just need to make the best out of it, Kahne said. I need to put all the effort that I have into it. It could be my best four years ever. So I just want to do all that.

And to be at a team where its so stable, theres so many people work-ing at the same goal, and to have an owner, a boss like Mr. Hendrick is something that is just a great op-portunity to be there and be part of that organization.

of 2010, then switching to Red Bull Racing in 2011.

Its really just exciting to get started, to start working with the five guys and everybody at Hendrick Mo-torsports, Kahne said at a recent press conference at Daytona. Its really an incredible place. I was able to spend some time there over the off-season and just try to be as prepared as pos-sible when we get here for testing and then when we get started during Speed Weeks.

Its neat, though. Its awesome to be able to talk with (everyone) about racing and driving and things like

Kasey Kahne during the 2011 season


DRIVER MATCH-UPBY SCOTT GOODBLATT, IWANNA | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

DR

IVE

RS

SP

ON

SO

RS

ANSWER KEY

Greg Biffle: 3M Novec Dale Earnhardt, Jr. : National Gaurd Brad Keselowski: Miller Lite

Jamie McMurray: Bass Pro Shops Joey Logano: Home Depot

How well do you know the drivers of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series? Test your knowledge by matching the drivers with their sponsor. Draw a line to the correct information.

Greg Biffle Brad Keselowski Jamie McMurray Joey Logano

More Driver Match-Ups on page 46!!


KYLE BUSCH MAKES ENEMY OF RON

HORNADAY...AND NASCARWRITTEN BY JORDAN REED, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA

At the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, November 4, Kyle Busch was successful in creating yet another enemy by retaliating against Ron Hornaday wrecking him into the wall.

During the Camping World Truck Series Race, Kyle Busch turned on Hornaday and knocked the Kevin Harvick Inc. driver into the wall.

The incident started in Lap 14 when Busch and Hornaday were racing pretty intensly side by side. Thats when Busch knocked Hornaday into the wall at Turn 4 and as a result, knocked him straight out of the series championship battle.

This is just stupid, Hornaday fumed after the wreck. He knew what I was going for. He knew I was there. He had to lift, too. If Id have lifted, I would have hit the back of that slower truck and it would have caused a big wreck.

He just drove me in the fence and ruined a pretty good racecar.

As punishment, NASCAR parked Kyle Busch for the rest of the race at the request of many drivers actually. Busch was then suspended

by NASCAR for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races for the rest of the weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch issued a letter of apology Saturday night to fans, his team, his sponsors, even Hornaday. Heres what he wrote:

Ive had a lot of time today to sit and reflect and try to put my thoughts into words as best I can.

I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during Friday nights Truck Series race at Texas.

I apologize to my fans, all my sponsors, everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kyle Busch Motorsports.

After talking with my team, its great to have their support and encouragement to assure me that there are better days ahead. Even though this took place while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, I am sorry for how difficult this has been for everyone associated with Joe Gibbs Racings Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams.

Id also like to apologize to Ron Hornaday Jr., and everyone associated with the No. 33 team in the Truck Series.

I understand why I was taken out of the car for the rest of the weekend. NASCAR officials had to act, and I accept their punishment and take full responsibility for my actions.

As a race-car driver, the hardest thing to do is to sit on the sidelines listening to cars on the track when you know you should be out there competing. For this, I have no one to blame but myself.

Through a lot of support from the people around me, I feel like Ive made a lot of strides this year, but this was certainly a step backward. Moving forward, I will do everything I possibly

can to represent everyone involved in a positive manner. However, I know my long-term actions will have more of a bearing than anything I say right now.

(This copy of Buschs letter is courtesy of Scenedaily.com.)

Busch not only ticked off drivers and teams, but his sponsors and Joe Gibbs Racing as well. Obviously, it wasnt just Busch taking the heat. Officials from M&Ms, Buschs primary sponsor at JGR, released the following statement after the suspension:

The recent actions by Kyle Busch are not consistent with the values of M&MS and were very disappointed. Like you, we hold those who represent our brand to a higher standard and we

have expressed our concerns directly to Joe Gibbs Racing.

Ky le Busch better n ip h is aggression in the bud if he still wants that hefty paycheck from JGR and M&Ms. The thing is, even though hes stirring up bad press, its still press, after all.

But as for the 2012 season, it doesnt appear that many other drivers are very sympathetic with Kyle Busch after Texas race. And this doesnt bode well for him in the upcoming year. According to NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick whos been rubbing elbows with Kyle Busch for a while now Hes going to grow up, or hes going to have some swollen eyes.

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Traxxas Toyota, and Ron Hornaday Jr., driver of the #33 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, hit the wall after an incident in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino

350k at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 4, 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas.


EARNHARDT READY TO ROLL IN 2012 SEASON

WRITTEN BY BRIAN WHELIHAN, IWANNA | PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR

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