Looking Ahead: 84 days to go
Saturday, December 1, 2012
During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.
With 84 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):
Dave Blaney finished 33rd in the standings and earned 417 points.
2012: Drove the No. 36 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 32 races, the No. 10 Chevrolet for TBR in one race and the Larry Gunselman No. 37 Chevrolet in one race. In the 34 starts, he led seven laps, had an average start of 35.2 and a 31.8 average finish.
Best NSCS start: 17 - Richmond 04/28/2012
Best NSCS finish: 15 - Daytona 02/27/2012
Last NSCS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.
AJ Allmendinger finished 32nd in the standings and earned 453 points.
2012: Started the season driving the Penske Racing No. 22 Dodge. After 17 races he failed a drug test, was suspended by NASCAR and released from the No. 22. He was reinstated after fulfilling the ‘Road to Recovery’ program and drove four races in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet. In the 21 races, he scored one pole; had one top five and three top ten finishes; led 99 laps; had an average start of 16.3 and a 22.6 average finish.
Best NSCS start: 1 - Kansas 04/22/2012
Best NSCS finish: 2 - Martinsville 04/01/2012
Last NSCS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans but rumors have Allmendinger going to either the Phoenix Racing or to the BK Racing team.
Landon Cassill finished 31st in the standings and earned 598 points.
2012: Drove the No. 83 Toyota for BK Racing. In 36 starts, he led five laps, had an average start of 29.0 and an average finish of 27.5.
Best NSCS start: 9 - Michigan 08/19/2012
Best NSCS finishes: 18 - Michigan 06/17/2012, Charlotte 05/27/2012 and Kansas 10/21/2012
Last NSCS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time. Cassill may return to the No. 83 or one of the other BK Racing teams.
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):
Blake Koch finished 31st in the standings and earned 230 points.
2012: Drove 12 races for Rick Ware Racing (No. 15, 41 and 75 Chevrolets), eight in the No. 00 and No. 24 Toyotas for SR2 Motorsports, two in The Motorsports Group's No. 42 Chevrolet and one in MacDonald Motorsports' No. 82 Dodge. In the 23 races he had an average start of 29.9 and a 33.7 average finish. Koch also drove in five NCWTS races.
Best NNS start: 9 - Homestead 11/17/2012
Best NNS finish: 17 - Daytona 02/25/2012
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.
Joey Gase finished 30th in the standings and earned 236 points.
2012: Drove six races in the Go Green Racing No. 39 Ford and 12 in Jimmy Means Racing No. 52 Chevrolet. In the 18 races he had an average start of 34.8 and a 30.9 average finish.
Best NNS start: 25 - Iowa 08/04/2012
Best NNS finish: 19 - Kansas 10/20/2012
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):
Jennifer Jo Cobb finished 27th in the standings and earned 248 points.
2012: Drove her own Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing No. 10 RAM in 14 races and one race in Eddie Sharp Racing’s No. 8 RAM. In the 15 races she had an average start of 31.7 and a 27.5 average finish. She also drove her own car in two NNS races.
Best NCWTS start: 24 - Pocono 08/04/2012
Best NCWTS finish: 16 - Kentucky 09/21/2012
Last NCWTS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans in place at this time in either NCWTS or NNS.
Ryan Blaney finished 26th in the standings and earned 258 points.
2012: Drove Brad Keselowski Racing’s No. 19 and 29 RAM trucks in nine races. He had one win, two top five and five top ten finishes. He averaged an 11th place start and an 11.8 average finish. He also made six NNS starts in Tommy Baldwin Racing’s No. 36 Chevrolet and seven in Penske Racing’s No. 22 Dodge. He had an average finish of 13.5 in those 13 NNS races.
Best NCWTS start: 2 - Iowa 09/15/2012
Best NCWTS finish: 1 - Iowa 09/15/2012
Last NCWTS Win: Iowa 09/15/2012.
2013: Blaney is scheduled to run some NNS races in Penske Racing’s No. 22 Ford. No plans in place at this time for the truck series.
|
2013 Sprint Cup Lineup - Full-time teams(Tentative)
|
|
Car
|
Driver
|
Sponsor
|
Make
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Jamie McMurray
|
McDonald’s/Bass Pro Shops/LiftMaster
|
Chevrolet
|
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
|
|
2
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Miller Lite
|
Ford
|
Penske Racing
|
|
5
|
Kasey Kahne
|
Farmers Insurance/Quaker State/Great Clips
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
9
|
Marcos Ambrose
|
DeWalt/Stanley Tools
|
Ford
|
Richard Petty Motorsports
|
|
10
|
Danica Patrick
|
GoDaddy.com
|
Chevrolet
|
Stewart Haas Racing
|
|
11
|
Denny Hamlin
|
FedEx
|
Toyota
|
Joe Gibbs Racing
|
|
14
|
Tony Stewart
|
Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
|
Chevrolet
|
Stewart Haas Racing
|
|
15
|
Clint Bowyer
|
5-Hour Energy/Peak Motor Oil
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
16
|
Greg Biffle
|
3M
|
Ford
|
Roush Fenway Racing
|
|
17
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
|
Best Buy/Zest/First Third Bank
|
Ford
|
Roush Fenway Racing
|
|
18
|
Kyle Busch
|
M&M’s/Interstate Batteries
|
Toyota
|
Joe Gibbs Racing
|
|
20
|
Matt Kenseth
|
Home Depot/Dollar General
|
Toyota
|
Joe Gibbs Racing
|
|
22
|
Joey Logano
|
Shell-Pennzoil
|
Ford
|
Penske Racing
|
|
24
|
Jeff Gordon
|
Drive to End Hunger/DuPont
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
27
|
Paul Menard
|
Menard’s
|
Chevrolet
|
Richard Childress Racing
|
|
29
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Budweiser/Rheem
|
Chevrolet
|
Richard Childress Racing
|
|
30
|
David Stremme
|
??
|
Toyota
|
Inception Motorsports
|
|
31
|
Jeff Burton
|
Caterpillar/Cheerios/BB&T
|
Chevrolet
|
Richard Childress Racing
|
|
37
|
J.J. Yeley
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Max Q Motorsports
|
|
39
|
Ryan Newman
|
Aspen Dental/WIX/Outback/Code 3
|
Chevrolet
|
Stewart Haas Racing
|
|
42
|
Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Target
|
Chevrolet
|
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
|
|
43
|
Aric Almirola
|
Smithfield Foods
|
Ford
|
Richard Petty Motorsports
|
|
47
|
Bobby Labonte
|
Little Debbies/Kroger/Kingsford
|
Toyota
|
JTG Daugherty Racing
|
|
48
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
55
|
Mark Martin
|
Aaron’s (24 races)
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
55
|
Michael Waltrip
|
Aaron’s (3 races)
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
55
|
Brian Vickers
|
Aaron’s (9 races)
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
56
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
NAPA
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
78
|
Kurt Busch
|
Furniture Row
|
Chevrolet
|
Furniture Row Racing
|
|
88
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|
Army National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
99
|
Carl Edwards
|
Fastenal/UPS/Kellogg’s/Best Buy/Subway
|
Ford
|
Roush Fenway Racing
|
|
2013 Sprint Cup Lineup - Part-time/Questionable teams
|
|
Car
|
Driver
|
Sponsor
|
Make
|
Owner
|
|
13
|
Casey Mears
|
American Ethanol
|
Toyota
|
RAB Racing
|
|
21
|
Trevor Bayne
|
Motorcraft
|
Ford
|
Wood Brothers Racing
|
|
23
|
Robert Richardson
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
R3 Motorsports
|
|
32
|
Ken Schrader
|
??
|
Ford
|
FAS Lane Racing
|
|
33
|
Stephen Leicht
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Joe Falk
|
|
34
|
David Ragan
|
??
|
Ford
|
Front Row Motorsports
|
|
36
|
Dave Blaney
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Tommy Baldwin Racing
|
|
38
|
David Gilliland
|
??
|
Ford
|
Front Row Motorsports
|
|
51
|
??
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Phoenix Racing
|
|
52
|
??
|
??
|
Toyota
|
Hamilton Means Racing
|
|
83
|
Landon Cassill
|
??
|
Toyota
|
BK Racing
|
|
87
|
Joe Nemechek
|
AM FM Energy LLC
|
Toyota
|
NEMCO Motorsports
|
|
95
|
Scott Speed
|
?? (15 races)
|
Ford
|
Leavine Family Racing
|
|
98
|
Michael McDowell
|
Red Line Oil
|
Ford
|
Phil Parsons Racing
|
During the off-season, Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of where drivers finished in 2012 and what’s ahead for them in 2013. We will look at drivers who scored at least 250 points in the Cup Series and those who earned at least 200 points in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.
With 84 days to go until the 2013 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some driver recaps followed by a tentative list of 2013 Sprint Cup Driver/Team lineups.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):
Dave Blaney finished 33rd in the standings and earned 417 points.
2012: Drove the No. 36 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 32 races, the No. 10 Chevrolet for TBR in one race and the Larry Gunselman No. 37 Chevrolet in one race. In the 34 starts, he led seven laps, had an average start of 35.2 and a 31.8 average finish.
Best NSCS start: 17 - Richmond 04/28/2012
Best NSCS finish: 15 - Daytona 02/27/2012
Last NSCS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.
AJ Allmendinger finished 32nd in the standings and earned 453 points.
2012: Started the season driving the Penske Racing No. 22 Dodge. After 17 races he failed a drug test, was suspended by NASCAR and released from the No. 22. He was reinstated after fulfilling the ‘Road to Recovery’ program and drove four races in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet. In the 21 races, he scored one pole; had one top five and three top ten finishes; led 99 laps; had an average start of 16.3 and a 22.6 average finish.
Best NSCS start: 1 - Kansas 04/22/2012
Best NSCS finish: 2 - Martinsville 04/01/2012
Last NSCS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans but rumors have Allmendinger going to either the Phoenix Racing or to the BK Racing team.
Landon Cassill finished 31st in the standings and earned 598 points.
2012: Drove the No. 83 Toyota for BK Racing. In 36 starts, he led five laps, had an average start of 29.0 and an average finish of 27.5.
Best NSCS start: 9 - Michigan 08/19/2012
Best NSCS finishes: 18 - Michigan 06/17/2012, Charlotte 05/27/2012 and Kansas 10/21/2012
Last NSCS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time. Cassill may return to the No. 83 or one of the other BK Racing teams.
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):
Blake Koch finished 31st in the standings and earned 230 points.
2012: Drove 12 races for Rick Ware Racing (No. 15, 41 and 75 Chevrolets), eight in the No. 00 and No. 24 Toyotas for SR2 Motorsports, two in The Motorsports Group's No. 42 Chevrolet and one in MacDonald Motorsports' No. 82 Dodge. In the 23 races he had an average start of 29.9 and a 33.7 average finish. Koch also drove in five NCWTS races.
Best NNS start: 9 - Homestead 11/17/2012
Best NNS finish: 17 - Daytona 02/25/2012
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.
Joey Gase finished 30th in the standings and earned 236 points.
2012: Drove six races in the Go Green Racing No. 39 Ford and 12 in Jimmy Means Racing No. 52 Chevrolet. In the 18 races he had an average start of 34.8 and a 30.9 average finish.
Best NNS start: 25 - Iowa 08/04/2012
Best NNS finish: 19 - Kansas 10/20/2012
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):
Jennifer Jo Cobb finished 27th in the standings and earned 248 points.
2012: Drove her own Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing No. 10 RAM in 14 races and one race in Eddie Sharp Racing’s No. 8 RAM. In the 15 races she had an average start of 31.7 and a 27.5 average finish. She also drove her own car in two NNS races.
Best NCWTS start: 24 - Pocono 08/04/2012
Best NCWTS finish: 16 - Kentucky 09/21/2012
Last NCWTS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans in place at this time in either NCWTS or NNS.
Ryan Blaney finished 26th in the standings and earned 258 points.
2012: Drove Brad Keselowski Racing’s No. 19 and 29 RAM trucks in nine races. He had one win, two top five and five top ten finishes. He averaged an 11th place start and an 11.8 average finish. He also made six NNS starts in Tommy Baldwin Racing’s No. 36 Chevrolet and seven in Penske Racing’s No. 22 Dodge. He had an average finish of 13.5 in those 13 NNS races.
Best NCWTS start: 2 - Iowa 09/15/2012
Best NCWTS finish: 1 - Iowa 09/15/2012
Last NCWTS Win: Iowa 09/15/2012.
2013: Blaney is scheduled to run some NNS races in Penske Racing’s No. 22 Ford. No plans in place at this time for the truck series.
|
2013 Sprint Cup Lineup - Full-time teams(Tentative)
|
|
Car
|
Driver
|
Sponsor
|
Make
|
Owner
|
|
1
|
Jamie McMurray
|
McDonald’s/Bass Pro Shops/LiftMaster
|
Chevrolet
|
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
|
|
2
|
Brad Keselowski
|
Miller Lite
|
Ford
|
Penske Racing
|
|
5
|
Kasey Kahne
|
Farmers Insurance/Quaker State/Great Clips
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
9
|
Marcos Ambrose
|
DeWalt/Stanley Tools
|
Ford
|
Richard Petty Motorsports
|
|
10
|
Danica Patrick
|
GoDaddy.com
|
Chevrolet
|
Stewart Haas Racing
|
|
11
|
Denny Hamlin
|
FedEx
|
Toyota
|
Joe Gibbs Racing
|
|
14
|
Tony Stewart
|
Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1
|
Chevrolet
|
Stewart Haas Racing
|
|
15
|
Clint Bowyer
|
5-Hour Energy/Peak Motor Oil
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
16
|
Greg Biffle
|
3M
|
Ford
|
Roush Fenway Racing
|
|
17
|
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
|
Best Buy/Zest/First Third Bank
|
Ford
|
Roush Fenway Racing
|
|
18
|
Kyle Busch
|
M&M’s/Interstate Batteries
|
Toyota
|
Joe Gibbs Racing
|
|
20
|
Matt Kenseth
|
Home Depot/Dollar General
|
Toyota
|
Joe Gibbs Racing
|
|
22
|
Joey Logano
|
Shell-Pennzoil
|
Ford
|
Penske Racing
|
|
24
|
Jeff Gordon
|
Drive to End Hunger/DuPont
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
27
|
Paul Menard
|
Menard’s
|
Chevrolet
|
Richard Childress Racing
|
|
29
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Budweiser/Rheem
|
Chevrolet
|
Richard Childress Racing
|
|
30
|
David Stremme
|
??
|
Toyota
|
Inception Motorsports
|
|
31
|
Jeff Burton
|
Caterpillar/Cheerios/BB&T
|
Chevrolet
|
Richard Childress Racing
|
|
37
|
J.J. Yeley
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Max Q Motorsports
|
|
39
|
Ryan Newman
|
Aspen Dental/WIX/Outback/Code 3
|
Chevrolet
|
Stewart Haas Racing
|
|
42
|
Juan Pablo Montoya
|
Target
|
Chevrolet
|
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
|
|
43
|
Aric Almirola
|
Smithfield Foods
|
Ford
|
Richard Petty Motorsports
|
|
47
|
Bobby Labonte
|
Little Debbies/Kroger/Kingsford
|
Toyota
|
JTG Daugherty Racing
|
|
48
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
55
|
Mark Martin
|
Aaron’s (24 races)
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
55
|
Michael Waltrip
|
Aaron’s (3 races)
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
55
|
Brian Vickers
|
Aaron’s (9 races)
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
56
|
Martin Truex Jr.
|
NAPA
|
Toyota
|
Michael_Waltrip Racing
|
|
78
|
Kurt Busch
|
Furniture Row
|
Chevrolet
|
Furniture Row Racing
|
|
88
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|
Army National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew
|
Chevrolet
|
Hendrick Motorsports
|
|
99
|
Carl Edwards
|
Fastenal/UPS/Kellogg’s/Best Buy/Subway
|
Ford
|
Roush Fenway Racing
|
|
2013 Sprint Cup Lineup - Part-time/Questionable teams
|
|
Car
|
Driver
|
Sponsor
|
Make
|
Owner
|
|
13
|
Casey Mears
|
American Ethanol
|
Toyota
|
RAB Racing
|
|
21
|
Trevor Bayne
|
Motorcraft
|
Ford
|
Wood Brothers Racing
|
|
23
|
Robert Richardson
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
R3 Motorsports
|
|
32
|
Ken Schrader
|
??
|
Ford
|
FAS Lane Racing
|
|
33
|
Stephen Leicht
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Joe Falk
|
|
34
|
David Ragan
|
??
|
Ford
|
Front Row Motorsports
|
|
36
|
Dave Blaney
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Tommy Baldwin Racing
|
|
38
|
David Gilliland
|
??
|
Ford
|
Front Row Motorsports
|
|
51
|
??
|
??
|
Chevrolet
|
Phoenix Racing
|
|
52
|
??
|
??
|
Toyota
|
Hamilton Means Racing
|
|
83
|
Landon Cassill
|
??
|
Toyota
|
BK Racing
|
|
87
|
Joe Nemechek
|
AM FM Energy LLC
|
Toyota
|
NEMCO Motorsports
|
|
95
|
Scott Speed
|
?? (15 races)
|
Ford
|
Leavine Family Racing
|
|
98
|
Michael McDowell
|
Red Line Oil
|
Ford
|
Phil Parsons Racing
|