Looking Ahead: The "500" in 51

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 51 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):
Marcos Ambrose finished 18th in the standings and earned 950 points.
2012: Drove the No. 9 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports. In the 36 starts, he led 74 laps, had one victory, two poles, three top five and eight top 10 finishes. Ambrose had an average start of 14.3 and a 17.9 average finish.
Best NSCS starts: 1 - Michigan 06/17/12 and Sonoma 06/24/12
Best NSCS finish: 1 - Watkins Glen 08/12/12
Last NSCS Win: Watkins Glen 08/12/12.
2013: Ambrose has signed for another full season. Drew Blickensderfer will be crew chief for the team. Stanley Tools, Black & Decker and DeWalt Tools will be featured on the hood of the No. 9 Ford.

Joey Logano finished 17th in the standings and earned 965 points.
2012: Drove the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 190 laps, had one win, two poles, two top five and 12 top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 21.9 and a 17.4 average finish. Logano also entered 22 Nationwide Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing. In those races, he led 1,065 laps, scored nine wins, had six poles, 17 top tens and had an average start of 5.4 and a 6.7 average finish.
Best NSCS starts: 1 - Pocono 06/10/12 and Homestead 11/18/12
Best NSCS finish: 1 - Pocono 06/10/12
Last NSCS Win: Pocono 06/10/12.
2013: Logano has been hired by Penske Racing to drive the No. 22 Ford (Penske switch from Dodges to Roush-Yates power for 2013). Todd Gordon will serve as crew chief for the team. Shell-Pennzoil continues its sponsorship.

Paul Menard finished 16th in the standings and earned 1006 points.
2012: Drove the No. 27 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 26 laps, had one top five and nine top 10 finishes and had an average start of 16.2 and a 15.5 average finish. In addition, Menard raced RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet in seven NNS races. He earned one pole, led 247 laps, had six top ten finishes and had an average start of 6.0 and a 7.0 average finish.
Best NSCS starts: 3 - Pocono 06/10/12 and Pocono 08/05/12
Best NSCS finish: 3 - Kansas 10/21/12
Last NSCS Win: Indianapolis 07/31/11.
2013:  Menard will return for a full season along with crew chief Slugger Labbe in the No. 25 Chevrolet. Family-owned Menards will again sponsor the team.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):
Brad Sweet finished 18th in the standings and earned 469 points.
2012: Drove 18 races in Turner Motorsports’ No. 38 Chevrolet. He had two top 10 finishes, had an average start of 17.5 and a 17.9 average finish.
Best NNS start: 6 - Talladega 05/05/12
Best NNS finish: 14 - Talladega 05/05/12
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013:Sweet’s sponsor, Great Clips, moved from Turner Motorsports to JR Motorsports. Sweet will share the JRM No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet with Kasey Kahne in 27 races. Sponsorship is being sought for the remainder of the season. No word at this time on the number of races each driver will run.

Erik Darnell finished 17th in the standings and earned 558 points.
2012: Drove 31 races in The Motorsports Group’s No. 40 Chevrolet. He had an average start of 31.2 and a 26.0 average finish.
Best NNS start: 20 - Darlington 05/11/12
Best NNS finish: 15 - Kansas 10/20/12
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.

Eric McClure finished 16th in the standings and earned 559 points.
2012: Drove 28 races in TriStar Motorsports’ No. 14 Toyota. He had an average start of 30.9 and a 24.0 average finish. McClure was sidelined for six weeks due to a late-race accident at Talladega in early May. He was medically cleared to return to the No. 14 seat and raced on the Road America road course in late June.
Best NNS start: 15 - Kansas 10/20/12
Best NNS finish: 6 - Auto Club 03/24/12
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):
Ross Chastain finished 22nd in the standings and earned 502 points.
2012: Drove the full season in the SS Greenlight Racing No. 08 Toyota Tundra. In the 22 races, he led two laps, had one top five and four top ten finishes and had an average start of 21.2 and a 21.3 average finish.
Best NCWTS start: 12 - Dover 06/01/12
Best NCWTS finish: Bristol - 08/22/12
Last NCWTS Win: None so far.
2013: Chastain lost sponsorship at end of 2012; no firm plans in place at this time.

John Wes Townley finished 21st in the standings and earned 521 points.
2012: Drove 21 races in the RAB Racing No. 09 Toyota Tundra. He had two top 10 finishes, an average start of 19.8 and a 19.2 average finish. Townley also made five Nationwide Series starts; one in SR2 Motorsports No. 24 Toyota and four in RAB Racing’s No. 99 Toyota. His best finish in the NNS was 15th place at Talladega in the No. 24.
Best NCWTS start: 8 - Texas 11/02/12
Best NCWTS finish: 8 - Pocono 08/04/12
Last NCWTS Win: None so far.
2013: Townley has been hired to drive the No. 7 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra with Zaxby's serving as the primary sponsor for the 22-race NCWTS season.

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 51 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):
Marcos Ambrose finished 18th in the standings and earned 950 points.
2012: Drove the No. 9 Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports. In the 36 starts, he led 74 laps, had one victory, two poles, three top five and eight top 10 finishes. Ambrose had an average start of 14.3 and a 17.9 average finish.
Best NSCS starts: 1 - Michigan 06/17/12 and Sonoma 06/24/12
Best NSCS finish: 1 - Watkins Glen 08/12/12
Last NSCS Win: Watkins Glen 08/12/12.
2013: Ambrose has signed for another full season. Drew Blickensderfer will be crew chief for the team. Stanley Tools, Black & Decker and DeWalt Tools will be featured on the hood of the No. 9 Ford.

Joey Logano finished 17th in the standings and earned 965 points.
2012: Drove the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 190 laps, had one win, two poles, two top five and 12 top 10 finishes. He had an average start of 21.9 and a 17.4 average finish. Logano also entered 22 Nationwide Series races for Joe Gibbs Racing. In those races, he led 1,065 laps, scored nine wins, had six poles, 17 top tens and had an average start of 5.4 and a 6.7 average finish.
Best NSCS starts: 1 - Pocono 06/10/12 and Homestead 11/18/12
Best NSCS finish: 1 - Pocono 06/10/12
Last NSCS Win: Pocono 06/10/12.
2013: Logano has been hired by Penske Racing to drive the No. 22 Ford (Penske switch from Dodges to Roush-Yates power for 2013). Todd Gordon will serve as crew chief for the team. Shell-Pennzoil continues its sponsorship.

Paul Menard finished 16th in the standings and earned 1006 points.
2012: Drove the No. 27 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. In the 36 starts, he led 26 laps, had one top five and nine top 10 finishes and had an average start of 16.2 and a 15.5 average finish. In addition, Menard raced RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet in seven NNS races. He earned one pole, led 247 laps, had six top ten finishes and had an average start of 6.0 and a 7.0 average finish.
Best NSCS starts: 3 - Pocono 06/10/12 and Pocono 08/05/12
Best NSCS finish: 3 - Kansas 10/21/12
Last NSCS Win: Indianapolis 07/31/11.
2013:  Menard will return for a full season along with crew chief Slugger Labbe in the No. 25 Chevrolet. Family-owned Menards will again sponsor the team.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):
Brad Sweet finished 18th in the standings and earned 469 points.
2012: Drove 18 races in Turner Motorsports’ No. 38 Chevrolet. He had two top 10 finishes, had an average start of 17.5 and a 17.9 average finish.
Best NNS start: 6 - Talladega 05/05/12
Best NNS finish: 14 - Talladega 05/05/12
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013:Sweet’s sponsor, Great Clips, moved from Turner Motorsports to JR Motorsports. Sweet will share the JRM No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet with Kasey Kahne in 27 races. Sponsorship is being sought for the remainder of the season. No word at this time on the number of races each driver will run.

Erik Darnell finished 17th in the standings and earned 558 points.
2012: Drove 31 races in The Motorsports Group’s No. 40 Chevrolet. He had an average start of 31.2 and a 26.0 average finish.
Best NNS start: 20 - Darlington 05/11/12
Best NNS finish: 15 - Kansas 10/20/12
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.

Eric McClure finished 16th in the standings and earned 559 points.
2012: Drove 28 races in TriStar Motorsports’ No. 14 Toyota. He had an average start of 30.9 and a 24.0 average finish. McClure was sidelined for six weeks due to a late-race accident at Talladega in early May. He was medically cleared to return to the No. 14 seat and raced on the Road America road course in late June.
Best NNS start: 15 - Kansas 10/20/12
Best NNS finish: 6 - Auto Club 03/24/12
Last NNS Win: None so far.
2013: No firm plans at this time.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):
Ross Chastain finished 22nd in the standings and earned 502 points.
2012: Drove the full season in the SS Greenlight Racing No. 08 Toyota Tundra. In the 22 races, he led two laps, had one top five and four top ten finishes and had an average start of 21.2 and a 21.3 average finish.
Best NCWTS start: 12 - Dover 06/01/12
Best NCWTS finish: Bristol - 08/22/12
Last NCWTS Win: None so far.
2013: Chastain lost sponsorship at end of 2012; no firm plans in place at this time.

John Wes Townley finished 21st in the standings and earned 521 points.
2012: Drove 21 races in the RAB Racing No. 09 Toyota Tundra. He had two top 10 finishes, an average start of 19.8 and a 19.2 average finish. Townley also made five Nationwide Series starts; one in SR2 Motorsports No. 24 Toyota and four in RAB Racing’s No. 99 Toyota. His best finish in the NNS was 15th place at Talladega in the No. 24.
Best NCWTS start: 8 - Texas 11/02/12
Best NCWTS finish: 8 - Pocono 08/04/12
Last NCWTS Win: None so far.
2013: Townley has been hired to drive the No. 7 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra with Zaxby's serving as the primary sponsor for the 22-race NCWTS season.