2012 Sprint Cup preview

Comparing the good old days to today

Longtime NASCAR fans often complain that racing isn't the same now as it used to be. From the commercialism that has dominated the sport in the past 10 years to cookie-cutter tracks and drivers, racing has changed. Is it necessarily bad?

Let's take a closer look:

How drivers spent their time off the track

Good old days: As many NASCAR fans know, the sport was built by drivers who transported moonshine while trying to outrun police and federal tax agents determined to catch them. This led to the drivers wanting to prove who had the best hot rod.

Today: Aside from Kyle Busch's 128-mph "leisure" rides, drivers spend time making appearances for sponsors, filming commercials, aiding charities, working out to improve their fitness and - in some cases - flying their own planes.

Edge: Good old days. Considering Tony Stewart looked like Santa Claus while climbing fences in his Subway firesuit - as part of his post-victory celebrations a few years ago - I'm guessing he wasn't touching those sandwiches if they had a trace of lettuce.

Margin of victory

Good old days: Because of the relative lack of regulations, many races were won by substantial margins. Ned Jarrett set the NASCAR record for margin of victory at the 1966 Southern 500, when he was triumphant by … 14 laps.

Today: The average margin of victory in last season's 36 Sprint Cup point races was 1.321 seconds, including a record 23 races with winning margins under one second.

Edge: Today. Some may argue the best cars today are no longer winning as often because of fuel mileage and late cautions, but we'll give the nod to when the winning margin couldn't be timed with a calendar.

Schedule

Good old days: The 1964 Grand National season, which boasted a record 62 races, began on Nov. 10, 1963, at the now-defunct Concord Speedway. It ended on Nov. 8 in Jacksonville, Fla., the next year.

Today: The Sprint Cup season now spans a tidy nine months and will end on Nov. 18 in Homestead, Fla.

Edge: Today. Though fans may have enjoyed attending a race four days after Christmas in 1963, the break gives all a chance to recharge their batteries - literally and figuratively.

How drivers handled their differences

Good old days: Those drivers definitely had more of a hands-on approach to communication, made most famous by the fight between Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison at the 1979 Daytona 500. To quote Allison: "Cale just insisted on hitting his face against my fist!"

Today: Drivers now attempt to smooth over bad feelings over the phone; maybe Verizon or AT&T should become an official sponsor of the midweek call. If that doesn't resolve the issue, the "disrespected" party will get revenge on the track.

Edge: Good old days. The Yarborough-Allison fight played a huge role in NASCAR becoming as popular as it is. By contrast, anyone who's seen the 2006 "skirmish" between Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon at Bristol may have trouble calling NASCAR drivers "athletes."

Parity

Good old days: Richard Petty won 27 of the 48 races he ran in NASCAR's top series in 1967, including wins in 10 consecutive starts. (A 1972 rule change eliminated races under distances of 250 miles, reducing the schedule to 30 events that season.)

Today: The winners of last year's Daytona 500 (Trevor Bayne), Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway (Regan Smith) and Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (Paul Menard) - three of the most prestigious races in NASCAR - have no other Cup wins in their careers.

Edge: Good old days. Yes, last year's races made for great underdog stories, but the role of driver talent doesn't seem to be the decisive factor that it used to be.

Best ways to cheat

Good old days: Darrell Waltrip's helmet, water bottle and radio were replaced with ones made out of lead for the pre-race weigh-in; they were then replaced with the real helmet, bottle and radio before the start, saving 150 pounds. They also would fill Waltrip's frame rails with BBs and release them during the race to lighten the car.

Today: Chad Knaus was suspended for six races in 2006 for bowing his rear window. And Michael Waltrip used a fuel additive during Daytona Speedweeks in 2007 that nearly kept him out of the Great American Race.

Edge: Good old days. Said Waltrip after his 1976 Daytona 500 qualifying time was thrown out for using nitrous oxide: "If you don't cheat, you look like an idiot."

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2011'S Top 10 drivers (points)

TONY STEWART

2011 points: 1st

Races/wins: 464/44

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: Office Depot/Mobil 1

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

Crew chief: Steve Addington

Lug nut: Brings momentum of five Chase wins, but he may need time to develop chemistry with new crew chief.

CARL EDWARDS

2011 points: 2nd

Races/wins: 265/19

Manufacturer: Ford

Primary sponsors: Fastenal/Aflac

Team: Roush Fenway Racing

Crew chief: Bob Osborne

Lug nut: Did everything consistently last season except win, which cost him his first Sprint Cup championship.

KEVIN HARVICK

2011 points: 3rd

Races/wins: 394/18

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsor: Budweiser

Team: Richard Childress Racing

Crew chief: Shane Wilson

Lug nut: Finished third in points for the second consecutive year, leading to switch in crew chief from Gil Martin.

MATT KENSETH

2011 points finish: 4th

Races/wins: 436/21

Manufacturer: Ford

Primary sponsor: Best Buy

Team: Roush Fenway Racing

Crew chief: Jimmy Fennig

Lug nut: Looks to build on a successful first full season with Fennig in 2011, when he led Roush Fenway with three wins.

BRAD KESELOWSKI

2011 points finish: 5th

Races/wins: 89/4

Manufacturer: Dodge

Primary sponsor: Miller Lite

Team: Penske Racing

Crew chief: Paul Wolfe

Lug nut: Among 2011's biggest surprises. Now faces pressure

of being the face of Penske Racing with Kurt Busch gone.

JIMMIE JOHNSON

2011 points finish: 6th

Races/wins: 363/55

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsor: Lowe's

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Crew chief: Chad Knaus

Lug nut: Had only four top-10 finishes in Chase races in 2011; in 2010, he had five top-three finishes in Chase races.

DALE EARNHARDT JR.

2011 points finish: 7th

Races/wins: 435/18

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Crew chief: Steve Letarte

Lug nut: Winless skid reached 129 races, but he responded to Letarte's leadership style and ran much better in 2011.

JEFF GORDON

2011 points finish: 8th

Races/wins: 653/85

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: Drive to End Hunger/DuPont

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Crew chief: Alan Gustafson

Lug nut: Addition of Gustafson paid dividends last season until the Chase (five finishes of 21st or worse in final 10 races).

DENNY HAMLIN

2011 points finish: 9th

Races/wins: 223/17

Manufacturer: Toyota

Primary sponsor: FedEx

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew chief: Darian Grubb

Lug nut: Grubb - who sat on the pit box last year as Stewart claimed his title - tries to help Hamlin rebound following his worst Cup season.

RYAN NEWMAN

2011 points finish: 10th

Races/wins: 368/15

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: U.S. Army/Quicken Loans

Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

Crew chief: Tony Gibson

Lug nut: Ran better than he did in 2010, but while his teammate surged in the Chase, Newman struggled.

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Other drivers to watch

51 KURT BUSCH

2011 points finish: 11th

Races/wins: 400/24

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsor: Rydex

Team: Phoenix Racing

Crew chief: Nick Harrison

Why to watch him: Has been a consistent winner his entire

career, but his equipment this season will be the big question mark.

18 KYLE BUSCH

2011 points finish: 12th

Races/wins: 257/23

Manufacturer: Toyota

Primary sponsor: M&M's

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew chief: Dave Rogers

Why to watch him: Will his antics late last season curtail

his aggression? His Chase woes continue to spoil great seasons.

15 CLINT BOWYER

2011 points finish: 13th

Races/wins: 217/5

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsor: 5-Hour Energy

Team: Michael Waltrip Racing

Crew chief: Brian Pattie

Why to watch him: How will he respond with a new team after a rough final season with RCR? Equipment could be question mark.

5 KASEY KAHNE

2011 points finish: 14th

Races/wins: 288/12

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: Farmers Insurance/Quaker State

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Crew chief: Kenny Francis

Why to watch him: Joins NASCAR's top team and has a lot of experience with his crew chief. Could enjoy a strong start in 2012.

22 AJ ALLMENDINGER

2011 points finish: 15th

Races/wins: 152/0

Manufacturer: Dodge

Primary sponsors: Shell/Penzoil

Team: Penske Racing

Crew chief: Todd Gordon

Why to watch him: He moves into the seat of Kurt Busch, who won twice last season and had strong cars, despite Busch's criticisms.

16 GREG BIFFLE

2011 points finish: 16th

Races/wins: 330/16

Manufacturer: Ford

Primary sponsor: 3M

Team: Roush Fenway Racing

Crew chief: Matt Puccia

Why to watch him: Roush Fenway's only winless driver in

2011 looks to rebound with an infusion of personnel from the

No. 6 team.

56 MARTIN TRUEX JR.

2011 points finish: 17th

Races/wins: 225/1

Manufacturer: Toyota

Primary sponsor: NAPA

Team: Michael Waltrip Racing

Crew chief: Chad Johnston

Why to watch him: Has made little impact since joining MWR, aside from some catchy

commercials. Pressure is on to perform.

31 JEFF BURTON

2011 points finish: 20th

Races/wins: 619/21

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: Caterpillar/Wheaties

Team: Richard Childress Racing

Crew chief: Drew Blickensderfer

Why to watch him: Had his worst season since 1995, but his new crew chief has three wins in the past two years.

20 JOEY LOGANO

2011 points finish: 21st

Races/wins: 111/1

Manufacturer: Chevy

Primary sponsors: Home Depot/Dollar General

Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Crew chief: Jason Ratcliff

Why to watch him: Nicknamed "Sliced Bread," he hasn't justified the moniker yet in the Cup series. Will a new crew chief help?

1 JAMIE McMURRAY

2011 points finish: 25th

Races/wins: 330/6

Manufacturer: Dodge

Primary sponsors:

Bass Pro Shops/McDonald's

Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

Crew chief: Kevin "Bono" Manion

Why to watch him: Followed up a breakthrough 2010 season with a horrendous 2011, leading to several personnel changes.

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5 drivers with something to prove

1. Danica Patrick

She was the only NASCAR driver who appeared in an advertisement during the Super Bowl — you know, the Daytona 500 of the football world. Now, she must prove she can be competitive in NASCAR's top series. Her making a ridiculous claim that she could win the 500 next week sets the bar higher than it needs to be, because a lead-lap finish would be respectable in her series debut. But with engines from Hendrick Motorsports and by joining a team that claimed last year's Sprint Cup title, she's given herself an opportunity to prove there's some steak to go with the sizzle of her celebrity.

2. Kurt Busch

Busch wasted few opportunities a year ago to question Penske Racing — which boasts more than 300 employees — about the quality of its engines, including a memorable profanity-laced tirade at Richmond. The fallout left him looking for a job in the offseason, and he found a new home at Phoenix Racing, which employs 18. The 2004 Sprint Cup champion says he just wants to have fun again this season. However, considering he's had top-notch equipment throughout his career, the move to a team with only one win in 191 Sprint Cup starts could create a lot more colorful conversations if things don't go well.

3. Kyle Busch

For all Kurt Busch's antics in 2011, he had a better year than his brother. Kyle was suspended one race for retaliating during a truck race and suffered a public relations fiasco after being ticketed for driving 83 mph over the posted speed limit. In addition, "Rowdy" also must figure out what transforms him from an unstoppable force during the regular season to overwhelmingly mediocre in the fall. In 72 Chase starts, he has one victory — in 2005 when he wasn't eligible for the title — compared to 22 wins in 185 regular-season starts.

4. Denny Hamlin

Somehow, the driver who was 30 laps from all but clinching his first Cup championship in 2010 at Phoenix International Raceway never seemed to recover a year later. Instead of building on an eight-win season two years ago, he won only once in 2011 and needed the help of the new wild card system to secure a Chase spot. To get Hamlin out of reverse, Joe Gibbs Racing released Mike Ford and paired Hamlin with Darian Grubb, whose decisions in the final three months last season played a critical role in Tony Stewart's run to the championship.

5. AJ Allmendinger

To say Allmendinger is having a change in fortune the past three months would be an understatement. First, he was part of the winning team in the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona road-course race last month and claimed a new Rolex in the process. Now, the driver who has never won a race in NASCAR's top three series will be in the best ride of his career. He takes over the Penske Racing car vacated by Kurt Busch — the same one that has 10 wins over the past six years, when Busch qualified for the Chase four times.