Thursday, January 10, 2013

Theme for '13: Wonderful expectations

Watch closely, individuals. The 2013 NASCAR season will probably be 1 to keep in mind.

I am counting on it, if not betting on it.

A handful of factors are likely to transpire in NASCAR this year which have hardly ever occurred prior to. As well as a number of factors could possibly come about that nobody has observed in several many years.

Let us start off having a couple of certain matters, or nearly positive points:

" 43 many years ago -- The final time NASCAR raced on dirt. It had been Sept. 30, 1970, around the fairgrounds in Raleigh, N.C. Richard Petty won for the 1-mile oval.

NASCAR goes vintage racing this year which has a Camping Planet Truck Series occasion around the dirt at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, a half-mile oval owned by Tony Stewart.

This race are going to be among the list of most anticipated occasions in the season. It requires area on July 24, a Wednesday evening in advance of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (90 miles away) 4 days later on.

The field will likely be restricted to 30 trucks. Eldora has 16,000 seats, but added grandstands are going to be brought in to get a very likely sellout crowd.

" A female initially -- No girl ever has run a total Cup season, except for that six-race inaugural NASCAR season in 1949, when Sara Christian raced in all 6 occasions.

She completed 13th all round, finest ever to get a lady, but a six-race season hardly counts by today's requirements.

Danica Patrick will grow to be the initial lady of your contemporary era to race a total Cup routine (barring injury or suspension) this season when she runs total time for Stewart-Haas Racing.

By modern day specifications, Janet Guthrie posted the very best ranking to get a girl when she completed 23rd during the 1977 standings whilst operating 19 of 30 occasions, earning 4 top-10s.

Equaling that mark can be a tall undertaking for Patrick, but not extremely hard. Bobby Labonte was 23rd within the 2012 standings with two top-5s and an typical finish of 22.six. Patrick is going to be within a far better car or truck (Hendrick Motorsports gear) than Labonte has.

Right here are many other factors that may transpire for your to start with time within a extended time and a few other folks that might be a very first in NASCAR:

" 51 many years ago -- The 1962 season marked the final time NASCAR had 3 consecutive seasons wherever a group proprietor won a Cup title for that initial time.

It can take place this year if Michael Waltrip Racing claims its 1st title with both Clint Bowyer or Martin Truex Jr. Each males produced the 2012 Chase, and Bowyer completed because the championship runner-up to Brad Keselowski.

"We possess the capability to enhance on our good results from final season," mentioned Scott Miller, MWR's vice president of competitors. "We formulated a procedure final season to acquire from point A to point B, and we uncovered lots of results with all the procedure. We'll make use of the similar system to assist us using the advancement from the 2013 automobile.

"Toyota Racing Improvement is functioning truly tough around the engines to provide us much more reliability and much more electrical power. I believe we are able to elevate our system this season and compete for the championship once again."

Stewart's 2011 title was the initial Cup crown for Stewart-Haas Racing. Keselowski gave Roger Penske his long-awaited Cup championship in 2012.

Rex White (1960), Ned Jarrett (1961) and Joe Weatherly (1962) gave crew owners first-time championships half a century ago. The fascinating factor is the fact that all 3 of them ran races in these championship many years for in excess of 1 crew proprietor, not unusual in people days.

" 32 many years ago -- Darrell Waltrip won the 1981 title in his initial season driving for Junior Johnson. Nobody has completed it because, but Matt Kenseth features a superior shot at it this year in his 1st season for Joe Gibbs Racing.

" 17 many years ago -- The 1996 season was the sole time a driver won the championship twelve many years eliminated from his final one particular. Terry Labonte did it at Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon could equal the feat this year for boss Rick Hendrick. Gordon's fourth and final Cup title came in 2001.

" 14 many years ago -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his 2nd consecutive Nationwide title (the Busch Series on the time) in 1999. That was the final time the Earnhardt title had a championship banner.

There are actually two techniques that may take place this year. Earnhardt could win the Cup crown in what may well be his greatest likelihood ever. And Regan Smith could win the Nationwide title driving his initial total season for JR Motorsports.

" 13 many years ago -- Bobby Labonte's Cup championship in 2000 was the final time NASCAR had a driver who was the brother of the champion win a title inside the very same series.

Ty Dillon could win the Camping Globe Truck Series crown this year, two seasons soon after his brother, Austin Dillon, won it.

Austin also is really a contender to the Nationwide Series title this year, so they could turn into the primary brothers to win titles from the similar season.

" ten many years ago -- Brian Vickers won the Nationwide title in 2003. He's one of many favorites to win it this year in his initial season driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. If he does, he'll develop into the very first guy to win championships while in the series ten many years apart.

" Back-to-back titles in two series -- That never ever has occurred, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr. features a shot at it this year. Granted, it truly is an extended shot, but he's driving a excellent motor vehicle to get a crew that manufactured the Chase final year. Stenhouse, who won the previous two Nationwide titles, replaces Kenseth at Roush Fenway Racing.

Keselowski and Greg Biffle came near to accomplishing this feat. Keselowski's Cup crown final year came two many years just after he won the 2010 Nationwide title. Biffle won the 2002 Nationwide championship two many years soon after winning the CWTS title.

Keselowski and Bobby Labonte will be the only Nationwide champs (up to now) who went on to win a Cup title.


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