NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: 10 Best Silly Season Moves
Kasey Kahne is one of the favorites to win the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted December 30, 2011   Charlotte, NC
Expectations will be high for Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
More than anything — more than Tony Stewart’s championship run or Trevor Bayne’s miracle Daytona 500 victory — 2011 was the year of the Silly Season in NASCAR.

At no time in recent history have so many top NASCAR Sprint Cup jobs traded hands as drivers, crew chiefs and owners tried to juggle their lineups. Here are the top 10 moves of the 2011 Silly Season.

1. KASEY KAHNE — In the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Kahne had one victory, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes with Red Bull Racing, a team about to close its doors for good. Just imagine what he will be able to do in 2012 driving for Rick Hendrick.

2. PHOENIX RACING — Kurt Busch is a huge upgrade for James Finch’s one-car operation. Yes, he brings baggage, but he is a wheelman and very well could win a race or two this year. The downside for Finch? Busch most likely will be one and done.

3. STEWART-HAAS RACING — While Tony Stewart’s championship run was the talk of the sport, Stewart is every bit as good an owner as he is a driver. He shrewdly brought in some heavy hitters and strong allies in competition director Greg Zipadelli and new crew chief Steve Addington, while the addition of Danica Patrick helps strengthen the company’s long-term prospects.

4. AJ ALLMENDINGER — A seat behind one of “The Captain’s” Penske Racing Dodges is a huge upgrade for the ‘Dinger. It’s also something of a make-it-or-break-it opportunity for the former open-wheel ace. He had his best career NASCAR season in 2011 and needs to have an even better 2012.

5. KEVIN HARVICK — As a team, driver Kevin Harvick and crew chief Shane Wilson won the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship by a record 824 points in 2006. They could be a very dangerous combination in 2012. In fact, it would be no surprise if they won another title together.

6. CARL EDWARDS — Technically, Carl Edwards didn’t make a move in Silly Season. But by signing a contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing instead of moving to Joe Gibbs Racing, Edwards put himself in great position for years to come, and with no adjustment period to learn a new team.

7. DANICA PATRICK — The former open-wheel star put herself in the perfect position to transition to a full-on NASCAR career by signing with Stewart-Haas Racing, where she’ll run 10 Cup races in 2012 as a prelude to a full schedule in 2013. She will be surrounded by smart, sympathetic racers at SHR.

8. MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING — By signing drivers Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin, competition director Scott Miller and Brian Pattie as Bowyer’s crew chief, MWR reloaded big-time. Now, after consecutive disappointing seasons, it’s time to make things happen.

9. DENNY HAMLIN — Call this one high-risk/high-reward, as Mike Ford was replaced by Darian Grubb as Hamlin’s crew chief. Ford was the only crew chief Hamlin had for his entire Cup career up to this point. How will Hamlin react to Grubb? That will be one of the huge questions. They could be magic together, or they could struggle. Time will tell.

10. EARNHARDT GANASSI RACING WITH FELIX SABATES — With Steve Hmiel and Tony Glover sacked, EGR has signed Max Jones as team manager, and former Hendrick Motorsports engineer Chris Heroy as Juan Pablo Montoya’s crew chief. Might they also land Mike Ford as competition director? That would be a huge upgrade.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.
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