NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
CUP: Contenders And Pretenders
Favorites, longshots to win NASCAR Sprint Cup title...
Jeff Owens  | http://www.scenedaily.com  |  Posted February 12, 2012   Charlotte, NC
Carl Edwards needs more wins in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Tony Stewart thrilled NASCAR fans with an amazing comeback and championship run last season. What can he do for an encore?

Can Carl Edwards recover from the heartbreak of losing last year’s title and make another run?

And can five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson start another record-breaking streak a year after the end of his historic reign?

All are key questions as NASCAR’s top drivers pursue the Sprint Cup championship again in 2012.

Here’s a look at the contenders and pretenders:

The Favorites

1. Carl Edwards – In terms of consistency, Edwards had the greatest season of his career last year with 19 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes and a record 4.9 average finish in the Chase. He lost the championship because he won just one race. If Edwards can maintain that consistency and win more races, he will be hard to beat.

2. Jimmie Johnson – So Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus had an off year last year, winning just two races and seeing their five-year championship reign end. So what? It had to end sometime, right? Now Johnson and Knaus enter this season well rested, rejuvenated and hungry as ever. Don’t be surprised if they win a sixth title and start another championship streak.

3. Tony Stewart – It’s hard to imagine anyone having a more amazing and improbable championship run than Stewart had last year. Winning five of 10 Chase races is almost incomprehensible, yet Stewart did it. But now he must regroup with a new crew chief in Steve Addington after the curious release of Darian Grubb. And don’t forget that Stewart struggled most of the year before his magical hot streak. He must be considered a serious contender, but whether he can do it again is anybody’s guess.
Kevin Harvick (Left) is establishing a foundation with a brand-new team that includes new crew chief Shane Wilson (Right). (Photo: LAT Photographic)

4. Kevin Harvick – Harvick has been a serious championship contender each of the past two seasons, but has fallen short each time, finishing third both years. He’s so determined to win a championship that he closed his Kevin Harvick Inc. team, merged it with Richard Childress Racing and demanded a new crew chief for this season. Harvick is hungry and determined, but RCR has not won a championship since 1994. Does he have what it takes to get him over the hump?


Page 1 of 4
Prev
1234
Next
jeff_owens's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Owens

SceneDaily.com

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.