Nascar 2013: The Year of ...
By Ryan Frisco
Sunday marked a dark day in the world of sports: the end of football season. What now? Yeah, NBA and NHL are in the middle of their seasons, but the NFL is America’s game. Fortunately, I know just the remedy for this situation; NASCAR!
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| Photo Cred www.benchwarmersports.com |
That’s right, in the next couple of weeks the teams will be gathering in Daytona Beach, Florida for Speedweeks. February 24th is the Super Bowl of NASCAR, the Daytona 500. Fast cars, big crashes and tons of drama; isn’t this the perfect way to overcome end of football season depression?
So before everything begins, why don’t we take a look at the year’s hot topics and big storylines.
1. Rookie Rivalry…or Romance? – This year we are looking at two of the most high profiled rookies in recent memory.
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. has won the past two Nationwide Series Championships. He is coming in under one of the top teams in the business, Rousch Fenway Racing, and is taking over for 2003 Sprint Cup Champion Matt Kenseth. Those are tough racing shoes to fill, but if anyone is capable of it, it’s this kid. The only thing that may get in his way is…
Danica Patrick. Even if you don’t care about NASCAR any more than Betty White’s 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Celebration, you know who she is. The first legit girl driver. The Go Daddy Girl. The Nationwide spokeswoman. She’s everywhere. And now, she is making her rookie debut at racing’s highest level. Can she become the first female driver to win a race, let alone a championship?
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| Photo Cred www.espn.go.com |
For these two, there is one big factor to rookie success; each other. You see, during the offseason, Danica Patrick divorced her husband and began dating again. The name of her new suitor? Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. That’s right, for the first time ever, competitors on the track are dating off the track. What’s going to happen when they meet on the track? Will they draft with their teammates or each other? If the other is in front for the win, will they challenge or block? Oh, the possibilities. This rookie rivalry should be the most interesting yet!
2. Same Faces, New Places – Each year comes with it new drivers with new teams, and this year is no different. After the final race at Homestead, two drivers on two of the top teams in NASCAR changed rides.
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| Photo Cred www.dodgeforum.com |
Matt Kenseth – For well over a decade, Matt Kenseth has been the epitome of consistency during his reign with Rousch Fenway Racing. He doesn’t usually dominate and win tons of races, but he’s always a contender. He won the championship with one win. That kind of consistency is unheard of. The longest tenured driver for Rousch will be departing this season to make way for the young gun Stenhouse, Jr.
Where is he heading? Joe Gibbs Racing. From one powerhouse to the next. Kenseth will now be teaming up with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, both top drivers who have been in the spotlight and championship picture the last five years. Now driving a Toyota Camry, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Matt Kenseth once again a front runner. This new gear may be the ticket that takes him from a consistent contender to a dominating force.
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| Photo Cred www.620wdae.com |
Joey Logano – With every driver addition comes another driver who gets the boot. That was the unfortunate case for Joey Logano, who just a few years earlier became the youngest driver to ever win a race. Matt Kenseth comes in, Joey goes out. Fortunately for him, a new seat wasn’t far away, as Penske Racing brought on the young stud to fill the #22 Shell Gasoline Ford for the 2013 season (Penske made the move from Dodge Charger to Ford Fusion during the offseason).
What does this mean for Logano? Oh, just that he is now teamed up with one of the most prestigious teams in the racing world, as well as NASCAR’s newest Sprint Cup Champion, Brad Keselowski. Joey Logano has shown signs of stardom, but performed at a generally average level. Let’s see if this move gives him the tools he needs to make a championship run. We know this team is capable of it.
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| Photo Cred www.aol.sportingnews.com |
3. Earnhardt, Jr. and Gordon – These two knuckleheads need to get something going this year. Jeff Gordon ended last year with an embarrassing run in with Clint Bowyer. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. got a free pass on poor performance due to a ‘concussion’ suffered in an accident. All eyes have always been on these two guys, and lately, there hasn’t been much performance to justify it. The world will be watching again this year; they better perform.
4. The Contenders – There is so much talent in NASCAR nowadays. The saying ‘Any Given Sunday’ really does apply in this sport. Any driver on the track really does have a chance, especially if rain is on the way. But the champion holding the trophy at the end of the year? There are a select few who, in reality, could hold that title. These are my Top 5 Contenders (Plus a Dark Horse!).
Kasey Kahne – I like this guy. He’s always been good, but was plagued by bad luck. At Hendrick, much of that can be controlled. He was the hottest guy the second half of last year, and frankly, unless a meteor (or Jeff Gordon) seeks him out on the track, I don’t think much can get in his way this year. He's my pick to steal the cup.
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| Photo Cred www.nascar.com |
Denny Hamlin – Last season was an off year for Denny Hamlin…and he still finished sixth in points. He has the ability to dominate often. Same great team, new great teammate. I’m flying high on this #10 team this year. He’s been close in recent years, maybe this season he can seal the deal.
Brad Keselowski – As they’ve said before, ‘All this kid does is win!’ Brad is the true zero to hero story. He came bursting out of nowhere, now he’s a champion. He has to be on this list, he will continue to be a perennial championship contender.
Kyle Busch – Close. That is what Kyle has been hearing so much of his career. He is the all time all around most winningest driver in NASCAR’s three circuits. But, he chokes under pressure. He has dominated the regular season, only to fold in the Chase. Last year, he had victories locked up, only to relinquish. He was so close to making last year’s chase…but didn’t. This year will be different. This year, it will be more than close for Kyle.
Jimmie Johnson – The Quest for #6 continues. Held out of the title two years in a row now, Jimmie is motivated. Uncharacteristic mechanical problems ended last year’s run. He will not let that happen again.
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| Photo Cred www.tsminteractive.com |
Dark Horse: Carl Edwards – Carl has had some spectacular years. He has had some forgettable years. Last year was one of those. Edwards seems to be a cyclical kind of driver. With that in mind, I believe we’re going to be seeing a lot of Carl Edwards flipping from the roof of his car this year.
5. Hot Wheels – 2013 marks a big change in NASCAR. This season, the car bodies will be different depending on the make and model of the car. No more generic body. These cars don’t all fit together like a puzzle anymore. They don’t mesh when you get close to one another. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. found that out the hard way, when he started a 13 car pile up in testing last month. Acclimating to this new car may take some time…and shredded sheet metal.
We’re almost there! Let’s get them wheels a turnin!
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