Thread: NASCAR sezone 2012 imeli presenečenj, seveda, in jih je naprej v 2013

Zagotovo eden od najbolj presenetljivih dogodkov 2012 je bil Brad Keselowski (desno) prvo kariero Sprint Cup prvenstvo. Naslov je tudi prvi za njegov lastnik moštva Roger Penske.

Sezono 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup, kot vsi ostali, ki so pred njo, je imela delež vznesenosti in frustracije, uspeh in neuspeh in dobro mero presenetljivo razvoja.
Tudi 2012 imeli stvar ali dve nihče od nas kdaj videl, in ni verjetno, da spet vidim. Juan Pablo Montoya ognjeno srečanje z jet sušilni stroj na Daytona pride na misel tukaj.
Je bilo večinoma v konkurenco, da smo videli nepričakovano, nenavadno, uspeh in neuspeh-No, morda ne celo neuspeh, ampak zagotovo predstave, ki si ne živijo do pričakovanja.
In videli smo tudi predstave, ki je poskočil mimo naša pričakovanja.
Obstajata vsaj dva primera tega in moje mnenje je, da najbolj opazen je na splošno, zlom nastop Michael Waltrip dirke.
MWR je bil nikoli upoštevan kot ekipa prvenstva kalibra (sem prepričan, bodo člani skupine strinjajo). Tako da dva voznika v Chase in uživate "povračilo" so sezono v končni točki seštevku je nekaj zelo nepričakovane.
Clint Bowyer prišel k MWR od Richard Childress Racing, poteza nujni zaradi pomanjkanja sponzorskih in ki se je končala sedemletno razmerje.
Bowyer bo najprej povedati, da je res imel pojma, kaj je bil že sam v.
Je vedel komaj kdo na MWR in nima smisla za katero smer bi šla ekipa.
Bowyer je uspelo na petih dirkah v času svojega mandata z RCR in je v top 10 točk v treh od petih sezonah.
Zato je bilo le naravno, da se je spraševal, če bi on pristop take predstave kot nov človek na MWR.
No, je to storil – in nato nekaj.
Bowyer zmagal tri dirke, lahek narejen Chase in na domačijo, zaključni prireditvi sezone, je končal na drugem da Jeff Gordon.
To mu dovoli, da olajša mimo Jimmie Johnson na drugem mestu v točki seštevku. To je bilo ne samo svojo kariero najboljše konča, je bilo najvišje doslej doseženih MWR gonilnik.
Za kompliment Bowyer je dosežek, MWR Saigrač Martin Truex Jr, ki Chase.



Morda najbolj žalostno rajski nastope 2012 podelili Tony Stewart. 2011 sprint Cup šampion nikoli trdili naslov za proti sezone minule.

Bil je razočaran, da na ni zmagal ali zaključek dirko višja od 11^th v seštevku, vendar so zavajanjem niso uvrstile v 10-dirka "playoff" za prvič od leta 2007 v prvič z MWR.
Osebah za MWR uspešnosti v 2012 jasno kaže, ekipa je v porastu. Več kot, premagal da je precej plitvo veliko mnenj Večina opazovalcev je v zadnjih letih.
2013 ekipe Za naloga je preprosta: zbiranje zagon v ga uporabite za ustvarjanje boljšega sezone.
Eden izmed mnogih Jaz sem, ki je, da predlagal lastnik moštva Roger Penske v voznik Brad Keselowski ne bi bilo svetovnem pokalu v 2012 contender.
Navsezadnje, kljub napore svoje vse z tiste, ki odpeljal v delal za njega, nikoli trdil, imel je naslov.
V Keselowski? Bil Je šele njegov tretji polni sezoni Sprint Cup konkurence, vse z Penske.
Kot več kot enkrat rekel sem, morda smo videli naj da prihaja. S tem mislim, Keselowski's mandatov kot je od voznik njegove zveze s Penske izboljševala.
V tri zmagal dirke Keselowski 2011 v top-10 14 nakopičene obloge za pot na svojo pogon peto mesto v seštevku končne točke.
Kaj je naredil proti jih letu je preprost 2012: je dobil boljše. 23 konča Z med top 10 osvojil petkrat. Je bil nenehno med voditelji v zapečatena točko svetovnem pokalu v domačijo.
Čeprav malo mislil, da bi se zgodilo, osvojil svoj prvi Penske naslov Sprint Cup v Keselowski je tretji šele dirkač poštnih zmagati svetovnem pokalu v svoji tretji polni sezoni. Dale Earnhardt v Jeff Gordon tako bili obsegov.
Čeprav Penske Dodge za zapustil Ford spregledati Keselowski nihče predhodnega leta, leta 2013. Kot je za naj ekipo v sezoni prihajajoči če lahko hitro prilagajajo Racing Penske novim Ford nobenega .promenio, Keselowski misliti morejo, da ne dva zapored.
Čudno si, da reči, ampak standardih po, Hendrick Motorsports bi imel boljšo sezono.
Ne razumite me narobe. Kaj je bil pomemben doseči. Dal vse štiri od svojih ekip v Chase, imel enega voznika, jjeza tipa šampion Johnson, zaključek enotočkovno drugič v štirje vozniki zmagal dirke vsi.
Ampak z pridihom sreče tu malo tam v dvo lahko za bolje bilo Hendrick.
Kasey Kahne, predvidoma zaživela na primerjih. Gledališču zmagal dostop dirkah, ampak je do bilo Tim kot najbolj pričakovano. Vendar pa je končal četrti visoko kariero točk.
Kahne skupaj trdno drugi polovici zaslužiti eno od dostop nadomestnih znakov Chase. Nato od osveščanje 11. do četrti v 10 playoff-dirka.
S močan zaključek, Kahne lahko bojevnik naslednjo sezono.
Vendar baterijski Hendrick voznik-ali skoraj vsakega voznika, za zadevo Dale Earnhardt Jr je najbolj dramatične sezone 2012.
Je biti Moran razočarani nad zaključka. Par možgan zapostavljena mu dve odpravo kakršne koli, dirki naslov upa. Earnhardt Jr, Vendar je najboljši sezoni na Hendrick v njegov najboljši v osmih letih.
Napoved zasledovanjem, Earnhardt Jr ne samo narejen na področju preprosto ampak je resno svetovnem pokalu contender.
Prvič v štirih letih je bil v top v zmagal tri v točkah večino sezone v vodil seštevku za dva tedna v avgustu.
"Junior izginil" priznana Earnhardt Jr preporod v jih letu 2012 v ne dvomim da upanje za boljše stvari pa niso proti jih letu 2013. Odkrito povedano, jaz ne bi bil presenečen, če tako dobil.
Druge stvari pa niso, ki bi lahko obrvi v 2012 PODUST podali bili lackluster po njihovih standardih predstave-Carl Edwards Tony Stewart, šampion 2011. Računam in na njihov, kot dva fanta, ki se išče za odkup v jih letu 2013.
Kot je bilo, NASCAR vedno navijači tako želijo vedno nalogo, kaj bi lahko prihajajoči v sezoni razvija.
Obstaja veliko meniju: kako bo ekip v NASCAR, prilagoditi novi in 2013? Lahko določene gonilnike, kot Joey skupine v Matt Kenseth, prilagoditi z nove ekipe? Ali obstaja še drugo Laktaš contender tam? Veterani nekatere vrnete Bomo zmagovalnih obliki?
Obstaja Štrkov, seveda, veliko formatni.
Na koncu, predvidevanja v pričakovanje sta dve stvari, pa niso kem dvo zabavno NASCAR-čista v preprosta.
Na osebno sporočilo, hvala vam vsem, ki tako obiskali Motorsports odklopljen z leti. Upajmo, da ste bili zabavali v obveščeni.
Nove nadaljuje proti vsebine regalov začetku leta 2013. Do takrat zelje potem najboljše za vesele božične praznike v srečno novo leto!

Certainly one of the most surprising developments of 2012 was Brad Keselowski’s (right) first career Sprint Cup championship. The title was also the first for his team owner, Roger Penske.

The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, like all others that have preceded it, had it share of elation and frustration, success and failure and a good measure of surprising developments.
Also, 2012 had a thing or two none of us had ever seen before, and are unlikely to see again. Juan Pablo Montoya’s fiery encounter with a jet dryer at Daytona comes to mind here.
It was mostly in competition that we saw the unexpected, the unusual, success and failure – well, perhaps not entire failure but certainly performances that did not live up to expectations.
And we also saw performances that soared past our expectations.
There are at least two examples of this and my opinion is that the most notable is the overall, breakout performance by Michael Waltrip Racing.
MWR has never been considered a championship caliber team (I’m sure team members will disagree). So for it to place two drivers in the Chase and have one enjoy a “comeback” season to finish second in the final point standings is something very much unanticipated.
Clint Bowyer came over to MWR from Richard Childress Racing, a move necessitated by a lack of sponsorship and which ended a seven-year relationship.
Bowyer will be the first to tell you that he really had no idea what he was getting himself into.
He knew hardly anyone at MWR and no sense of which direction the team would go.
Bowyer had won five races during his tenure with RCR and made it into the top 10 in points in three of five seasons.
Therefore, it was only natural that he wondered if he could approach such performances as the new man at MWR.
Well, he did – and then some.
Bowyer won three races, easily made the Chase and at Homestead, the final event of the season, he finished second to Jeff Gordon.
That allowed him to ease past Jimmie Johnson to take second place in the point standings. That was not only his career-best finish, it was the highest ever achieved by a MWR driver.
To compliment Bowyer’s achievement, MWR teammate Martin Truex Jr., also made the Chase.

Attachment 4030 Attachment 4031

Perhaps one of the most disappointing performances of 2012 was given by Tony Stewart. The 2011 Sprint Cup champ never contended for a title in the past season.

He was disappointed that he did not win a race or finish higher than 11^th in the standings, but he did qualify for the 10-race “playoff” for the first time since 2007 and the first time with MWR.
MWR’s performance in 2012 clearly indicates it is a team on the rise. More than that, it overcame much of the rather shallow opinions most observers had expressed over recent years.
For 2013 the team’s task is simple: Gather the momentum and use it to create a better season.
I am one of many who suggested that team owner Roger Penske and driver Brad Keselowski would not be a championship contender in 2012.
After all, despite all his efforts with those who drove and worked for him, he had never claimed a title.
And Keselowski? He was in only his third full season of Sprint Cup competition, all with Penske.
As I’ve said more than once maybe we should have seen it coming. By that I mean, Keselowski’s credentials as a driver had steadily improved since his union with Penske.
In 2011 Keselowski won three races and accumulated 14 top-10 finishes to power his way into fifth place in the final point standings.
What he did in 2012 was simple: He got better. He won five times with 23 finishes among the top 10. He was constantly among the point leaders and sealed the championship in Homestead.
Although few thought it would happen, Penske won his first Sprint Cup title and Keselowski became only the third driver to win a championship in his third full season. Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon were the others.
Even though Penske has left Dodge for Ford, no one will overlook Keselowski in 2013. As it is for every team in a coming season if Penske Racing can adapt quickly to the new Ford, there’s no reason to think Keselowski can’t make it two in a row.
Seems odd to say, but by its standards, Hendrick Motorsports could have had a better season.
Don’t get me wrong. What it accomplished was significant. It put all four of its teams in the Chase, had one driver, five-type champ Johnson, finish a single point out of second place and all four drivers won races.
But with a little touch of fortune here and there, it could have been better for Hendrick.
Kasey Kahne, for example, was expected to flourish. He did win two races but that was fewer than most expected. However, he finished a career-high fourth in points.
Kahne put together a solid second half to earn one of two Chase wildcards. He then rallied from 11th to fourth in the 10-race playoff.
With that strong finish, Kahne might be a contender next season.
But of all the Hendrick drivers – or almost any driver, for that matter – Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a most dramatic 2012 season.
He had to be frustrated over the conclusion. A pair of concussions sidelined him for two races, eliminating any title hopes. However, Earnhardt Jr. had his best season at Hendrick and his best in eight years.
Prior to the Chase, Earnhardt Jr. not only easily made the field but was a serious championship contender.
He won for the first time in four years and was in the top three in points most of the season and led the standings for two weeks in August.
The “Junior Nation” recognized Earnhardt Jr.’s resurgence in 2012 and I have no doubt it hopes for better things in 2013. Frankly, I would not be surprised if it got them.
Other things that might have raised our eyebrows in 2012 were the lackluster – by their standards – performances by Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart, the 2011 champ. Count on them as two guys looking for redemption in 2013.
As it has always been, NASCAR fans are always eager to see what might evolve in a coming season.
There’s plenty on the menu: How will teams, and NASCAR, adapt to new 2013 models? Can certain drivers, like Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth, adapt with new teams? Is there yet another upstart contender out there? Will we some of the veterans return to winning form?
There’s more, of course, a lot more.
In the end, anticipation and expectation are two things that make NASCAR fun – pure and simple.
On a personal note, thanks to all of you who have visited Motorsports Unplugged over the years. Hopefully you have been entertained and informed.
New content resumes at the first of 2013. Until then, best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!