Iħjut NASCARS Accolades għall-2012 fuq il-marka, fil-biċċa l-kbira

Clint Bowyer ingħaqad ma' Michael Waltrip Racing għall-istaġun 2012 u filwaqt li riżultati tajbin kienu inċerti, rebaħ tliet darbiet u spiċċa t-tieni fil-punti, l-aqwa sena tal-karriera tiegħu.

NASCAR ġabar il-lista tiegħu tal-aqwa wirjiet tal-istaġun Sprint Cup 2012 u għandi nammetti li naqbel ma 'ħafna minnhom. Ukoll, agħmel li kważi kollha.
Ma naħsibx li xi ħadd jista 'jargumenta bl-għażla tiegħu għal Comeback Driver of the Year.
Fl-2011, Clint Bowyer kiseb rebħa waħda biss u tilef il-Chase fl-aħħar staġun tiegħu ma' Richard Childress Racing. Kieku nstab sponsorizzazzjoni adegwata, Bowyer seta 'baqa' mal-RCR.
Minflok ingħaqad ma' Michael Waltrip Racing. Dan kien, ħafna preżunti, pass lura. Wara kollox, ir-rekord tal-kisba tal-MWR ma setax jaqbel ma' dak tal-RCR.
Anke Bowyer staqsa x'kien qed jidħol fih. Huwa ammetta li ma jaħsibx li l-unjoni tiegħu mal-MWR tipproduċi suċċess immedjat.
Madankollu, Bowyer rebaħ tliet darbiet fl-2012, kollha fuq binarji differenti - il-korsa tat-triq f'Sonoma, il-korsa qasira f'Richmond u t-tqassim intermedju, ta '1.5 mili f'Charlotte.
Huwa għamel il-Chase faċilment u hekk kif il-"playoff" ta' 10 tiġrijiet, il-wirjiet kostanti ta' Bowyer għenuh jaqbeż fuq Jimmie Johnson li kien qed ifixkel biex jieħu t-tieni Post fil-klassifika finali.
Kien faċilment l-aqwa staġun tal-karriera ta' Bowyer u ġie ma' tim li qabel ma kellux ħafna pedigree. Ir-rimonti ma jmorrux ħafna aħjar minn hekk.
Ejja nikkunsidraw ukoll li sieħbu ta 'Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., għamel ukoll il-Chase, istralċ 11^{t 1} fil-klassifika tal-aħħar punt.
Iva, Truex Jr. ma rebaħx tellieqa. Madankollu huwa spiċċa seba' darbiet fost l-aqwa ħamsa – wieħed biss inqas mill-aħħar erba' staġuni tiegħu flimkien – u 19 fost l-aqwa 10, daqs l-aħħar sentejn flimkien.
Iżda fl-2011 kellu biss tliet finituri mill-aqwa ħamsa u 12 fost l-aqwa 10. Huwa spiċċa 18^{t 1} fil-klassifika tal-punti.
Jekk tistaqsini, naħseb li Truex Jr. kellu staġun ta 'rimonta pjuttost deċenti tiegħu stess.

Martin Truex Jr. ġera wkoll għall-MWR fl-2012 u hu wkoll gawda sena tajba, u spiċċa fil-11-il Post f'punti biex jgħin jagħti lit-tim tiegħu l-aqwa prestazzjoni ġenerali tiegħu.

Naħseb li dak li għamlu Bowyer u Truex Jr. fl-2012 se jpoġġi l-MWR f'dawl kompletament differenti fl-2013.
—- L-għażla tan-NASCAR għal Breakthrough Driver of the Year kienet waħda sempliċi, u ovvja.
Għalkemm ħafna minna ma rawhx ġej, Brad Keselowski tela 'fil-gradi b'mod kostanti - tajjeb, forsi għal staġun wieħed - qabel ma qabbad triqtu lejn stardom fl-2012.
Huwa qajjem xi eyebrows fl-2009 meta rebaħ f'Talladega jsuq għas-sid tat-tim maverick James Finch.
Fl-2010, l-ewwel sena tiegħu ma' Roger Penske Racing, Keselowski għamel kif għamlu l-biċċa l-kbira tal-ġodda fil-passat b'rekord enfasizzat minn żewġ finituri biss fost l-aqwa 10.
M'għandniex xi ngħidu, ma tqajmu l-ebda eyebrows.
Dan inbidel fl-2011. Issetilja mat-tim tiegħu, Keselowski rebaħ tliet tiġrijiet, spiċċa 10 darbiet fost l-aqwa ħamsa u 14 fost l-aqwa 10. Huwa spiċċa l-ħames solidu fil-klassifika tal-punti.
Allura meta beda l-istaġun 2012 Keselowski kien tabilħaqq persuna ta 'interess.
Iżda, kif għidt qabel, ma nemminx li ħafna qiesuh kontendent tal-kampjonat. Filwaqt li ċertament kien membru ta' tim tajjeb ta' Penske, ma kinitx il-partita, pereżempju, tal-juggernauts Hendrick Motorsports jew Roush Fenway Racing.
Barra minn hekk huwa kien biss fit-tielet sena sħiħa tiegħu ta' kompetizzjoni fl-ogħla livell tan-NASCAR.
Iżda Keselowski għajjat fil-prominenza malajr. Bħala kontendent, huwa sempliċement ma jmurx. Huwa rebaħ ħames darbiet fl-2012, iżda aktar importanti, ma sparixxax fil-Chase.
Tnejn mir-rebħiet tiegħu u tmienja mit-13-il finitura tiegħu mill-aqwa ħamsa ġew waqt il-Chase, sensiela ta' wirjiet kostanti li ppermettewlu jieħu vantaġġ sħiħ mill-misfortunes tal-isfidant Johnson matul l-aħħar żewġ tiġrijiet.
L-agħar finitura ta 'Keselowski fil-Chase kienet 15^{t 1} f'Homestead – eżattament fejn kellu bżonn jispiċċa biex jassigura kampjonat.
Keselowski jingħaqad ma' Dale Earnhardt u Jeff Gordon bħala l-uniċi sewwieqa li rebħu titlu wara biss tliet snin ta' kompetizzjoni.
U ma nkunx sorpriż, mhux daqsxejn, jekk Keselowski jirbaħ premjijiet "Driver of the Year" daqs kemm hemm barra.

—- Fost affarijiet oħra, NASCAR elenkat l-Aqwa Tim tagħha għall-2012. Hawn fejn ma naqbilx xi ftit.
Il-korp ta 'sanzjonar għażel lil Hendrick Motorsports bħala l-aqwa organizzazzjoni tiegħu u ammetta faċilment l-unur normalment imur għat-tim tal-kampjonat.
Madankollu, NASCAR qalet li sempliċement ma setgħetx tinjora s-sena tat-tfassil tal-istorja ta 'Hendrick. Rebaħ il-200 tiegħu^{t 1} tellieqa u qabdet rebħa fi tnejn mill-aktar tlielaq prestiġjużi tan-NASCAR, in-Nofsinhar 500 u l-Brickyard 400.
Hendrick kiseb staġun għoli10 rebħiet. Johnson mexxa t-triq b'ħamsa; Jeff Gordon kellu tnejn, Kasey Kahne tnejn u Dale Earnhardt Jr. wieħed.
L-erba 'sewwieqa għamlu l-Chase.
Impressjonanti. M'iniex se nargumenta dwar dan.
Imma nissuġġerixxi li t-tim li għeleb lil Hendrick; Dak li kiseb l-iktar glorja billi kiseb kampjonat, jista 'jkollu t-tarf.
Le, Penske ma rebaħx 200^{t 1} tellieqa iżda Keselowski rebaħ ħames darbiet, daqs Johnson u Denny Hamlin.
Penske ilha parti min-NASCAR mill-1972 u kkompetiet fuq bażi full-time għal aktar minn għoxrin sena. Għalkemm resaq qrib xi darba jew tnejn meta Rusty Wallace kien is-sewwieq tiegħu, huwa qatt ma rebaħ kampjonat - dan minkejja suċċess tremend f'ħafna forom oħra ta 'kompetizzjoni.
Fl-aħħar sab il-Grail Imqaddes fl-2012.
Forsi dak waħdu mhux biżżejjed biex it-tim tiegħu jkun l-aħjar fl-2012, iżda mbagħad, ikkunsidra dan:
Hendrick Motorsports kiseb 10 kampjonati. Johnson rebaħ ħamsa minnhom – wara xulxin, xejn inqas – f'dawn l-aħħar seba' snin.
Heck, Hendrick huwa Mistennija biex tirbaħ it-titli. Għala le? Matul l-aħħar għaxar snin ma għaddiex staġun li fih Hendrick kien Mhux meqjus bħala kontendent tat-titolu.
Dejjem kellu t-tagħmir, it-tmexxija, il-flus, il-persunal u t-talent biex jagħmel dan. Ma naħsibx li xi ħadd ma jistax jaqbel ma' dan.
Allura meta powerhouse bħal din tinqala ', mhux daqshekk bid-destin iżda bl-isforzi ta' tim inqas, allura jkolli naħseb li r-rebħa hija dovuta għar-rikonoxximent xieraq.
Ċertament Hendrick kiseb is-sehem tiegħu fih, speċjalment fis-snin tal-kampjonat tiegħu.
Ma naħsibx li dan għandu jkun differenti għal Penske.
Il-punt tiegħi: Naħseb li l- "David" li għeleb lil "Goliath" huwa dovut għall-istess rikonoxximent għall-2012.

Attachment 3549Clint Bowyer joined Michael Waltrip Racing for the 2012 season and while good results were uncertain, he won three times and finished second in points, the best year of his career.

NASCAR has compiled its list of the top performances of the 2012 Sprint Cup season and I have to admit I agree with most of them. Well, make that nearly all of them.
I don’t think anyone can argue with its choice for Comeback Driver of the Year.
In 2011, Clint Bowyer earned just one win and missed the Chase in his final season with Richard Childress Racing. Had adequate sponsorship been found, Bowyer might well have stayed with RCR.
Instead he joined Michael Waltrip Racing. This was, many assumed, a backward step. After all, MWR’s record of achievement could not match RCR’s.
Even Bowyer wondered what he was getting into. He admitted he didn’t think his union with MWR would produce immediate success.
However, Bowyer won three times in 2012, all on different tracks – the road course at Sonoma, the short track at Richmond and the intermediate, 1.5-mile layout at Charlotte.
He made the Chase easily and as the 10-race “playoff” wound down, Bowyer’s steady performances helped him leapfrog over a stumbling Jimmie Johnson to take second place in the final standings.
It was easily Bowyer’s career best season and it came with a team that previously didn’t have much of a pedigree. Comebacks don’t get much better than that.
Let’s also consider that Bowyer’s teammate, Martin Truex Jr., also made the Chase, winding up 11^th in the final point standings.
Yes, Truex Jr. did not win a race. Yet he finished seven times among the top five – just one short of his last four seasons combined – and 19 among the top 10, as many as the last two years combined.
But in 2011 he had only three top-five finishes and 12 among the top 10. He finished 18^th in the point standings.
If you ask me, I think Truex Jr. had a pretty decent comeback season of his own.

Attachment 3550Martin Truex Jr. also raced for MWR in 2012 and he too enjoyed a good year, finishing 11th in points to help give his team its best-ever overall performance.

I think what Bowyer and Truex Jr. did in 2012 is going to put MWR in an entirely different light in 2013.
—- NASCAR’s choice for Breakthrough Driver of the Year was a simple, and obvious, one.
Although many of us didn’t see it coming, Brad Keselowski rose in the ranks steadily – well, perhaps for one season – before he powered his way to stardom in 2012.
He raised some eyebrows in 2009 when he won at Talladega driving for maverick team owner James Finch.
In 2010, his first year with Roger Penske Racing, Keselowski did as most newcomers have done in the past with a record highlighted by only two finishes among the top 10.
Needless to say, no eyebrows were raised.
That changed in 2011. Settled in with his team, Keselowski won three races, finished 10 times among the top five and 14 among the top 10. He finished a solid fifth in the point standings.
So when the 2012 season began Keselowski was indeed a person of interest.
But, as I’ve said before, I don’t believe many considered him a championship contender. While he was certainly a member of a good Penske team, it wasn’t the match, for example, of the juggernauts Hendrick Motorsports or Roush Fenway Racing.
In addition he was in only his third full year of competition at NASCAR’s highest level.
But Keselowski roared into prominence quickly. As a contender, he simply would not go away. He won five times in 2012, but more important, he did not fade in the Chase.
Two of his wins and eight of his 13 top-five finishes came during the Chase, a string of steady performances that allowed him to take full advantage of challenger Johnson’s misfortunes over the final two races.
Keselowski’s worst finish in the Chase was a 15^th at Homestead – exactly where he needed to finish to assure a championship.
Keselowski joins Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to win a title after only three years of competition.
And I would not be surprised, not a bit, if Keselowski wins as many “Driver of the Year” awards as there are out there.

—- Among other things, NASCAR listed its Top Team for 2012. Here’s where I disagree somewhat.
The sanctioning body selected Hendrick Motorsports as its top organization and readily admitted the honor usually goes to the championship team.
However, NASCAR said it simply could not ignore Hendrick’s history-making year. It won its 200^th race and captured victory in two of NASCAR’s most prestigious races, the Southern 500 and the Brickyard 400.
Hendrick earned a season high10 victories. Johnson led the way with five; Jeff Gordon had two, Kasey Kahne two and Dale Earnhardt Jr. one.
All four drivers made the Chase.
Impressive. I’m not about to argue about that.
But I would suggest that the team that overcame Hendrick; the one that earned the most glory by earning a championship, might have the edge.
No, Penske did not win a 200^th race but Keselowski did win five times, as many as Johnson and Denny Hamlin.
Penske has been a part of NASCAR since 1972 and competed on a full-time basis for more than two decades. Although he came close a time or two when Rusty Wallace was his driver, he never won a championship – this despite tremendous success in many other forms of competition.
He finally found the Holy Grail in 2012.
Maybe that alone is not enough to make his team the best in 2012, but then, consider this:
Hendrick Motorsports has earned 10 championships. Johnson has won five of them – in a row, no less – in the last seven years.
Heck, Hendrick is expected to win titles. Why not? Over the last decade a season hasn’t passed in which Hendrick was not considered a title contender.
It has always had the equipment, leadership, money, personnel and talent to do so. I don’t think anyone can disagree with that.
So when such a powerhouse gets knocked off, not so much by fate but by the efforts of a lesser team, then I have to think the victor is due the proper recognition.
Certainly Hendrick has gotten its share of it, especially in its championship years.
I don’t think that should be different for Penske.
My point: I think that the “David” that beat “Goliath” is due the same recognition for 2012.