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NASCAR 2012NASCAR 2012

Hamlin vows he'll ascend

Denny Hamlin leaves no doubt about the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. But first, he has to talk about the 2011 season, a ninth-place finish in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Make Your Cup Predictions

Think you know who'll be in the Chase for the Cup this year? Make your picks and compare notes with Times-Dispatch writers in this online interactive.

2011 TOP DRIVERS (points)	WORTH WATCHING
14 TONY STEWART 2011 points finish: 1st Races/wins: 464/44 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Office Depot/Mobil 1 Team: Stewart-Haas Racing Crew chief: Steve Addington Lug nut: Brings momentum of five Chase wins, but he may need time to develop chemistry with new crew chief.	51 KURT BUSCH 2011 points finish: 11th Races/wins: 400/24 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Rydex/TAG Heuer Team: Phoenix Racing Crew chief: Nick Harrison Why to watch him: Has been a consistent winner his entire career, but his equipment this season will be the big question mark.
99 CARL EDWARDS 2011 points finish: 2nd Races/wins: 265/19 Manufacturer: Ford Primary sponsors: Fastenal/Aflac Team: Roush Fenway Racing Crew chief: Bob Osborne Lug nut: Did everything consistently last season except win, which cost him his first Sprint Cup championship.	18 KYLE BUSCH 2011 points finish: 12th Races/wins: 257/23 Manufacturer: Toyota Primary sponsor: M&M’s Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Crew chief: Dave Rogers Why to watch him: Will his antics late last season curtail his aggression? His Chase woes continue to spoil great seasons.
29 KEVIN HARVICK 2011 points finish: 3rd Races/wins: 394/18 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsor: Budweiser Team: Richard Childress Racing Crew chief: Shane Wilson Lug nut: Finished third in points for the second consecutive year, leading to switch in crew chief from Gil Martin.	15 CLINT BOWYER 2011 points finish: 13th Races/wins: 217/5 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsor: 5-Hour Energy Team: Michael Waltrip Racing Crew chief: Brian Pattie Why to watch him: How will he respond with a new team after a rough final season with RCR? Equipment could be question mark.
17 MATT KENSETH 2011 points finish: 4th Races/wins: 436/21 Manufacturer: Ford Primary sponsor: Best Buy Team: Roush Fenway Racing Crew chief: Jimmy Fennig Lug nut: Looks to build on a successful first full season with Fennig in 2011, when he led Roush Fenway with three wins.	5 KASEY KAHNE 2011 points finish: 14th Races/wins: 288/12 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Farmers Insurance/Quaker State Team: Hendrick Motorsports Crew chief: Kenny Francis Why to watch him: Joins NASCAR’s top team and has a lot of experience with his crew chief. Could enjoy a strong start in 2012.
2 BRAD KESELOWSKI 2011 points finish: 5th Races/wins: 89/4 Manufacturer: Dodge Primary sponsor: Miller Lite Team: Penske Racing Crew chief: Paul Wolfe Lug nut: Among 2011’s biggest surprises. Now faces pressure of being the face of Penske Racing with Kurt Busch gone.	22 A.J. ALLMENDINGER 2011 points finish: 15th Races/wins: 152/0 Manufacturer: Dodge Primary sponsors: Shell/Penzoil Team: Penske Racing Crew chief: Todd Gordon Why to watch him: He moves into the seat of Kurt Busch, who won twice last season and had strong cars, despite Busch’s criticisms.
48 JIMMIE JOHNSON 2011 points finish: 6th Races/wins: 363/55 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsor: Lowe’s Team: Hendrick Motorsports Crew chief: Chad Knaus Lug nut: Had only four top-10 finishes in Chase races in 2011; in 2010, he had five top-three finishes in Chase races.	16 GREG BIFFLE 2011 points finish: 16th Races/wins: 330/16 Manufacturer: Ford Primary sponsor: 3M Team: Roush Fenway Racing Crew chief: Matt Puccia Why to watch him: Roush Fenway’s only winless driver in 2011 looks to rebound with an infusion of personnel from the No. 6 team.
88 DALE EARNHARDT JR. 2011 points finish: 7th Races/wins: 435/18 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Team: Hendrick Motorsports Crew chief: Steve Letarte Lug nut: Winless skid reached 129 races, but he responded to Letarte’s leadership style and ran much better in 2011.	56 MARTIN TRUEX JR. 2011 points finish: 17th Races/wins: 225/1 Manufacturer: Toyota Primary sponsor: NAPA Team: Michael Waltrip Racing Crew chief: Chad Johnston Why to watch him: Has made little impact since joining MWR, aside from some catchy commercials. Pressure is on to perform.
24 JEFF GORDON 2011 points finish: 8th Races/wins: 653/85 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Drive to End Hunger/DuPont Team: Hendrick Motorsports Crew chief: Alan Gustafson Lug nut: Addition of Gustafson paid dividends last season until the Chase (five finishes of 21st or worse in final 10 races).	31 JEFF BURTON 2011 points finish: 20th Races/wins: 619/21 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Caterpillar/Wheaties Team: Richard Childress Racing Crew chief: Drew Blickensderfer Why to watch him: Had his worst season since 1995, but his new crew chief has three wins in the past two years.
11 DENNY HAMLIN 2011 points finish: 9th Races/wins: 223/17 Manufacturer: Toyota Primary sponsor: FedEx Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Crew chief: Darian Grubb Lug nut: Grubb — who sat on the pit box last year as Stewart claimed his title — tries to help Hamlin rebound following his worst Cup season.	20 JOEY LOGANO 2011 points finish: 21st Races/wins: 111/1 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: Home Depot/Dollar General Team: Joe Gibbs Racing Crew chief: Jason Ratcliff Why to watch him: Nicknamed “Sliced Bread,” he hasn’t earned the moniker yet in the Cup series. Will a new crew chief help?
39 RYAN NEWMAN 2011 points finish: 10th Races/wins: 368/15 Manufacturer: Chevy Primary sponsors: U.S. Army/Quicken Loans Team: Stewart-Haas Racing Crew chief: Tony Gibson Lug nut: Ran better than he did in 2010, but while his teammate surged in the Chase, Newman struggled down the stretch.	1 JAMIE McMURRAY 2011 points finish: 25th Races/wins: 330/6 Manufacturer: Dodge Primary sponsors: Bass Pro Shops/McDonald’s Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Crew chief: Kevin “Bono” Manion Why to watch him: Followed up a breakthrough 2010 season with a horrendous 2011, leading to several personnel changes.

Danica next in line to make NASCAR jump?

Something to prove

Every driver in NASCAR is a keen competitor, but there's always a few with a little more incentive to prove something to everyone else. Here's a look at five for this season.

The Good Old Days

Longtime NASCAR fans often complain that racing isn’t the same now as it used to be. Let’s take a closer look of today's racing versus the good old days.

Two grand prize winners receive a pair of tickets to the 2013 spring race at RIR! Plus great prizes each week of the stock car racing season. (Firefox users: Contest page best viewed in Internet Explorer)

Click here for details and your chance to win

Sprint Cup Schedule

February 26 Daytona
March 4 Phoenix
March 11 Las Vegas
March 18 Bristol
March 25 Fontana
April 1 Martinsville
April 14 Texas
April 22 Kansas
April 28 Richmond
May 6 Talladega
May 12 Darlington
May 19 Sprint Showdown
May 19 Sprint All-Star Race
May 27 Charlotte
June 3 Dover
June 10 Pocono
June 17 Michigan
June 24 Sonoma
June 30 Kentucky
July 7 Daytona
July 15 Loudon
July 29 Indianapolis
August 5 Pocono
August 12 Watkins Glen
August 19 Michigan
August 25 Bristol
September 2 Atlanta
September 8 Richmond
September 16 Chicago
September 23 Loudon
September 30 Dover
October 7 Talladega
October 13 Charlotte
October 21 Kansas
October 28 Martinsville
November 4 Texas
November 11 Phoenix
November 18 Homestead

Click here for more time and TV detail on Sprint Cup races.

Nationwide Schedule

February 25 Daytona
March 3 Phoenix
March 10 Las Vegas
March 17 Bristol
March 24 Fontana
April 13 Texas
April 27 Richmond
May 5 Talladega
May 11 Darlington
May 20 Iowa
May 26 Charlotte
June 2 Dover
June 16 Michigan
June 23 Road America
June 29 Kentucky
July 6 Daytona
July 14 Loudon
July 22 Chicago
July 28 Indianapolis
August 4 Iowa
August 11 Watkins Glen
August 18 Montreal
August 24 Bristol
September 1 Atlanta
September 7 Richmond
September 15 Chicago
September 22 Kentucky
September 29 Dover
October 12 Charlotte
October 20 Kansas
November 3 Texas
November 10 Phoenix
November 17 Homestead