NASCAR's Media Darlings for 2012

Each season, the two top national series of NASCAR racing brings storylines that revolve around certain drivers whose performance is scrutinized by media and fans alike because of expectations or lack thereof.

There is a plethora of reasons that a particular driver may be watched more closely than his or her peers.

Reasons can range from team ownership, team swaps, crew chiefs, expected level of performance from a driver in a particular series, popularity or statistics from the previous season, good or bad.

Perhaps a new driver steps out of one series to conquer driving at a higher level or comes from another series of racing into the sport of NASCAR at its highest levels.

The 2012 season certainly has many driver storylines because of the net effect of an extended silly season rife with changes that could have dramatic outcomes.

Drivers listed in this slide show are referred to as media darlings because both the NASCAR media and fans love to follow what happens to them.

1. Travis Pastrana

Travis Pastrana, 28, jumps from the ranks as an X Games and rally racing superstar to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving for Pastrana/Waltrip Racing.

Pastrana's move is supposed to be just one more challenge he is taking on to prove that his skills will translate to being a NASCAR contender.

NASCAR is currently courting a younger demographic of fans, and he will no doubt bring them from "Pastrananation."

Pastrana was expected to drive in a few races in 2011, but a hard crash at the X Games in Los Angeles caused serious injuries to his leg and ankle. His Nationwide debut was postponed to 2012.

Many may think Pastrana's move to NASCAR is more of a publicity stunt than a serious career move, but regardless of his reasons, his appearances at the tracks will attract lots of attention.

2. Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch will return to his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sponsored by M&Ms in 2012 after coming close to losing its sponsorship because of his poor judgment during an NCWTS race at Texas.

This Busch is the younger of the two brothers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, who have garnered the label of "bad boys."

JGR has requested Busch to not drive in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this year even though the equipment belongs to Kyle Busch Motorsports.

He is also cutting back on his participation in NASCAR Nationwide racing to concentrate on Cup racing.

Busch is perhaps one of the most talented drivers in the sport today, but like his brother, he has not been able to rein in his emotional behavior that has resulted in NASCAR watching his every move.

It remains to be seen if the pressure to behave properly has diluted his fiery persona that may be the driving force behind his numerous wins in the top three series of NASCAR.

Busch has a lot of work to do to regain respect as a driver with fans and his fellow drivers. He also knows he must perform for JGR, continue to win races and become a championship contender.

This driver will be watched closely to see how he walks the razor's edge that he unfortunately put himself on.

3. Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick has now made the permanent career move from the open-wheel cars to NASCAR after two seasons of running a part-time Nationwide schedule.

Patrick will be driving a full schedule in NASCAR's second tier with the JR Motorsports No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

In addition, she will debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Daytona 500 with the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 10 Chevrolet, also sponsored by GoDaddy.com.

A fourth place finish at Las Vegas in 2011 made Patrick the highest-finishing female in NASCAR national series history. She is expected to have top-10 finishes and possibly a win with her No. 7 car.

Patrick's ventures into Cup racing have lower expectations, with her making some 10 appearances at tracks that may be her biggest challenges.

She will debut her Cup ride in the Daytona 500. You can be sure the media will be all over this driver during the 2012 season.

4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the NASCAR Nationwide championship in 2011 with his Roush Fenway Racing Mustang.

Stenhouse, 24, will once again be a tough contender for the title in the Nationwide Series, but his potential as a Cup driver may be a bigger story.

Lack of sponsorship may well limit how many races he can run for RFR in NASCAR's top series. If sponsorship can be found, look for this young man to be a serious contender with a Cup car.

Stenhouse went from being benched by Jack Roush in 2010 to winning a title in 2011. He is a talented driver and certainly one to watch this upcoming season and beyond.

5. Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards was tied with Tony Stewart in the point standings at the end of the season, but he did not win any Chase races, and Stewart won five races that secured his championship.

Expect Edwards to come back strong with his No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. Though typically second-place finishers in the standings don't fare as well the following year, Edwards could easily be the exception.

This media-friendly driver is popular with fans and seems to be on camera more than any other driver with his big smile and easy-going personality.

Expectations are high for Edwards, and he will certainly be one to watch, with many believing he will be the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.

6. Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon is the grandson of Richard Childress and the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.

Dillon drove the No. 3 NCWTS truck, and now he will be bringing the black No. 3 back to the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

This young man has everything going for him and talent as a driver that should carry him to Cup racing in a reasonably short period of time.

With RCR equipment and more than adequate funding from his grandfather, he should be a contender for wins in the Nationwide races and possibly a title.

Childress has said he has no plans now to bring the iconic No. 3 back to the Cup level, but you can bet at some point—once Dillon has proven his ability in the big leagues—he will be behind the wheel of the No. 3 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won NASCAR's Most Popular Driver award for the ninth consecutive year at the conclusion of the 2011 season.

The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports dramatically improved his performance from the two prior dismal seasons under the guidance of crew chief Steve Letarte. He finished seventh in the point standings for 2011.

Though Earnhardt has been winless for 129 races heading to Daytona, the 2012 season should be his best shot yet with Hendrick to win races.

Junior seems to have regained his confidence in himself and his team and is sporting a different attitude than we have seen in years past.

Earnhardt is always the focus of media attention and is, of course, the darling of Junior Nation, his faithful fanbase who supports him no matter what.

As is the case every year, you can expect his performance to be monitored closely.

8. Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch had a great gig with Penske Racing. He is the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and has 24 career Cup wins.

Busch also had some personality flaws, including emotional outbursts and anger management issues.

He was unable to rein in his emotions, and his unhappiness with Penske Racing led to his departure, which was reported as a mutual agreement.

Busch claimed to have lost the fun factor as the driver of the Shell/Pennzoil No. 22 Dodge. Now, he is back to more of an old-school, low-budget team owned by James Finch.

Though Finch and Phoenix Racing use Hendrick Motorsports engines and chassis, Busch will hardly have the resources at his disposal that he has been used to.

This will be a one-year test for Busch to prove that his sports psychologist has really helped him and that he has regained control of his emotions. He believes his new ride is going to be more fun.

Look for the media to closely watch the performance of Busch to see if he can make it through the season in lesser equipment without being frustrated and once again losing it.

If Busch can perform well, both with his Phoenix Racing ride and personality-wise, it is likely he will be back with a top-tier team in 2013.