NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 20 Drivers Headed into 2012 Season

Everyone has their predictions as to who will finish where in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series in 2012.

If you ask ten people, you will probably receive ten different answers.

Each season, a driver comes out of nowhere to surprise the fans. Last season, it was Brad Keselowski.

Also, there are drivers who are picked to compete for the championship and struggle throughout the season. Last season, it was Denny Hamlin.

I used some information about changes to each driver’s situation in 2012 to make my predictions, but most of my predictions were based upon my gut feelings about each driver.

I am sure some will agree with my predictions, but I am sure there are more readers who will disagree. Feel free to post your own predictions in the comments sections.

So, here they are—my NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings for the top 20 drivers heading into the 2012 season.

20. Joey Logano

When Joey Logano entered NASCAR, he was nicknamed “Sliced Bread.”

Logano is entering his fourth year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and his best finish in the point standings is 16th in 2010.

Has Logano been a disappointment to Joe Gibbs Racing?

Logano is only 21 years old. How much had Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, or Tony Stewart accomplished in NASCAR by the time they were 21 years old?

Logano only has one career win (A rain-shortened race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2009), but he still has time to improve.

Logano will improve upon his 24th-place finish in the points standings from last year, but not by much.

Greg Zipadelli left the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team to join Stewart Haas Racing for 2012. Jason Ratcliff was promoted from the No. 18 Nationwide car for Joe Gibbs Racing to become Logano’s new crew chief.

Although Zipadelli is one of the best crew chiefs in NASCAR, I think the change will be good for Logano. Ratcliff proved he could work with Kyle Busch when he led him to the Nationwide Series championship in 2009. If Ratcliff can work well with Busch, how hard could it be to form a strong relationship with Logano?

19. Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton seems to be the forgotten man at Richard Childress Racing.

While Kevin Harvick was competing for the championship and Paul Menard was winning at the Brickyard, Burton struggled to finish in the top 20 in the point standings.

Burton is one of the hardest drivers to predict for the 2012 season. He could easily make the Chase or he could easily finish outside the top 20. I think he will be somewhere in-between.

Burton has not won a race since the 2008 season.

I doubt he will win one in 2012, but he is still a good driver for RCR. Nicknamed “The Mayor," Burton’s role is to lead Richard Childress Racing to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

He can do this by keeping his teammate Harvick from losing his cool, and help his other teammate Menard learn how to get around each of NASCAR’s tracks.

Burton will compete for the win in a handful of races in 2012, but he won’t be consistent enough to make the Chase. I predict Burton to finish in the 19th spot in the point standings.

18. Kurt Busch

One of the many questions going into the 2012 season is: Can Kurt Busch compete in a car not owned by one of the five major teams in NASCAR?

I think he can, but not at the level he did while he was at Penske Racing.

As you may have heard, Busch and Penske Racing went their separate ways following the 2011 season. Busch signed with Phoenix Racing for a one-year deal.

What Busch has going for him is that Phoenix Racing made a deal to have the team’s engines and chassis be provided by Hendrick Motorsports. The deal is similar to the deal Stewart-Haas Racing has with Hendrick Motorsports. 

The bad news for Busch is that he is driving for a single-car team and has no teammates to share information with.

Busch often complained to his crew chief, Steve Addington, while he was at Penske Racing. I think he will miss the knowledge that Addington brought to his cars. Busch’s new crew chief is Nick Harrison, not nearly the crew chief that Addington is.

Busch will compete in some races in 2012, based upon his skill as a driver. Although Busch proclaims he is getting over his temper issues, I think by the end of the season Phoenix Racing and Busch will have had about enough of each other. I predict Busch will finish the season 18th in points.

17. Paul Menard

Paul Menard has been progressing in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career the past three seasons.

In 2009 Menard finished a mediocre 29th in the points standings.

In 2010 Menard took a step forward and finished 23rd in the points standings.

Last season Menard finished 17th in points, and that is where I predict him to finish in 2012 as well.

The reason why Menard will not take another step forward is not based upon his skill as a driver. It is based upon the skill of the drivers in front of him. I predict that Menard will win another race in 2012, but he will fail to make the Chase.

Menard is close to taking the next step in his NASCAR career, but 2012 won’t be the year he does it.

16. Martin Truex Jr.

I consider Martin Truex Jr. one of the most overlooked drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

The reason why Truex is not in the conversation with other drivers for the Chase is because he cannot seem to find his way to victory lane.

Truex has only won one race in his six full seasons in the Sprint Cup Series, coming at Dover in 2007. If Truex can turn his top-five finishes into wins, he will be in the conversation with the top drivers in the sport.

I predict Truex will have another fine season for Michael Waltrip Racing. He will have a handful of top five finishes to go along with double digit top ten finishes. He will not make the Chase, but he will improve upon his 18th-place finish in the points in 2011 to 16th in 2012.

15. Clint Bowyer

Clint Bowyer moves from Richard Childress Racing to Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012.

That is not a good thing.

Bowyer has finished in the top ten in the point standings in three of his six full seasons in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

Michael Waltrip Racing is improving and the addition of Mark Martin and Bowyer to the team will make the organization stronger.

I just do not believe they are ready to compete with the five dominant teams in the sport (Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Penske Racing). Those teams still have a significant advantage financially, and while Bowyer may have the driving skills to compete, he will not have the equipment.

I predict Bowyer will finish 15th in the point standings this season. Bowyer will win a race this year, but he will not be consistent enough to make the Chase.

14. Greg Biffle

I consider Greg Biffle to be the unluckiest driver in NASCAR.

Each season, Biffle shows up at a track with the best car in the field.

Biffle dominates the race only to have his car fail at the end.

Sometimes, I wonder if Biffle causes the problems that make his cars blowup or if it's just bad luck.

Biffle seems to be the third man on the Roush Fenway Racing pecking order. There is no question that Carl Edwards is the face of the organization, and Matt Kenseth is second. Biffle has his days when he competes at a high level, but he is too inconsistent to compete for a championship.

I predict Biffle will be one of the last drivers left out of the Chase in 2012. He will be within striking distance at the last race before the Chase in Richmond, but his luck will prevent him from making it in.

13. A.J. Allmendinger

The biggest surprise of the 2012 season will be A.J. Allmendinger.

Allmendinger is another driver who has taken steps forward in each of his seasons in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. In 2009, Allmendinger finished 24th in the point standings.

In 2010, he climbed to 19th.

Last season, Allmendinger nearly made the Chase before finishing 15th.

I predict Allmendinger will take another step forward in 2012.

Allmendinger left Richard Petty Motorsports and signed with Penske Racing.

For the first time in his career, Allmendinger will have the opportunity to drive top equipment. This will be the year Allmendinger gets his first win in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. quietly had a very good season last year.

Earnhardt started off the season on fire, finishing 10th at Phoenix, eighth at Las Vegas, second at Martinsville, ninth at Texas, fourth at Talladega, seventh at Charlotte, second at Kansas and sixth at Pocono.

The rest of the season did not go as well for the No. 88 team.

If Earnhardt can find a way to race at the level he did for the first part of last season for the entire 2012 season, he will be competing for a championship. I do not think it will happen though.

Earnhardt drives for the best team with the best equipment, but I just do not believe he has the talent to win a championship.

This will be the year Earnhardt wins his first race since 2008.

It has to be!

How much longer can his fans continue to cheer him on without winning a race?

I predict Earnhardt will make the Chase, but will struggle when everything is on the line. He will finish last in the Chase.

11. Ryan Newman

If you needed one word to describe Ryan Newman it would be: “dependable.”

The "Rocket Man" is not a driver that is going to compete for a championship every year, but he will be competitive in almost every race.

One thing that Newman has going for him is his ability to qualify his car. Newman is probably the best qualifier in NASCAR. His ability to start up front in so many races gives him a chance to finish in the top ten.

In his three years at Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman has made the Chase in two of them. I think Newman will make it three out of four in 2012.

I predict Newman will win some races (probably on a flat race track), win many poles, and finish the season 11th in the point standings. 

10. Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski was the biggest surprise in 2011.

Keselowski followed up his 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings.

Keselowski won three races and had ten top-five finishes in 2011. He was one of the most consistent drivers in NASCAR.

Some people are predicting Keselowski to once again finish in the top five.

I am not one of them.

Although Keselowski is very talented, I think 2011 was more of a fluke than anything else.

Keselowski will win some races in 2012 and make the Chase, but he will fall to the 10th spot in the final points standings.

9. Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon is a model of consistency in NASCAR.

Gordon has finished in the top ten of NASCAR’s point standings in 17 of the last 18 seasons. The only season he did not finish in the top ten was in 2005, when he finished 11th.

Gordon’s streak of top-ten finishes will not end in 2012. I think Gordon will be near the top of the point standings all season long, but when the Chase begins, he will fade.

I predict Gordon will finish ninth in the point standings and add to his 85 total career victories.

8. Denny Hamlin

Before the 2011 season, Denny Hamlin was a trendy pick to win the championship.

Hamlin’s season did not go as planned, so Joe Gibbs Racing made a change at the crew chief position for the No. 11 car.

Out is Mike Ford, in is the champion crew chief, Darian Grubb.

I think the change from Ford to Grubb will be a positive move for Hamlin. He has the talent to compete for the championship when he has a good car to drive. I think Grubb will provide Hamlin the cars he needs to compete for a championship.

Hamlin will win some races in 2012 (Martinsville and Pocono are his best tracks), and he will make the Chase. I predict Hamlin will finish eighth in the point standings.

7. Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth had a good season in 2011, finishing fourth in the point standings. It was his second consecutive season of finishing in the top five in the standings.

Other than a new sponsor, not much has changed with the No. 17 team in 2012. Kenseth will win a handful of races and make the Chase. He will also continue to have problems qualifying his car, but that has never been an issue in the past. When he does qualify up front, you can almost guarantee he will win the race.

I predict Kenseth will move back three spots in 2012 and finish seventh in the standings.

Kenseth is a talented driver, but he still needs to figure out the road courses. He has never finished in the top five on a road course.

6. Kasey Kahne

Another surprise in 2012 will be Kasey Kahne.

Kahne failed to make the Chase the past two seasons. That will not be the case in 2012.

Kahne finished his one-year deal with Red Bull Racing before joining Hendrick Motorsports. Now that Kahne is in the No. 5 car, he will have the equipment necessary to compete for a Championship.

I predict that Kahne will have a very good season in 2012.

Kahne has never had the resources to lean on like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. I think he will learn a lot from his new teammates and it will translate into success on the race track.

Kahne will finish sixth in the point standings.

5. Kyle Busch

If NASCAR championships were given to the driver with the most skill behind the wheel, Kyle Busch would have multiple titles. No one can drive a car like Busch or no one has the guts to.

Busch’s biggest problem is himself.

If he could ever get out of his own way, he could compete for a championship.

One thing that Busch has going for him this season is that he plans to cut back on the number of races he competes in the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. This should provide him more time to focus on his Sprint Cup Series car.

Busch could easily win the championship in 2012, but I predict he will continue to be his own worst enemy. Busch will win many races, but will have DNF’s that will haunt him.

I predict Busch will finish fifth in the point standings.

4. Kevin Harvick

After finishing in third place the past two seasons, Kevin Harvick is looking to win his first championship in 2012.

In order to win the championship, a driver must be consistently good on all tracks, have luck on his side, and have a winning team in the pits.

Harvick is definitely consistent.

He is arguably the best driver on the restrictor plate tracks and the flat tracks. He can also hold his own on the mile-and-a-half tracks. Only two tracks give Harvick problems: Charlotte and Darlington.

Harvick only has one top five finish in 19 starts at Charlotte, and two top five finishes in 15 starts at Darlington. A driver can win the championship by finishing well in all but two race tracks.

The only question surrounding the No. 29 team this year is: How well will Harvick and new crew chief Shane Wilson work together?

Harvick has had a problem getting along with his crew chiefs in the past. If Harvick and Wilson work well together, the team could compete for the championship in 2012.

I predict Harvick will have a season similar to the last two. Harvick will win four or five races and enter the Chase as one of the favorites. He will be outmatched in the Chase and finish fourth in the point standings.

3. Tony Stewart

Can Tony Stewart repeat?

He can, but it will not be easy.

Stewart is one of the drivers facing the most pressure in 2012.

The pressure was brought on by himself.

Following his championship last season, Stewart decided to let crew chief Darian Grubb go and hire Steve Addington from Penske Racing.

If this change works out for the No. 14 team, Stewart will look like a genius. If Stewart struggles in 2012, he will look like an idiot. I believe Stewart would not have made the move unless he knew it would work.

Stewart worked with Addington when he was racing for Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart also hired his former crew chief from Joe Gibbs Racing, Greg Zipadelli.

Zipadelli will serve as the part-time crew Chief for Danica Patrick and the fulltime director of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart and Zipadelli won two championships together at Joe Gibbs Racing. Their chemistry is strong and should benefit Stewart in 2012.

What Stewart did in the Chase in 2011 was amazing. I do not think Stewart will dominate in 2012 like he did in the Chase, but I also think he will not struggle like he did for most of the 2011 season.

I predict Stewart will win the Daytona 500 and then struggle until the summer. Once the Chase starts, Stewart will be very competitive, but not enough to repeat as the Champion. Stewart will finish third in the point standings this season.

2. Carl Edwards

Poor Carl Edwards.  

For his sake, I hope my prediction is wrong.

Edwards has been one of the best drivers in NASCAR the past two seasons. He is also one of the nicest drivers in the garage. I believe his niceness is his downfall. If Edwards had the killer instinct that Tony Stewart showed in the Chase last season, Edwards would have multiple championships.

Edwards is one of the most consistent drivers in NASCAR. The only tracks he struggled at in the past were the road courses, but he has made improvements over the past two years.

Edwards will be one of the drivers to beat in 2012, and he will be in contention for the championship at Homestead for the Ford 400. I do not think he will get it done.

I predict Edwards to be at the top of the point standings for much of the 2012 season, but when the season comes to an end, Edwards will once again be the bridesmaid and not the bride.

1. Jimmie Johnson

How quickly we forget who the most dominant driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has been for the last decade.

I picked Jimmie Johnson to win the championship in 2012 because I do not think he enjoyed watching Tony Stewart celebrate with the trophy last season.

Hendrick Motorsports will be the most dominant team in NASCAR in 2012, and Johnson will lead their charge.

The only problem Johnson had last season was a few arguments with his crew chief Chad Knaus. The two have had time to heal their frustrations and I think once they start winning in 2012; their arguments will come to an end.

I predict Johnson will enter the Chase in the third or fourth position. Once the Chase begins, Johnson will start to dominate as Stewart did last season. Johnson will battle Carl Edwards for the championship and a decision made in the pits by Knaus will spring Johnson to his sixth championship.

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