Optimism, Danica, Busch brothers the buzz words on annual media tour

COMMENTARY

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour provides the opportunity to visit with practically every Sprint Cup driver and team and gauge their outlooks for the new season.

And, as usual, practically all of them are poised to win races and make the championship Chase.

And, like always, there were some intriguing developments and some developing stories during this year’s recently completed tour.

From the pending arrival of a new baby (for Kevin and DeLana Harvick) to the calmer, gentler attitude of some old ones (insert Busch brother here) to the brightening spotlight on a new star (Danica Patrick), the media tour offered some insight into what to expect in 2012.

Here are some observations from the 30th annual tour:

• For the first time in a while, NASCAR had no big news to announce during its annual media tour press briefing. And that was probably a good thing.

A year ago, it announced major changes to the points system and the Chase and other new initiatives to address lingering problems and give the sport a spark. With TV ratings and attendance down and the sport seemingly on a downward spiral, the media gathering last year was a bit confrontational. NASCAR officials were on the defensive and even somewhat testy.

This year the message and the tone was decidedly different. Most of the changes for 2012 had already been announced and are well under way – fuel injection, a new rules package for Daytona and the development of a new Sprint Cup car for 2013.

Instead, the message from NASCAR was simple and upbeat – all is well and the sport is headed in the right direction.

“The sport is in a very good place right now,” NASCAR Chairman Brian France said. “NASCAR is carrying great momentum into 2012.”

• The Kevin Harvick-Kyle Busch feud is far from over and is likely to carry on into the 2012 season.

While Busch is trying to clean up his act after being suspended for a Cup and Nationwide race late last year, Harvick didn’t hesitate to express is disdain for his biggest rival and to continue to stoke the fire.

“He’s just such a jerk most of the time,” Harvick said. “… He’s really the only guy in the sport, the one guy that I just don’t like.”

Busch must try his best to stay out of trouble this season – and Harvick knows that – but he has never backed down from anyone and likely won’t stand for Harvick continuing to chide him.

If Harvick continues to be a thorn in his side, Busch likely will strike back, stirring up more trouble and continuing the long-running feud.

• Kurt Busch also was a hot topic during the media tour, with much talk about him losing his ride at Penske Racing at the end of last year and his outlook for 2012 at unheralded Phoenix Racing.

Though Busch is driving for an underfunded, single-car team, don’t be shocked if he does much better than expected.

Phoenix Racing has Hendrick Motorsports cars and engines and has hired several experienced crewmen. Don’t be surprised if Busch wins a couple of races and puts himself in position to earn one of the two Chase wild cards.

• Speaking of Kurt Busch, he may already have a lead on a new ride for next season.

Given Felix Sabates’ glowing endorsement and his aid in helping Busch find a new ride, don’t be surprised if Busch lands at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing next year, the team Sabates co-owns with Chip Ganassi.

Busch likely will have few options with the Big Four teams – Hendrick, Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing – next year, and certainly can’t go back to Penske Racing.

That makes Earnhardt Ganassi the next-best option. Jamie McMurray is in the final year of his contract and if he struggles again this season, Busch could land in that ride in 2012.

• There was no one more upbeat and confident this week than Denny Hamlin, who is coming off a disappointing 2011 season.

Hamlin, who recently moved to Arizona, appears to be re-energized and is downright giddy over the addition of new crew chief Darian Grubb, who left Stewart-Haas Racing after leading Tony Stewart to the championship last year.

Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing went after Grubb as soon as they learned that he was available.

Hamlin was unhappy with his car most of last season and complained bitterly about some of the procedures at Gibbs. As a result, the organization has made numerous changes and appears to be headed in a new direction with two new crew chiefs (Grubb and Jason Ratcliff).

If the Gibbs organization has indeed improved, look for Hamlin to return to form and have another big year.

• How comfortable is Danica Patrick with her decision to move to NASCAR full time?

She’s skipping the biggest IndyCar race of the season and at least temporarily giving up on her dream of winning the Indy 500 to run the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and use the Memorial Day weekend to focus on NASCAR.

How confident is she?

She believes she’s got a shot to win the Daytona 500 in her first Sprint Cup race.

“The cars are very fast, as you guys saw at the test, so I feel good about that race,” she said. “I feel good about Daytona and I think there’s a real chance, if luck falls our way, [that we can] perhaps win. A guy like Trevor Bayne last year showed that.”

Patrick will be in the spotlight all season and will struggle at times as she continues to adjust to stock cars. But she also is committed and determined and likely to be a big surprise at times as well.

• Five-time champions Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus seem refreshed and refocused after an unusually long offseason for them.

Knaus is coming off an extended vacation for the first time in 10 years and Johnson seems a bit ticked off after the worst season of his career last year.

They seem to have pinpointed their biggest problem last year – a lack of communication – smoothed out the rough edges around their sometimes-fragile relationship and seem intent on returning to championship form.

Their championship streak may have ended, but a new might be about to begin.

“I said this before they won their first championship, and I’ll say it now, this is the kind of group that they get stronger through these experiences,” teammate Jeff Gordon said. “They are going to be powerful this year. I look for them to be really strong and on top of their game.”

That’s good enough for me to put them back at the top of the list of championship contenders.

• No one was more impressed with Tony Stewart’s incredible charge to the 2011 championship than Gordon, a four-time champion who, like Stewart, is trying to win another championship at age 40.

Gordon said he was both inspired and motivated by watching Stewart’s championship run last year.

“Nobody has ever questioned his talent, but I think sometimes his desire and what his real drive is has been questioned along the way,” Gordon said. “But he showed that he wanted it and he wanted it more than anyone else out there and he used his talents and his team to go get it, and I think all of us can learn from that.”

• Though there are some positive signs that the business side of the sport is starting to turn around, there are still some danger signs lurking out there.

While teams like Earnhardt Ganassi and Penske Racing announced the signing of new sponsors and renewals with current ones this week, there are still plenty of teams still looking for funding.

Chief among them is Roush Fenway Racing, which had to close one of its four Sprint Cup teams due to a lack of sponsorship and still needs sponsorship for 10 races for championship contender Matt Kenseth.

It also has been unable to find sponsorship for Nationwide champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and 2011 Daytona 500 winner Bayne, two of the brightest young stars in the sport.

When one of the sport’s elite organizations is struggling to find sponsors, all is not well, despite all the optimism and positive signs to the contrary.