2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers
#22. A.J. Allmendinger
Top-tier ride means increased pressure.
Team: Penske Racing
Drives: Dodger Charger
Primary Sponsor: Shell-Pennzoil
Crew Chief: Todd Gordon (new).
2011 Finish: 15th (1,013 points).
Born: Dec. 16, 1981,
Age 31
Hometown: Los Gatos CA
Breakthrough: After two fruitless seasons with Red Bull Racing, the former open-wheel standout began making yearly strides as what is now known as Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009.
On Twitter? Yes (@AJDinger)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Signs of continued development, but the breakthrough victory lane has been elusive.
#43. Aric Almirola
Road to current Cup was a length one.
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Smithfield.
Crew Chief: Greg Erwin (new).
2011 Finish: 4tn in Nationwide Series
Born: March 14, 1984.
Age 28
Hometown: Tampa FL
Breakthrough: The much-traveled 27 year old finished 4th in the Nationwide Series in 2011 for JR Motorsports, and Richard Petty rewarded Almirola's finish with his first full-time Sprint Cup ride.
On Twitter? Yes (@aric_almirola)
2011 in 140 characters or less: Waiting for a chance...still waiting for a chance.
#9. Marcos Ambrose
Aussie mastering learning curve on ovals.
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports.
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Stanley Tools
Crew Chief: Todd Parrott (returning).
2011 Finish: 19th (936 points).
Born: September 1, 1976.
Age 36.
Hometown: Launceston, Australia.
Breakthrough: The Australian landed a Sprint Cup full-time gig with JTG-Daugherty in 2009 and responded with 4 top-fives (including one each at Talladega Superspeedway and Bristol Motor Speedway) which was impressive considering his non-ovals background.
On Twitter? Yes @MarcosAmbrose)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Got first Cup win, improved statistically in all areas in 3rd full season.
#21. Trevor Bayne
NASCSAR's answer to Tim Tebow is still learning.
Team: Wood Brothers Racing
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Motorcraft
Crew Chief: Donnie Wingo (returning).
2011 Finish: 11th in Nationwide Series
Born: Feb. 19, 1991,
Age 21
Hometown: Knoxville TN
Breakthrough: Farmed out from Roush Fenway Racing to the Wood Brothers, he became the youngest (at 20 years and 1 day) to win the Daytona 500 last year.
On Twitter? Yes (@TBayne21)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Daytona 500. Contacted Lyme disease. Fame. No full-time ride.
#16. Greg Biffle
Goal for 2012: Prove 2011 was Aberration.
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: 3M
2011 Finish: 16th. (997 points).
Born: Dec. 23, 1969
Age 43
Hometown: Vancouver WA
Breakthrough: Won truck (2000) and Nationwide (2002) titles for Roush Fenway and finished 2nd in Sprint Cup points in 2005, perhaps coming a pit road mistake away from becoming the first to win Titles in NASCAR's top 3 series.
On Twitter? Yes (@gbiffle)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Down virtually in every statistical category, his worst in points (16th) since 2004.
#36. Dave Blaney
Teammate's winning ways may give boost.
Team: Tommy Baldwin Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Accell Construction
Crew Chief: Philippe Lopez (returning).
2011 Finish: 32nd. (508 points).
Born: Oct. 24, 1962
Age 50
Hometown: Hartford, Ohio
Breakthrough: Joined the Sprint Cup Series full time in 2000 with Bill Davis Racing.
On Twitter? No.
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Powered by drafting partner Brad Keselowski, scored a season-highlight 3rd-place finish in Talladega.
#15. Clint Bowyer
Goal is to extend late groove to new team.
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Drives: Toyota Camry
Primary Sponsor: 5 Hour Energy
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie (new).
2011 Finish: 13th. (1,047 points).
Born: May 30, 1979
Age 33
Hometown: Emporia KS
Breakthrough: In 2007, his 2nd full season in Sprint Cup, Bowyer won the Chase opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finished 3rd in the standings. That remains his highest career finish.
On Twitter? No.
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: As teammates Kevin Harvick and Paul Menard competed more consistently, a Summer fade dropped Bowyer from the Chase.
#31. Jeff Burton
Forgetting troubles from 2011 is priority.
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Caterpillar
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer )new).
2011 Finish: 20th. (935 points).
Born: June 29, 1967
Age 45
Hometown: South Boston VA
Breakthrough: Won a career-best 6 races for then-Roush Racing in 1999 to finish 5th and was a career-best 3rd in points a season latter.
On Twitter? Yes (@RCR31JeffBurton).
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: An utter regression from a 2010 Chase for the Cup campaign and worst points finish since 1995.
#51. Kurt Busch
Will new team provide an enjoyable ride?
Team: Phoenix Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Tag Heuer Eyewear
Crew Chief: Nick Harrison (new).
2011 Finish: 11th (2,262 points).
Born: Aug. 4, 1978.
Age 34.
Hometown: Las Vegas NV
Breakthrough: Won 4 races and finished 3rd in points in his 2nd full season for Roush Fenway Racing in 2002.
On Twitter? Yes. (@KurtBusch)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Temper, temper, temper. Goodbye, Penske ride.
#18. Kyle Busch
Top talent riding emotional roller coaster.
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Drives: Toyota Camry
Primary Sponsor: M&M's.
Crew Chief: Rave Rogers (returning).
2011 Finish: 12th, (2,246 points).
Born: May 2, 1985.
Age 27.
Hometown: Las Vegas NV
Breakthrough: An ultra-talented and precocious Busch finished 5th in points in 2007 but he was replaced by Hendrick Motorsports the next season by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
On Twitter? Yes. (@KyleBusch)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Strife, contraversy and bad behavior, on the track and off.
#88. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
After good '11, Junior seeks to end drought.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte (returning).
2011 Finish: 7th (2,290 points).
Born: October 10, 1974.
Age 38
Hometown: Kannaplois NC
Breakthrough: Born the namesake of NASCAR's most popular driver and finished 3rd in points in 2002 with Dale Earnhardt Inc.
On Twitter? No
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Fits, starts, progress, backslides. And still winless since 2008.
#99. Carl Edwards
Driver must put missed opportunity in past.
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Fastenal
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne (returning).
2011 Finish: 2nd. (2,403 points).
Born: Aug. 15, 1979.
Age 33
Hometown: Columbia MO
Breakthrough: Won 4 races and finished 3rd. in points in 2005, his first full Cup season, for Roush Fenway Racing.
On Twitter? No.
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: It should have been good enough for first Sprint Cup Championship...but it wasn't.
#38. David Gilliland
Moving forward, but seeking higher gear.
Team: Front Row Motorsports
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: ModSpace
Crew Chief: Peter Sospenzo (returning).
2011 Finish: 30th. (572 points).
Born: April 1, 1976.
Age 36
Hometown: Riverside CA
Breakthrough: Parlayed a stunning Nationwide in 2006 with Clay Andrews into a Cup ride with now-defunct Yates racing.
On Twitter? Yes (@DGilliland2010)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Finished 3rd in the4 Daytona 500, then...
#24. Jeff Gordon
Four-time Cup Champion back in running.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports.
Drives: Chevrolet Impala.
Primary Sponsor: Drive to End Hunger
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson (returning).
2011 Finish: 8th. (2,287 points).
Born: August 4, 1971.
Age 41
Hometown: Pittsboro IN
Breakthrough: Won 7 races and his first of four Championships in his 3rd. full-time season (1995).
On Twitter? Yes (@JeffGordonWebb)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Gordon turned 40 and became a serious title contender again.
#11. Denny Hamlin
Mechanical mishaps should be in the past.
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Drives: Toyota Camry
Primary Sponsor: FedEx
Crew Chief: Darian Grubb (new).
2011 Finish: 9th. (2,284 points).
Born: Nov. 18, 1980
Age 32
Hometown: Chesterfield VA
Breakthrough: Won twice and finished 3rd. as a Sprint Cup rookie in 2006.
On Twitter? Yes (@dennyhamlin)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Appeared to suffer a season-long hangover after succumbing to Jimmie Johnson's title charge in the final race of the 2010 season.
#29. Kevin Harvick
Title quest hinges on Chase improvement.
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Budweiser
Crew Chief: Shane Wilson (new).
2011 Finish: 3rd. (2,345 points).
Born: Dec. 8, 1975
Age 27
Hometown: Bakersfield CA
Breakthrough: Took over the rebranded #3 car in 2001 after Dale Earnhardt's death and won 2 races with 16 top-10s on the way to winning Cup Rookie of the Year.
On Twitter? Yes (@KevinHarvick)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Put on probation in May after reigniting feud with Kyle Busch, Shuttered truck progtam. 4 race wins, none in the Chase.
#48. Jimmie Johnson
5 time Champ aims to reclaim throne.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Lowe's
Crew Chief: Chad Knaus (returning).
2011 Finish: 6th. (2,304 points).
Born: Sept. 17, 1975
Age 37
Hometown: El Cajon CA
Breakthrough: Johnson was backed by Jeff Gordon and selected by team owner Rick Hendrick to drive a new team spliced from Gordon's title winning program in 2002.
On Twitter? Yes (@JimmieJohnson)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Johnson's record setting run of 5 consecutive championships came to a crashing halt.
#5. Kasey Kahne
With Hendrick comes chance to compete.
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Farmers Insurance
Crew Chief: Kenny Francis (returning).
2011 Finish: 14th. (1,041 points).
Born: April 10, 1980.
Age 32
Hometown: Enumclaw WA
Breakthrough: Led Sprint Cup with 6 wins as a 3rd year driver in 2006, validating owner Ray Evernham's move to sweep him away from Ford and into one of his Dodges full time.
On Twitter? Yes (@kaseykahne)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Made the most of his one-season stopgap at Red Bull while waiting for Mark Martin to vacate his seat at Hendrick.
#17. Matt Kenseth
Great on wheels but still looking for deals.
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Best Buy
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig (returning).
2011 Finish: 4th. (2,330 Points).
Hometown: Cambridge WI
Born: March 10, 1972.
Age 40
Breakthrough: Kenseth won 5 races in 2002 as a springboard to his first Sprint Cup title in 2003, the last of the non-Chase era.
On Twitter? Yes (@matt_kenseth17)
2011 on 140 characters or fewer: Won 3 times, his highest total since 2006. Dug an early Chase hole when he ran out of gas at Chicagoland.
#2. Brad Keselowski
Poor finish won't diminish breakthrough.
Team: Penske Racing
Drives: Dodge Charger
Primary Sponsor: Miller Lite
Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe (returning).
2011 Finish: 5th. (2,319 Points).
Born: Feb. 12, 1984.
Age 28.
Hometown: Rochester Hills MI
Breakthrough: In 2009, hewon at Talladega Superspeedway in his 5th Sprint Cup start for single-car Phoenix Racing. By the end of the year he had left a part-time gig at Hendrick Motorsports for a full-time ride at Penske.
On Twitter? Yes. (@keselowski)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: An ankle is broken but a start is born. A legend, at least.
#47. Bobby Labonte
Fourth at Daytona, veteran remains factor.
Team: JTG Daugherty Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Kingsford
Crew Chief: Todd Berrier (new).
2011 Finish: 29th. (670 Points).
Born: May 8, 1964.
Age 48.
Hometown: Corpus Christi TX
Breakthrough: Punctuated a steady rise with the 2000 Cup Championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.
On Twitter? Yes. (@Bobby_Labonte)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Rowing as hard as he can with a team not equipped to keep up with the titans.
#20. Joey Logano
New Crew Chief brings a shot at redemption.
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Drives: Toyota Camry
Primary Sponsor: Home Depot
Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff (new).
2011 Finish: 24th (902 points).
Born: May 24, 1990,
Age 22
Hometown: Middletown CT
Breakthrough: Took over the No. 20 at age 18 in 2009 when then 2-time Champion, Tony Stewart left JGR to embark on a new career as a driver-owner.
On Twitter? Yes. (@JLogano)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: He proclaimed himself ready to compete for a chase bid in the preseason and instead backslid.
#55. Mark Martin
Fitness fanatic will share ride 3 ways.
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Drives: Toyota Camry
Primary Sponsor: Aaron's
Crew Chief: Rodney Childers (new).
Born: Jan. 9, 1959
Age 53
Hometown: Baresville AR
Breakthrough: Won a race and finished 3rd in points in his 2nd full season with what is now Roush Fenway Racing in 1989, establishing a relationship that would last that would last until 2006.
On Twitter? Yes (@55markmartin)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: The least successful of the 4 driver Hendrick Motorsports stable plowed again into semi-retirement.
#1. Jamie McMurray
Consistency needed after poor run in 2011.
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
Crew Chief: Kevin Manion (returning).
2011 Finish: 27th (795 points).
Born: June 3, 1976
Age 36
Hometown: Joplin MO
Breakthrough: In 2002, he won in his 2nd Cup start, replacing injured Sterling Martin in the No. 40 Dodge.
On Twitter? Yes (@jamiemcmurray)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: A colossal disappointment with more DNF's (5) than top-10s.
#13. Casey Mears
Car switch, better start could big boost.
Team: Germain Racing
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Geico
Crew Chief: Bootie Barker (returning).
2011 Finish: 31st (541 points).
Born: March 12, 1978
Age 34
Hometown: Bakersfield CA
Breakthrough: The nephew of 4 time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears becamea full-time stock car driver in 2003.
On Twitter? No.
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Mears started poorly by missing the Daytona 500 and was relegated in partial start-and-park status.
#27. Paul Menard
Plan is to build on foundation of 2011.
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Menard's
Crew Chief: Slugger Labbe (returning).
2011 Finish: 17th (947 points).
Born: Aug. 21, 1980
Age 32
Hometown: Eau Claire WI
Breakthrough: Put in the best competitive situations of his 8 year career. Menard responded with a win in the Brickyard 400, flirted with a Chase berth and finished with a career-high 17th points.
On Twitter? Yes (@RCR27PMenard)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Proved that he can be a factor on the tractor in the proper situation.
#42. Juan Pablo Montoya
Changes afoot after fast start stalls in 2011.
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Target
Crew Chief: Chris Heroy (new).
Born: Sept. 20, 1975
Age 37
Hometown: Bogota, Columbia
Breakthrough: The 2000 Indianapolis winner transitioned from Formula One in 2006, reuniting with team owner Chris Ganassi.
On Twitter? Yes (@jpmontoya)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Began the season with promise, faded again.
#39. Ryan Newman
Early-season success must follow chase.
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Army
Crew Chief: Tony Gibson (returning).
2011 Finish: 10th. (2,284 points).
Born: Dec. 8, 1977
Age 35
Hometown: South Bend IN
Breakthrough: Won a race and finished 6th in his rookie season for Panske Racing in 2002, beating some guy named Jimmie Johnson for the rookie of the year award.
On Twitter? Yes (@RyanNewman39)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Amassed points like a title contender - until the Chase.
#10. Danica Patrick
Scrutiny high with champ in her corner.
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: GoDaddy.com
Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli (new).
2011 Finish: 10th in Izod IndyCar Series.
Born: March 25, 1982
Age 30
Hometown: Roscoe IL
Breakthrough: After 2 seasons studying in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports, Patrick leaps full time to NASCAR. She will run 10 Cup races with Stewart-Haas Racing and another full Nationwide Series slate with JR Motorsports and an anticipated full-time move to Cup in 2013.
On Twitter? Yes (@DanicaPatrick)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Speculation, anticipation, NASCAR nation.
#34. David Ragan
Consistency is key to taking next big step.
Team: Front Row Motorsports
Drives: Ford Fusion
Primary Sponsor: Taco Bell
Crew Chief: Jay Guy (new).
2011 Finish: 23rd. (906 points).
Born: Dec. 24, 1985.
Age 37
Hometown: Unadilla GA
Breakthrough: Graduated to the Sprint Cup Series at Roush Fenway Racing in 2007, replacing Mark Martin in the No. 6 Ford.
On Twitter? Yes (@David_Ragan)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer. Had the Daytona 500 in his grasp, lost it; came back to win the Summer race.
#35. David Reutimann
41-year-old restarts career after getting ax.
Ream: Tommy Baldwin Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Tommy Baldwin racing
Crew Chief: TBA
2011 Finish: 28th. (757 points)
Born: March 2, 1970
Age 42
Hometown: Zephyrhills FL
Breakthrough: Graduated from a successful Camping World Truck Series career to a full-time ride for Michael Waltrip racing in 2007.
On Twitter? Yes (@David Reutimann)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Save a second at Kentucky Speedway, his results were poor, and he lost his job.
#78. Regan Smith
Taste of success has him hungry for more.
Team: Furniture Row Racing
Drives: Chevrolet Impala
Primary Sponsor: Furniture Row
Crew Chief: Pete Rondeau (returning).
2011 Finish: 26th. (820 points).
Born: Sept. 20, 1983.
Age 29.
Hometown: Cato NY
Breakthrough: Got his 1st career win last season at Darlington Raceway (though he thought he had it a few years back at Talladega Superspeedway).
On Twitter? Yes (@Regan_Smith_)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Another of NASCAR's first time winners.
#14. Tony Stewart
Three Cup titles and revving up for more.
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing.
Drives: Chevrolet Impala.
Primary Sponsor: Office Depot
Crew Chief: Steve Addington (new).
2011 Finish: First (2,403 points).
Born: May 20, 1971.
Age 41.
Hometown: Columbus IN
Breakthrough: The 1997 Indy Car Champion was an immediate winner upon switching to NASCAR in 1999 and has won at least one race every year since. He claimed his first Sprint Cup title in his 4th season.
On Twitter? No.
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Subpar regular season. 5 wins in 10 Chase Races. Tony is king.
#56. Martin Truex Jr.
Competitive garage should boost results.
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing.
Drives: Toyota Camry
Primary Sponsor: Napa Auto Parts
Crew Chief: Chad Johnston (new).
2011 Finish: 18th (937 points).
Born: June 29, 1980.
Age 32.
Hometown: Mayetta NJ
Breakthrough: The 2 time Nationwide Series Champion won at his home track of Dover International Speedway and finished 11th in points in 2007 for now defunct Dale Earnhardt Inc.
On Twitter? Yes (@MartinTruexJr56)
2011 in 140 characters or fewer: Improved statistically despite crashing out in 3 races, lip-synced on TV commercials.
Other Sprint Cup Drivers
#32. Terry Labonte
Team: FAS Lane Racing
Drives: Ford
Age 55
Hometown: Corpus Christi TX
#TBA Michael McDowell
Team: Phil Parsons Racing
Drives: Ford
Age 27
Hometown: Phoenix AZ
#32. Ken Schrader
Team: FAS Lane Racing
Car: Ford
Age 56
Hometown: Fenton MO
#95. Scott Speed
Team: Leavine Family Racing
Drives: Ford
Age 29
Hometown: Manteca CA
#6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Drives: Ford
Age 24
Hometown: Olive Branch MS
#? Brian Vickers
Team: TBA
Car: TBA
Age 28
Hometown: Thomasville NC
#55. Michael Waltrip
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Drives: Toyota
Age 48
Hometown: Owensboro KY
#49. J.J. Yeley
Team: Robinson-Blakeney Racing
Car: Toyota
Age 35
Hometown: Phoenix AZ
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2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Competition Schedule and Winners
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