Looking Back

Twelve months ago, all anyone could talk about was whether or not Jimmie Johnson would ever be stopped from winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.

Today, we’re wondering if Five-Time can come back to become Six-Time after losing the 2011 title to a “teammate.” What will be the main topic of discussion in 12 months?

To be sure, Tony Stewart’s run to the 2011 title is the story of the year. It might be the story of the decade, depending on what happens with Johnson next season. But then, it’s a very young decade.

Still, winning five of the 10 Chase races is something JJ never did, nor did he do so with a lame-duck crew chief. Darian Grubb is my choice for team player of the year, because he could have just mailed it in over the final five races of the season and let Stewart founder.

He didn’t, and though he won’t be around to defend the title that he and Stewart won, he has a new challenge in front of him: making Denny Hamlin consistently good instead of occasionally brilliant. That’s a big order: Hamlin is talented but capricious, and he can turn from affable to abrasive in a flash.

That must have driven former crew chief Mike Ford absolutely ape. I wish DG luck, and hopefully he’ll have the same kind of calming effect on his new charge at Joe Gibbs Racing that he had on Smoke.

Kurt Busch’s trials have not yet settled out, but there’s hope. He has been talking to a couple of teams, including RPM, Front Row and Phoenix, about rides for next season. Wherever he winds up, he’s going to have to shut up and drive. If he treats James Finch like he did Roger Penske, or heaven forbid, tries to get mouthy with the King, he’ll find out that there’s not much out there for him in his chosen field.

Kyle Busch was a big story in 2011, for what he was able to do on the track and what he did off it. Getting banged for driving 128 in a 45 is not the kind of promotional bell-ringer that excites sponsors, and crashing a championship contender under caution when you have no skin in the game is something that will get you exiled from NASCAR quicker than anything. He violated the 11th Commandment of NASCAR: Thou shalt not booger up the show.

Here’s wishing the Busch brothers a healthy dose of simmer-down for the holidays. If they can channel that aggression, that need to be outrageous, they’ll win titles left and right. Well, they might not win them left and right, but they’ll be a lot better off for it.

Here’s hoping Matt Kenseth finds a sponsor, Carl Edwards doesn’t pull a Denny Hamlin championship fade and Clint Bowyer can somehow stay awake (he’s sponsored by 5 Hour Energy) until Daytona testing.

Holiday wishes to all of you out there in ONMC-land…and thanks for being the best group of people to hang with in the whole, wide world of sports. I’m looking forward to Daytona and seeing those of you who brave Florida in the winter, as well as at the other tracks early in the schedule.

It’ll be here before we know it! Stay tuned to the blog on www.onmc.com, and on Facebook and Twitter!