NASCAR 2012 Top Team Power Rankings

1. Hendrick Motorsports

Hendrick Motorsports didn’t win six in a row but their NASCAR’s top team. This year the organization should be even stronger for a number of reasons.

Phoenix winner Kasey Kahne will be joining Hendrick in 2012 and he’ll be a serious contender every time the series visits an intermediate track. Kahne should make the 2012 Chase because Hendrick has a track record of first year drivers making the Chase (Earnhardt Jr. , Martin).

2012 is also another year for driver / crew chief relationships to mature (Gordon- Gustafson, Earnhardt Jr.-Letarte). With the lack of testing teams were essentially shooting in the dark last year. Now that they have a season under their belts they’ll know what works and will have improved communication.

Perhaps the biggest reason for ranking Hendrick #1 is that we’ll see a re-motivated Jimmie Johnson / Chad Knaus combination next year. They had their worst season last year and another championship will be Chad’s New Years resolution.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Jimmie Johnson 2)Jeff Gordon 3)Dale Earnhardt Jr. 4)Kasey Kahne

2. Roush Fenway Racing

When you’re the best intermediate track team in NASCAR your always a championship contender. The loss of the 6 team might actually prove to be a plus for the remaining teams. In the past downsizing has proven to be benefical to teams.

Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth will once again be championship contenders. Greg Biffle will show flashes of brilliance and will be a Chase contender. Even though Roush will only field three full time teams in 2012 I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some of their Nationwide drivers making appearances.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Carl Ewards 2)Matt Kenseth 3)Greg Biffle

3. Joe Gibbs Racing

In 2012 Denny Hamlin should return to form and once again be a serious threat. For much of the Chase he worked on 2012 R&D for the organization so they should be prepared. Will Kyle Busch’s attitude be a problem next year? I’m more concerned that the 18 only performs good for the first 2/3rd’s of the season. Joey Logano will be on the hot seat this upcoming season and have a new crew chief. I think the loss of Greg Zipadelli could prove meaningful for the organization.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Kyle Busch 2)Denny Hamlin 3)Joey Logano

4. Stewart Haas Racing

This organization won the championship in 2011 but past success doesn’t always guarantee future success. For much of the season this organization struggled but they got hot at the right time. In 2012 Greg Zipadelli will join the organization and be the director of competition. Look for these cars to handle much better next season under Zippy’s tenure.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Tony Stewart 2)Ryan Newman 3Danica Patrick (part time)

5. Richard Childress Racing

In 2012 they’ll lose Clint Bowyer who in my opinion is their second best driver. However like I said in my 2012 Jeff Burton fantasy preview I really think downsizing might prove beneficial for RCR. It was the last time they downsized. I think this team has a good chance of getting two cars in the Chase next season.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Kevin Harvick 2)Jeff Burton 3)Paul Menard

6. Michael Waltrip Racing

In 2012 this team will be adding Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin. I like the Bowyer acquisition but I’m mixed on how I feel about Martin. David Reutimann is the only driver who won at MWR and he got walking papers. Look for consistency to once again be a problem across the organization.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Martin Treux Jr. 2)Clint Bowyer 3)Mark Martin 4)Michael Waltrip

7. Penske Racing

From a performance stand point the loss of Kurt Busch will be monumental. I like Brad Keselowski but I’m not sold on him as a “franchise driver”. What I do know is that they won’t be able to fill Kurt Busch’s shoes no matter who they sign to pilot the 22.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Brad Keselowski 2)????

8. RPM

The driver lineup of this team is up in the air right now but Marcos Ambrose is a lock to return. Kurt Busch is rumored to join the organization and if he does I would bump RPM to #6 on the list. AJ Allmendinger is a good driver but his fate is unknown. Right now there’s also a rumor floating that he might pilot the #22 Dodge. No matter what happens this will be the organization to beat on road courses.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Marcos Ambrose 2)????

9. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

Both Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya struggled last season. Their good drivers but the organization just isn’t up to par with the super teams. I really don’t see any reason to expect significant improvement in 2012.

2012 Driver Lineup 1)Juan Pablo Montoya 2)Jamie McMurray

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