With an ugly stepped nose and humps, it surpassed even the Williams-Walrus of 2004 as one of the most ghastly creations to ever leave an F1 factory.  Some quite accurately said it resembled a platypus, while I immediately thought of the gharial—a small crocodilian from the Indian subcontinent.

The step was due to a change in the regulations which stated the nose must be lower than on previous cars, but the height of the front bulkhead remained unchanged.  Caterham's solution was to draw inspiration from a child's animation of an earthquake.

The news that most teams would follow suit filled aesthetes the world over with dread.  The Ferrari was reported to have a hump on its nose and had been called ugly by the Italian press.

But when McLaren unveiled their challenger on February 1st, it appeared that not all was lost.  The English team usually make attractive cars, and the MP4-27 was beautiful.  They already ran with a lower front end prior to the change, so it didn't need to drop down so drastically.

The result is that the nose is without a hump, step or bump, and while the rear of the car tapers inwards in a rather unattractive manner, it doesn't detract from the overall appearance.  Things were looking up.

Then Ferrari and Force India launched their cars on February 3rd.  Oh dear.

The Ferrari F2012 features a flatter step than the gharial-eyed Caterham, which only serves to reinforce the unappealing look.  Hammering the nail into the coffin, the support struts holding the front wing in place are very bulky and the nose looks too blunt to ever be called beautiful.

The back end looks tidier, and the sculpting for the additional air intake on the engine cover is a nice touch, but the overall result is still painful on the eyes. 

Force India's VJM05 went for a design very similar to Caterham and made it 3-1 to the stepped noses.  Lotus will launch on February 5th, followed by three further teams—including Red Bull—on the 6th.

Can we at least count on Adrian Newey to produce an attractive car?

Probably not, but there's no harm in hoping.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

With an ugly stepped nose and humps, it surpassed even the Williams-Walrus of 2004 as one of the most ghastly creations to ever leave an F1 factory.  Some quite accurately said it resembled a platypus, while I immediately thought of the gharial—a small crocodilian from the Indian subcontinent.

The step was due to a change in the regulations which stated the nose must be lower than on previous cars, but the height of the front bulkhead remained unchanged.  Caterham's solution was to draw inspiration from a child's animation of an earthquake.

The news that most teams would follow suit filled aesthetes the world over with dread.  The Ferrari was reported to have a hump on its nose and had been called ugly by the Italian press.

But when McLaren unveiled their challenger on February 1st, it appeared that not all was lost.  The English team usually make attractive cars, and the MP4-27 was beautiful.  They already ran with a lower front end prior to the change, so it didn't need to drop down so drastically.

The result is that the nose is without a hump, step or bump, and while the rear of the car tapers inwards in a rather unattractive manner, it doesn't detract from the overall appearance.  Things were looking up.

Then Ferrari and Force India launched their cars on February 3rd.  Oh dear.

The Ferrari F2012 features a flatter step than the gharial-eyed Caterham, which only serves to reinforce the unappealing look.  Hammering the nail into the coffin, the support struts holding the front wing in place are very bulky and the nose looks too blunt to ever be called beautiful.

The back end looks tidier, and the sculpting for the additional air intake on the engine cover is a nice touch, but the overall result is still painful on the eyes. 

Force India's VJM05 went for a design very similar to Caterham and made it 3-1 to the stepped noses.  Lotus will launch on February 5th, followed by three further teams—including Red Bull—on the 6th.

Can we at least count on Adrian Newey to produce an attractive car?

Probably not, but there's no harm in hoping.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

It was a long-term move: Stewart wanted to make sure that Patrick would have enough owners' points to guarantee her a starting spot in the first five races of 2013, when she will run her first full Sprint Cup schedule.

Mark Martin, who had planned to shift back to a part-time schedule in 2012 anyway, came up in discussions, especially because Martin and Patrick shared sponsor GoDaddy.com last season.

But GoDaddy's Bob Parsons balked at funding the full season, and Martin landed a ride at Michael Waltrip Racing instead, splitting time with Waltrip himself.

For months, the names of other free agent drivers bounced around, but nobody had the money behind them to join Stewart's operation, or the talent to attract new sponsorship dollars.

Meanwhile, when Martin landed his ride with Waltrip, it came at the expense of a slumping David Reutimann.

The move came in November, when most of the good open rides were gone, seriously limiting Reutimann's options for the 2012 season. Eventually, Reutimann hooked up with Tommy Baldwin Racing for a 26-race schedule to run alongside Dave Blaney.

Here's where these two stories intertwine: Blaney put one of Baldwin's cars in the top 35 in owners' points last year, guaranteeing them a spot in the Daytona 500.

Stewart was looking to make a deal with another team to get Patrick into the race anyway, rather than shifting his championship-winning owners' points to her car and relying on his past champion's provisional to start the season.

Baldwin, like Stewart, runs Chevrolets, and Reutimann's 26 races plus Patrick's 10 would equal a full schedule.

And so, NASCAR's newest version of "the odd couple" was born.

The move benefits both sides in more ways than one, particularly Reutimann. As the team's primary driver (at least as far as starts go), he'll benefit from Stewart-Haas' technical and pit crew support; while Baldwin will remain his crew chief, he'll also get to work with Greg Zipadelli, Patrick's crew chief, and the man who led Stewart to his first two championships in 2002 and 2005.

Patrick gets to avoid what would have been a media disaster had she missed the Daytona 500, and gets to join a team of hard-working, less spectacular NASCAR lifers who bring a sense of racing's roots everywhere they go.

The team's performance, however, may be uneven, given the fact that this essentially remains two teams who simply share a number. Baldwin established a deal to run Earnhardt-Childress engines for 2012, while Stewart-Haas runs Hendrick engines, and what's under the hood will change on a race-by-race basis depending on who's in the car.

The other issue is finding sponsorship for Reutimann's 26 races. It's a shame that GoDaddy.com likely won't pick them up, because Reutimann gained plenty of experience doing fun and goofy advertisements while driving cars sponsored by Aaron's Rent.

A series of commercials depicting competition between Patrick and Reutimann would surely be a hit, but with the partnership likely only lasting one season, they may not have long-term viability.

But since the endgame is to get Patrick ready for 2013, pairing her with Reutimann on the track is far more important than on the TV set.

Reutimann should be the latest in a long line of assets that Patrick has had in her transition to stock cars, particularly because his dirt-track background offers her the style of coaching that she so desperately needs to succeed.

Experts have long been saying that Patrick will be a quality NASCAR driver once she learns how to muscle and slide around her car, the hallmarks of dirt-track racing.

If Reutimann works as her coach while he's not in the car, he can offer her far more than just owners' points. And if the two teams, one car approach doesn't lead to uneven results, they could even outperform Martin and Waltrip in owners' points in 2012.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

F1 has, for the last decade at least, played host to a no-holds-barred battle of form versus function when it comes to car design—one that has left aesthetics cowering in a corner, lamenting its former glory days when looking good mattered more than a few tenths off the lap time.

As if the design teams weren’t handicapped enough by the computer jockeys and aerodynamicists insisting that the cars be covered with winglets, tuning vanes and other sticky-out bits that would be more at home on a science fiction movie set, now they have to deal with the FIA’s modified design rules.

In the constant pursuit of safety, the FIA has decided that everything would be much better if the nose of the F1 cars were closer to the ground. Thus, they have decide to insist that the maximum height in front of the bulkhead be 55cm—10cm lower than in 2011.

According to the experts, this will reduce the chances of cars launching themselves skyward—as was the case with Mark Webber in Valencia in 2010—in the case of hitting another car from behind.

It is also meant to be less dangerous in other collisions and give drivers better visibility in their ridiculously laid-back driving positions.

The problem is that the cars need the height behind the bulkhead to allow the driver room for the pedals and to give them a fighting chance at escape when things go pear-shaped.

The end result is all of the cars launched so far have noses uglier than that of the late, great Karl Malden.

Most manufacturers have gone for the easy solution and stepped the nosecone down in front of the bulkhead, but they have done it with varying degrees of finesse.

McLaren, whether by virtue of a sleek paint job or other means, seem to have gotten around the problem with a deal of style and panache, although it’s difficult to know how, given the severity of other constructor’s solutions.

Ferrari, on the other hand, has decided to take their inspiration from Lego, with a chunky transition to the lower nosecone. For a manufacturer who has a hard-earned reputation for producing elegant and beautiful cars, this one is a pretty miserable effort.

Of course, Ferrari isn’t alone. Caterham and Force India have also produced their own nausea-inducing assaults on the eyes.

No doubt we will also see other monstrosities being released over the coming days and weeks.

Let’s hope that the racing makes up for the cruelty of making us watch this motorsport freak show. We can dream, can’t we?

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

F1 has, for the last decade at least, played host to a no-holds-barred battle of form versus function when it comes to car design—one that has left aesthetics cowering in a corner, lamenting its former glory days when looking good mattered more than a few tenths off the lap time.

As if the design teams weren’t handicapped enough by the computer jockeys and aerodynamicists insisting that the cars be covered with winglets, tuning vanes and other sticky-out bits that would be more at home on a science fiction movie set, now they have to deal with the FIA’s modified design rules.

In the constant pursuit of safety, the FIA has decided that everything would be much better if the nose of the F1 cars were closer to the ground. Thus, they have decide to insist that the maximum height in front of the bulkhead be 55cm—10cm lower than in 2011.

According to the experts, this will reduce the chances of cars launching themselves skyward—as was the case with Mark Webber in Valencia in 2010—in the case of hitting another car from behind.

It is also meant to be less dangerous in other collisions and give drivers better visibility in their ridiculously laid-back driving positions.

The problem is that the cars need the height behind the bulkhead to allow the driver room for the pedals and to give them a fighting chance at escape when things go pear-shaped.

The end result is all of the cars launched so far have noses uglier than that of the late, great Karl Malden.

Most manufacturers have gone for the easy solution and stepped the nosecone down in front of the bulkhead, but they have done it with varying degrees of finesse.

McLaren, whether by virtue of a sleek paint job or other means, seem to have gotten around the problem with a deal of style and panache, although it’s difficult to know how, given the severity of other constructor’s solutions.

Ferrari, on the other hand, has decided to take their inspiration from Lego, with a chunky transition to the lower nosecone. For a manufacturer who has a hard-earned reputation for producing elegant and beautiful cars, this one is a pretty miserable effort.

Of course, Ferrari isn’t alone. Caterham and Force India have also produced their own nausea-inducing assaults on the eyes.

No doubt we will also see other monstrosities being released over the coming days and weeks.

Let’s hope that the racing makes up for the cruelty of making us watch this motorsport freak show. We can dream, can’t we?

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

His stints with Red Bull Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports proved to be less than gratifying, but he appears to have hit the jackpot with Penske Racing.

At the end of the 2011 season, the sponsor for the No. 43 driven by Allmendinger, Best Buy, jumped ship for the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driven by Matt Kenseth.

The future looked less than secure for the driver known as the "Dinger" and one of the "silly season" predictions was that Kurt Busch would become the driver of the No. 43 after his departure from Penske Racing.

Allmendinger drove full time in the Sprint Cup Series for the last three years and though he didn't set the world on fire, he has made steady improvements each year, finishing 15th in the standings last season.

The ability to finish races and his continuous ability to improve his performance did not go unnoticed by Roger Penske.

After the 26th race of the 2011 season, Allmendinger was 13th in the points standings, 13 points behind 12th-place Denny Hamlin.

Penske gave Allmendinger the opportunity of his racing career when he named him the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, replacing Kurt Busch.

The new driver of the No. 22 referred to Penske as the "pinnacle."

"It's my time to go out and deliver victories," Allmendinger said.

"I have big shoes to fill. Kurt is one of the best guys out there. For sure, when it comes to outright speed, outright driving a Sprint Cup car."

Indeed he does have big shoes to fill, but his pairing with Brad Keselowski at Penske Racing seems to be a wise one.

The two drivers are getting to know each other with Keselowski providing leadership.

Allmendinger is much more of an extrovert than his teammate, but the two compliment each other nicely.

"I can honestly say this is the most excited I have been since coming to the Cup Series," Allmendinger said. "How can I not come into the garage every day and not have a smile on my face? This is the best situation I've had."

The "Dinger" was part of the winning team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona last weekend. In a three =hour stretch, he brought the car to Victory Lane with an aggressive bumping-and-banging, NASCAR-style finale.

Though driving a Grand-Am car on the infield circuit and high banks at Daytona is a great race,  it doesn't really translate over to NASCAR performance.

For Allmendinger, being part of the winning team in the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 was the biggest win of his career, giving him confidence heading into Speedweeks at Daytona.

During the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, there seemed to be a permanent smile on Allmendinger's face and his swagger was clearly evident with his crisp white shirt and black slacks that are standard Penske attire.

Last year Penske Racing had both of the team's drivers, Keselowski and Busch, in the Chase. Penske is proud of the strong sponsorship they have and the solidarity of the organization.

Now Allmendinger, who drove for the "King," is driving for the "Captain." It just may be his time to shine as a Cup series driver with top-tier equipment and making the Chase might be a reality in 2012.

All quotes were obtained in person or by official press releases unless otherwise noted.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

His stints with Red Bull Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports proved to be less than gratifying, but he appears to have hit the jackpot with Penske Racing.

At the end of the 2011 season, the sponsor for the No. 43 driven by Allmendinger, Best Buy, jumped ship for the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford driven by Matt Kenseth.

The future looked less than secure for the driver known as the "Dinger" and one of the "silly season" predictions was that Kurt Busch would become the driver of the No. 43 after his departure from Penske Racing.

Allmendinger drove full time in the Sprint Cup Series for the last three years and though he didn't set the world on fire, he has made steady improvements each year, finishing 15th in the standings last season.

The ability to finish races and his continuous ability to improve his performance did not go unnoticed by Roger Penske.

After the 26th race of the 2011 season, Allmendinger was 13th in the points standings, 13 points behind 12th-place Denny Hamlin.

Penske gave Allmendinger the opportunity of his racing career when he named him the driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, replacing Kurt Busch.

The new driver of the No. 22 referred to Penske as the "pinnacle."

"It's my time to go out and deliver victories," Allmendinger said.

"I have big shoes to fill. Kurt is one of the best guys out there. For sure, when it comes to outright speed, outright driving a Sprint Cup car."

Indeed he does have big shoes to fill, but his pairing with Brad Keselowski at Penske Racing seems to be a wise one.

The two drivers are getting to know each other with Keselowski providing leadership.

Allmendinger is much more of an extrovert than his teammate, but the two compliment each other nicely.

"I can honestly say this is the most excited I have been since coming to the Cup Series," Allmendinger said. "How can I not come into the garage every day and not have a smile on my face? This is the best situation I've had."

The "Dinger" was part of the winning team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona last weekend. In a three-hour stretch, he brought the car to Victory Lane with an aggressive bumping-and-banging, NASCAR-style finale.

Though driving a Grand-Am car on the infield circuit and high banks at Daytona is a great race,  it doesn't really translate over to NASCAR performance.

For Allmendinger, being part of the winning team in the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 was the biggest win of his career, giving him confidence heading into Speedweeks at Daytona.

During the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, there seemed to be a permanent smile on Allmendinger's face and his swagger was clearly evident with his crisp white shirt and black slacks that are standard Penske attire.

Last year Penske Racing had both of the team's drivers, Keselowski and Busch, in the Chase. Penske is proud of the strong sponsorship they have and the solidarity of the organization.

Now Allmendinger, who drove for the "King," is driving for the "Captain." It just may be his time to shine as a Cup series driver with top-tier equipment and making the Chase might be a reality in 2012.

All quotes were obtained in person or by official press releases unless otherwise noted.

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

Yet scheduled activity at the hub of stock car racing in Charlotte was brisk for fans, drivers, crew chiefs, and media members.

Acceleration Weekend included the induction of new class of legends into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as well as the return of the popular preview where fans get autographs and question opportunities with 50 NASCAR drivers, courtesy of Sprint.

For 230 fortunate media members, the new racing year started off with the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. The previous day the National Motorsports Press Association held its annual convention and honored many members with awards.

Tony Stewart won the 2011 NMPA Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award.

Kerry Tharp, NASCAR senior director of competition communications, won the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award on Sunday night during the 2012 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Convention at the Embassy Suites in Concord, N.C.

NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer Brett Jewkes commented on Tharp.

“Kerry is a great communications professional, but more importantly he is a great human being and that is reflected in this award,” Jewkes said. “He loves our sport and the people in our industry and it shows in everything he does.”

Eleven top NASCAR teams scheduled breakfast, lunch and dinner events for media. Owners and drivers were on stage giving one-on-one interview opportunities after announcements.

So what happened in late January that will affect the 2012 season?

The tour started with 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion team Stewart-Haas Racing. Tony Stewart was jubilant coming off his successful season, and welcomed new crew chief Steve Addington from Penske Racing. But SHR’s biggest news was Danica Patrick’s arrival to NASCAR.

Patrick will race the No. 10 Chevrolet in Sprint Cup and the No. 7 car in Nationwide Series for JR Mortorsports. The No. 10 has since been moved to Tommy Baldwin Racing which will guarantee a starting spot in the Daytona 500 because TBR finished 33rd in 2011 points.

Danica Patrick

“I'm very fortunate to be in this position with this team and these people,” Patrick said. “I've been wanting to race stock cars full time for a little while here, and it's happening.”

The next stop for tour attendees was Joe Gibbs Racing which features drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano for yet another season. The big news for JGR was the arrival of crew chief Darian Grubb for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. Grubb was fired from SHR despite winning the 2011 Sprint Cup championship. He could bring an advantage to Toyota as she was at Hendrick Motorsports and with Chevrolet for years.

Darian Grubb

“We’re having lots of fun, we’re having lots of meetings,” Grubb said. “We’re kind of setting the course for what we want to do. We want to go out there and be competitive.”

A bus trip to Michael Waltrip Racing soon revealed a stage set with Michael Waltrip quizzing tenured driver Martin Truex Jr. and new cast of Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin. Martin will race a limited 25 race schedule, but his mentoring is always a plus to other drivers. Bowyer and Truex seem to have a bond that was apparent before Bowyer left Richard Childress Racing for MWR.

Clint Bowyer

“I am very relaxed coming to MWR,” Bowyer said. “The comforting factor of coming to a new place is when the captain of the ship is someone I am comfortable working with.”

A breakfast meeting with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing revealed a frustrated Chip Ganassi who can’t tolerate the dismal results of the 2011 season for Juan Pablo Montoya (21st), and Jamie McMurray (27th). Neither Montoya nor McMurray could pinpoint factors that lead to the poor performance.

At Roush Fenway Racing the news was more of who was not there than who was there. Matt Kenseth was absent due to his mother’s poor health and Carl Edwards was on vacation. It was reported a week later that Kenseth’s mother died of Alzheimer’s disease.

Missing at Roush Fenway was David Ragan, dismissed after Homestead, and although his No. 6 will be piloted by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. the team will field three race cars all season.

Perhaps the biggest car news of the tour wasn’t from any team, but from an engaged manufacturer. Ford Racing unveiled its 2013 Ford fusion Sprint Cup race car and production car. Although all four manufacturers will be revealing their new race cars and production cars soon, Ford was the showcase at the tour.

The manufacturers approached NASCAR with the idea of fashioning the 2013 Sprint Cup car with comparable production models.

The results are stunning and practical. Sprint Cup cars will once again look much like manufactured street versions.

Jamie Allison, director of Ford North America Motorsports.

“Really, the project at Ford started when we introduced Mustang into [the NASCAR] Nationwide [Series],” Allison said. “But we always said that was a great first step. We, along with NASCAR and the [other] manufacturers, wanted to go further in the Sprint Cup Series.”

The next article in this series will examine more upbeat teams and NASCAR’s take on changes for 2012.

FYI, WIRZ is the select presentation of motorsports topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained from personal interviews or official release materials provided by sanctions, teams or track representatives. Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

Yet scheduled activity at the hub of stock car racing in Charlotte was brisk for fans, drivers, crew chiefs, and media members.

Acceleration Weekend included the induction of new class of legends into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as well as the return of the popular preview where fans get autographs and question opportunities with 50 NASCAR drivers, courtesy of Sprint.

For 230 fortunate media members, the new racing year started off with the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. The previous day the National Motorsports Press Association held its annual convention and honored many members with awards.

Tony Stewart won the 2011 NMPA Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award.

Kerry Tharp, NASCAR senior director of competition communications, won the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award on Sunday night during the 2012 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Convention at the Embassy Suites in Concord, N.C.

NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer Brett Jewkes commented on Tharp.

“Kerry is a great communications professional, but more importantly he is a great human being and that is reflected in this award,” Jewkes said. “He loves our sport and the people in our industry and it shows in everything he does.”

Eleven top NASCAR teams scheduled breakfast, lunch and dinner events for media. Owners and drivers were on stage giving one-on-one interview opportunities after announcements.

So what happened in late January that will affect the 2012 season?

The tour started with 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion team Stewart-Haas Racing. Tony Stewart was jubilant coming off his successful season, and welcomed new crew chief Steve Addington from Penske Racing. But SHR’s biggest news was Danica Patrick’s arrival to NASCAR.

Patrick will race the No. 10 Chevrolet in Sprint Cup and the No. 7 car in Nationwide Series for JR Mortorsports. The No. 10 has since been moved to Tommy Baldwin Racing which will guarantee a starting spot in the Daytona 500 because TBR finished 33rd in 2011 points.

Danica Patrick

“I'm very fortunate to be in this position with this team and these people,” Patrick said. “I've been wanting to race stock cars full time for a little while here, and it's happening.”

The next stop for tour attendees was Joe Gibbs Racing which features drivers Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano for yet another season. The big news for JGR was the arrival of crew chief Darian Grubb for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. Grubb was fired from SHR despite winning the 2011 Sprint Cup championship. He could bring an advantage to Toyota as she was at Hendrick Motorsports and with Chevrolet for years.

Darian Grubb

“We’re having lots of fun, we’re having lots of meetings,” Grubb said. “We’re kind of setting the course for what we want to do. We want to go out there and be competitive.”

A bus trip to Michael Waltrip Racing soon revealed a stage set with Michael Waltrip quizzing tenured driver Martin Truex Jr. and new cast of Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin. Martin will race a limited 25 race schedule, but his mentoring is always a plus to other drivers. Bowyer and Truex seem to have a bond that was apparent before Bowyer left Richard Childress Racing for MWR.

Clint Bowyer

“I am very relaxed coming to MWR,” Bowyer said. “The comforting factor of coming to a new place is when the captain of the ship is someone I am comfortable working with.”

A breakfast meeting with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing revealed a frustrated Chip Ganassi who can’t tolerate the dismal results of the 2011 season for Juan Pablo Montoya (21st), and Jamie McMurray (27th). Neither Montoya nor McMurray could pinpoint factors that lead to the poor performance.

At Roush Fenway Racing the news was more of who was not there than who was there. Matt Kenseth was absent due to his mother’s poor health and Carl Edwards was on vacation. It was reported a week later that Kenseth’s mother died of Alzheimer’s disease.

Missing at Roush Fenway was David Ragan, dismissed after Homestead, and although his No. 6 will be piloted by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. the team will field three race cars all season.

Perhaps the biggest car news of the tour wasn’t from any team, but from an engaged manufacturer. Ford Racing unveiled its 2013 Ford fusion Sprint Cup race car and production car. Although all four manufacturers will be revealing their new race cars and production cars soon, Ford was the showcase at the tour.

The manufacturers approached NASCAR with the idea of fashioning the 2013 Sprint Cup car with comparable production models.

The results are stunning and practical. Sprint Cup cars will once again look much like manufactured street versions.

Jamie Allison, director of Ford North America Motorsports.

“Really, the project at Ford started when we introduced Mustang into [the NASCAR] Nationwide [Series],” Allison said. “But we always said that was a great first step. We, along with NASCAR and the [other] manufacturers, wanted to go further in the Sprint Cup Series.”

The next article in this series will examine more upbeat teams and NASCAR’s take on changes for 2012.

FYI, WIRZ is the select presentation of motorsports topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained from personal interviews or official release materials provided by sanctions, teams or track representatives. Photo credit: Dwight Drum @ Racetake.com

Read more Motorsports news on BleacherReport.com

It's easy to understand, and contributed to an unprecedented tie atop the championship standings last season.

However, the system could still be improved significantly.

Most criticisms of the new points system claim that it punishes poor finishes too severely (finishes often due to factors entirely beyond a driver’s control). However, I don't have a problem with that objection.

Everyone plays under the same rules. If you blow an engine and finish last in one race, you can always hope that the points leader will do the same the next week. Finishing poorly has always led to a bad points day. What’s wrong with falling behind when finishing last?

If anything, ALL points should be eliminated for finishes below a certain position to make this a moot point entirely, as is the case in Formula One, in which it doesn't matter whether you finish last or fifth-to-last. And that's not what most fans care about, anyhow.

The more fundamental problem is that winning itself (the ultimate goal of NASCAR and any sport) isn’t rewarded enough.

And that is my primary problem with the current NASCAR points system: Winning is not rewarded enough. I have two additional objections to the current points system which I will also discuss: Qualifying is virtually meaningless, and therefore boring; and it makes no sense for a driver to receive a bonus point for leading a lap under caution.

My proposed point scoring system is simpler than either the pre-2011 system or the current system, and addresses each of these three problems.

Here’s my idea: Only the top 20 finishers receive points, from 20 points (winner) down to one point (20th place). The winner receives a three point bonus. Both the driver who leads the most laps and the pole winner receive a one-point bonus.

If a driver wins the pole and the race while leading the most laps, he can score a maximum of 25 points.

Problem No. 1: The current points system does not properly reward winning. When announcing the new points system early last year, Brian France acknowledged, “The fans have been clear about one thing: They care about winning.”

If that is true, then why is the maximum number of points (48) only 14.3 percent higher than the minimum number awarded to second place (42)?

Under the old system, the highest points finish (195) was actually 14.7 percent higher than the minimum number of points for second place (170). Thus, winning is not actually rewarded any more than it used to be.

Under my proposed system, a maximum points day (25) would be worth 25 percent more than second place (20). This would serve two purposes.

First, it would give drivers extra incentive to "go for the win," rather than being content to have a "good points day." The best points day ought to be sitting on the pole, winning the race and leading the most laps, and the difference in points should be enough to make that matter!

Second, it would allow drivers to make up ground in the points not by racking up top-10s in Matt Kensethian fashion, but by gunning for the win in a way that would make racing fans get up and out of their seats.

Want to see more of what Tony Stewart did in the 2011 Chase? Then this is the point system for you!

Problem No. 2: Qualifying is virtually meaningless, since there is no reward for winning the pole and races are long enough that it's possible to win from any starting position.

Obviously, under my proposed system there would be a significant incentive to win the pole.

Drivers currently go out of their way to get a bonus point for leading a lap, and they'd approach qualifying seriously in order to gain a point in a way that would demonstrate actual ability.

It's worth pointing out that one point would be more meaningful in my system, worth 4 percent of the total for a maximum points day—one out of 25—as opposed to just 2.1 percent under the current system—one out of 48 points.

Problem No. 3: The bonus for leading a lap doesn't make sense. Why should a driver be rewarded for staying out a lap when the field is under caution?

Under my system, that oddity is taken away, while the meaningful accomplishment of leading the most laps (having the dominant car throughout the race) is retained.

There are a couple of additional advantages to my proposed points system.

The maximum number of points is 25, a nice round number, rather than 48 (can you say conspiracy theory?).

In addition, teams won't rush to put junked cars back on the track to log laps, getting in the way of the actual racing to pick up a few extra points when they have no hope of an actual decent finish.

Under my system, there would be no advantage to finishing, say, 32nd rather than 39th.

What do you think of my idea? Leave a comment to voice your opinion!

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