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crazy Woman Driver increased grip through the corners. Not only do they produce more total downforce, but that downforce is more efficiently distributed around the car for more stability. The drivers seem to like the new cars so far. In winter testing, several said the 2013 models were faster through the turns and could more easily handle side-by-side racing. Some noted that passing remains a bit of a challenge, at least until they get a little more seat time. But Denny Hamlin predicted that seven or eight track records could fall this year alone. And speaking of the drivers, here's who I'll have my eye on this year. CHANGING LANES Kevin Harvick: "Happy" wasn't so happy in 2012, winning only once, recording only five top-5 finishes and then announcing that he was leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of 2013 to drive for Stewart-Haas in 2014. No doubt Harvick and his crew will try their hardest to run well during this season-long lame-duck campaign. But there's also no doubt that Childress Racing will focus its resources much more on Jeff Burton and Paul Menard. Childress says he's good for future sponsorship, so it'll also be very interesting to see whether Harvick's departure will open the door for Childress to promote his grandson, Austin Dillon, to the Sprint Cup Series – and possibly bring the iconic black No. 3 back to NASCAR's top level. Personally, I ' d l o v e t o 14 s e e t h at . Brad Keselowski: Keselowski shocked the world – at least he shocked me – by winning the Sprint Cup last year, giving Penske Racing its first Sprint Cup crown. In doing so, Keselowski showed that he's grown up quickly and was more than capable of handling the stress involved in contending for, and winning, the sport's top prize – and doing so with equipment that was arguably inferior to his competitors. Penske Racing fielded Dodges last year and, as we remember, announced early in the season that it was switching to Ford starting in 2013, a move that led to Dodge dropping completely out of NASCAR. Keselowski will need a bit of time to get used to his new ride, but Ford also should provide Penske with much better equipment and support going forward. Keselowski also played a big role in the team's signing of Joey Logano to drive the #22 in 2013, and has been working closely with Logano to get both teams ready for the new season. If they click, Penske – long an underperformer in Sprint Cup – could be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. Keselowski, only 28, and Logano, only 22, make for easily the youngest line-up in Sprint Cup. Jimmie Johnson: I was hoping Johnson would win his sixth championship last fall, just to further prove how ridiculous the Chase for february 2013 // WWW.CHANGINGLANESDIGITAL.COM crazy woman driver 0213 cl.indd 2 1/4/13 10:26 AM