NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France speaks about the upcoming season during a news conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday.

Roger Penske, front left, speaks to reporters at an auto racing news conference during the NASCAR Media Tour in Concord, N.C., on the final day of the Media Tour. His team just inked an extension with MillerCoors, a partnership which began back in 1991.

NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France, left, discusses the upcoming season as NASCAR president Mike Helton looks on at a news conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday.

Penske Racing's NASCAR drivers, from left, Brad Keselowski, A.J. Allmendinger and Sam Hornish Jr. speak to reporters. Penske Racing also announced multi-year partnership extensions with MillerCoors, so cheers to the boys for 2012!

NASCAR CEO and chairman Brian France speaks about the upcoming season at a news conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday.

It's hard to believe Dale Earnhardt Jr has won just one race in the last five years. He has a few top-five finishes to his credit, but he is likely expecting more from himself going into 2012. Can he deliver?

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson answers questions from the media. J.J. saw his streak of five straight Championships snapped in 2011, but you have got to expect he'll be right back in the contention mix for 2012.

NHRA top fuel funny car driver Courtney Force also spent a few minutes speaking with the media about drag racing during the 2012 Sprint media tour.

On the final day of the Media Tour, NHRA president Tom Compton spent a few minutes speaking to the media about drag racing.

On Wednesday, Day 3 of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NHRA drivers take the stage, with top fuel funny car driver Courtney Force speaking to the media at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Force, daughter of funny car legend John Force, announced Jan. 10 that she will compete full-time in the Full Throttle Series. She becomes the second Force daughter to compete in their father's sport, joining sister Ashley.

Nobody brings the star power or the championship pedigree like Hendrick Motorsports. On Wednesday, all the big names were center stage, as (left to right) drivers Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, along with team owner Rick Hendrick, spoke with the media. While Hendrick lost its grip on the Cup when Tony Stewart ended JJ's five-year run, the three drivers enter the season as three of the favorites for the 2012 title.

Jimmie Johnson might have the titles, but nobody represents Hendrick Motorsports more than four-time champion Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick. Gordon had a resurgence in 2011, winning three times and moving into third on NASCAR's all-time wins list with his 85th career checkered at Atlanta in September.

In case anybody forgot, Jimmie Johnson shows the media how many titles he won in a row — a Sprint Cup Series record. This is the first time since the 2006 season that he does not enter Daytona as the defending series champion. The good news for No. 48 is the last Sprint Cup champion before he began his run is Tony Stewart — last season's winner.

Last season saw Dale Earnhardt Jr. nearly break his winless streak multiple times, getting as close as running out of gas with the lead on the final turn of the Coca-Cola 600. His 129-race streak without a victory could come to an end at the 2012 season opener. He typically runs well at Daytona, evidenced by his two victories and eight Top 5s.

During previous Media Tours, Regan Smith might not have been a big draw. But with his first Sprint Cup victory last season, the Furniture Row driver drew plenty of microphones Wednesday.

Trevor Bayne was a destination spot for reporters during the NASCAR Media Tour at Charlotte Motor Speedway, NC, on Tuesday. That was a far cry from 2011, when Wood Brothers Racing chose Bayne to drive the No. 21 car in the Daytona 500. Not only did the 20-year-old shock the racing world by winning Daytona, Bayne became the first driver to win the Great American Race in his first attempt since Lee Petty captured the inaugural event in 1959.

Jamie McMurray of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing holds court next to his No. 1's brand-new Banana Boat paint scheme on Tuesday during the NASCAR Media Tour.

Felix Sabates, a shareholder in Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, talks about the team's plans for the 2012 season.

In addition to a new paint job on Jamie McMurray's car, Banana Boat on Tuesday announced a partnership with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to help racing fans stay cool and protected from the sun this season.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing was on center stage Tuesday during the NASCAR Media Tour.

Jamie McMurray is hoping to improve on his 27th-place finish in the points standings last season.

Chip Ganassi, owner and president of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, is eager to improve on his team's No. 21 finish in NASCAR's owners standings in 2011.

Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet, finished 21st in the drivers standings in 2011.

Tony Stewart will look to defend his third Cup championship in 2012. "Smoke" won five races last season with nine top fives and 19 top 10s. During his 13-year Cup career, Stewart has 44 wins, 162 top fives and 266 top 10s.

Crew chief Darian Grubb faces a new challenge in 2012, switching from Tony Stewart’s championship title-winning team to Denny Hamlin's. Grubb turned down an offer to work for past employer Hendrick Motorsports as an engineer on the management level because he said he wants to be a crew chief another four years.

Ryan Newman hopes to improve on his 10th-place finish from last season. Entering his fourth year with Stewart Haas Racing, Newman has 15 Cup wins with 135 top 10s and 47 poles. He had one win — New Hampshire — nine top fives and 17 top 10s last season.

Danica Patrick will make her Cup debut at this year's Daytona 500. She plans to race in at least 10 Cup events this season as a member of the Stewart-Haas Racing team. Patrick drove 25 Nationwide races over the past two seasons with three top-10 finishes and one top five. The 29-year-old Patrick recently announced she's going to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 instead of attempting to make her eighth career start the Indianapolis 500.

Denny Hamlin, who finished ninth in the standings last year, aims to deliver in the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota in 2012, but he'll have to do so with a new crew chief in Darian Grubb, who led Tony Stewart's team to last year's Cup title. Hamlin won one race, the Michigan 400, with five top fives and 14 top 10s last season. His Cup career includes 17 trips to Victory Lane with 66 tops fives and 111 top 10s.

After causing some trouble at last fall's Texas Trucks race, Busch was parked for the Cup race, which didn't help his Chase final standings as he finished 12th. But it’s a new year and he has high hopes of adding more victories — to his 104 from NASCAR’s top-three tours during a nine-year career. In 2011, Busch won four Cup races with 14 top fives and 18 top 10s, while his Cup career includes 23 victories with 80 top fives and 121 top 10s.

Joe Gibbs' teams have won three Cup championships: Bobby Labonte in 2000 and Tony Stewart in 2001 and '05 — Stewart left and started his own team after 2008. Since Gibbs started his race team in 1992, his Cup cars have found Victory Lane 93 times in 1,406 starts. Many believe Gibbs will end up in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Joey Logano stumbled a little in his third full season for Joe Gibbs Racing. After seven top fives and 16 top 10s two seasons ago, Logano had just four top fives and six top 10s last year. JGR is hoping a change in crew chiefs will be a boost in 2012 as Jason Ratcliff takes over for Greg Zipadelli. Logano is the youngest driver — 19 years, 35 days old — to win a Cup race when he won at New Hampshire in 2009.

Michael Waltrip will join his brother Darrell and Chris Myers on FOX's pre-race coverage this season. Michael, who retired from full-time racing before 2010, co-owns the Michael Waltrip Racing team. As a driver, the two-time Daytona 500 winner owns four career Cup victories with 39 tops fives and 128 top 10s. Waltrip plans to race five Cup races each of the next two seasons.

Clint Bowyer will open the 2012 season with a new team. After making the Chase in three of the past six seasons with Richard Childress Racing, Bowyer jumped ship to join Michael Waltrip Racing. In 2011, Bowyer had one win — the October Talladega race — four top fives and 16 top 10s. He owns five victories, 31 top fives and 95 top 10s in his Cup career.

Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota, improved a little bit last season, placing 18th overall after a 22nd-place finish in 2010. Truex, who drives for Michael Waltrip Racing, tallied his second most top-10 Cup finishes in his career with 12 last season — he had 14 in 2007. He also had three top fives a year ago. His Cup career includes one win — Dover in 2007 — 17 top fives and 56 top 10s.

Mark Martin joins the Michael Waltrip Racing team this season, but will run a part-time, 25-race schedule. The 52-year-old driver placed 22nd last season with two top fives and 10 top 10s. Martin has placed second five times in the final Cup standings, while accumulating 40 victories with 438 top 10s in his 29-year career. He also has the second most wins in the Nationwide Series with 49.