Here we are, only five days away from flipping the calendar to a

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Here we are, only five days away from flipping the calendar to a

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Depending upon which driver one asks, the 2011 Sprint Cup season was uplifting and rewarding, or there were many disappointments and plenty to improve upon in 2012.

Here’s a look at some possible New Year’s resolutions for drivers, team owners and teams to consider:

Jamie McMurray - No. 1 Earnhardt-Ganassi Chevrolet: McMurray won three races in 2010, including the prestigious Daytona 500. But 2011 was marred with tons of bad luck that included occasional engine issues.

Resolution - Fix the nagging things that held the team back and get back to winning form. New general manager Max Jones may have a few good ideas for repairing those issues.

Brad Keselowski - No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge: Three wins, 10 top-fives and 14 top-10s came in 2011. But ironically, his best success came after he suffered a crash during testing at Watkins Glen, N.Y., that left him with broken bones and plenty of bruises.

Resolution - Break nothing physically or mechanically in 2012 and begin winning early in the season now that he’s in his second year with the team.

Kasey Kahne - No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: Kahne went into 2011 knowing it was a one-year deal. A win at Phoenix late in the season gave Red Bull Racing reason to smile, even though the team shut down in only weeks later.

Resolution - Get back on one of those winning streaks he enjoyed earlier in his career. Now with team owner Rick Hendrick for 2012 and beyond means a long-term commitment.

Marcos Ambrose - No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford: Nineteenth in points wasn’t all that bad, but he must improve on his one win, five top-fives and 12 top-10s season.

Resolution - He’s almost unstoppable on the road courses but he also needs wins on the oval tracks. Once he finds consistency, he will be good everywhere. All he needs is a breakout year where everything clicks.

Danica Patrick-No. 10 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet. Patrick takes her mediocre Nationwide Series record to Sprint Cup in 2012, a big step that could honestly go well or badly. Yes, there’s talent there, but everything must go perfectly for a good season.

Resolution - Call upon the luck of the Irish as much as possible, listen to anyone who will offer good advice and plan on a great deal of patience.

Denny Hamlin - No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota: For various reasons, the 2011 season wasn’t all too kind to Hamlin, as races that started off with great promise often ended in disappointment and heartache.

Losing the 2010 championship to Jimmie Johnson by 39 points after running out of fuel at Homestead-Miami Speedway seemed hard to overcome. With a win, five top-fives and 14 top-10s, he was in the Chase but ultimately ninth and not really a factor.

Resolution: Communicate with new crew chief Darian Grubb right off the bat and build a solid union and put himself back into contention for the championship. Grubb knows pressure and can adjust quicky. A good season would be a great way to erase the disappointments of the past two.

Tony Stewart - No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet: After a magical Chase that featured five wins in the final 10 races, team strength and a third-career title certainly gave him plenty to smile about. Ask the Columbus, Ind., native the question and he could most likely name many resolutions for 2012 - even though he was ultimately better than everyone else.

Resolution - To win right out of the box with new crew chief Steve Addington and become a championship contender from the start. Success fuels his fire and makes him want it even more. Becoming a repeat champion isn't out of the question.

Clint Bowyer - No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota: With a win, four top-fives and 16 top-10s, he barely missed the Chase with his 13th-place finish in points with team owner Richard Childress.

Resolution - Build a brand new history with Waltrip as a winner, click well with new crew chief Brain Pattie and his team and make himself a threat to win as soon as possible. Joining a new team may take time to jell but hopefully the transition time will be short.

Greg Biffle - No. 16 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford: When tabulating 2010 points, Biffle matched his car number with only three top-fives and 10 top-10s. There wasn’t much to be happy about which means there’s plenty of work to do to get him back to winning.

Resolution - Put 2011 in the record books and forget about it. A few new paint schemes on his Fords in 2012 will help, as well as strong team communication and better luck. Once he wins another race, he’ll be right back in the hunt.

Matt Kenseth - No. 17 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford: Three wins, 12 top-five and 20 top-10s placed him in fourth in points last season, but still 73 points back of Stewart in the final tally. The team was impressive, but was unable to close the deal late in the year.

Resolution - Find and define the areas that cost point positions in 2011 and fix them. The team was, at times. fighting for position just out of the top 10. A couple more wins in 2012 would put it back in championship form - enough to challenge closer to the top of the standings.

Kyle Busch - No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota: It was a great 2011 season if one goes by his numbers, four wins, 14 top-fives and 18 top-10s. But everything he gained on the track seemed lost by his detrimental actions off of it. He was benched near the end of the season, which greatly disrupted his title hopes, dropping him to 12th.

Resolution - Control his temper, look at the bigger picture and realize every race counts in a title run.

Jeff Gordon - No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: Since 2001, a fifth career championship has eluded him. But in 2011, there was reason to believe he could finally pull it off late in the season. Three wins, 13 top-fives and 18 top-10s offered some hope as a Chase contender but ultimately, engine issues late in the year dropped him to eighth in points.

Resolution - Capitalize on discoveries made late in 2011 and convert them into more wins and more points. The relationship with crew chief Alan Gustafson should be very strong in 2012, maybe enough to get title number five.

Kevin Harvick - No. 29 RCR Enterprises Chevrolet: Every team constantly searches for what works and in 2012, team owner Childress looks to Shane Wilson to help Harvick improve on 2011. Wilson moved from Jeff Burton’s RCR team and has been replaced by Drew Blickensderfer. Four wins, nine top-fives and 19 top-10s left Harvick third in points but a long shot for the title.

Resolution - Enjoy a new start in 2012 and carry the momentum found in the early stages of last season throughout the year. Also, get cars better to his liking and stay out of skirmishes with other drivers.

Ryan Newman - No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet: Newman loved watching his boss and teammate Stewart win the 2011 championship, but all that did was fuel his fire to take it away in 2012. His Tony Gibson-led team collected one win, nine top-fives and 17 top-10s and finished 10th in points.

Resolution - To be stronger. The team will look hard at what it did right in 2011 and ways to clip off nine point positions in 2012. It will have help from Stewart’s crew chief Addington, vice president of competition Matt Borland and competition director Greg Zippadelli.

Jimmie Johnson - No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet: For the first time in five seasons, Johnson wasn’t center stage at Las Vegas accepting a new championship trophy. His two wins, 14 top-fives and 21 top-10s were impressive but by late season, it became obvious his title dynasty would come to an end.

Resolution - Take a breath between now and the Daytona 500 in February and begin work on another five-year run. The break also gives time to soak in his phenomenal historic accomplishment.

Kurt Busch - No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet: After an abrupt release from Penske Racing just before Christmas, Busch takes his champion’s provisional from 2004 and his vast experience to this Cinderella team. Busch just wants to have fun and he will find it here. He had two wins, eight top-fives and 16 top-10s and has 33 wins to his credit.

Resolution - Bring strength to a team that’s waited a long time for such a great driver. Like his brother Kyle, he must learn how to hold his temper and appreciate what he has. He and team owner James Finch may surprise some people next season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Once again, there were no wins in 2011 for NASCAR’s biggest star. But his four top-fives and 12 top-10s gave him enough momentum to make the Chase and finish seventh in points.

Resolution - Get that elusive win and finally enjoy the peace that it will bring. Also, build a closer relationship with crew chief Steve Letarte which should translate to a lot more top-fives and maybe even a double-win season.

Carl Edwards - No. 99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford: There are few drivers in Sprint Cup racing who could be as cool as Edwards, especially after the way he lost the 2011 championship. He did all he could possibly do to win his first career title, tying Stewart at the top but loosing by virtue of fewer wins. With one win, 19 top-fives and 26 top-10s, it was an awesome season. Edwards gave it his all and could do nothing more than he did. Winning the title simply wasn't meant to be.

Resolution - Win more races. Win more races. Win more races.

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