The highly anticipated debut of NASCAR’s Generation 6 cars, fan-friendly competition changes, new team alignments, a bona fide Rookie of the Year battle, and the million-dollar question of whether newly crowed 2012 champion Brad Keselowski can once again hold off the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart and the freshly motivated Busch brothers give the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season all the trappings of drama-fueled year.

Few seasons have been awaited as anxiously as 2013, which promises exciting changes to NASCAR competition.

Undoubtedly, the single-most important development is the debut of the first new car models since 2007.

With all the flashy manufacturer’s “unveils” complete and with the Gen-6 cars in the midst of the last crucial on-track tests, it appears the drivers are as excited about the new-look cars as the fans, NASCAR and the manufacturers are.

After a six-year run with the Car of Tomorrow (COT), NASCAR will return to the production-based cars on which the sport was founded. The 2013 Ford Fusions, Chevrolet SSs and Toyota Camrys competing this season more closely resemble their showroom counterparts.

The new models still will use all the safety innovations that characterized and defined the COT but with updated technology, plenty of speed and the look of street cars. The aim is to make a stronger connection with fans, who so fervently have embraced the “race on Sunday, buy on Monday” ideal in the past.

The drivers have been impressed with the aesthetics of the Gen-6 car. And NASCAR has spent more than a year getting it race-ready. From chassis design to wind-tunnel testing to the current on-track runs, the sanctioning body has followed a systematic process to figure out a rules package and to refine race trim and make the cars race as good as they look.

Preseason testing has produced track-record worthy speeds, and drivers say it’s a good indicator of what to expect in the upcoming season.

“What’s paramount is taking this car and making sure we have great racing, not in a way that’s dangerous, not in a way that’s ridiculous with crazy race rules, but in a way that’s natural,” Jeff Burton said. “Make it so that drivers can drive the car in such a way it’s fun to watch them do it. That’s the opportunity we have in front of us.”

Competition changes

Beyond the new cars, fans immediately will notice several competition changes — most notably the way the 43-car Cup fields will be set — a “big win for our fans,” according to NASCAR vice president Robin Pemberton.

In a move expected to add “intrigue, excitement and drama” to qualifying, NASCAR announced a new 36-6-1 procedure to set the Cup starting fields beginning in 2013.

The fastest 36 cars will earn a starting spot based on speed. The next six highest-ranking cars in owners points also will get a spot on the grid. The final position will go to the most recent eligible past champion.

Since 2008, the top-35 positions were locked in based on owner’s points. Now, a maximum of seven positions will be based on points, returning a greater emphasis to speed and time trials. The preceding year’s owner’s points will apply only to the first three races of the new season, as opposed to the first five races applied in previous years.

Additionally, the series is going back to a “random draw” for qualifying order. Should qualifying be cancelled because of rain, the starting lineup still will be set by practice speeds.

The other major change this year — especially significant with the introduction of new cars — opens up NASCAR’s testing policy. Each organization will be allowed four tests at tracks where the series competes. In an effort to discourage testing and curb costs during the past four seasons, teams were not allowed to test at Cup speedways, only at tracks that did not host Cup races.

New alignments

In addition to the Gen 6 cars and new qualifying format, the 2013 season will feature some key changes with marquee names and nameplates after the typical team shuffling that takes place each year.

In mid-December, Matt Kenseth showed up at the Roush Fenway Racing shop and delivered bottles of champagne to team members to thank them for a 15-year relationship that produced a Cup Rookie of the Year title (2000), a Sprint Cup championship (2003) and a pair of Daytona 500 victories (2009 and 2012).

Even as Kenseth officially began his tenure with Joe Gibbs Racing this offseason, here he was providing the kind of goodwill sendoff.

Dodge enjoyed a similar celebratory farewell, saying good-bye to Cup competition after a stunning 2012 championship run by Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski.

Starting this year, the legendary Penske organization will field Ford Fusions. It also welcomes a new teammate for Keselowski, fourth-year driver Joey Logano, who moves out of the No. 20 Toyota now belonging to Kenseth and into the No. 22.

Two-time Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fills the vacancy Kenseth left at Roush Fenway and will try to add Rookie of the Year to his list of NASCAR achievements.

Former Cup champion Kurt Busch will run a full-time schedule for the Furniture Row Racing No. 78, his third team in the past two seasons. He drove six races for the team to finish the 2012 season.

“It’s all unknowns,” said Kenseth, who finished seventh in the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup. “Every year something changes, whether it’s the car model or a rule or a couple crew guys or whatever. But I’ve certainly never been through anything like this. It’s completely different crew, crew chief, organization, car manufacturer, car-body style and teammates. Everything is new.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous about it, but I’m also excited and really looking forward to it. I can’t wait to get [to Gibbs] and get to work.”

Rookie battle

It’s a similar theme for Sprint Cup’s two high profile rookies: Stenhouse and former IndyCar star Danica Patrick, who have prepared for years for their big move into NASCAR’s marquee series.

After several seasons of small rookie classes and relatively anticlimactic rookie titles runs, 2013 should provide one of the most-watched rookie competitions in recent memory.

Stenhouse, the two-time Nationwide champion, moves into Kenseth’s seat at Roush Fenway. Patrick, who just finished her first full-time Nationwide schedule, will drive for Stewart-Haas Racing under the guidance of teammate Ryan Newman’s former crew chief, veteran Tony Gibson.

What makes this competition between Patrick and Stenhouse so interesting is that the two have developed a strong friendship and good rapport. Patrick, who was voted the Nationwide Series’ Most Popular Driver in 2012, frequently relied on Stenhouse, a former sprint car driver, for help adjusting to the bulkier stock cars.

“It’ll be fun,” Stenhouse said. “I can’t help her too much in the Cup car though. She’s got more races than I’ve got. And we probably both lean on the same people on the Cup side, as far as Tony [Stewart].

“It should be good. I’m anxious to get it going. I think [2013] holds a lot in store as far as the new car and fans being excited about it, and I think it will be good to have two of us going for Rookie of the Year. It’s been awhile since that’s happened.”

For her part, Patrick has insisted on a methodical and tempered approach to her transition from the open-wheel ranks.

After partial seasons split between IndyCar and NASCAR, she ran 10 Cup races in addition to a full Nationwide schedule in 2012. Her best Cup finish of 17th came in her last start in November at Phoenix.

“I feel much more prepared,” Patrick said. “I am more comfortable with the cars, the race weekends, the schedules.”

Repeat?

The real question, the true intrigue, the most suspense of the 2013 season surrounds the Cup championship.

Can the 27-year-old Keselowski become the first repeat champion since Jimmie Johnson’s historic five-year title run from 2006 to 2010?

Keselowski never has been more confident, but his competition never has been more motivated.

With so many unknowns for the upcoming season regarding the new cars and high profile team realignments, some feel this season — more than recent others — is anybody’s game.

“As competitive as every company is right now, I don’t think anyone has an advantage going into the new season,” said Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne, who is coming off a career-best fourth-place finish in the standings. “Some drivers are going to adapt and like the new car quicker. It’s definitely going to do things differently. … I’m hoping it plays into my court.

“Of course, everyone is thinking the same thing.”

2013 rings in big NASCAR changes