2018 - The Rebirth of Hendrick Motorsports
Despite winning the championship in 2016, Hendrick Motorsports have had a bumpy last few seasons with their driver lineup changing off-and-on. In 2018, Hendrick Motorsports has a solid lineup featuring a seven-time champion, a novice driver, and two new kids. Dale Earnhardt Jr. walked away into the sunset while Kasey Kahne moved over to Leavine Family Racing leaving two spots open. Chase Elliott moved over to the No. 9 while William Byron took his place in the No. 24. Also new to the organization full-time will be Alex Bowman. Bowman filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. while he was out in 2016.This season will be the rebirth of Hendrick Motorsports in our opinion. The new Chevrolet Camaro is the rebirth the organization needs and with its stars beginning to align, this season could secure another championship for Mr. Hendrick. All four drivers will visit victory lane this season with Byron knocking on the door of the record books with the most wins by a rookie. Either one or two Hendrick Motorsports drivers will be in the "Championship Four" at Homestead and who knows, a championship could be in the future for Hendrick.
A few 2017 winners fail to return victory lane in 2018...
Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, and Kurt Busch all four fail to return to victory lane in 2018. All four of these drivers only earned one victory in 2017 and we honestly don't see them returning..... at least this year.
Richard Childress Racing has struggled in recent years and we don't see that changing this season. Kasey Kahne moves from Hendrick Motorsports to Leavine Family Racing in 2018 which is a new slate for the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year and there will be a lot of changes and with all of that, he won't return to victory lane in 2018 either. It was very tough to put Kurt Busch on this list but with the competition picking up it's going to be even harder for a driver to earn a victory.
A Record Number of First Time Winners... Starting in the Daytona 500
With fewer faces from the past, it'll give drivers the opportunity to put their face in the spotlight. Last season, three drivers earned their first career victories (Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Blaney, and Austin Dillon). This year add two more to that number with a total of five first-time winners. The first driver to earn that will be William Byron in the 60th Annual Daytona 500.
Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Alex Bowman, and Chase Elliott will all join the list of winners in NASCAR and the opportunities for more are there also. Darrell Wallace Jr. will compete in his first full-time season with Richard Petty Motorsports and if you look at their performance at the first part of the season in 2017, things were looking up.
Another team you have to have circled in the first-win column is Front Row Motorsports with veteran Michael McDowell. McDowell makes the move from Leavine Family Racing after his best career season in the cup series. Also, Ty Dillon is another driver that could possibly steal a victory in 2018 but look at these two teams to show improvement in 2018.
Toyota has some Competition in 2018 with Chevrolet and Maybe Ford
Without a doubt, Toyota dominated the season last year but look out, Chevrolet is knocking on the door to have an opportunity to give the Toyota brand a run for their money. Fourteen drivers represent Chevrolet this season while five drivers represent Toyota but in recent years that hasn't meant anything. This year, we feel it will.
As for Ford, we are really concerned about if they get any more behind after last season. There are a lot of unknowns for the blue oval but they add a face to the program in 2018. Paul Menard moves from Richard Childress Racing to replace a departing Ryan Blaney at Wood Bros. Racing. Blaney moves to Team Penske which everyone knew was coming soon. If Ford gets it right this season, we could be in for one of the most competitive seasons in the history of NASCAR.
The Can-Am Duels Won't Matter
Yes, you read that headline right. There will only be forty cars entered in the Daytona 500 this year meaning that no one will be sent home. It'll be the first time in a long time that'll be the case but honestly, it was bound to happen sometime.
No, it doesn't mean the sport is dying, it's happening in a majority of sports just look at the Indianapolis 500. Yes, points will be paid out like last year so we will enter the Daytona 500 with two points leaders (tied at 10 points) but in the form of go-or-go-home, that won't be seen this season. Better luck next year...
Winless streaks will be broken
Jamie McMurray, A.J. Allmendinger, Trevor Bayne, Aric Almirola, and Clint Bowyer all will snap winless streaks this season which again, was bound to happen eventually. All five of these drivers have had a lot of success lately but a victory is in the rear-view mirror.
McMurray was one of the most consistent drivers last year and this year it'll pay off with his first victory since the 2013 Fall-Talladega race, he's gotta have a hunger for another win and CGR has had the speed to send its cars to victory lane lately, look for McMurray to add his name to the victory hat this season. A year before McMurray won, Clint Bowyer last won and this season he'll also punch his ticket to victory lane. He came very close this season finishing second at Bristol in April, Sonoma in June, and Daytona in July. He and McMurray will snap their streaks this season, both winning once in 2018.
Three road course races have to have Allmendinger filled with optimistic and being as JTG has a new affiliation with Hendrick Motorsports a victory could be just around the corner for him. Trevor Bayne came close a few times in 2017 and in 2018, he'll finally get back to victory lane. Almirola will most definitely become the final driver to earn his second career victory this season as he moves to Stewart Haas Racing.
Photo Credit - Christian Koelle/CCK Photography
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