2015 was filled with ups and downs for the Car make from Sweeping the Duels in Daytona to finishing second to Kyle Busch for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. We saw the rise of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as we said goodbye to a Legend behind the #24 Car. 2015 was a good year but with some additions we could see Chevrolet back in the winners circle come Homestead. In 2 times of the new NASCAR Chase at least one Chevrolet has been represented in the Final Four and I don't see that coming to an end.
A new face is now in a familiar car as Chase Elliott will make his debut in the famed #24 for team owner Rick Hendrick as Jeff Gordon starts his retirement from the Car. Jimmie Johnson will look to rebound from 2 mechanical failures in the Chase in a row and go for his Record Tying 7th Championship. The you have Dale Earnhardt Jr stronger than ever in my opinion and he is bringing his favorite Car to Daytona next month so certainly look for Jr to be in contention for his 3rd Daytona 500 Trophy! Kasey Kahne has added many new sponsors and we certainly hope to see him come off of his off season and land the #5 team back into Victory Lane.
Tommy Baldwin Racing had a rough break up with former Driver Alex Bowman and they added Regan Smith who will drive the #7 Chevrolet SS. Regan Smith is back in the Cup series after spending time in the Xfinity Series. Look for the #7 Shark to be up in the Top 10 in a few weeks come the Daytona 500.
Smoke's last season highlights Stewart Haas Racing as the champion turns his final laps behind the wheel of a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car. Kevin (Busch Beers), Danica (Nature's Harvest), and Kurt Busch (Monster Energy) all three bring new sponsors along with a fleet of Awesome looking paint schemes for 2016. Yes ladies Pumpkin Spice is coming to NASCAR I would think sometime in October on the #10 Chevrolet SS. Also Kurt Busch has expressed interest in running the 100th Indianapolis 500 like he did in 2014. Lets hope he does it again!
New faces in Chevrolet? Michael McDowell and Leavine Family Racing are now running Chevrolet's after merging with Circle Sport Racing (#33) McDowell who brings tons of talent and experience will team with Ty Dillon. Both will share the car but Both will Race in the 2016 Daytona 500. Both drivers raced their way into the Daytona 500 in 2015. McDowell and LFR had previously been Affiliated with Team Penske but will now race Chevrolets affiliated with Richard Childress Racing. McDowell says he thinks this is the best opportunity he has had in his career and trust me I am hoping so! Speaking of Richard Childress Racing the team is looking great! With the addition of Brandon Jones in the Xfinity Series not much else will change! Ryan Newman and Paul Menard both made the chase in 2015 while Austin Dillon almost made the chase but continued to make gains in his sophomore 
season! I expect the #3 Car to return to Victory Lane in 2016 and could see Paul Menard and Ryan Newman go back to back in the Chase with Adding Austin to the Chase too! Speaking of Xfinity Michael McDowell is now a part of the Richard Childress Racing Group and we know he's good in the Xfinity Series so could we possibly see McDowell back in the Xfintiy Series sometime in 2016? McDowell could share the newly formed #2 Car with Austin Dillon and Paul Menard maybe at Iowa and Mid Ohio, two tracks McDowell is very good at. Rather you see McDowell joining Chevy as a good or bad thing only time will tell and if McDowell says it's his best shot he probably sees something.
Not much came out of the Chip Ganassi Racing camp other than the fact that Rob Kaufman now has a ownership stake at the team but both McMurray and Larson will return with the team in 2016. Both Drivers looked to have positive endings of 2015 with Kyle Larson winning the Xfinity Race at Homestead. I could see Larson finally getting that elusive victory in his Junior year in the Sprint Cup Series.
AJ Allmendinger and Casey Mears both are staying relatively the same. Allmendinger signed an extension with JTG Daugherty while Casey signed one with Germain Racing. I feel both of these along with Michael McDowell and Ty Dillon could be the underdogs of Chevrolet. There is a chance we could see all 4 drivers in victory lane at some point in some series sometime in 2016. Be sure to add these four guys to your Fantasy team!
Clint Bowyer will return from Michael Waltrip Racing and Toyota to the Chevrolet brand. Clint last raced in Chevrolet in 2011 with Richard Childress Racing in the #33 car. Bowyer will join HScott Motorsports for one season before replacing Tony Stewart behind the wheel of the #14. Bowyer will drive the #15 Car with teammate Michael Annett who has been with HScott since last season. Bowyer will also bring a Hendrick/Stewart Haas Affiliation with him and that should help both Bowyer and Annett become successful!Dale Earnhardt Jr. got the last win for Chevrolet at the rain shortened race in Phoenix last November. Look for the Bowtie brand to come out and finish strong in 2016 maybe even winning the championship! (Koelle,2016)
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