2019 NASCAR Cup Series Preview
The Daytona 500 will be here in less than a month to wave the official green flag on the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
Last year, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. dominated the regular season and advanced through the playoffs all the way to the title race at Homestead. However, it was Joey Logano who walked away with the championship after a late caution made his short-run car too much for the competition to handle.
A lot has changed since the final race of 2018, and in addition to some big names switching rides, NASCAR will roll out a new rules package at the intermediate ovals that could level the playing field between the traditional powers and the smaller teams.
Even if the new rules create a little more parity at certain tracks, you can still expect some familiar faces to rise to the top over the course of the year and emerge as frontrunners for the 2019 crown. Let’s get ready for the season with a closer look at my top title contenders.
2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Season Preview: Championship Forecast
2019 NASCAR Cup Series Preview – The Favorites
He won the regular season title, but Kyle Busch didn’t have the car to close the deal and win the championship race at Homestead. He did finish tied for the series-lead with eights wins, and he ranked second in top-five finishes (22), top-10s (28) and laps led (1,469). Perhaps more importantly, Busch has made the Championship 4 and won at least four races in each of the last four seasons. He is close to a sure thing to be competing for the title again in 2019.
A late caution at Homestead likely cost him the championship last season, but Kevin Harvick still put together one of the most impressive seasons in recent memory. His eight wins were tied for the most in the series, and he led all drivers in a variety of categories, including top-five finishes (23), top-10s (29), laps led (1,990) and stage wins (19). Since joining Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick has been a staple of the title scene, finishing third or better in the final standings in four of his five seasons with SHR. Expect more of the same in 2019.
It came down a late restart, but Martin Truex Jr. ultimately fell one spot short of repeating as champion in 2018. He finished the year with four wins, and he was one of just three drivers to record at least 20 top-five finishes and lead more than 1,000 laps. Truex is switching teams this season, but moving from Furniture Row Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing should be a seamless transition since Furniture Row was already a satellite team for JGR. Truex should still be the same driver who has amassed 16 wins over the last three years.
2019 NASCAR Cup Series Preview – The Contenders
A timely caution and a great short-run car allowed Joey Logano to capture his first Cup title last season, but he is no stranger to being in the thick of the championship conversation. He has won at least three races and topped 20 top-10s in four of the last five seasons, and he has recorded at least 26 top-10s in three of the last four years. Logano’s combination of consistency and ability to reach victory lane should at least give him a chance at pulling off another upset and repeating as champ.
Although he failed to visit victory lane last year after four wins in 2017, Kyle Larson cannot be ignored heading into 2019. He still finished tied for fifth with 12 top-five finishes, and he also ranked fifth in laps led. By the way, six of his 12 top-five efforts were second-place finishes, so it wasn’t like he wasn’t in the mix for several wins. Look for Larson to close the deal on a few of those close calls this time around as he returns to championship form.
The 2018 season was a down year by Brad Keselowski’s standards, but it still included three wins, 12 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s. As one of the most consistent, versatile drivers in the series, Keselowski has a shot at winning at any track on the schedule, and that makes him a serious threat to make a run in the playoffs.
It took a while for Chase Elliott to earn his first win, but once he did, the young driver erupted for three wins over the 15 races. The strong close to the season could be a sign of things to come, especially since Elliott managed to be competitive despite the Chevy teams struggling as a whole to adjust to the new Camaro in 2018. He looks poised to make the leap to serious championship threat this season.
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