NASCAR Returns TONIGHT and Here are predictions for the 2024 season
BREAKING: Due to expected weather, the Busch Light Clash (originally tomorrow) at the LA Coliseum will now be held TONIGHT at 8pm est on FS1.
And admission is free to the public?!? Christmas came early for NASCAR fans this year, even if just one day. However, I love this move even more after seeing just how often rain impacted the races last season. It's a super optimistic precedent set early.
NASCAR is starting the 2024 season on a better note with a massive W out of the gate and the drivers seem to agree.
The Clash is a great appetizer to the NASCAR season, but personally I could not be more excited about Daytona. Large and I will be on site with KFC and Feits, Joey and Pat, and Frankie Borrelli for the Great American Race.
The Daytona 500 is always great but also complicated for simple fact that anyone can win. For that reason I'll save my Daytona 500 race preview for the first episode of Rubbin is Racing, dropping next week.
But it wouldn't be preseason without a few general predictions so here we go:
1. A Hendrick Motorsports driver lifts the Bill France Cup. Last year, Hendrick had two of the Championship 4 drivers, and two more drivers who missed significant time due to injuries. Both Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have done it before, and Willy B was arguably the best driver last season. Look for Hendrick to reclaim the throne as their stable returns to full strength.
2. Ross Chastain makes the Championship 4. 2023 wasn’t the strongest season for Ross, who admits this himself on Netflix’s NASCAR: Full Speed. Despite being eliminated in the Round of 12, he finished the season strong as can be winning the final race at Phoenix. Now headed into this season, backed by new major sponsors, with top tier equipment, I'm expecting Ross to have similar or better success than he found in his breakout 2022 season.
3. Legacy Motor Club takes a big step forward. When two iconic Chevy drivers Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson announced they were leaving Chevy for Toyota, many fans were skeptical. However, the move should mean Legacy will get much more attention from their manufacture, and in turn have better equipment for the 2024 season. Erik Jones looked solid last year given the circumstances, and John Hunter Nemecheck already has a year of experience.
4. NASCAR Xfinity Series shines. For the last few years, race fans have argued that the Xfinity series (essentially the AAA of NASCAR) is more entertaining than the Cup Series. The 2024 season gives us whole new reasons to watch as drivers like Hailie Deegan and Supercars Champ Shane Van Gisbergen throw their hat in the ring. I’m hoping one of them can take Rookie of the Year home in 2024. The Xfinity Series is loaded with talent this year and I won’t miss it.
Don't miss the Busch Light Clash tonight at 8pm est on FS1 and we'll see y'all at Daytona.