With all the rule changes, driver swaps, and format modifications, this has been one of the most hectic off-seasons in recent memory. But, a fresh season of NASCAR awaits as the Daytona 500 draws nearer. Plenty of questions are still buzzing around the heads of many fans. Will Jimmie Johnson win back-to-back Daytona 500s? Will Austin Dillon be a legitimate contender? Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a bridesmaid once more? I can tell you without hesitation that the answer to one of those questions is no.
The notion that Jimmie Johnson will win the Daytona 500 is just as preposterously outlandish as predicting Danica Patrick to bring home the Sprint Cup Championship. Regardless of the fact that it’s Jimmie Johnson we’re discussing, his recent record in the Great American Race is abysmal. Other than winning it twice, he crashed and finished 39th in 2007, came home a mediocre 27th in 2008, and finished a lowly 31st in 2009. The succeeding year was not much better as a broken rear axle led to a 35th place finish. Let’s also not forget that the last time a driver won back-to-back 500s was in the mid-90s, and the last time a driver won three in a row at Daytona was in the late 60s. I realize that Jimmie Johnson is one of the sport’s greatest drivers, but the evidence suggests that it’s unlikely he’ll win it again.
One of the top storylines of the off-season was the re-emergence of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet. This historic number hasn’t been used in NASCAR’s premier series since Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death in 2001. Now, Childress’s grandson Austin Dillon will get behind the wheel and attempt to get the 3 car back in victory lane. The craziest part about it is that there is a very real possibility that he will end up there. If testing was any indication, all of the RCR cars showed tremendous speed around the 2.5-mile oval, and Dillon was the fastest of them all. Couple that with the fact that RCR always has a strong restrictor plate package, and we could be reliving 1998 all over again.
As much as fans would adore seeing the No. 3 car back in the winner’s circle at Daytona, they may even be more ecstatic to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. holding the Harley J. Earl trophy. Unlike his Hendrick stalemate Johnson, Junior’s record in the 500 has been pretty solid over the past few years. He’s established himself as a Daytona 500 bridesmaid after finishing second in 2010, 2012, and 2013, and fans are left to question whether or not he’ll win it again.
Feel free to start the party early Dale Jr. fans, because not only will he run up front for the majority of the race, there’s an extremely strong chance he’ll wind up in victory lane. If the fall Talladega race is any indication, the 88 team can produce one heck of a restrictor plate package, and they will bring the best they have for race day. In the closing laps, Junior may methodically slice his way through the field and be the first driver to cross the start/finish line.
Jimmie Johnson won’t win, the No. 3 will be a serious contender, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be a bridesmaid this year. Right about now, 90 percent of the NASCAR fan base is grinning ear-to-ear, and they should keep grinning, because this is going to be an outstanding opener to an exceptionally exciting NASCAR season.
