SM Staff

In year’s past, it seemed that the so-called “silly season” usually started about October and most teams had settled on the next year’s driver lineup by Thanksgiving. Not this year.

When all’s said and done, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will go down in history as one of the modern greats of NASCAR. He probably won’t ever come close to equaling his father’s incredible achievements on the track, but Earnhardt Jr. deserves plenty of respect for the way he has gone about his business in the sport.

As Monster Energy takes over as the new entitlement sponsor for the Cup Series this year, the 2017 season promises to be one of change. With the recent exit of Carl Edwards, and the departure of Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, many fans will be looking for the next rising star.

All you have to do is guess the correct Daytona 500 winner. The contest begins on January 15, 2017 and ends on February 25, 2017 at midnight. All entries must be submitted by then. No late entries will be accepted!

Q. Who was the first driver to ever be black flagged at Daytona and why? The contest begins on January 15, 2017 and ends on January 29, 2017. The winner of the *Amazon.com eGift card will be drawn in a random drawing from all of the correct answers.

I awoke this morning and, as is my custom, I started listening to SiriusXM’s Morning Drive program. It wasn’t long before the news that Carl Edwards would not drive in 2017 hit home. Carl was one of my favorite drivers to talk to at the track or anywhere else.

As the 2016 season came to a close, silly season in NASCAR officially began. One of the biggest announcements is the new Cup Series sponsor for next year. On Dec. 1 it was revealed that Monster Energy and NASCAR have entered into a multi-year agreement with Monster Energy.

This year Roush Yates Engines’ achievements proved that the organization continues to be a driving force in racing worldwide.

We start off the first offseason View from my Recliner by welcoming back Dale Earnhardt Jr. He completed a test at Darlington Raceway and was cleared by doctors and NASCAR to return to driving in the 2017 season.

The 42-year-old has one more item on his checklist before Daytona. He confirmed that he will participate in a private test in December at a track to ensure that being back in a racecar does not trigger any symptoms, such as nausea or vision problems.