Jimmie Johnson, driving force of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet,
celebrates in Victory Lane together with his spouse Chandra and daughter
Genevieve Marie after winning the NASCAR sprint Cup collection Ford EcoBoost
four hundred and the 2016 NASCAR dash Cup series Championship at home-Miami
Speedway on November 20, 2016 in abode, Florida. Johnson wins a file-tying
seventh NASCAR title. (photo by means of Sean Gardner/NASCAR thru Getty pix)
The door is formally closed on the 2016 NASCAR season and in
the game's vernacular, you could make the case that it was one of these
exceptional-of-instances/worst-of-instances deals. however in the long run,
what I cast off are stable reasons to be constructive about '17.
First, let's start with some of the now not true stuff that
occurred in 2016:
injuries to 2 of the game's maximum famous drivers have been
a massive blow. Tony Stewart neglected the first 8 races of the yr with a
damaged returned and Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed the whole second 1/2 of the
season with a concussion.
once it became clean that Earnhardt was going to be out
indefinitely, fan hobby fell off. Say all you need about content material being
fed on in one-of-a-kind ways these days -- that is actual -- however greater
fans take note of the game whilst Earnhardt is racing than whilst he isn't.
this is not even arguable.
some other trouble: NASCAR inspections and violations became
a huge distraction to the on-music product. manner an excessive amount of
became spent talking approximately lug nuts and LIS inspections and who
misplaced 15 minutes of exercise time and who had to go to the returned of the
% at the begin of the race.
NASCAR inspectors work their butts off to hold the playing
subject stage and those wily team chiefs in check. optimistically, subsequent
12 months the powers that be will figure out a manner that inspections end
being one of the pinnacle memories of the week, every week.
speakme of wily group chiefs, the racing turned into
fantastic on the begin of the year, whilst NASCAR reduce downforce sharply.
however as the season wore and team chiefs got maximum of it returned, the
racing got worse.
NASCAR will whack the downforce once more to begin 2017, but
how they keep the team chiefs from getting all of it lower back again is past
me. so that it will be a challenge, for sure.
some other bummer became that the long decline of Roush
Fenway Racing culminated at the give up of the season with the group saying
that Greg Biffle wasn't coming again and that they may subject just two
vehicles in 2017. don't forget it changed into as current as 2005 when Roush Fenway
gained 15 races and had 5 drivers in what then become a ten-race Chase.
type of like with Earnhardt, the racing tends to be greater
exciting whilst Jack Roush and his minions are in the mix to win races. and
they have not been in the final couple of years.
On the best facet of the ledger, there has been a whole lot
to be glad about.
The Daytona growing project turned into a massive success,
and subsequent year the lengthy-awaited renovation of Phoenix
worldwide Raceway will begin.
Throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles'
Southern 500 was even better in 2016 than it was in the first 12 months,
something I failed to think changed into feasible.
The young dollars in all three of NASCAR's top collection
entertained us all yr lengthy and placed on a few exquisite racing. Chase
Elliott and Chris Buescher had been the first inexperienced persons to make the
Chase due to the fact that Denny Hamlin in 2006, Daniel Suarez won the XFINITY
championship and William Byron received extra Truck collection races than each
person.
And, oh, yeah, there are approximately 10 different young
weapons we could speak approximately.
greater desirable news is that NASCAR is beginning the
technique of removing Cup drivers from lower series races. that is an extended
overdue move.
Early in the 12 months and inside the very last couple Chase
races, the opposition become sensational. The center stretch of the Chase
lacked drama -- no drivers fighting after the race or putting each other into
the wall -- but the very last races had
been as desirable as any i've visible.
Jimmie Johnson's 7th championship? whether or not you're a
fan or no longer, you purchased to witness an remarkable athlete at the height
of his abilities make history, which doesn't take place very regularly.
the new name sponsor turned out properly, too. yes, NASCAR
was way overdue in inking a address Monster power -- it become like while you
have been in high faculty and prom changed into a week away and also you didn't
have a date but -- but NASCAR and Monster can be a incredible match together. I
don't have any doubts whatsoever about that.
add it all up and right here's my take: NASCAR will begin
the 2017 season with a brand new and exceedingly inspired collection sponsor a
good way to throw a ton of effort into selling the sport and attracting new
lovers.
NASCAR also will get its most popular motive force --
Earnhardt Jr. -- again next year, with an entire lot of young guns returning
and/or transferring up.
Plus, we'll start 2017 with a few compelling storylines:
What, exactly, will Monster power do to make the at-song
revel in more compelling? (Spoiler alert: an entire lot).
How will Stewart-Haas Racing do as a Ford team?
Can Clint Bowyer get back to winning now that he is
replacing Stewart at SHR?
Will increasing to 2 vehicles help furniture Row Racing and
JTG Daugherty Racing?
And remaining but no longer least, will NASCAR crown its
first-ever 8-time champion in 2017 or will a person else upward push up and
take the identify returned from Johnson?
I do not know about you, however i am already getting
excited for Daytona Speedweeks.
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