Last year, Kyle Larson absolutely dominated the Cup Series, winning 10 races including the Phoenix championship race. The way the playoffs are with 16 drivers starting, ending with the one winner take all race where only four drivers are eligible creates a lot of excitement but also makes it a lot harder for the true best driver over an entire season to win a title, but Larson did it. However, that was last year, and this year will be completely different. 2022 will welcome the NextGen racecar. The car has seemingly had struggles in development, with its safety being questioned. Nascar however is confident that it got the car right, and as the teams develop the new cars, rule adjustments will be made to make it better than its predecessor. With that being said, let’s see what else will be new in 2022. Also, make sure to check out our hottest NASCAR wives article here!
Tracks
The first new track isn’t a track at all, as it’s a well-known stadium. The LA Memorial Colosseum held a 150-lap quarter mile shootout a few weeks ago, 40 cars tried to qualify for the 23-car field. It will be interesting to see how the results of the “Clash in the Colosseum” translate to the Daytona 500 results.
St. Louis will be getting a race in 2022. The Worldwide Technology Raceway is 1.25 miles long. The paper clip shaped track has never held a Cup Series event, but it held a Xfinity race last in 2010, with Brad Keselowski winning in a Dodge.
Drivers
Ross Chastain will drive #1. He drove for Chip Ganassi racing, who sold to Trackhouse Racing
Brad Keselowski is moving from #2 to #6. He is leaving Penske Racing for Roush-Fenway, newly named RFK and will become a team part owner.
Austin Cindric will drive #2. He drove for Penske in Xfinity series
Harrison Burton will drive #21. He will drive for Wood Brothers Racing
Kurt Busch will move from #1 to #45. He is leaving the defunct Chip Ganassi racing for 23XI racing, owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan.
Ty Dillon is moving from #96 to #94. He is leaving Gaunt Brothers Racing for GMS Racing.
My Predictions
Obviously with a new car, it is nearly impossible to predict who will adapt quickly and who will struggle. With that being said, here are my early predictions for the Daytona 500, each playoff round, and even the 2022 Nascar champion.
Daytona 500
Winner: Kyle Busch
Round of 16:
Alex Bowman
Austin Cindric
Austin Dillon
Brad Keselowski
Bubba Wallace
Chase Elliot
Christopher Bell
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Busch
Kyle Larson
Kurt Busch
Martin Truex Jr.
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Round of 12:
Alex Bowman
Brad Keselowski
Chase Elliot
Christopher Bell
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Busch
Kyle Larson
Martin Truex Jr.
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Round of 8:
Chase Elliot
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Kyle Busch
Kyle Larson
Martin Truex Jr.
Ryan Blaney
William Byron
Round of 4:
Chase Elliot
Kyle Busch
Kyle Larson
Ryan Blaney