Drivers, stop your engines. The NASCAR season has come to a halt as we approach the All-Star Weekend. This has already been one heck of a season with plenty more exciting races to go. Let’s recap everything that’s happened in the first half and look ahead for what you should know.
What’s Happened
Tyler Reddick: The former NASCAR Rookie of the Year is off to the best start in his career. The 30-year-old is atop the NASCAR Cup Standings. He has multiple wins already this year and there was none bigger than when he crossed the finish line first at the Daytona 500. He has 100 points more than the next closest driver, Denny Hamlin. He has 5 wins this season despite leading in just 201 laps.
What Gives? Speaking laps…Denny Hamlin is probably pretty annoyed that he sits below Reddick. Hamlin has a NASCAR leading 624 laps led but has only one win to show for his domination throughout the race. Hamlin needs a couple more checkered flags under his belt if he plans on catching Reddick.
The Rise of 23XI: Michael Jordan is having a fun time watching his team race this season. Reddick has the most wins in all of NASCAR and his other driver, Bubba Wallace, is top 10 in standings this season and has 72 stage points.
The Fall? We are used to teams like Hendrick Motorsports dominating at this point in the season. Chase Elliott is third in the standings while Kyle Larson is in 8th. That’s certainly nothing to scoff at but it’s not as well as those guys hold themselves accountable for.
The True Fall: It has been extremely difficult to watch legend Kyle Busch this season. He is 24th in the standings with just 22 stage points. Richard Childress Racing has changed their crew chief in an effort to get things back on track, but it’s looked bleak thus far.
What’s Ahead
The biggest question is whether Reddick can actually sustain this pace. He has a massive points lead but there is a new Chase-Style playoff format that could leave room for a crazy finish to the season. If Reddick isn’t careful, his lead could easily slip.
My eyes will be glued to Shane van Gisbergen. He is a road course specialist who already has a win under his belt this season. At 37-years-old, it’s tough to teach an old dog new tricks but I want to see if his game can develop a little more.
The playoff race will be especially fun to watch. You have guys like Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, and Kyle Busch who are hanging around the cut line and will be fighting for their spots.
All Star Prediction
This weekend, I am going with Denny Hamlin. He loves racing at Dover and can get some big confidence heading into the second half.