NASCAR top story lines for 2018 season

Can Truex repeat? Was last season the pinnacle? Truex certainly can repeat as champion. The No. 78 team has been dialed in on 1.5-mile tracks and had the new format down cold, compiling a bevy of playoff points with stage wins and race wins. The Truex-Cole Pearn partnership has produced 13 wins in their three years together and it's hard to see them slowing down. -- RJ Kraft

Will Toyota continue to dominate?Martin Truex Jr.'s No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota was fast all year, but the Toyota camp straight lit things up the second half of last season. From Kentucky on, a Toyota driver won 14 of the remaining 19 races. There's a high likelihood the manufacturer comes out flying in 2018, but how long will it take for Chevrolet or Ford to catch up this year? -- Pat DeCola

Can Chase Elliott chase down his first win? It's not a matter of when the rising star will win his first Monster Energy Series race ... it's a matter of how many he can lock down in 2018. According to crew chief Alan Gustafson, the young driver has taken a different approach to the upcoming season. His run-in with Denny Hamlin left Elliott with a chip on his shoulder. -- Allie Davison

How will teams adjust to Year 2 of stage racing? Just shy of a year ago, NASCAR implemented a vast change to its race format, bringing three times the intensity every Sunday with the inclusion of stages. Martin Truex Jr.'s No. 78 team took to it faster -- and better -- than anyone else, with 19 stage wins. Will teams try to mimic the championship-winning team's tactics in 2018 or will they try to gain an edge by switching things up? Either way, we're bound to see plenty of strategy. -- Pat DeCola

Will Hendrick Motorsports contend with Alex Bowman and William Byron in the fold? The 12-time championship team is in a transition period. In 2017, the four-car squad won only four times -- its lowest total since 2000. Byron has adjusted quickly at every level, while Bowman turned heads as a sub in 2016. Expect growing pains early, but both drivers should be in the mix for wins by the summer. -- RJ Kraft

Who will be the comeback driver of the year? Clint Bowyer had his best year since 2013 in terms of top-five finishes, average starting position and average finishing position. Six of his top-10 finishes came at road courses or short tracks. He's a threat at superspeedways, too. If the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team can up its intermediate game, Bowyer can be back in the playoff picture. -- Kathy Sheldon

Which young driver is ready to bust out in the Monster Energy Series? New team. New number. New car. That's the name of the 2018 game for Erik Jones. In his first full-time season in the Monster Energy Series, Jones showed fans why his name is one to not forget. Just missing the playoffs but earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title gave Jones a taste of success. He notched a career-high five top fives and 14 top 10s. Joe Gibbs Racing clearly sees potential and we expect Jones to have a breakout season. -- Allie Davison

Who will fill Dale Jr.'s role as darling of the restrictor-plate tracks?
With the history of his father's success and his own triumphs in the past, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the overwhelming fan favorite heading into any restrictor-plate race, no matter the Vegas odds. Now that he's hung up his fire suit, who will take over that role? With his plate prowess, Brad Keselowski is certainly an option, but last season's Talladega and Daytona winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the most likely candidate; not only does he have a knack for plate racing, but the fans just seem to gravitate toward him. -- Jessica Ruffin

Who's the next female driver to keep your eye on? The departure of Danica Patrick -- the only female driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series -- left a hole in the sport ... temporarily. Talented female drivers like K&N Pro Series West driver Julia Landauer -- who was named on Forbes' 2017 30 under 30 list -- or Drive for Diversity class members Macy Causey and 13-year-old Isabella Robusto are athletes with plenty of potential to make a splash in NASCAR's big leagues one day.-- Jessica Ruffin

How will five-person pit crews play out?
Teams will have one less pit crew member at their disposal this season, so it will be interesting to see how they adjust. The team that catches on quickest will have an early advantage that could pay big dividends come playoff time. For fans, it should be thrilling to watch the ingenuity of the teams at work. -- George Winkler

Who's the next name to be made in Xfinity? Christopher Bell is coming off a thrilling championship season in the Camping World Truck Series, and now the two-time Chili Bowl champ will get to test his mettle in an Xfinity ride for Joe Gibbs Racing. Kyle Larson is already vouching for Bell, and we're counting on seeing him in Victory Lane a time or two quite soon as his star continues to rise. -- George Winkler

Which team will give Kyle Busch Motorsports a run?
GMS Racing. Sure, it felt like KBM was dominant, with the team winning nine of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in 2017 and Christopher Bell taking the title. But Johnny Sauter was only one race win and one playoff point behind Bell in the final standings. And in owner points, GMS finished just one point behind KBM. With Cody Coughlin and Dalton Sargeant coming on board alongside Sauter and Justin Haley, GMS will have plenty for KBM. -- Kathy Sheldon