Posted on by Staff Report

Daytona International Speedway has smiled on a variety of drivers in its 61 years of hosting its annual 500-mile classic. Daytona 500 winners have spanned the spectrum of favorites (Elliott, Roberts, Petty, Yarborough to name a few), underdogs (Bayne, Cope et al) and champions who endured agonizing waits before finally coming through (the elder Earnhardt and Waltrip).

Seven former Daytona 500 winners are expected on the entry list for this year’s Great American Race (Feb. 16, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM). Several candidates — favorites and underdogs alike — are poised to join that list with their first victory in NASCAR’s crown jewel.

MORE: 2020 Speedweeks schedule

The calendar is creeping toward February, so NASCAR.com’s Alex Weaver and Zack Albert attempt to get a jump on Speedweeks with their picks for a first-time Daytona 500 champ.

Albert: Brad Keselowski. There’s often conjecture and debate surrounding the best drivers to never win a NASCAR championship. How about the best superspeedway racer to never win a Daytona 500? That’s also a short list, and Brad Keselowski’s name rises to the top of it.

This year’s running will mark Keselowski’s 11th try at the Great American Race. While the style of racing at Daytona is similar to that at Talladega Superspeedway, Keselowski’s strongest suit has been at the Alabama venue, which has produced five of his 30 Cup Series victories. The 35-year-old driver has won just once at Daytona (July 2016), but his runs at the 2.5-mile track since then have free-fallen. He’s crashed out of five of the last six Daytona races.

Keselowski’s Team Penske teammates — Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano — have fared better in recent 500s, so the organization’s power there remains a strong suit. Many factors make Daytona difficult to win, but Keseslowski’s career-long superspeedway savvy makes him a top choice to break through this year.

Weaver: Matt DiBenedetto. Daytona is typically associated with the words “survive and advance.” It’s a track where anything can happen and any driver can end up in Victory Lane — just control your own destiny. Which driver has modeled his career around hard work, talent and the survival mentality? Let’s add the fact that he is now driving for an organization with a rich history in the Daytona 500. Matt DiBenedetto is heading to Daytona with one thing on his mind — creating more history for the Wood Brothers in the No. 21 Ford.

It was shaping up as the greatest day of DiBenedetto’s career as he was a legitimate threat to win in February of 2019. Leavine Family Racing had his No. 95 out front for 49 laps, more than any driver in the 40-car field. DiBenedetto was in fourth position at the time of the 21-car pileup in Turn 3 on Lap 192 when the wreck ensued. The heartbreak of last year’s finish should light a fire for him this season. If his car can stay off the tow truck, DiBenedetto has shown that he is capable of a strong finish at Daytona – he finished ninth in 2017.  We all know that there is no driving force more powerful than redemption.

DiBenedetto is now in some of the best equipment in the garage – while it will be a leap going from a Toyota to a Ford – he now has the help of Team Penske’s notebook and allies like Keselowski, Blaney and Logano. What better of a fate could the 28-year-old have than to shake off the ghosts of Daytona past and start the 2020 season as a Daytona 500 winner? I’ll bet you 50 push-ups that DiBenedetto will give it everything he’s got.

Posted on by Zack Albert

NASCAR officials on Tuesday expanded the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series playoff field from eight drivers to 10, a move that goes into effect for the 2020 season.

The Gander Trucks postseason schedule will remain at seven races, but the expansion will alter the elimination format that pares drivers from championship eligibility. That structure will now feature:

  • Three races in the Round of 10, after which two drivers will be eliminated.
  • Three races in the Round of 8, after which four drivers will be eliminated.
  • The Championship 4 finale, which will determine the series champion Nov. 6 at Phoenix Raceway.

The playoff format previously followed an opening Round of 8, another three races in the Round of 6 and the Championship 4. Brad Moran, managing director for the Gander Trucks Series, said that the emergence of more top-level teams and the heightened degree of competition made the decision to increase the playoff field a natural one.

“The way the format was structured in the Gander Truck Series with the Round of 8, Round of 6, Round of 4, we were leaving some excitement on the table,” Moran said. “Maybe three or four years ago, not so much, but certainly the last couple of years with the series strengthening to the position it’s in right now, we really felt putting 10 teams into the playoffs for a Round of 10 is just going to make it that much more exciting and interesting, and will put a lot of emphasis on winning races, which is what we try to do.”

RELATED: Changes to know for 2020

NASCAR introduced eliminations to the Cup Series playoffs in the 2014 season. Similar formats followed for the Xfinity Series and Gander Trucks two years later. The Cup Series postseason field features 16 drivers; 12 drivers qualify for the Xfinity Series playoffs each year.

Moran said that competition officials had been weighing a potential expansion by comparing final standings from previous seasons, ultimately arriving at a 10-driver field for the Gander Trucks tour. It also provides some late-season cohesion: Now all three national series will feature a Round of 8 that cuts the playoff fields in half before the championship finales.

“It seemed like the right number,” Moran said. “We only start 32 trucks, we have a great group of owners, and we did not want to water down our playoffs, but the two additional trucks kind of changes the whole layout. It changes the whole ecosystem of the playoffs. People are going to be that much more aggressive to get one of those 10 spots, and it does marry up with the other two series when we get to the Round of 8.”

Moran said that NASCAR competition officials analyzed past seasons before opting to expand the field, but cautioned that the decision was not a hasty reaction to last year’s regular-season outcome. ThorSport talent Ben Rhodes was the first driver to miss out on the playoffs, and rising stars Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland — both drivers for highly regarded Kyle Busch Motorsports — also surprisingly failed to make the cut. All three are NASCAR Next alumni.

“That has nothing to do with it,” Moran said. “Last time I checked, KBM won an owner’s championship this year, so no, that had nothing to do with our thinking. (Expansion) has been talked about internally since the beginning of last year, and we just didn’t want to jump the gun on doing it. We have a good solid footing in this series now and the strength of the series is really the deciding factor of why to do this.”

MORE: 2019 Gander Trucks standings | 2020 schedule

Like the other two national circuits, the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series features a shuffled 2020 playoff schedule that’s among NASCAR’s most varied. Both the first and last races in the playoffs are new: The postseason opens at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and ends at Phoenix Raceway, host to all three series’ finales for the first time.

The 2020 schedule remains unchanged for the newly expanded playoffs:

  • Round of 10: Gateway (Aug. 21), Canadian Tire (Sept. 6), Bristol (Sept. 17)
  • Round of 8: Las Vegas (Sept. 25), Talladega (Oct. 3), Martinsville (Oct. 30)
  • Championship 4: Phoenix (Nov. 6).

“We really felt it was good for the ownership of the trucks, for the owners, for their sponsors. The time was right,” Moran said. “It’s going to add more excitement for the fans watching, and it’s giving everyone the opportunity so it should put the intensity level for our playoffs off the charts.”

Posted on by RJ Kraft

For the past five seasons, Martin Truex Jr. has been one of the top drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. He teamed with crew chief Cole Pearn for 24 wins (second-most from 2015-2019), one championship and four appearances in the Championship 4. In two of the last three seasons, Truex won within the first five races of the season.

After Pearn’s decision to step away from NASCAR, Truex will have a new crew chief atop the box in James Small. The Australia native was previously a lead engineer and has been with him in some capacity for the past three seasons. In addition, Jeff Curtis is back after a one-year stint with Chip Ganassi Racing to be the lead engineer for the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 team; he had been on Truex’s title-winning team in 2017. Car chief Blake Harris remains with the team.

RELATED: Small named crew chief for No. 19 team | 2020 schedule

But will there be an adjustment period that keeps Truex out of Victory Lane for a bit with a new voice calling the shots, or will he just keep on racking up the wins from the outset? NASCAR.com’s RJ Kraft and Pat DeCola debate where Truex and his new crew chief will first find Victory Lane together in 2020.

KRAFT: Truex’s 2020 season should mirror something similar to his 2019 campaign. He did not record a win until the ninth race of the season, but then clicked off four in eight races. I think there will be a bit of adjustment with Small now atop the box, but the continuity of having Harris as well as Curtis back in the fold will keep the strong runs coming, even if they don’t result in wins.

I have MTJ’s first 2020 victory coming at Homestead-Miami Speedway — the sixth race of the season on March 22. I enjoy a good poetic story line and the Truex-Small pairing delivering at the track where Truex came up just short of championships in the past two seasons would be quite interesting.

Once he gets that first one with Small, I expect the wins to come in bunches with a notable Texas-sized drought (0-for-29) also coming to an end the next weekend.

RELATED: All of Truex’s Cup wins | Changes to know for 2020

DECOLA: I like the way you’re thinking, RJ, and I agree that it won’t take too long before Small and Truex connect on their first win, but I’ll do you one even bolder: The ’17 champ won’t even get out of February before landing in Victory Lane.

We obviously can’t rule anybody out for Daytona, but I’m more keyed in on the pair getting it done a week later at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Truex is the most recent winner at the Nevada track — his fifth straight finish there of eighth or better — and also dominated this race in his title season.

To me, the No. 19 group put together the best full season in 2019, only getting stronger as the campaign drew on. Things were clicking on all cylinders the entire postseason run and I expect much of that momentum will translate over to 2020 as the rules package stays largely the same for intermediate tracks.

It’s reasonable to expect some learning curves or drop-off after the departure of Pearn, but if we’ve learned anything about the crew chief over the years, he doesn’t seem like the type of guy to up and leave without making absolutely certain that his crew remains in the best possible position to succeed. I imagine Small is immensely prepared for this opportunity and the transition will be pretty much seamless.

Expect Truex and Co. to pick up right where they left off and celebrate a win in 2020 in the blink of an eye.

Posted on by Sean Montgomery

Editor’s note: Today’s Go Fas preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the NASCAR Cup Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings.

MORE: Changes to know for the 2020 season

GO FAS RACING
Manufacturer: Ford
Engine: Roush Yates
Driver: Corey LaJoie
Crew Chief: Ryan Sparks

What’s new: With Sparks moving to the No. 32 team’s helm after a lengthy spell as a member of Richard Childress Racing and a newly formed technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing, this team’s season outlook continues to trend in an upward direction.

Team strength: LaJoie and crew posted only four DNFs in 2019, leading to the best average finish of his career at 25.9. If the No. 32 stays out of trouble, the team has shown it possesses the ability to navigate through the pack.

The Action Network Best Bet: An alliance with SHR provides more upside for LaJoie this season. I’ve already bet him to win the Daytona 500, and will be keeping a close eye on his performance early in the season to see if there are opportunities to back him before the market catches up. — PJ Walsh

COREY LAJOIE

2019 Stats: Two top 10s, seven top 20s; highest finish — sixth at Daytona in July.
2020 Championship Odds: N/A – listed within “the field” at 40-1.
Racing Insights Number to Know: Five. The number of top 10s in team history — a number LaJoie could match in 2020.
Fantasy Live picks: Talladega, Daytona, Indianapolis.

Outlook: After showing flashes of speed and notching a handful of impressive runs in 2019, look for LaJoie and the Go Fas team to perhaps double the numbers posted a year ago. While the majority of his best finishes last season came at superspeedways, expect improvements and increased consistency across the variation of tracks.

NASCAR.com 2020 team previews schedule

Jan. 20: Teams outside the top 30
Jan. 21: Go Fas Racing
Jan. 22: Front Row Motorsports
Jan. 23: Richard Petty Motorsports
Jan. 24: Germain Racing
Jan. 27: Leavine Family Racing
Jan. 28: Richard Childress Racing
Jan. 29: JTG Daugherty Racing
Jan. 30: Wood Brothers Racing
Jan. 31: Roush Fenway Racing
Feb. 3: Hendrick Motorsports
Feb. 4: Chip Ganassi Racing
Feb. 5: Team Penske
Feb. 6: Stewart-Haas Racing
Feb. 7: Joe Gibbs Racing

Posted on by Staff Report

Stewart-Haas Racing announced Tuesday that HighPoint will become the organization’s IT solutions provider, adding primary sponsorship for 10 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

HighPoint will begin its primary support of the No. 98 Ford and driver Chase Briscoe in the Xfinity season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 15. The IT company — based in Sparta, New Jersey — will be an associate sponsor for all other races. SHR renewed its deal with Briscoe on Jan. 6.

RELATED: Briscoe re-ups with SHR

2020 Jan21 Chase Briscoe 2 Main Image
Stewart-Haas Racing

The partnership provides Stewart-Haas Racing with another source of technical support ahead of the 2020 season.

“Walk around our race shop during the week and the garage area on a race weekend and you’ll see how our race cars and our entire industry relies on technology,” said Mike Verlander, vice president of sales and marketing, SHR. “From engine diagnostics to fuel-mileage calculations, our business is dependent on service and technology solutions. Every company needs what HighPoint provides, and we’ll work diligently to facilitate those introductions.”

Briscoe finished fifth in the Xfinity Series standings last year, taking the circuit’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. He won at Iowa Speedway and corraled the first two Xfinity pole positions of his career.

“Even though we race stock cars, there’s nothing stock about what we do,” Briscoe said in a news release provided by the team. “The science of our cars is impressive, but the technology that goes into building our Ford Mustangs and then making them perform is even more advanced. Our IT needs are pretty complex, and we demand a lot from our technology every day, whether it’s at the shop or at the track. HighPoint is more than just a sponsor — they’re a partner that helps us perform.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to Martinsville Speedway in May. Ryan Preece and Kevin Harvick used Tuesday as an opportunity to get a little test in before the big race.

Preece and Harvick tested the Modified that Preece will drive in May’s race. Preece, along with Ryan Newman, is one of two NASCAR Cup Series regulars expected to compete in the race, which will take place on a Friday night with the Cup Series race scheduled for Saturday, May 9.

Martinsville Speedway | Calendar

For Harvick, it was a chance to get his first taste of driving a Modified.

Harvick was driving a modified for the first time. He said Tuesday the test had been in the works with Preece for “two years probably.” He said he made the three-hour drive up from Charlotte because he has built a great relationship with Preece and Stafford Motor Speedway, a NASCAR-sanctioned track in Connecticut, and he felt safe and comfortable in Preece’s car knowing the amount of work Preece has put into it.

Other than a go-kart, Harvick said Tuesday was his first time in a race car since the Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami in November.

Kevin Harvick

“It’s his fault, that’s what I tell my wife, that all this happened today,” Harvick said with a laugh while pointing a Preece during a media session with the drivers. “We’ve been talking about just coming and seeing what driving one was like. So for me it was a great experience. Obviously it put a smile on my face. To get back in the car and to hear that power and see the tires moving and all the things that were so much different from my weekly view. It’s always fun to do something different.”

Stafford Motor Speedway

While Harvick has driven thousands of laps around Martinsville, it took him some adjusting to get used to the modified. The biggest difference, he said, was being able to see the front tire and driving it further into the corners than he would a Cup car.

Harvick said Preece’s advice was just to remember it was still a race car, and to just go out and drive.

“He told me that before I got in it,” Harvick said. “I think as I’ve gone through the years it’s just been a long time since I’ve gone and driven anything else that wasn’t at the Cup race or at the track. Even I haven’t even driven trucks in a number of years. It’s been a long time since. I’ve done something outside of my weekly racing routine. I like that because I think when you can challenge yourself and think about things that you don’t think about on a weekly basis, because for the most part I can get in a car on a Cup weekend and I can say, ‘Do this, this, and this.’ I’ve been to these track a million times, so you get into this and you go, ‘Okay, where do I start it? How do I put it into gear?’”

The good thing about Martinsville Speedway, Harvick said, was it is asphalt. It’s the dirt tracks where he’s felt the most discomfort in the past.

“That’s when I think I stepped out of bounds,” he said. “When they told me to push the clutch in to make the car go on the dirt tracks I was really confused and it did not go that well. So as long as it’s not on dirt I think I’m okay.”

Ryan Preece

With so much extra time for the offseason, Preece has put in more work to his modified to make sure it’s ready for May. He admits his last three races in a modified “weren’t very good,” but come May 8 he’ll be chasing another grandfather clock for his collection.

“With this car there was a slot of time I put into the shop to make sure it was right,” said Preece, who won the tour race at Martinsville in 2008. “Obviously having the time being the offseason right now, having that extra bit of time helps with preparation.”

Preece joked with Harvick that maybe one day he’ll be able to get his fellow Cup Series driver to actually run a race in the modified.

That jokes may not be too far off. While Harvick said during the season he likes being able to focus on his one car and be there as much as possible to be hands-on with the team, and also have time to spend with his family, he certainly has plans for other races in the future.

“I wouldn’t drive it if I didn’t want to race it,” Harvick said with a smile. “Let’s just make that clear.

“And we’ve talked about that. It was something that will definitely be on my bucket list to go do and I think I’d have fun. After driving it today. That really takes a little bit of pressure off of me mentally thinking, ‘Can you drive it? What’s it like? What’s it feel like?’ So there’s a lot of those things that just kind of check that box today and just say ‘O.K., I can do that.’”

Max McLaughlin, the son of the former NASCAR Xfinity Series and Whelen Modified Tour winner Mike McLaughlin, tested Gary Putnam’s No. 77 that Newman will drive in May’s race. Max McLaughlin, who raced in the East Series last year, is expected to make a handful of starts on the Whelen Modified Tour this season.

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour campaign will kick off on March 21 for the WhosYourDriver.org 150 at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway. The day will also feature NASCAR Late Model Twin 75s. The season opener at South Boston and the modifieds race at Martinsville Speedway are the two stops in the south on the modifieds tour schedule for 2020.

The MAXPRO Window Films 200 at Martinsville will be the first track’s first tour Modified race since 2010. It will be the 36th NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, and 117th modifieds race, the track has hosted in its more than 70 year history.

Posted on by Staff Report

By the time championship night rolled around at Berlin Raceway, the track’s Model Coverall Modifieds division was pretty much wrapped up. Driver Ben Welch ended up winning the division by 156 points after picking up eight wins with an additional five top-5 finishes.

Ben Welch

But while the season seemed to go pretty swimmingly – “We didn’t really get caught up in any wrecks. It went pretty smooth,” he said. – the end results made it seem like Welch had the track title in hand the entire season. It wasn’t always that way.

Welch started 2019 off great, but he faced health issues a couple of months into the season and didn’t know if he would be able to race the rest of the year. Luckily, when the issues happened there were four weeks between modifieds races at Berlin Raceway, a NASCAR Weekly Racing Series sanctioned 0.4375-mile oval asphalt in Marne, Michigan. After that month-long break there was an additional rain out, giving Welch an extra week to recuperate and be ready to get back racing in the second half of the season.

“It happened to all be perfect timing,” Welch said. “The first week I was able to go back racing was the first weekend that the modifieds raced again. So it went from starting off really good to thinking I was not going to be able to race the rest of the year, and then all of a sudden I was cleared and could race the rest of the year.”

Berlin Raceway | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Welch finished eighth in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Division IV national points standings, and had more wins than any other driver in the top 10.

Nate Walton won the track’s Division I Budweiser Late Models, while Joe Moody (Engine Pro Super Stocks), Austin Hull (Coors Light Sportsman), Corey Holtzlander (Four Cylinders), Ethan Hoekstra (Good Humor Mini Wedge 6-9), Elliott Davis Good Humor Mini Wedge 10-14) and Tom Boorsma (Vingate Modified) took home track crowns.

Holtzlander won the Division IV national title, and Tom Thomas edged Walton for the Division I Michigan championship.

RELATED: Sentimental Car Brings Sentimental Title for NWAAS Division IV National Champion Corey Holtzlander

This was Welch’s seventh season racing at Berlin, and his third in a modified. He previously raced a super late model for three years, and a street stock car for one.

Welch began racing go-karts when he was about five or six years old, during the same time his dad raced. When he was old enough, Welch moved to a dirt track car, and was offered a ride in a modified when he was 14, the same year he started racing at Berlin.

“Just the excitement and the adrenaline of it, I think once it’s in your blood it’s hard to get out. We just love it,” Welch said.

While this modifieds championship was the second of Welch’s career, this one felt a bit different. During his championship three years ago he was racing for another team and owner. This year was his first with a modified he built himself.

“How the seasons went was about the same. Consistent finishes and always running up front, so the seasons felt the same but it was different being my own car,” Welch said.

Ben Welch

Welch got it done on the track thanks to a close knit crew that includes his two friends from high school who help with all things relating to tires on race night, and provide assistance in the race shop during the week.

“They’re into motorsports and like cars, so they started helping a couple years ago,” Welch said.

Another cousin helps at the track and also takes all his photos and videos during races. Welch also has a friend, Butch Van Dorn, who helps with set-up and testing and getting the car fast week after week.

The final member of Welch’s team is the one who got the young racer into the sport to begin with. Welch’s dad helps with making changes to the car during practices, and serves as his spotter during the races, making race night more special.

“It’s cool that he got me into it and is helping,” Welch said of his dad. “Especially because he’s a spotter, he can keep me calm at times.”

Berlin Raceway Final Points Standings | NASCAR Whelen All-American Series DIV Points Standings

Welch’s race career started at Berlin, a track he said is “right in my backyard,” less than 20 minutes from his home.

Ben Welch

But next year he’ll have to try something new. The Michigan track will be eliminating the modifieds division for the 2020 season, meaning, for now, Welch will be the track’s final champion in the division.

It also means he’ll have to race at a new track for the first time in his young career. His plan is to travel around the midwest and race in big shows next year.

“I’ve never raced anywhere else in a modified,” Welch said. “It’ll be interesting. We’ll see how it goes.”

Thankfully for him, Welch has a wealth of success to build off of as he continues his career in a new place.

“It was a championship season. Everything just kind of came together when it needed to. Everything just fell in place,” he said. “It means a lot… It was an emotional year but it was a good year.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

The Ryan Blaney Family Foundation raised $650,000 for Alzheimer’s Disease research and care last weekend with the sale of a custom 1974 Ford Bronco at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Blaney’s foundation said that the gavel price marked a world record for Ford Bronco auctions. All proceeds from the Saturday sale will go to the Alzheimer’s Association.

WATCH: Blaney offers a Bronco tour at Darlington

Blaney commissioned Gateway Bronco, an Illinois-based shop specializing in classic Ford SUVs, for the custom build. The truck featured special tributes to Blaney’s grandfather, Lou, who passed away in 2009 after a bout with Alzheimer’s.

Blaney, who is set for his fifth full-time Cup Series season in 2020, was on hand in Scottsdale to watch the Bronco cross the auction block.

Other NASCAR tie-ins highlighted the annual Barrett-Jackson auction:

• Team owner Rick Hendrick closed the highest-priced sale of the weekend, with the first 2020 Corvette Stingray ever built hammering away for a $3 million sale. The car — with a vehicle identification number ending in 001 — is the first mid-engine Corvette and joins Hendrick’s vast collection. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon and actor Cuba Gooding Jr. were alongside Hendrick when the gavel dropped. The charity sale benefits the Detroit Children’s Fund.

• A 1997 No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo raced by Jeff Gordon to his first road course win sold for $250,000, with proceeds benefiting the Arizona Animal Welfare League.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

There’s no reason to not set the bar as high as possible for William Byron in 2020.

Besides, even if Byron were to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship in just his third full-time season, he wouldn’t be the first driver to pull off such a feat. He’d actually be, fittingly enough, the third to do so since the circuit’s modern era began in 1972.

RELATED: Byron’s 2019 season review | Other Year 3 breakouts

Jeff Gordon earned his first title in 1995 after two years of competition. Brad Keselowski then did the same in 2012. The only champion crowned in a quicker amount of time was Dale Earnhardt, finishing atop the 1980 standings in his second season.

Pull back here, though. Byron still needs his first win. These other three drivers had at least one victory – Keselowski had four, Gordon had two and Earnhardt had one – before their championship season.

In his 72 starts in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet so far, Byron has five top-five and 17 top-10 showings. His highlights consist of runner-up performances in 2019 at Daytona International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. He averaged a 14.9 finish in 2019, much improved from the 22.1 average in 2018.

After not making the NASCAR Playoffs in his rookie season, Byron made it through to the Round of 12 as a sophomore, bumping his rankings from 23rd to 11th in the final standings.

RELATED: All of Byron’s national wins | Debate: Byron or Elliott in 2020?

Really, all of Byron’s marks were better from Year 1 to 2.

Category 2018 2019
Poles 0 5
Top fives 0 5
Top 10s 4 13
Laps Led 61 233
Avg. Start 17.1 12.4
Avg. Finish 22.1 14.9
Rank 23 11

RELATED: Byron through the years

Byron’s poles last season were impressive, too. He started from the No. 1 spot in three of the four crown-jewel events: Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. His other two poles were at Pocono Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval.

Anyway, back to the lack of wins.

In Byron’s defense, there are multiple notable drivers who secured their first checkered flag in their third full season on track. Chase Elliott and Bobby Labonte both won three times, Rusty Wallace did twice, and Kyle Larson and Alan Kulwicki had one each. Elliott and Larson are still active. Labonte, Wallace and Kulwicki all went on to win at least one championship and eventually land in the Hall of Fame.

Those eventual champions aren’t the only titleholders winless in their first 72 starts – not necessarily full-time seasons. Bill Elliott, Cale Yarborough and Dale Jarrett also fall under that umbrella.

Driver Starts Wins Top 5s Top 10s Avg. Finish Titles
Byron 72 0 5 17 18.486 N/A
Elliott 72 0 4 25 18.278 1988
Yarborough 72 0 6 22 16.722 1976-78
Kulwicki 72 0 7 17 18.097 1992
Labonte 72 0 4 12 20.528 2000
Jarrett 72 0 0 5 24.167 1999

Sure, these comparisons could amount to absolutely nothing. But the fact Byron has continued to improve since he joined NASCAR’s premier league in 2018 cannot be disputed. So, that means there’s a good chance he could yet again have some form of newfound success in 2020.

Posted on by George Winkler

Chase Elliott and William Byron are both beacons of light when it comes to the future of Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series. Both drivers have had success on the national series level at a young age and are potentially primed for a deep playoff run in 2020.

However, despite both making the playoffs last season, neither one advanced to the Championship 4. For Byron, it was his first foray into the playoffs and came on the heels of a season in which he racked up five Busch Pole Awards with crew chief Chad Knaus. For Elliott, it was the third straight time he fell short of the ultimate goal.

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series 2020 schedule

This all begs the question: Which young HMS star will take his respective ride deepest into the playoffs during the 2020 campaign? NASCAR.com’s Jonathan Merryman and George Winkler are here to pick sides.

Winkler: Chase Elliott. After a dramatic comeback win at the Charlotte Road Course, Elliott’s championship chances fizzled out by the Round of 8 in 2019. It was the third straight season in which he couldn’t quite break through for a chance to race for a championship.

However, I think Elliott will come into the 2020 season motivated to get back on track toward the Championship 4. He has some statistical factors in his favor: 1. Four of his six career Cup wins have come on current playoff tracks, 2. His pit crew posted the third-best times during the playoffs last season, so a repeat performance would ensure he’s getting set up for success. Throw in some good luck from the mechanical side of things, and Elliott should be well on his way.

Also, when compared to Byron, Elliott has an edge in experience and that includes winning experience, as Byron has yet to get to Victory Lane in his young career while Elliott has been there six times. The ability to finish off a win could come in handy during the win-and-advance playoffs to make up for a misstep earlier in a playoff round. I would not be surprised to see Elliott put it all together and make it to the Championship 4 this season and win the whole thing.

Merryman: William Byron. The difference this year for William Byron is between the ears. The future of Hendrick Motorsports enters his second year with crew chief Chad Knaus after two full seasons of learning in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bottom line, this all equates to confidence.

Byron is known to be a quick study winning early and often in every level of stock-car racing. NASCAR’s highest level proved to be more of a challenge for Byron in Year 1, but in 2019 we saw a leap in performance. He scored five top-five finishes, 13 top 10s and five poles. I think that progression continues this year as the Byron/Knaus duo continues its quest for a win in the Cup Series.

In the end, it comes down to a simple formula. Knaus has never failed to make the playoffs as a crew chief and has won the Cup Series title seven times. Byron has a ton of raw talent, and more importantly he is willing to listen. Couple that with a third year behind the wheel and I believe Byron and Knaus will up the ante in the Hendrick camp this year and may prove to be a dark horse in Phoenix racing for the championship.