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NASCAR’s Most Exciting Season?

Dale Earnhardt Jr waved the green flag to start the 2020 Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup Series season. (Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

Dale Earnhardt Jr waved the green flag to start the 2020 Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup Series season. (Photo Credit: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

While we’re only two races into this 2020 NASCAR season, both have left fans and drivers alike with plenty to talk about.

The Great American Race

Brad Keselowski leads in the early going of the Daytona 500.(Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Brad Keselowski leads in the early going of the Daytona 500.(Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The Daytona 500 started out as usual, with lots of discussions and hypothesizing. It’s fun to ponder the potential of teams and drivers, along with “too soon to call” post-season playoff predictions. In typical Florida fashion, rain caused the race to be pushed back a day. Thankfully come Monday, the skies cleared up and we had a beautiful start to the season.

To wrap up an already widely discussed and highly anticipated race, the 2020 Daytona 500 ended with Ryan Newman facing a frightening last-lap wreck. There was an eerie sense of deja vu as we were reminded of the last-lap wreck that took the life of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 2001.

The world of NASCAR collectively breathed a huge sigh of relief just two short days later. Ryan Newman, along with his daughters, walked out of the hospital he was being treated at and was on the road to recovery. With that weight lifted from the shoulders of everyone in NASCAR, we were able to look ahead to race number two at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a renewed sense of excitement for the 2020 season.

Viva Las Vegas

Sunday’s Cup race had its fair share of excitement and upsets. Chase Elliott dominated the first two stages of the race, bringing home two more stage wins. To date, a total of three out of the four stages seen so far this season have been won by Elliott. It seemed as though this race belonged to the No. 9 team until a valve stem issue resulted in his left rear tire going down.

Unfortunately, this caused him to spin out and make contact with the wall on lap 217. The remainder of the race stayed green until Ross Chastain brought out the caution with six to go.

Joey Logano finds Victory Lane in just the second race of the season. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Joey Logano finds Victory Lane in just the second race of the season. (Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Joey Logano and his crew chief decided to take a gamble and stayed out.  This decision worked out for the No. 22 team as Joey went on to win the race.

Following Joey’s first place finish, Matt Dibenedetto started the season on a high note by finishing second. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon, and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five. The remainder of the top ten was comprised of Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, and Ty Dillon.

Looking Ahead

Next up on the NASCAR schedule is Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Can we expect yet another exciting race from the NASCAR Cup Series? Based on the first two races, it would be a safe bet to assume so. This is the second year the new 2019 package has been in play, and it seems as though teams found a way to use this package to their advantage. Drivers are fighting and driving harder, and we’ve seen multiple passes for the lead in both races. Restarts have been wild with drivers taking their cars three, four, and occasionally five wide, with overall chaos at certain points throughout the race. 

I believe this could be one of NASCAR’s best seasons. I don’t expect to see the determination and drive of these teams die down any time soon. Each race, and its difficulties, feed the hunger and desire for these teams to get to the top. The top 10 finishers at Vegas proves this package allows for any driver to have a chance to find their way to the front. Anything can happen, and I believe this trend will continue throughout the season and carry over into the playoffs.

I am a former Radiographer turned NASCAR fanatic and Stay at Home Mom of two wild little boys! My youngest, Ronin, is obsessed with all things NASCAR and dreams of one day becoming a successful driver like his idol Denny Hamlin. I was first introduced to motorsports when I was around 14, and spent almost every weekend at our local dragstrip with my brother and his friends. Most of them owned Mustangs of all different body styles, with a few Camaros and Trans Ams here and there. We started a local mustang group known as "Brevard Mustangs", where we had meet ups, car shows, went to events and races together, and helped each other with the latest car builds. I have had my fair share of Mustangs myself, starting with a 99 35th Anniversary GT, then an 03 Cobra, and ultimately an 04 S281 Saleen that I named Gigi. Writing has always been enjoyable for me, so having the opportunity to write about one of my favorite topics is an exciting and fun opportunity for me to have some "me" time, and take a break from mom life!

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