DRIVERS TO WATCH
Kevin Harvick
Harvick was thrust into the spotlight as Dale Earnhardt’s replacement just five days after the NASCAR hero was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Harvick is making this season his farewell. He will move into the Fox broadcast booth next year for an unknown length of time: NASCAR is currently negotiating its television package for 2025 and beyond.
Harvick is just 10 Cup Series starts away from 800, which would make him just the 10th driver in history to hit that milestone.
Jimmie Johnson
The two-time Daytona 500 winner returns after two years in Indycar and he turns 48 in September. He counts the 24 Hours of Le Mans among the handful of races he plans to run, and his involvement is primarily in making Legacy Motor Club, which he co-owns and was once Richard Petty’s storied team, a contender again.
Driving for Legacy this year are Erik Jones, a promising young Michigan driver who had been run out at Joe Gibbs Racing after the 2020 season, and the feisty Gragson, a White Claw-swilling kid from Las Vegas with a big personality.
Ross Chastain
Chastain grabbed global attention for a wall-riding gamble last October, a video game-style move now dubbed the “Hail Melon” that snagged him the final spot in last year’s championship race. The tactic he used — deliberately crashing into the wall for momentum — has since been banned by NASCAR.
“That was the longest wreck of my life. It was successful, but I have no desire to ever do that again,” Chastain said after the ban was announced.
Chastain was the championship runnerup to Joey Logano, the father of three who celebrated by purchasing himself a new head of full hair.
Kyle Busch
All eyes will be on Kyle Busch, the Las Vegas native who left Joe Gibbs Racing after 15 seasons in a sponsorship snag.
He made his debut for Richard Childress Racing at last week’s Clash and finished third. Days later, Busch revealed he’d been detained in Mexico during an offseason vacation for having a handgun in his luggage. He then unretired from Xfinity Series competition.
Busch and Logano are the only active drivers with multiple Cup championships, and a change of scenery has Busch poised for a very big year. One Cup victory this season would give Busch at least one win in 19 consecutive seasons, breaking a tie with Richard Petty.