CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With a new year comes a new racing season, one that has fans brimming with anticipation.
Here are some of the things I’m looking forward to as the new season gets the green flag:
– The debut of the NASCAR Next Gen car.
– Tony Stewart Racing’s maiden season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series with Matt Hagan competing in the Funny Car class and Leah Pruett racing in Top Fuel.
– The new era for the American Sprint Car Series following the acquisition of the touring 360 sprint car series by Terry Mattox.
– The debut of the CARS Pro Late Model Tour, which replaces the CARS Super Late Model Tour.
– The return of qualifying to NASCAR and the abandonment of the qualifying formula used by the sanctioning body during the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Alex Palou’s follow-up season at Chip Ganassi Racing after he captured the NTT IndyCar Series championship in his first year with the team.
– The return of the Eldora Million dirt late model race to Ohio’s Eldora (Ohio) Speedway.
– How Ty Gibbs will fare after an amazing season that saw him win the ARCA Menards Series championship and four NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
– What the promotional team of Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson and Colby Copeland will produce for Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif.
– What Josh Berry will be able to accomplish during a full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports.
– Seeing how many races Kyle Larson wins across all motorsports platforms in which he competes.
– Watching Jagger Jones, the grandson of racing legend Parnelli Jones, as he embarks upon his first season in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship with Cape Motorsports.
– Watching the thousands of different races available only on SPEED SPORT TV.
– Following the progress as Speedway Motorsports works to revitalize North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and bring NASCAR back to Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.
– Seeing how many vintage shirts and hats friend Brent Wentz digs up for his Dayz Gone By vintage shop.
– Watching Daniel Hemric in his first season with Kaulig Racing after he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with his first series victory at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway in November.
– Checking out all the throwback schemes during the Throwback 276 at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway and figuring out what outfit we’ll be sporting during the event.
– Seeing which drivers are going to challenge Brad Sweet and Brandon Sheppard in the World of Outlaws sprint car and late model divisions.
– Learning which young driver will become the next hot property on dirt.
– Watching to see if dirt-track drivers Stewart Friesen, Nick Hoffman, Jonathan Davenport and Brandon Overton can match the incredible numbers they put up in 2021.
– Seeing if anyone can stop Derek Thorn from winning all the significant asphalt late model races on the West Coast.
– Finding out who will be the 200th different driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. Currently, 198 drivers have won NASCAR Cup Series races, with Bubba Wallace being the most recent first-time winner.
– Watching seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson make his Indianapolis 500 debut.
– The second season of the Superstar Racing Experience.
– Seeing if Steve Torrence and the CAPCO boys can continue running roughshod over the NHRA Top Fuel category and win a fourth straight championship.
– Learning what’s next for USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series champion Buddy Kofoid.
– Watching the Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum to see if it’s a massive success or a huge mess.
– Enjoying more episodes of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s “Lost Speedways” television show.
– Watching as much of the Rolex 24 At Daytona as possible.
– Fewer face masks and more smiling faces — hopefully.
– The inaugural 111-lap Jack Ingram Memorial Race, which is appropriately scheduled June 11 at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway.
– Seeing how Rajah Caruth does when he makes his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in a car fielded by Alpha Prime Racing, previously known as Martins Motorsports.
– “Rich Energy: The Book,” by Alanis King and Elizabeth Blackstock, which is expected to be released this year.
– Watching the ARCA Menards Series opener to see if anyone can stop Venturini Motorsports from winning another race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.
– Finding out who the next NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion is going to be.
– Going to more race tracks and meeting more fantastic racers and fans.