5 NASCAR drivers to watch in 2017
By Phil Naegely
The 2017 NASCAR season begins with the Clash on Feb. 18. Check out five drivers to watch throughout the action throughout the season.
It was a memorable 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Many drivers impressed, while others disappointed. In the end, Jimmie Johnson came away with his seventh title in the Cup Series.
With Monster Energy now holding naming rights for the top NASCAR series, there will be some changes in 2017. Among them is a modified points system that includes stages during each races. Some fan favorites are no longer racing while there are some new faces to the NASCAR racing teams.
Despite these changes, many things remain the same. Daytona 500 officially kicks off the 2017 season on Feb. 26 at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. There’s a lot to watch during the race as each driver looks to begin their 2017 season on a solid foundation.
Check out five drivers to watch in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this season.
5. Denny Hamlin
Across Denny Hamlin’s time in NASCAR’s Cup Series, there has been a lot of consistency. Hamlin has always driven the No. 11 car for Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s been a full-time driver for JGR since the 2006 season.
Since then, Hamlin has finished in the top 10 in the Chase for the Cup standings in nine of the 11 seasons as a full-time driver. In 2016, Hamlin placed sixth overall. Hamlin won last year’s Daytona 500 before winning two more races later in the year.
Hamlin needs to get off to another quick start if he hopes to repeat his successes from 2016. He had three top-five finishes in the season’s first five races of 2016, yet he wasn’t able to sustain that type of performance over the next six races. The veteran driver only placed in the top 10 in one of those races.
While Hamlin should be proud of his finish in the final standings, he needs to be more consistent in 2017. Consistency is the name of the game across all sports, and Hamlin and his crew must focus on finding it in 2017.