The most intriguing drivers in the 2017 Daytona 500
By Nick Tylwalk
The Great American Race doesn’t need additional storylines to be the biggest deal in stock car racing, but it’s full of them in 2017.
Fans of other major North American sports sometimes question why NASCAR has its most prestigious event first. The Daytona 500 is like the Super Bowl of stock car racing, so it perplexes some that it comes at the beginning of the season.
But while it’s not a perfect analogy, consider how many unknowns there would be if NFL teams came right out of the offseason and played the Super Bowl. Intrigue wouldn’t even begin to describe it.
When the green flag drops, 40 cars will be shooting for Victory Lane, but some will do so with narratives that are more interesting than others. These seven drivers aren’t necessarily the favorites to take the checkered flag — though some are definitely right up there — but all of them are worth watching
The Constant: Jimmie Johnson
Just when you’ve got the game figured out, they go and change the rules.
That thought has to have crossed the mind of Jimmie Johnson a couple of times during his NASCAR career. It hasn’t mattered, of course, as Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus and the No. 48 Lowe’s team have combined to create one of the great dynasties in all of sports, claiming seven of the last 11 championships in NASCAR’s top series.
It’s silly to think that the new wrinkles in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will slow them down, so what challenges remain for the 41-year old Johnson? Maybe a third Daytona 500 victory, which would put him in rare company: only five other men have won the Harley J. Earl Trophy three or more times.
The 48 has had a rough go of it during Speedweeks so far, failing to finish the Clash and struggling during the Can-Am Duel. But figuring things out is what this team does, so it should surprise no one to see Johnson contending for the win.