Established stars vs. young guns now the biggest story of the 2018 NASCAR season
By Nick Tylwalk
Nothing like something to spice up the beginning of a new season, which is exactly what is going on in the weeks leading up to Daytona.
It was just a few weeks ago when we pondered the five biggest stories or themes to keep in mind heading into the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. The past few days have proven that you can throw most of them out, because all of a sudden, there’s really only one.
Every major sport finds itself at a crossroads from time to time, a juncture at which the old guard has to pass the torch to the next wave of talent. Sometimes those exchanges go more smoothly than others. In NASCAR, it sounds like it’s about to be a full-scale tug of war for that torch.
It started with Kyle Busch calling the focus on NASCAR’s up-and-comers“stupid.” And while that could have been dismissed as just Rowdy being Rowdy and speaking his mind as usual, his brother Kurt did him one better, saying that he didn’t understand promoting drivers with zero race wins and singling Chase Elliott out in particular as overrated.
Elliott might not come back swinging to a comment like that (and in fairness, Kurt said he thought Elliott would be a major player in seasons to come), but some of his contemporaries have. Ryan Blaney said maybe Kyle would get more promotional opportunities if he said yes to them. Bubba Wallace teased Rowdy for his “get off my lawn” mindset when he’s only 32 while also lobbing a little grenade back by saying “I don’t have the M&Ms sponsor to carry me full-time.”
In the background, there’s also the undeniable specter of economic reality. With attendance and ratings continuing to trend in the wrong direction, the idea that NASCAR has no choice but to push the stars of tomorrow is one that can’t just be rejected out of hand.
The paper of record in the heart of NASCAR, the Charlotte Observer, summed up the situation perfectly:
"One last factor to consider: NASCAR’s dwindling viewership. Marketing executives understand that the older market share has already been tapped; no significant new returns are coming from older fans, who have largely supported now-veteran or retired drivers. To ensure the prosperity of the sport for the future, NASCAR must reach a new generation of fans – and what better way than with a new generation of relatable, personable drivers?"
The other fun part of this as the 2018 Cup Series season beckons is that there’s no clear line of demarcation for all of this, no absolute us vs. them separation upon which everyone will agree. Kurt Busch exempted 25-year-old Kyle Larson from his criticism because he’s already winning races. Kyle Busch will have one of the drivers he presumably doesn’t want NASCAR to put in the spotlight, Erik Jones, as a teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing.
Next: Optimism over NASCAR, Monster Energy renewal
NASCAR storylines have a way of changing on a dime, the narrative of a season shifting as we get into the summer with Daytona fading away in the rearview mirror and Homestead months away. It’s possible this all blows over before Fox hands off to NBC in July and we’ll all be talking about Junior in the booth, the new Camaro or something that’s not even on the radar right now.
But there’s also a chance this is the narrative for 2018, a tale that won’t go away. It’s the timeless battle of youth versus experience, but this time it sounds like it has more horsepower behind it than usual. Buckle up.