The 5 biggest storylines at the 2018 NASCAR All-Star break
By Nick Tylwalk
1. Stewart-Haas Racing reigns supreme
It’s easy to forget now, but Stewart-Haas Racing actually took a pretty significant risk just last year by changing from Chevrolet to Ford. That kind of transition can sometimes set race teams back a bit, with results not improving for a couple of seasons.
Call this the best case scenario. SHR hasn’t just been good, it’s been dominant. Kevin Harvick has five wins, more than any other Cup Series driver, while Clint Bowyer broke a lengthy winless streak to add another. That means one team has won half of the races this season, and Aric Almirola nearly made it more than that in the Daytona 500.
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If the playoffs began right now, all four Stewart-Haas Racing cars would be part of the field, and not just participating, either. Harvick is the unquestioned favorite, with Bowyer part of a group of three or four drivers beyond his teammate and Kyle Busch who could stake a spot in this year’s Championship 4. For anyone else to have a real shot at the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship, it will mean either finding something that hasn’t quite clicked yet or hoping SHR falls off its game, and at the All-Star break, neither of those are looking like solid bets.