What About NASCAR’s Veteran Drivers?

The changing of the guard is happening, but what about the veteran NASCAR drivers? Why aren’t the “familiars” dominating the top 10 each week?

I guess the question is, where are they now? I have been accused–yes, accused of not accepting that the changing of the guard is happening. Depending on who you talk to, it has happened. I have accepted it, but I still find myself wondering, what about NASCAR’s veteran drivers? Where are they each week? Why aren’t the “familiars” dominating the top 10?

Who Are These NASCAR Drivers?

Everyone was rooting for Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Daytona, and fans were heartbroken when he got caught in a multi-car wreck that blew his chance to secure a victory. We have conditioned our minds to expect the unexpected at a track as unpredictable as Daytona, but we were totally dazed to see a top 10 full of drivers who most fans don’t know much about.

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Paul Menard, Michael McDowell, David Ragan and Brendan Gaughan in the top 7; how about that? Who told Ricky Stenhouse Jr. he could win the race? Clint Bowyer, yes– that Clint– came in 2nd with Paul Menard in 3rd and Michael McDowell in 4th. As the only “expected” name in the top 5, Ryan Newman virtually went unnoticed. David Ragan was 6th, Brendan Gaughan 7th, AJ Allmendinger 8th, Erik Jones 9th, and Chris Buescher, who won a race last year at Pocono, which many considered a fluke took the 10th spot.

Other notables included Corey LaJoie in 11th and Bubba Wallace, who drove Richard Petty’s No. 43 to a top-20 finish, coming in 15th. We have all heard these names before, but the question still remains, who are these NASCAR drivers? I guess a better question is who are these drivers to place better than our beloved veteran drivers? Oh wait; it was only Daytona–unpredictable Daytona.

LISTEN: Who Were Those NASCAR Drivers At Daytona?

Daytona Proved To Be Predictable…It Was Unpredictable

Daytona saw 27 drivers involved in wrecks and a record 14 cautions. No one could have forecasted that the top 10 finishers would include the drivers it did. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano made up the long list of veteran drivers who didn’t even finish the race; imagine that.

Brad Keselowski led 35 laps, the most of any driver–young or old– at Daytona. Matt Kenseth, who I like to call ‘The Quiet Assassin,’ actually led 21 laps. Denny Hamlin led 16 laps, and Kevin Harvick, who is known to win a race or two actually lead 7 laps. Veterans led laps, but couldn’t close the deal, and guess what? NASCAR’s familiar young guns didn’t show up either.

I talk a lot about the changing of the guards, but what happened to Kyle Larson? What happened to Ryan Blaney? Erik Jones did come in the top 10, but where were the rest of NASCAR’s young guns? Again, who are those drivers that finished in the top 10?

Danica In The Winner’s Circle and Kasey Kahne’s Time Is Up

As we contemplate the top 10 at Daytona and try to understand how this new crop of NASCAR drivers has moved in, how about Danica Patrick in the winner’s circle? Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything special, and I am not making things up. She really did make it to the winner’s circle at Daytona, albeit thanks to Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

With all this talk of Danica Patrick retiring, one thing is for sure. Richard Petty, a.k.a. ‘The King’, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday was correct; Danica Patrick will never ever make it to the winner’s circle. At least, I don’t think she will. As one person remarked on Twitter, “If you would’ve told me Danica Patrick would be in the winner’s circle twice in 2017, I would’ve laughed in your face.” Ouch!

There is still hope that some of the veteran drivers will make it to Victory Lane this season, but it appears Kasey Kahne’s time is up at Hendrick Motorsports. With two of his sponsors, Great Clips and Farmers Insurance, jumping ship, in the good words of Sam Cook, “a change is gonna come.”

Where there are rumors, there is a hint of truth. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire; and as the smoke rises and the air becomes clearer, the writing on the wall reads that Kasey Kahne will not be in the No. 5 for Hendrick next year. Again, Daytona is unpredictable, but it was his opportunity to actually show up and show out. He showed out right into the grass; indicative of where it seems like his career is going–can you say, “put out to pasture”?

Who Is Next?

No one wants to see a veteran driver’s career come to a forcible end, but with the new crop of drivers emerging and sponsor dollars becoming increasingly hard to land; it is no longer an old man’s race. We can resist the changing of the guard all we want and ask who these drivers are, but it doesn’t matter.

A new crew of young drivers is here and forcing us to learn their names. They are on the track. These drivers are finishing in the top 10 every week. They are racing 3-wide at Daytona. Could it be that the changing of the guard is really glorious? As a fan of NASCAR and someone who is slowly accepting the “new” NASCAR, I know that these ‘unfamiliar’ drivers have an integral part to play in the future of the sport, but a part of me is left wondering, what about the veteran drivers?

NASCAR Talk

On the latest episode of All Turns No Brakes, a NASCAR podcast for fans by fans, we discuss Ricky Stenhouse’s win at Daytona, whether or not it was Dale Jr.’s last ride at Daytona in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Kasey Kahne’s future and more. Check it out. Join the debate with Rene and I as we talk all things NASCAR in an unapologetic, humorous and unfiltered way.

Next: How Will We Remember Dale Jr.?

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