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NASCAR Cup Series: 5 easy predictions for the 2019 season

By William Richard

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 18: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 60th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NC – MAY 24: Team owner, Joe Gibbs, speaks with Erik Jones, driver of the #20 Circle K Toyota (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – MAY 24: Team owner, Joe Gibbs, speaks with Erik Jones, driver of the #20 Circle K Toyota (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images) /

#4: All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers make the playoffs

This is probably the most edgy of my easy predictions for the 2019 season. No matter how talented drivers are or how good their equipment is, you just can never fully predict the future.

We’ve seen Joey Logano go from championship favorite to missing the playoffs to winning his first career championship in a span of 24 months. Literally anything can happen in this crazy world of NASCAR.

Either way, I’m going to predict that all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers qualify for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Kyle Busch is already a championship favorite, along with his new teammate Martin Truex Jr, who will pilot the #19 Toyota for the 2019 season. In addition to these two members of the “Big Three”, hungry veteran Denny Hamlin is looking to reestablish himself as a consistent race winner this year.

Hamlin went winless for the first time in his Cup Series career in 2018, but he still found a way into the 16-driver playoff field. I fully believe that we will see him find victory lane in the coming months, so he is a victual lock in my eyes.

The last big question mark is Erik Jones. Jones, who earned his first career Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway last July, is also coming off of his first career playoff appearance. This gives me an added boost of confidence when picking the former Truck Series champion to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Jones improved in his sophomore season at the Cup Series level, which leads me to believe he is in store for even more success moving forward. “That Jones Boy” is most definitely the biggest question mark at Joe Gibbs Racing in terms of making the playoffs, but I believe the youngster can make it a clean sweep for the team this postseason.

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