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NASCAR Cup Series: 5 bold predictions for the 2019 season

By William Richard

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Car2Can Ford, walks with crew chief Rodney Childers during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 61st Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Busch Beer Car2Can Ford, walks with crew chief Rodney Childers during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 61st Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images) /
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 10: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 10: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

#2: One of the “Big Three” wins second championship

Last years “Big Three” consisted of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. They combined to win a total of 20 races last season, and they all qualified for the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In addition to their similarly dominant seasons, all three drivers have one other thing in common: they have won one Cup Series championship.

In fact, five of the last seven champions are drivers with a single Cup Series championship on their resume. One of the biggest questions in the garage is who will win their second championship first?

Between the likes of Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr., the odds of the sport crowning a two-time champion seems very likely. I predict that one of the “Big three” from the 2018 season will finally win that second championship.

Harvick, who won his lone championship in the 2014 season, has continued to perform at the highest level of his career. His experience and winning ability makes him the early favorite in the 2019 season.

Kyle Busch, the 2015 champion, is still looking to win his elusive second championship after falling short in the Championship 4 in each of the last three seasons. He is currently in his prime, and a second or even third championship is very attainable for the 33-year-old in the near future.

As for Truex Jr., his championship hopes remain strong with a move to Joe Gibbs Racing. Piloting the #19 Toyota in 2019, he has everything he needs to bring home his second career Cup Series championship.

Overall, I don’t think that these three drivers will put on the clinic they did last year, but one of the three will win his second championship. Legacy-wise, this could be huge for any one of them. This would confirm Truex Jr.’s future Hall of Fame status, shut up Busch’s haters or cement Harvick as one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all-time.

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