NASCAR: 5 bold predictions for the 2022 season

NASCAR bold predictions: No. 2 – At least three first-time winners

With teams learning the new car, it is highly likely that there will be more parity at the front of the field than in an average NASCAR Cup Series season, which should lead to fewer repeat winners and more overall winners.

With this in mind, it isn’t a stretch to think that we could see multiple new faces in victory lane. Additionally, the Next Gen car, being brand new for every driver and every team, also takes away some of the advantage of experience and familiarity with the race vehicles from drivers who have dominated in recent seasons.

Drivers such as Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, and Chase Briscoe, who all began driving full-time in the Cup Series over the last two years, are now on an even playing field with the drivers who had been driving the sixth generation car for many years.

That statement also holds true for rookies and newcomers such as Austin Cindric and Loris Hezemans, who have a unique opportunity to learn about the new cars the same way the veterans do. This should help to propel some of these drivers into victory lane for the first time.

Even drivers such as Daniel Suarez, who haven’t captured a checkered flag after several years of experience, and part-time drivers such as Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson, who are set to share the #16 Chevrolet at Kaulig Racing, will benefit from the massive changes coming this season, giving them a better chance to win as well.