The 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season officially kicks off with the 61st running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday -- which you can stream via fuboTV (Try for free). Every season brings new storylines and lots of excitement, however, this year there seems to be more of a buzz than usual. We assembled the top 10 reasons why you, a real sports fan, should be excited for NASCAR this year. So without further ado, here they are.
10. Ford Mustang comes to Cup Series
There's nothing more exciting than a new car making it's way into NASCAR. Ford will be debuting the Mustang this season as opposed to the Fusion that had been run in previous seasons. The expectation is that these cars will perform at a even higher level, and that's saying something considering the domination from Stewart-Haas Racing in Fords last year and the fact that Joey Logano won the title in a Fusion.
9. Chevrolet Camaro enters sophomore season
While the expectation will be for Ford to adjust quickly with the Mustang, it was apparent last year that Chevrolet garages needed more reps to get the Camaro up to speed. Of course, that didn't stop Austin Dillon from winning the Daytona 500, but it wasn't until August when Chase Elliott won his first career race that the manufacturer went back to Victory Lane. Once that happened, Chevrolet looked like a force to be reckoned with. You should be excited for Chevy's Camaro this year.
8. Richard Childress Racing brings Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 back
Nothing like a little bit of nostalgia. Not only has Richard Childress Racing honored the Earnhardt name by bringing the No. 3 back with Austin Dillon, but now Daniel Hemric will suit up in Dale Jr.'s No. 8. RCR is celebrating a 50th anniversary as well, which will serve as extra motivation for those cars to be up to speed this year.
Dale Jr. reflected on the situation -- letting Hemric have the spotlight -- but he did announce that his own team, JR Motorsports will be bringing the No. 8 back in the Xfinity Series as well.
I don’t have any emotions over it, good or bad. New chapter for @DanielHemric here. Good for him. https://t.co/dj5Dq5ynLR
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) December 14, 2018
7. Natalie Decker, Hailie Deegan working their way up
Danica Patrick may be retired, but the next generation of women in NASCAR is on the way. Two names to watch this season in the lower ranks include 17-year-old Haile Deegan, who won rookie of the year as a full-time driver in the K&N Series last year and Natalie Decker, who will be driving part-time in the NASCAR Truck Series this season. Both are extremely talented behind the wheel and will be household names in the coming years.
6. Daniel Suarez gets fresh start at Stewart-Haas Racing
Suarez made a huge leap from last year to this year in our preseason power rankings and that's because he's making the switch from Joe Gibbs Racing to Stewart Haas-Racing. While Suarez was in strong equipment with JGR, it was clear that he wasn't the priority for that team. As for Stewart-Haas Racing, last year proved that team owner Tony Stewart is invested in each of his cars, and with Kurt Busch departing for Chip Ganassi Racing, Suarez earns that much more attention in the No. 41.
5. Chad Knaus takes over William Byron's garage
Not every driver gets to pair up with a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief in their sophomore season, but William Byron will get to do that this year. Knaus is one of -- if not the greatest -- crew chief in the sport's history, however; it was clear his relationship with Jimmie Johnson wasn't working out toward the end of its tenure. Byron showed flashes of greatness in his Rookie of the Year campaign last year, and now has a newly motivated guru in his garage.
4. Youth movement takeover
Byron is just one of the drivers you should be excited for this year. Going into the 2018 season, the hope among the NASCAR community is that these young drivers will take the next step. Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney each did their part, making the trip to Victory Lane last year. Elliott even went on to take the torch from Dale Jr. as the sport's Most Popular Driver. Gone are the days of Gordon, Stewart and Earnhardt. NASCAR's next generation is coming into its own and introducing itself to the sports' world.
3. Post-race inspection moves on sight
One thing that really took a toll on the NASCAR world over the past few seasons was encumbered wins. In short, a driver would win a race only for fans to find out days later that there was something illegal with the winning race car. This would result in the driver awkwardly being stripped of his win, and shorting the second-place driver a playoff spot.
This year, NASCAR overhauled post-race inspection with new rules. It will now take play onsite, immediately after the race. If the driver fails that inspection, they will be disqualified from the race, receive last-place points and earnings and the rest of the field will move up a spot. The team that's disqualified will lose its playoff points, stage points and the automatic playoff berth that comes with a win. Assuming the second-place driver is all clear, they will then be deemed the race winner and assume the benefits.
2. NASCAR implements new aerodynamics package
As you see in the image above, NASCAR will be changing the aerodynamics of the cars this year. So what does that mean? Well, NASCAR hopes it'll lead to better racing. The taller spoiler, longer front splitter and wider radiator pan should lead to increased handling and more competition, especially on intermediate tracks. This will likely prevent cars from pulling away from the field, and lead to tighter racing with more names than usual towards the front of the field.
Restrictor plates will also be removed following the Daytona 500. This most likely won't change the style of racing at tracks like Daytona and Talladega, but it will allow the drivers to have a better throttle response, which can lead to more passing.
1. Gambling and daily fantasy takes center stage
If you're not already excited for gambling and daily fantasy in NASCAR, then you're already late to the party. We have seen drivers, like Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch, express their excitement for gambling in interviews on CBS Sports HQ and now more than ever, fans are looking to wager on sports.
Any NASCAR fan can tell you, having a favorite driver is critical to watching a race. Often, NASCAR has heard that its sport is just driving around in circles, but not when you're focused on one driver, or a collection of drivers. DraftKings and FanDuel are embracing NASCAR as well, adding tons of contests for events in all three major series.
Of course, for any and all NASCAR picks and daily fantasy analysis we encourage you to stay here on CBSSports.com and subscribe to SportsLine.com.
So who wins the 2019 Daytona 500? And which long shots stun NASCAR? Visit SportsLine to see the full projected Daytona 500 leaderboard from the model that crushed its NASCAR picks last year, and find out.
