Someone who has never watched NASCAR before only knows it as a stereotype. Go left fast. That’s it. That’s fine, the best tracks in the sport like Daytona and Talladega are just that… go left fast. They don’t account for the millions of dollars in engineering and strategy building that goes into each car, each race. They see beer, American flags, and go left fast. I hate to break it to you, but NASCAR isn’t the stereotype anymore, it’s the best racing series in the entire world.
NASCAR is better than F1
Alright sure, everyone is all hot and bothered for Formula 1 right now. I’m guilty of watching a race myself from time to time, and although I’m a sucker for anything with 4 wheels going fast, I don’t get the draw. Formula 1 is 2 hours of watching cars race from start to finish in the exact order they qualified. If there is a singular pass in the race it’s a big deal. Max Verstappen, the current best driver, won the championship before the season even started. NASCAR is way more exciting. Sure its 3 or 4 hours usually, longer than 2, but a guy who starts 40th can win a race still if he plays his cards right. There is constant passing all the way through the field. If cars start getting spread out around the track and the action is dying down, a caution can come out at any time and reset the entire field. Its way more unpredictable and has way more drama than Formula 1, its better.
NASCAR isn’t even go left fast anymore. They traditionally had 2 road courses, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International Raceway. This year that number is up to 11, including a street race in downtown Chicago. They race at the premier tracks that go both left and right now, Circuit of the Americas in Texas, and Road America in Wisconsin. They are now racing inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in the preseason. Rumor has it races in Canada and Mexico might be coming soon. NASCAR is trying to evolve itself, and while traditionalists might not love it, it’s making the sport much more interesting.
In Formula 1, two drivers have won every race this year. One is Verstappen, the other is Sergio Perez, teammates on Red Bull racing. That’s… boring. Imagine in NASCAR is William Byron and Kyle Larson were the only two drivers winning. Through 16 races this year in NASCAR, we have seen 10 winners, including less competitive drivers like Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tyler Reddick. In the current playoff field, the top 16 drivers, there are 4 Fords, 5 Toyotas, and 6 Chevy’s. That’s almost as balanced as it comes in terms of competitive balance. In Formula 1, 3 or 4 drivers have a legitimate chance to win the race. In NASCAR there are many different tiers.
Tier 1: Championship Contenders
Martin Truex Jr.
William Byron
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Busch
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Kyle Larson
Chase Elliott
Tier 2: Will Win Multiple Times in a Season
Ross Chastain
Kevin Harvick
Christopher Bell
Tyler Reddick
Alex Bowman
Tier 3: Expected to Win 1 Race, fringe playoff contender.
Chris Buescher
Brad Keselowski
Bubba Wallace
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Daniel Suarez
Tier 4: A Win isn’t a Surprise, but closer to being a top 20 car
Ty Gibbs
Michael McDowell
Austin Cindric
Corey LaJoie
Ryan Preece
Aric Almirola
Austin Dillon
Tier 5: The Rest
Everyone Else
If you do the math, that’s 24 drivers that CAN win any given week, over half the field. That’s way more exciting than watching Max Verstappen start in the pole position and win the race. Why wouldn’t you watch NASCAR over F1?
Predicting the 2023 NASCAR Champion
This is supposed to be a recap for the second half of the field and the playoffs, so let’s do some recapping. William Byron was on fire early in the year and is currently sitting 1st in the playoff field. Although he hasn’t won in a while, he’s always a front runner every week and I would be shocked if he doesn’t win at least 2 more races before the playoffs start. Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch follow Byron, after both drivers struggling last year, they have found something early in 2023. Kyle seems like he is rejuvenated racing for a new team and has proven in the past he can be a champion if he makes the final 4. My driver, Ryan Blaney, finally got a win after a massive almost 2-year drought. Ryan is the definition of consistent, as he finishes in the top 10 almost every race. Ryan will be there at the end of the year, but can he win it in Phoenix and become a champion?
I love the NASCAR playoff platform and how cutthroat it is. Having it go 16-12-8-4 with 3 races being in the first 3 rounds and then a championship race is electric. It isn’t the most “fair” to the most consistent driver during the season. But, it creates the best moments and the best finishes in the championship race. With that being said, here are my predictions for the playoffs and champions.
Round of 16
Locked In
William Byron
Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Busch
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Larson
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Christopher Bell
Tyler Reddick
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
The Last 6
Ross Chastain
Kevin Harvick
Brad Keselowski
Chris Buescher
Alex Bowman
Chase Elliott
Round of 12
William Byron
Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Busch
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Larson
Ross Chastain
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Alex Bowman
Christopher Bell
Kevin Harvick
Chase Elliott
Round of 8
William Byron
Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Busch
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Larson
Denny Hamlin
Joey Logano
Kevin Harvick
Championship 4
William Byron
Martin Truex Jr.
Kyle Larson
Ryan Blaney
Winner: Ryan Blaney
So, there you have it. Stop the count, Ryan Blaney is going to be the 2023 NASCAR champion. He’s building something with Penske, and this is the year he gets it done. No matter who wins though, NASCAR is an electric sport, and we need to get it back on top. I love NASCAR (NASCAR hit my line if your reading this) and if the public got past the stigma of “go left fast” and cheap beer, other people would love it. Also, if you’re a part of why NASCAR has the stigma like I am… keep on rockin. I’ve still never been to a race, but I need to change that soon. So, NASCAR, hit my line boys.