It’s been three months since the last on-track activity for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the beginning of the NASCAR off-season. Fans, drivers, and teams have all been counting down to when cars will be back on the track. And now, the wait is over! Speedweeks at Daytona is in full swing, and cars are getting ready to hit the track!
With the start of every season, there are questions about what’s in store, and the 2016 season is no different. Fans wonder whether their favorite driver will make the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Drivers wonder if this is their year to hoist the Sprint Cup Championship trophy. Can Kyle Busch repeat as Sprint Cup Series Champion? Will 2016 be the year Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finally wins his first Sprint Cup championship? How will Chase Elliott adapt to the new series and the No. 24? There are a lot of questions that hopefully will be answered throughout the season.
Some questions will get their answers on Saturday night. The 2016 NASCAR season kicks off this weekend with the Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway, where the completed Daytona Rising will debut for the first time. A non-points paying race, the Sprint Unlimited is unique in its own way. With a field comprised of last year’s pole award winners, former Sprint Unlimited winners, former Daytona 500 pole award winners, drivers from the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and 2015 driver’s points, it’s sure to be a wild race among NASCAR’s best. The field is not the only unique thing about the Sprint Unlimited; the format is different as well. Drivers will go all out for 75 laps with a caution at lap 25, breaking the race into two segments. Fans can expect drivers to push their cars and other drivers to the limit as they go for the first win of the year.
The Sprint Unlimited is a good preview of the action that will take place later in the week. This race also allows drivers to have extra time under race conditions in order to prepare for the Can-Am Duels and the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500. Fans are sure to enjoy this race as NASCAR returns after a three month break.
So, who should you keep an eye out for during the Sprint Unlimited? We have your answer below!
- Kyle Busch: With the best driver rating of all active drivers at Daytona, Kyle knows what it takes to stay up front. He won this event in 2012 after having a wild slide down the track at the beginning of the race. Rowdy knows how to wheel it, he’s definitely one to watch on Saturday night.
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr: There’s a reason they call him the pied-piper at Daytona. He’s one of the best restrictor plate racers out there. With four points-paying wins at Daytona, four Can-Am Duels wins, and two Sprint Unlimited wins, Dale Jr. is always an odds-on favorite for the entire Speedweeks.
- Joey Logano: Finding recent success on restrictor plate tracks, Logano is one to keep an eye on Saturday night. His one win at Daytona comes in the 2015 Daytona 500, but Logano has proven that he has what it takes to make moves in the draft.
Be on the lookout for these drivers and the rest of the field on Saturday, February 13 during the Sprint Unlimited. Tune into FOX at 8 p.m. to catch all the action!
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