Soon, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season will kick off with its biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500. In less than four days, one driver will be etched into the NASCAR history books forever. Each preseason, there are always unique headlines to follow. Coming off the heels of NASCAR’s 75th season, there are some unique headlines to discuss before Daytona. Let’s discuss three major questions before the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Season.
What will Shane Van Gisbergen do in the Xfinity Series?
Former three-time Australian Super Car Driver, Shane Van Gisbergen, will compete full-time in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing this year. SVG will also compete in select Cup Series races for Kaulig in the Cup Series this year as well. Those Cup Series races include Talladega races, the Coca-Cola 600, Chicago, and a few more select races. To say that this is a big gamble to leave his bread and butter behind in Australia and come to the United States to try something new would be an understatement. Van Gisbergen has already found success in his two starts for Trackhouse last season in the Cup Series. In July of last season, he willed his way past Justin Haley in an epic duel to win the inaugural Chicago Street Race.
There are high expectations this year for SVG, but can he live up to the hype? We already know that he will be a tough competitor on the road courses, but how will he fare on the ovals? He will compete in his first Superspeedway race in the ARCA Series race at Daytona. Since SVG is competing full-time in the Xfinity Series, he is eligible for the Playoffs if he wins a race or earns a spot with points. It wouldn’t be surprising if SVG ends up winning a few races this year, especially on Road Courses.
Will SHR go back to winning form this year?
2023 was easily the worst year that Stewart Hass Racing had as an organization in the Cup Series since their official debut as a team in 2009. With none of their drivers scoring a win last season, it was certainly a disappointing season for SHR. This year, SHR is hoping to have a bounce back with two new drivers for 2024. The drivers are Josh Berry, who is driving the No. 4 car, replacing the now-retired Kevin Harvick. As well as Noah Gragson, who is driving the No. 10 car, and is replacing Aric Almirola. For some reason, SHR has a whole new vibe to them compared to last year. They feel like a team that can be competitive for wins again. They feel like a team that has the same swagger they had 10 years ago.
One thing that SHR and all Ford teams have that could work for them or against them is the new car that Ford is running in the Cup Series this year. For the foreseeable future, Ford will be running the Ford Mustang Dark Horse in both the Cup and Xfinity Series.’ They may not have a leadership driver like Kevin Harvick now, but they have some young talent sitting in all four of their cars for 2024. If everything works out for SHR this year, they can be very competitive. Maybe, just maybe they could return to
What will Kyle Larson do in “The Double”?
This is honestly the trickiest one to talk about. On January 12th, 2023, it was announced that Kyle Larson would attempt to race in the 2024 running of the Indianapolis 500 in partnership with Arrow-McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports. “The Double” is quite possibly the toughest challenge for any motorsport driver. Go race 500 miles at the most famous speedway in the world in the sweltering heat. Follow that up with a grueling 600-mile marathon in Charlotte with the Coca-Cola 600 later that same day. For years, Larson has expressed interest in running at Indy, especially during his tenure with Chip Ganassi Racing. But Larson never got the green light from both Ganassi and his wife, Katelyn. Now, Larson can make history this coming May. In early October of last year, Larson completed his rookie orientation for Indy, which means he is eligible to qualify for the 500.
If Larson does qualify for Indy, he more than likely has the best shot at winning Indy out of all the drivers who have attempted “The Double.” The best result from a driver to attempt “The Double” at Indy was Kurt Busch with a 6th place finish in 2014. This will be a day that all motorsports fans across the world will want to pay attention to. You have potentially the best racecar driver in the world in Kyle Larson and let him run his first IndyCar race in the Indianapolis 500. Then let him run 600 miles later the same evening in Charlotte. Larson may have a shot at history come late May. He could become the first driver to attempt “The Double” to win the Indianapolis 500. But only time will tell. We will find out what happens in Indianapolis on May 26th, 2024.
