Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Tuesday 4 February 2020
Change looming as NASCAR season arrives with Daytona 500

By JENNA FRYER AP challenged," Keselowski
Auto Racing Writer said. "A lot of us were pretty
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) comfortable and this cer-
— The sky isn't falling — or tainly removes any feeling
at least it doesn't feel that of comfort."
way — as NASCAR heads Kyle Larson is considered
into the first of two seasons the top free agent in this
full of change. year's pool and he likely
In the three months since has three options: He can
Kyle Busch won his second stay with Chip Ganassi,
championship, NASCAR who lets him race sprint
took its awards ceremony cars; move to Stewart-Haas
to Nashville, Tennessee, and Racing and drive for Tony
was eagerly embraced. Stewart, who may be even
The Hall of Fame ceremony more lenient than Ganassi
last month focused on Joe has been; or he can scale
Gibbs and his elite organi- back the extracurricular
zation, which won a record racing and drive for Hen-
19 of 36 races last season drick.
as Busch earned Joe Gibbs Larson has won just six ca-
Racing its fifth Cup Series reer Cup races, but is con-
title. sidered to be the best of
Drivers will return to the NASCAR's next generation
track at Daytona Interna- and is only 27. His courtship
tional Speedway on Satur- and ultimate decision will
day and the season-open- likely impact all other major
ing Daytona 500 is Feb. 16. driver negotiations.
"We're coming off of a very In this Nov. 17, 2019, file photo, Kyle Busch, center, holds up his trophy in Victory Lane after win- It's a full house at Joe Gibbs
good year, I felt like last ning a NASCAR Cup Series auto racing season championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Racing, which put three
year, where we're really Homestead, Fla. Toyotas in the final four last
getting some momentum Associated Press season and returns its entire
back," NASCAR Chairman lineup, with Christopher Bell
Jim France said. "It's excit- Fourth weekend to India- for quite a while." level," said Johnson, now finally earning his promo-
ing now, going into this napolis Motor Speedway NASCAR this year will debut 44. "One thing that I've tion to the Cup Series in a
coming year." (and will now host the final a new sponsorship model in come to grips with and satellite ride for Leavine
Since replacing his nephew regular season race) and which the elite Cup Series I'm enjoying letting go of Family Racing. It was the
as head of the family busi- Pocono Raceway is going will not have a single en- is: I feel like I've been a bit only place to put Larson's
ness in August 2018, Jim to host two Cup Series rac- titlement partner. The Win- out of character and a bit sprint car-loving buddy,
France has been a steady es in one weekend. ston Cup/Nextel Cup/Sprint focused on a number, a who was ready for the big
guide for a series trying to NASCAR was able to make Cup/Monster Energy Cup statistic — and I've never in leagues but stuck in Gibbs'
stop a slide in every impor- those changes despite five- will be just the Cup Series my life been that way. I've crowded system.
tant metric. Attendance year contracts that had going forward, with "pre- never raced that way." Bell will be in a race for top
and television ratings may given track owners stability. mier partners" Busch Beer, ""I'm out there one final Cup rookie alongside two-
have finally bottomed out, But fans have complained Coca-Cola, GEICO and time," he added. "This is just time Xfinity Series champi-
but sponsorship dollars are about the stale schedule Xfinity taking on large roles. one final time, and it feels on Tyler Reddick and Cole
as hard to find as ever and and 2020 was NASCAR's As Jim France and Lesa so good to be able to let Custer. The trio raced each
cost-cutting is a major pri- first chance to make even France have found their go of that chasing part." other for the Xfinity title the
ority across the entire indus- small changes. footing, the stock car se- The chase will be on for last two seasons.
try. The contracts expire this ries has shown flexibility, drivers hoping to fill John- The race for the final four
So the last full season for year, and NASCAR will es- too: After acknowledging son's seat at Hendrick Mo- slots at Pheonix is wide
seven-time NASCAR cham- sentially have the ability the rules package was a torsports. Alex Bowman open, assuming teams
pion Jimmie Johnson is also to reconfigure the entire bust at short tracks and is also in a contract year figure out how to match
the last year for the current schedule for 2021. NAS- road courses, NASCAR did driving Rick Hendrick's No. Gibbs on the track. Busch
race car. The "Next Gen" CAR, a private company an about face and made 88, meaning two top seats hasn't missed a beat and
car is on schedule to race owned by the France fam- changes for those specific at an elite team are in rare spent a decent part of Jan-
in 2021, and the project is ily, last year swallowed venues. play. uary in a sports car, making
expected to trim millions International Speedway Adapting to it all will be Among the drivers in a his debut at the prestigious
from team budgets be- Corp., giving Jim and his Johnson, who said this crowded free agent pool Rolex 24 at Daytona in his
cause its parts and pieces niece, Lesa France Ken- year will be his last as a are former series cham- own attempt to stay sharp.
will require a smaller work- nedy, the power to do just full-time NASCAR driver. His pion Brad Keselowski and His push for title No. 3 be-
force. about anything they want. 19th season will be his last teammate Ryan Blaney, gins with the Daytona 500,
Even before that, NASCAR "It makes a big difference," attempt to win a record who were both involved in a race he has never won.
for 2020 made long over- Jim France said of the eighth Cup championship, a major Team Penske off- Busch was second to team-
due tweaks to the sched- merger. "It gives us an op- but Johnson said he has season shakeup. Looking mate Denny Hamlin in last
ule with a few seismic shifts: portunity to respond quick- shaken off the pressure of for a spark after failing to year's 1-2-3 Gibbs sweep,
Phoenix will host the cham- er to the changing envi- chasing Richard Petty and get any of its cars into the and he very much wants to
pionship-deciding finale ronment out here with the Dale Earnhardt and plans championship-deciding fi- win the race himself.
in November, Martinsville economy and all the things to enjoy his time in the No. nale, Penske swapped the Busch gets to show what
Speedway got both a night that are going on that im- 48 Chevrolet. crew chiefs for all three of he's got starting Sunday
race and the penultimate pact motorsports. It was "I've been able to have its drivers, two of whom are with both an exhibition
playoff race, Daytona a major big step that we some clarity and to really in contract years. race and qualifying for the
gave up its traditional July needed to make probably understand it on a deeper "I personally needed to be Daytona 500.q