The 2021 NASCAR Season is in the rear-view mirror. The championships in all of the major series have been crowned, awards have been given out and now we begin the countdown to the 2022 Season.
As of this past Sunday, there are ten weeks until the Daytona 500.
And so, what better time to post 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season? As I said, these are “BOLD” predictions. If I get one right, you will never hear the end of it. If none of them come to fruition, you will never hear of them again.
- Austin Cindric will win the Daytona 500.
- Todd Bodine will win one of the six truck races he competes in. (I’m picking Texas on May 20.) By the way, how ironic is it that he will be driving for Halmar Friesen Racing?
- For the second year in a row, Tyler Reddick will finish ahead of RCR teammate Austin Dillon in the standings.
- Brad Keselowski will go winless in his first season at Rousch Fenway Keselowski Racing and miss the playoffs.
- Matt DiBenedetto will not race full-time in any three of NASCAR’s top series in 2022.
- Daniel Hemric will win multiple Xfinity races in 2022 but lose the regular season points title – by a landslide – to Ty Gibbs.
- Landon Cassill will win his first career NASCAR race and make it at least to the Round of 8 in the Xfinity Series.
- Stewart-Haas Racing will rebound from a dismal 2021 and put two drivers (likely Briscoe and Almirola) in the Round of 8 in the playoffs.
- Ryan Newman will announce plans to drive a part-time schedule in the Camping World Truck Series, splitting time with Taylor Gray in the #17 David Gilliland Racing Ford.
- None of the 2021 Series champions will repeat in 2022.
Bonus: Bold Predictions (and my real predictions) for all three national championships:
Cup: Tyler Reddick (Real Prediction: Ryan Blaney)
Xfinity: Landon Cassill (Real Prediction: AJ Allmendinger)
Trucks: Zane Smith (Real Prediction: John Hunter Nemechek)
johnmilner.ca 