2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Headlines

By Richard Tix

As we head into a new season we once again have a ton of storyline to watch unfold. NASCAR Behind the Wall will take a look at some of the bigger headlines to get you ready for the season that is right around the corner.

• Tony Stewart to Retire After the 2016 Season and His Injury
• Last year the top headline was Jeff Gordon's retirement. This year? Its Tony Stewart. Just like Gordon, Stewart will still be heavily involved in the sport going forward (as an owner). Before his recent spiral his career was nothing but achievement after achievement. 2016 was supposed to be a nice going away party but it has already started on a sour note when he was injured in a "sand rail" incident that left him with a back injury. The injury will leave him out of the Daytona 500 and it has yet to be known when he will come back (I assume he will miss quite some time). Instead of starting on a high note, now all fans will be waiting patiently for him to come back.
• NASCAR's New Low-Downforce Package
• It was a hit at the normally dull Kentucky and the retro smash at Darlington in 2015. So, NASCAR decided it was best to go with a low downforce packaged full time (except superspeedways) in 2016. I still believe each tracks package should be tweaked to fit as perfect as it can (and I am sure NASCAR is looking into it), but either way, most fans feel this is a step in the right direction for on track entertainment. The races should be a bit more in the drivers hands now as they may have to wheel it around a bit more, which is all around good for racing.
• Jeff Gordon Out, Chase Elliott In
• Gordon in the Booth
• This one is two fold. First, with Gordon retiring in 2015 he will step into the FOX Broadcast booth for the 2016 season (no he will not fill in for Tony Stewart). He will join Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip in the booth to help as a race annalist. Most fans are excited to hear his take on what is going on during and after races. Gordon signed on with FOX to a multi year deal to be in the booth helping NASCAR fans on race day see the race in a different way. He will also continue to be a heavy contributor for the future of this sport and where it goes.
• Chase in the #24
• The second tier is the part about a young, well known, prospect with NASCAR bloodlines taking over Gordon's #24 ride with Hendrick Motorsports. That would be Bill Elliott's son, Chase Elliott. Chase has big shoes to fill not just because it is Jeff Gordon's spot with HMS, but also because it is with Hendrick, where a ride comes with ton's of pressure as it is (just ask Kasey Kahne). It will be a fun ride for this rookie including his ROY battle all season long.

• Rookie of the Year Battle
• Speaking of Chase, he will be one of a few drivers going for the NASCAR Rookie of the Year Title. He is a front runner as well as Wood Brothers/Penske driver Ryan Blaney and Front Row/Roush driver Chris Buescher. Brian Scott will also be in the running while in the #44 for RPM, but he is a guy outside looking in (Chris maybe the same). It will be one of the better classes in recent years for young talent.
• Will the Next Star Please Stand Up?
• Going even deeper then just the 2016 ROY battle, who will be the next NASCAR star? Plenty of young talent is waiting in the wings (which we will get to in Prospect Watch), however let's just focus on the crop that has a full ride at the Cup level. With guys like Gordon and Stewart leaving, and Kenseth, Biffle, and Earnhardt not getting younger, who will be the face of NASCAR? Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Chris Buescher all have talent, but only one win between them and that was an underdog story for the ages (Bayne's Daytona 500 win). Each has a personal story line beyond this one, but will a couple of them step up to replace faces of NASCAR like Gordon and Stewart who have done so for decades? Will one of them (or more) get a win this season? Someone has to join Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch as the future face of the sport.
• Third Times the Charm?
• Year three of the "New Era" Chase is upon us. For the most part I am still pro Chase as I realize we will never go back to the old just points racing (it is too far gone folks). Of course I have some tweaking I would like, but who doesn't? Yet, the verdict is still out on the new format. Year 1 it was possible that a zero win driver could have won, but didn't. Year 2 a driver who missed 11 races of the season won, but he was absolutely dominant upon his return and played by NASCAR's rules to do so. What will year three bring? One thing is for sure, the new Chase has given us tons of exciting storylines to watch as the season dwindles.
• Who will NASCAR's New Sponsor be in 2017?
• This isn't the main headline many fans will be looking at or watching in 2016, but it will be something of note to keep tabs on. Sprint is done as the title sponsor of the NASCAR Cup Level after this season, which leaves a huge void. Who will step up and put a ton of money into becoming the main title holder of NASCAR's biggest series? Will it be what NASCAR expects from a sponsor, or will they have to settle for a lower number then expected? The news might be on weekly winners, but the Sponsorship news is just as important to the future of NASCAR and how it stands. No sponsor would mean big trouble.

Added by the Readers

A few extra headlines readers said they will be looking at in the 2016 season

• The Lower Level Chase
• NASCAR added the new Chase to the Xfinity and Camping World Series this year. The Chase will add a new element and challenge to each of these drivers and teams. I will personally be interested because it gets these guys ready for the next level by given them a preview of the format. As Avery (@AveryHage) mentioned, he is interested to see "which drivers will inevitably get in fights and feuds." It sure does add a new wrinkle to the lower series.
• Caution Clock
• Not only was the Chase added to the lower levels, a new "caution clock" was added to the Truck Series. A "shot clock" as you will, will go off every 20 min and a competition caution will then be waived. It will be interesting to see how this effects or changes the race and on track entertainment.
• Charter System
• Will it happen (most likely), when will they finish it, what will be the details? Almost everyone speculates it will come this year and it has been rumored that the news will break around Daytona. What will the exact details of it be and will it be set for the 2016 season? I think everyone in NASCAR is curious and waiting the news like Valerie (@valerielynn01). NASCAR does have a "big announcement" coming 2/9/16 per @NASCAR twitter, maybe it will be about the Charter?
• Will Clint Bowyer Get Into the #14 Early?
• With Tony Stewart out "indefinitely" will and Bowyer slated to drive the 14 for SHR in 2017, will he just take over at some point this season? I tend to believe he and HScott will stick this thing out as it could be a big move for them as a team, however that doesn't mean that things down the road won't change if Smoke misses a ton of time (or worse yet, the season). I and @NASCARNAC will be watching it close this year as each race passes by.