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Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
The NASCAR Cup Series begins the 2022 season at the Daytona 500 with some familiar storylines in play.
Reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson made an early statement about his title defense by earning the pole for Sunday’s race at Daytona International Speedway.
Larson controlled the Cup Series circuit last season, but he has had some trouble at Daytona throughout his career.
The No. 5 car driver has five Top 10 finishes in 15 career Cup Series starts on the superspeedway and his team is looking to end a Daytona 500 drought that dates back to 2014.
Denny Hamlin experienced the opposite type of fortune as Larson in the qualifying session and Thursday’s Duel races. The three-time Daytona 500 champion starts near the back of the field in 30th place.
Hamlin, Larson and the other Cup Series stars will try to gain some control of the race to avoid the big wrecks and to prevent an unexpected winner from emerging out of the field for the second straight year.
Michael McDowell’s surprise victory last season gave hope for the smaller teams that a Daytona 500 win is possible, but for that to happen, a lot of luck and good strategy must be involved.
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Kyle Larson earned 10 victories during his championship-winning season, but he did not come close to winning at Daytona International Speedway.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver took 10th and 20th in the two races at Daytona in 2021.
Larson’s qualifying run from Wednesday that landed him on the pole put him in good shape to at least start the Daytona 500 at the front.
Larson and his teammate Alex Bowman will begin the event on the front row, and they should be able to control the field as everyone gets up to speed in the first stage.
The No. 5 car driver proved he could outrace everyone in the Cup Series last year, but to win at Daytona, you need to do that, have a great strategy and avoid the big wrecks that come with racing at the historic track.
Larson’s positioning at the front and the strength of the Hendrick cars throughout the buildup to the race are promising signs for his Sunday success.
If Larson is near, or at, the front for the final 25-30 laps, he should be the favored driver to win, even more so if he has one or two of his teammates around him to draft with.
A lot of attention will be on Larson throughout the season and it will be intriguing to watch how he handles the new pressure of being a Cup Series champion not only at Daytona, but throughout the entire campaign.
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Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Denny Hamlin must be considered one of the favorites to win the Daytona 500, even if he starts in 30th place.
Hamlin is a three-time Daytona 500 winner and he captured his most-recent title at Daytona from the back of the grid in 2020.
Two years ago, Hamlin was forced to the back of the field after his car failed multiple inspections prior to the waving of the green flag.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver qualified for Sunday’s race in 30th place, but that should not strike up a ton of concern about his winning prospects.
Hamlin has plenty of experience navigating through the field at Daytona, and if he gets off to a strong start, he will be able to link up with is teammates and other Toyota cars in the draft.
The experience gained from his three wins should help Hamlin reach the front at a measured pace. He does not need to make a mad dash to the front of the field, but he needs to work his way up at a steady rate.
As long as he applies the right strategy, and like everyone, avoids the wrecks, Hamlin could be in the mix for his fourth Daytona 500 crown when the laps begin to tick down in the final stage.
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Michael McDowell became the unlikeliest Daytona 500 winner in history with his triumph in a rain-soaked, crash-filled race 12 months ago.
McDowell’s success was so unexpected because he drove for one of the smallest teams on the Cup Series circuit.
It is hard to imagine lightning striking twice, but there are a few drivers in the field that are capable of springing such a surprise.
Harrison Burton, the son of former Cup Series driver Jeff Burton, might be in the mix because of the Wood Brothers Racing alliance with Team Penske. Burton starts eighth and he could link up with Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric and Joey Logano to remain at the front of the field.
Erik Jones and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. both start in the Top 20 and race for smaller teams on the circuit. They could make noise if they find the right drafting partners.
All of those drivers would be considered surprise winners based off their status on the Cup Series circuit, but it may be difficult for them to break the deadlock of the top teams with multiple drivers over 500 miles.
McDowell had the perfect combination of luck and strategy on his side last year and it will take something similar for a second straight unexpected winner to emerge.
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