Austin Konenski
NASCAR returns to full-time action this week with cars hitting the track on Thursday evening. The sports community has spoken about what they think will happen this season.
Here are the results of the widely shared survey.
The biggest surprise of the NASCAR season
This question was the first section of the survey talking about who would be the biggest surprise of the 2022 NASCAR season.
Tyler Reddick was the top answer at 13.0% as people expect the young driver to have a breakout season. Reddick, 26, is entering his third full-time season with Richard Childress Racing in the No. 8 car.
Kurt Busch came in at second place with 10.1% of the votes due to his move to 23XI Racing. Busch, 43, will be driving the No. 45 car and could be nearing the end of his career, but a career resurgence could be possible this year.
Austin Cindric was the third-highest vote-getter at 8.7% due to his move to Team Penske. Cindric, 23, is making his full-time debut in the NASCAR Cup Series and could be a dark horse for the playoffs due to his abilities at road courses.
Some other highly voted surprises for the 2022 season include William Byron, Harrison Burton, Brad Keselowski, and Team Trackhouse.
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The biggest dissapointment of the NASCAR season
This question was the second section of the survey talking about who would be the biggest disappointment of the 2022 NASCAR season.
Kyle Busch was the top answer at 19.4% after viewers noticed his struggles the past two years. Busch, 36, remains in the No. 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing, but with practice not as long for every race, some people view that as a major concern.
Chase Elliott took home second place at 11.9% after voters acknowledged his inability to win on an oval last season. Elliott, 26, could be set for a better year with the NextGen car for Hendrick Motorsports, but Kyle Larson could be his roadblock.
Austin Cindric received the third-highest votes at 10.4% due to him being a rookie and questions of his performance on ovals. Cindric was third for both the biggest surprise and disappointment, which shows there is a strong opinion on him.
Some other highly voted disappointments for the 2022 season include Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski
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The most race wins during the NASCAR season
This question was the third section of the survey talking about who would win the most races during the 2022 NASCAR season.
Kyle Larson was the runaway winner after receiving 60.9% of the votes after his 10-win season in 2021. Larson, 29, is looking to repeat as the NASCAR Cup Series champion and many people think he will be in a great spot.
Kyle Busch received the second-most votes at 13.0% due to the NextGen car. Busch has tremendous upside with the new car making driver talent more important, but the floor could be low due to his struggles with little practice.
Denny Hamlin came in third place with 7.2% of the votes due to his consistency. Hamlin, 41, is currently in his prime and it could finally be the year he wins the championship if Joe Gibbs Racing is up to par with the other competitors.
Some other highly voted drivers to win the most races during the 2022 season include Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney.
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The Championship 4 of the 2022 NASCAR season
This question was the fourth section of the survey talking about who would be in the Championship 4 during the 2022 NASCAR season.
Kyle Larson was the top driver due to him appearing in 85.5% of given Championship 4’s. Larson is the defending champion and was the driver voted to see the most wins in 2022.
Chase Elliott received the second-most votes as he appeared in Championship 4’s at a 52.2% rate. Elliott has made the final race for two straight seasons and won the championship in 2020.
Denny Hamlin appeared as the third-highest driver in Championship 4 while appearing 49.3% of the time. Hamlin has made the final race for three straight seasons, only to come up short each time.
Kyle Busch received the fourth-most votes as he appeared in the Championship 4 at a 43.5% clip. Busch made his last appearance in 2019 when he ended the season as the champion.
Some other highly voted drivers who appeared in the Championship 4 for the 2022 season include Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and William Byron.
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The champion of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season
This question was the final section of the survey talking about who would be the champion at the end of the 2022 NASCAR season.
Kyle Larson was the top driver voted as champion with an astounding 30.4% of the votes. Larson is looking for his second straight championship and received the most love in this year’s survey.
Chase Elliott was the second-highest voted champion with 14.5% of the votes. Elliott is seeking his second championship in three years as he looks to bounce back after only winning two races in 2021.
Denny Hamlin received the third-highest votes with 13.0% picking him as champion. Hamlin is missing a championship on his Hall-of-Fame resume and this year could be the perfect year to get it done.
Some other highly voted drivers who were picked as champions include Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney.
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