'Tis the season to look back and reflect, while also making plans and wishes in hopes of making the new year even more eventful or spectacular. This time last year, I sat down and compiled a wish list of sorts to share with you, much like this one ahead of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. While some of my hopes did come fruition, others certainly didn't age well. Of the ten items on that list, about half of them came true. Of note, we finally got to see Brad Keselowski snap his winless streak, Denny Hamlin continues to embrace his villainous role, and a few more international racing stars ventured over into the world of stock car racing.
As for things that didn't pan out, Stewart-Haas Racing did not 'find its footing.' Instead, SHR shut its doors after 15 years of competition. But they did go out with one last moment of glory as Chase Briscoe won the Southern 500. All four drivers also found new homes in the Cup Series, which is a positive. While the Daytona 500 was thrilling, it did not have a clean finish with the winner taking the checkered and yellow flag together. And while the new NASCAR Netflix docuseries was extremely well done, it did not spark a DTS-esque response to the sport as I hoped it would.
