Will NASCAR’s youth movement create resentment among veteran drivers?

Each week, SB Nation’s NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi answers your questions about the latest news and happenings within the sport. If you have a future mailbag question, email [email protected].

If I were an older driver I’d be super pissed about the attention going to a bunch of kids who haven’t really proved themselves. Kyle Busch has every right to be frustrated and I completely get why he lashed out. So with that said, do you think all this talk of how young drivers are supposed to help rescue NASCAR and the resentment it’s created among veterans will lead to greater conflicts on the track? I don’t remember something like this happening before.

–Carter

Young vs. old is a common theme in sports and whenever a transition from one generation to the next occurs, there inevitably is animosity from those who feel like they’re being cast to the side. NASCAR is no exception.

When Darrell Waltrip was making a name for himself in the 1970s he annoyed the likes of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison to no end with his incessant boasting and aggressive driving. His antics were considered over the top to the point fans viewed him as a villain, prompting Yarborough to give Waltrip the nickname “Jaws” because all he did was talk. And that vitriol manifested itself on the track with some heated battles.

More recently, Kevin Harvick wasn’t all that different from Waltrip when he first came into the Cup Series. Often Harvick provoked many veterans, who thought he lacked respect. That manifested itself multiple times, culminating with him earning a one-race suspension for reckless driving in 2002, which had as much to do with Harvick’s overall attitude than anything else.

Modern day NASCAR isn’t quite to this level — yet — though the makings are certainly present for this to erupt into something greater where incidents like what transpired between Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin last fall becomes commonplace. Especially with how frequently Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Erik Jones are running up front and challenging for wins, as the old guard never likes being threatened by a new crop of emerging drivers taking the wins on the track and the spotlight off it.

As a diehard Ford fan, what do we make of Ford being so strong at Daytona? To me it’s encouraging and eases my worry that Ford would be well behind Toyota and Chevy’s new Camaro.

–Brian

There are two different streams of thought Ford supporters could take away from what transpired during the Daytona 500.

If you’re an optimist, you can zero in on Ryan Blaney winning his Thursday Duel qualifier then leading 118 laps in the Daytona 500, the most laps led in NASCAR’s biggest race since Dale Earnhardt led 155 laps. Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, Joey Logano and Paul Menard were also in contention until the end, with Almirola even leading on the final lap. Every indication is that dominance Ford had in sweeping all four restrictor-plate races in 2017 carried over to this season. That’s promising if you’re fan of those with blue ovals on their hoods.

However, despite Ford drivers combining to lead 74 percent of the laps (150 out of a possible 207 laps) it was Chevrolet’s Austin Dillon celebrating in victory lane when the race concluded. And as we saw in 2017, restrictor-plate superiority doesn’t mean much when the predominate tracks on the schedule are of the intermediate variety — Toyota’s strong suit and where Ford is expected to struggle due to a car that is outdated and inferior to the Camry and Chevrolet’s new Camaro.

Why the hate toward Austin Dillon? Is it because he drives for his grandfather and there is a perception he’s been handed everything? That he has the No. 3 and isn’t considered worthy of the number? Is it because he’s cocky even though he hasn’t won much (before the Daytona 500)? I’m not necessarily a fan of his, but I do like his personality and think he makes things interesting.

— John

Is all of the above an option, because all three are definitely applicable.

That Dillon is the first driver to carry the No. 3 in the Cup Series since Earnhardt’s passing and not related to the seven-time champion was always going to be an issue some fans couldn’t move past. Compounding matters is the notion that Dillon somehow wasn’t deserving of a ride in NASCAR’s premier tour, even though he won titles in both the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series.

Although unfair, these are the hurdles the 27-year-old has faced throughout his career. A perception furthered by Dillon’s outsized personality and willingness to speak out, which while refreshing and welcomed, may push some fans away.

Ultimately, none of this matters. Dillon’s record in Xfinity and trucks demonstrated his worthiness of being promoted to Cup and he has been nothing but respectful about taking over the No. 3. And because he’s with a team owned by his grandfather, Richard Childress, job security is less of an issue then it would be elsewhere — especially solidified with a Daytona 500 victory on his résumé.