NASCAR seeks boost to steep decline with strong Daytona 500

(AP) — The good news for NASCAR is that all signs indicate Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a legitimate shot to win the Daytona 500.

A victory for NASCAR's most popular driver, in his return to racing after a concussion sidelined him the second half of last season, would be a massive boost for the sagging series.

Earnhardt's star power has been one of the bright spots of Speedweeks and his strength on the track has been obvious every time he's behind the wheel of his Chevrolet.

The series is under heavy scrutiny because of sliding attendance and television ratings, plus the title sponsor deal with Monster Energy came in at a fraction of what NASCAR was looking for when it began shopping the naming rights almost two years ago.

NASCAR celebrated its deal with Monster in a Las Vegas announcement, and has hitched its wagon to the hope that Monster can attract a younger demographic and raise the excitement level at all the events.

NASCAR has countered with a JGR announcement that defending race winner Denny Hamlin and FedEx have signed long-term extensions , while Team Penske locked in Logano and Shell-Pennzoil through 2023.

In an effort to add excitement to the racing — something both the television partners and Monster wanted — all events will be run in segments this year.

There are points on the line for each segment, giving drivers incentive to race hard for the entire race, and one final long push to the checkered flag.

With all those open seats, the series is starting to shift and there's more attention for drivers like Elliott, Gordon's replacement a year ago, and Daniel Suarez, the Mexican driver who turned his Xfinity Series championship into a promotion to the Cup series when Edwards retired.

The starting grid Sunday will look a lot younger, but the car owners who pay for the talent don't seem to mind.