Well after months of waiting the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season has arrived. Much has changed during this past off season, but most important is that four-time champion Jeff Gordon has announced he will retire at the end of 2015.

This announcement shocked the Nascar community, but everyone knew it would come eventually.  It just came much sooner than expected, especially considering Gordon had one of his best seasons in years last year. The future hall of fame driver has 92 wins, 4 championships, and 3 Daytona 500 wins (all those could change this season).

Another rather big change is Carl Edwards. He has moved from his no. 99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford to the no. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Edwards has been with Roush-Fenway Racing since the start of his career in 2005, but he never was able to claim a championship with them. He was runner-up twice in that time span.  In spite of this, Edwards still left. He is second driver in the past two years to leave Roush-Fenway for Joe Gibbs Racing. His teammate Matt Kenseth also left, and now the two have been reunited.

Many other changes have occurred in teams. Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 winner, has left the Xfinity Series and come to the no. 6 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford. He originally drove part-time for Wood Brothers Racing in the no. 21, but young driver Ryan Blaney, from the Camping World Truck Series, will replace him there. Sam Hornish Jr. will drive no. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports car, replacing retiring Marcos Ambrose. Chase Elliot, last year’s Xfinity Series champion, will drive part-time in the no. 25 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, and next year he will replace Jeff Gordon in the 24 car.

Several changes have been made to the schedule this year and one brings back some history.  This change involves Darlington. Back several years ago the Southern 500 at Darlington was held on Labor Day weekend. That was changed in 2005, but now it has been changed back. Also on the changing list is the Atlanta race. It was on Labor Day weekend, but it is now the second race of the year, replacing Phoenix, which has been moved to week four. The Food City 500, held at Bristol Motor Speedway, has been moved from it’s March date to the middle of April. There are some other minor changes in the schedule but nothing else that important.

Now the ultimate question being asked is who will win the 2015 Sprint Cup championship, and honestly, no one knows. After last year’s down to the final lap finish, no one is sure who will win. Being dominate all season won’t win the title for you, because of the elimination style Chase instituted last year. Four drivers enter the last race with a chance to win the championship, and first to finish wins. As far as predictions go, Kevin Harvick was last year’s best driver and the champ. But, the driver who finished second (Ryan Newman) was right on his bumper as they crossed the finish line. And Newman hadn’t won any races all year. So, that said, what does that tell us about this year? That the Chase is unpredictable and anyone can win it, because if a driver is lucky enough to win a race during the regular season, he is given a spot in the chase. There could be a cheap average finish of 30th team who wins a race by chance and gets a chase spot. Or a favorite like Jimmie Johnson could win the whole deal. Bottom line is: we won’t know the champion till he/she crosses the finish line at Homestead.