It’s hard to imagine that the 2024 NASCAR season is already a quarter of the way through. It seems like only a few weeks ago that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ordered drivers to fire up their engines for the season-opening Daytona 500, with William Byron setting the tone for the start of the season by winning the NASCAR title. the greatest race.
A lot happened at Daytona and over the next eight races, most memorable, some less so. A look back at what happened during the first part of the season.
Championship 4 favorites
William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott
It’s quite simple. This quartet has won seven of nine races and holds four of the top five points spots, demonstrating a level of consistency that most others have failed to match. Arguments could be made to include Martin Truex Jr. based on his series-best 9.9 ERA and second-highest ranking in points. The criticism against him, however, is that he hasn’t won yet.
Best driver
William Byron
Any skepticism about Byron’s ability to continue his breakthrough in 2023 was quickly answered by his victory at the Daytona 500. He added additional victories at the Circuit of the Americas and at Martinsville, demonstrating his ability to win at any what a style track. He also leads the series in wins and top-10 finishes, and is tied for first among the top five. Byron’s only downside is that he has yet to win a stage and is only sixth in laps led. Still, he’s been the best driver overall through nine races, and it’s not that close.
Finalist: Hamlin
Best race
Atlanta
A great green flag to checkered flag race with an all-time classic finish makes this by far the easiest selection on this list. Atlanta was such a sensational race that it largely overturned the public’s perception of the once-maligned track.
Finalist: Bristol
Biggest wow moment
Arrival in Atlanta
It’s hard to top the trio of Daniel Suárez, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in Atlanta that saw Suárez win by 0.003 seconds, the third-closest margin of victory in Cup Series history. Chances are nothing will top that number for the rest of the year.
Finalist: Late-night social media argument between Hamlin and Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith
The biggest scenario
Combined dominance of Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing
The parity caused by the advent of the Next Gen car is clearly over. Two organizations, Hendrick and JGR, have effectively had a stranglehold on victory lane this season, combining to win eight of nine races. And outside of Sunday’s race at Talladega, where the draft evens the field, there’s every reason to think Hendrick and JGR will continue to rack up wins for the foreseeable future.
Finalist: Short track racing still falls short of expectations
Puzzle moment
Excessive tire wear in Bristol
“Scratching your head” often has a negative connotation, but it’s more of a happy accident that turned out wonderfully. While the exact cause remains a mystery, whatever reason the drivers had to deal with quickly wearing tires at Bristol, the result was one of the most compelling short track races in a time. And it may also have pointed the way for NASCAR to best improve racing on tracks less than a mile in length, with officials turning their attention to increasing tire wear rather than on aerodynamic adjustments.
Finalist: Late-night social media argument between Hamlin and Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith
Stock rising (riders rising)
1. Chase Elliott
Prepare for a deluge of talk that Elliott is “back.” After a 2023 season that saw him go winless, miss six races after breaking his leg while snowboarding and another due to suspension, Elliott’s form resembles that which saw him win three consecutive appearances in Championship 4 from 2020 to 22 and won the 2020 Cup championship and the 2022 regular-season points title. Sunday’s victory at Texas is expected to be the first of many this season for NASCAR’s most popular driver.
2.Ty Gibbs
Although Gibbs has performed well over the past three weeks with finishes in the teens, let’s not ignore the fact that he has five consecutive top 10s and ranks fourth in laps led and sixth in points. It’s worth noting that he did all of this in only his second full season, lending even more credence to the preseason expectation that Gibbs would win a race and make the playoffs.
3. Chase Briscoe
With the retirement of Kevin Harvick and the departure of a handful of expensive sponsors, many believed Stewart-Haas Racing would continue to decline. Well, apparently Briscoe didn’t get that message because all he’s done is four top 10s and sits a surprising 12th in points. Time will tell if Briscoe (and SHR) can maintain this pace, but for now, what he and the team have accomplished so far deserves praise.
Drop in stock (drivers going down)
1.Harrison Burton
It continues to be a struggle for Burton, with the third-year driver showing no apparent signs of turning around his performance. He is second to last in points and with only one result better than 27th place. The grim stat line has many wondering if he will get a fourth year with Wood Brothers Racing.
2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Last year, Stenhouse and JTG Daugherty Racing excelled at implementing a formula in which they maximized their points total each week, rarely leaving points on the table. They did it so well that Stenhouse was never lower than 17th in the standings during the regular season, an impressive feat for the one-car organization. This season, however, is a different story. Stenhouse is 27th in points with just one top 10.
3. Kyle Busch
If the playoffs started today, Busch would fail to qualify for the first time in his storied career. This is due to a combination of factors, both within and beyond one’s control. Busch continued to fail to adapt to the intricacies of the Next Gen car, but his pit crew did him no favors either, costing him a potential victory at Las Vegas and several positions in other races.
GO FURTHER
What it’s like inside the NASCAR truck: “You better keep your mouth shut”
(Top photo of the thrilling finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February: Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)