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NASCAR superlatives, a near-midseason look
By | Published: June 17, 2019 8
Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images
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Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
BEST DRIVER: Kyle Busch
Nearing the midway point of the season with 15 of 36 races complete, plenty of portfolios for early MVP stand out, but Kyle Busch's efforts remain at a higher level of performance. Busch tops the Monster Energy Series with four wins, but his work in other national series is without peer, winning three of his four Xfinity Series starts and going 5-for-5 in Gander Trucks competition.
Honorable mentions: Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski.
-- Zack Albert
Nearing the midway point of the season with 15 of 36 races complete, plenty of portfolios for early MVP stand out, but Kyle Busch's efforts remain at a higher level of performance. Busch tops the Monster Energy Series with four wins, but his work in other national series is without peer, winning three of his four Xfinity Series starts and going 5-for-5 in Gander Trucks competition.
Honorable mentions: Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski.
-- Zack Albert
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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images
BEST RACE: Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway
Brad Keselowski won in an overtime shootout after a late plot twist, leading the final 11 laps and denying Alex Bowman a shot at his first Cup Series win. But for all 271 laps, we saw pit road strategy, frantic restarts, plenty of passing, several lead changes, an exciting finish and a fresh, competitive verve -- an ideal blend for 2019's rules on an intermediate-sized track.
Honorable mentions: GEICO 500 at Talladega, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond
-- Marissa Fuller
Brad Keselowski won in an overtime shootout after a late plot twist, leading the final 11 laps and denying Alex Bowman a shot at his first Cup Series win. But for all 271 laps, we saw pit road strategy, frantic restarts, plenty of passing, several lead changes, an exciting finish and a fresh, competitive verve -- an ideal blend for 2019's rules on an intermediate-sized track.
Honorable mentions: GEICO 500 at Talladega, Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond
-- Marissa Fuller
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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images
BIGGEST STORYLINE: Tighter racing.
This season's racing has produced the most green-flag passes for the lead (563) in the last five seasons. Eleven of the 15 races thus far have seen significant gains in green-flag passes for the lead. According to loop data, the season has produced 51,034 green flag passes thus far and the weekly action around the track illustrates that. Close finishes have been seen with seven races finishing with a margin of victory of under .335 seconds.
Honorable mentions: Joe Gibbs Racing's dominance; single-car qualifying returns to nearly every track
-- RJ Kraft
This season's racing has produced the most green-flag passes for the lead (563) in the last five seasons. Eleven of the 15 races thus far have seen significant gains in green-flag passes for the lead. According to loop data, the season has produced 51,034 green flag passes thus far and the weekly action around the track illustrates that. Close finishes have been seen with seven races finishing with a margin of victory of under .335 seconds.
Honorable mentions: Joe Gibbs Racing's dominance; single-car qualifying returns to nearly every track
-- RJ Kraft
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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images
BEST MOMENT: Denny Hamlin's Daytona 500 win pays tribute to J.D. Gibbs
This year's Daytona 500 likely goes down as one of the most special races in Joe Gibbs Racing history. Following the passing of Coach Joe Gibbs' son, J.D. Gibbs, Denny Hamlin earned his second career victory in NASCAR’s 'Great American Race.' The moment was made extra special when teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones finished second and third respectively, making for a JGR sweep of the podium.
Honorable mention: Jeff Gordon congratulates Tony Stewart on his 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame election on NASCAR.com's live stream.
-- Chase Wilhelm
This year's Daytona 500 likely goes down as one of the most special races in Joe Gibbs Racing history. Following the passing of Coach Joe Gibbs' son, J.D. Gibbs, Denny Hamlin earned his second career victory in NASCAR’s 'Great American Race.' The moment was made extra special when teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones finished second and third respectively, making for a JGR sweep of the podium.
Honorable mention: Jeff Gordon congratulates Tony Stewart on his 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame election on NASCAR.com's live stream.
-- Chase Wilhelm
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Donald Page | Getty Images
BIGGEST SURPRISE: Alex Bowman's rise
After failing to score a top-10 finish in the first nine races of the season, Alex Bowman wasted no time turning the tide. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports driver's second-place finish to teammate Chase Elliott at Talladega began a string of three straight runner-up results. Bowman hasn’t finished worse than 15th since Richmond in April.
Honorable mention: Stewart-Haas Racing still winless in 2019.
-- Chase Wilhelm
After failing to score a top-10 finish in the first nine races of the season, Alex Bowman wasted no time turning the tide. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports driver's second-place finish to teammate Chase Elliott at Talladega began a string of three straight runner-up results. Bowman hasn’t finished worse than 15th since Richmond in April.
Honorable mention: Stewart-Haas Racing still winless in 2019.
-- Chase Wilhelm
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BEST RIVALRY: Ryan Newman vs. Clint Bowyer
The All-Star Race weekend produced not only fantastic racing but one of 2019's best rivalries. Clint Bowyer threw multiple punches at Ryan Newman, who was still sitting in his car on pit road, post-race after an on-track incident. After the fists (and tempers) flew, the two of them continued their disagreement on pit road. Both drivers had to meet with NASCAR officials and to top it all off, Bowyer and Newman spent time together at an autograph session leading into the next weekend.
-- Marissa Fuller
The All-Star Race weekend produced not only fantastic racing but one of 2019's best rivalries. Clint Bowyer threw multiple punches at Ryan Newman, who was still sitting in his car on pit road, post-race after an on-track incident. After the fists (and tempers) flew, the two of them continued their disagreement on pit road. Both drivers had to meet with NASCAR officials and to top it all off, Bowyer and Newman spent time together at an autograph session leading into the next weekend.
-- Marissa Fuller
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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
BEST PIT CREW: Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 team.
Kyle Busch has four wins on the season and his pit crew has been instrumental in helping the 2015 champion gain and maintain track position by routinely producing fast stops. The pit crew's timely work at Bristol was key in Busch making his way back from an early incident all the way to Victory Lane.
Honorable mentions: Team Penske No. 22 crew; Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
-- RJ Kraft
Kyle Busch has four wins on the season and his pit crew has been instrumental in helping the 2015 champion gain and maintain track position by routinely producing fast stops. The pit crew's timely work at Bristol was key in Busch making his way back from an early incident all the way to Victory Lane.
Honorable mentions: Team Penske No. 22 crew; Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11
-- RJ Kraft
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Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
BEST FUTURE ATTRACTION: 2020 schedule release
The strategic jumbling of races for next season's Monster Energy Series campaign promises to shake up the natural order of a schedule that's undergone relatively few changes in recent years. Moving the regular-season finale (Daytona) and the championship venue (ISM/Phoenix) is just part of a retooled slate, which includes a Pocono weekend doubleheader, a Martinsville night race and eliminations at wild-card venues. The crazy thing: Even more may be in store for a 2021 schedule overhaul.
Honorable mention: The buzz and accelerated timeline (2021) for a Generation-7 stock car.
-- Zack Albert
The strategic jumbling of races for next season's Monster Energy Series campaign promises to shake up the natural order of a schedule that's undergone relatively few changes in recent years. Moving the regular-season finale (Daytona) and the championship venue (ISM/Phoenix) is just part of a retooled slate, which includes a Pocono weekend doubleheader, a Martinsville night race and eliminations at wild-card venues. The crazy thing: Even more may be in store for a 2021 schedule overhaul.
Honorable mention: The buzz and accelerated timeline (2021) for a Generation-7 stock car.
-- Zack Albert