BACK TO GALLERIES
First win of season by recent NASCAR champions
By Staff Report | Published: March 18, 2021 8
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
The top three in points in the NASCAR Cup Series -- Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano -- have yet to win through five races of the 2021 season. This got us thinking about when the eventual NASCAR champion usually gets his first win of the season. Courtesy of Racing Insights, here are the Cup champions since 2014 and when they got their first win of the season.
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Kevin Harvick, 2014 champion
First win: March 2 at Phoenix Raceway, in the second race of the season.
Comment: It was Harvick's first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, and he would end up with five victories -- three of which came during the NASCAR Playoffs.
First win: March 2 at Phoenix Raceway, in the second race of the season.
Comment: It was Harvick's first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, and he would end up with five victories -- three of which came during the NASCAR Playoffs.
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Kyle Busch, 2015 champion
First win: June 28 at Sonoma Raceway, in the 16th race of the season.
Comment: Busch missed the first 11 races of the season because of injuries sustained in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race. The Sonoma win was the first of five he'd get en route to the title and the first of four wins in a stretch of five races.
First win: June 28 at Sonoma Raceway, in the 16th race of the season.
Comment: Busch missed the first 11 races of the season because of injuries sustained in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity Series race. The Sonoma win was the first of five he'd get en route to the title and the first of four wins in a stretch of five races.
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Jimmie Johnson, 2016 champion
First win: Feb. 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in the second race of the season.
Comment: Johnson grabbed early wins at Atlanta and Auto Club Speedway, then went through some rough stretches before turning it on for three more victories during the playoffs.
First win: Feb. 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in the second race of the season.
Comment: Johnson grabbed early wins at Atlanta and Auto Club Speedway, then went through some rough stretches before turning it on for three more victories during the playoffs.
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Martin Truex Jr., 2017 champion
First win: March 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in the third race of the season.
Comment: This was the first of four regular-season wins for Truex, who then doubled his total with four more wins in the playoffs as he and crew chief Cole Pearn made Denver a titletown again.
First win: March 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in the third race of the season.
Comment: This was the first of four regular-season wins for Truex, who then doubled his total with four more wins in the playoffs as he and crew chief Cole Pearn made Denver a titletown again.
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Joey Logano, 2018 champion
First win: April 29 at Talladega Superspeedway, in the 10th race of the season.
Comment: If you rule out Kyle Busch's 2015 injury-shortened season, this is the longest a champion has gone before getting his first win of the season in current playoff format. Logano won two more races the rest of the way, both in the playoffs -- at Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
First win: April 29 at Talladega Superspeedway, in the 10th race of the season.
Comment: If you rule out Kyle Busch's 2015 injury-shortened season, this is the longest a champion has gone before getting his first win of the season in current playoff format. Logano won two more races the rest of the way, both in the playoffs -- at Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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Kyle Busch, 2019 champion
First win: March 10 at Phoenix Raceway, in the fourth race of the season.
Comment: Busch would go back-to-back with a win the next week at Auto Club Speedway and then get two more victories in the regular season. His only playoff win was at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the finale.
First win: March 10 at Phoenix Raceway, in the fourth race of the season.
Comment: Busch would go back-to-back with a win the next week at Auto Club Speedway and then get two more victories in the regular season. His only playoff win was at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the finale.
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Chris Graythen | Getty Images
Chase Elliott, 2020 champion
First win: May 28 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in the eighth race of the season.
Comment: Elliott got one of the early wins after NASCAR returned from the COVID-19 pause. He added four more throughout the season, including three in the final five races of the playoffs.
First win: May 28 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in the eighth race of the season.
Comment: Elliott got one of the early wins after NASCAR returned from the COVID-19 pause. He added four more throughout the season, including three in the final five races of the playoffs.