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Milestones that can be reached in the 2021 season
By RJ Kraft | Monday, December 28, 2020
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The 2021 season will see several milestones in play for the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series. Take a look to see which marks are in reach.
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Milestone: 1,200 national series starts
Driver: Kevin Harvick
The scoop: Harvick is 13 starts away from 1,200 and has made 675 consecutive starts entering the season — with the spring Martinsville race of 2002 being the last race he missed. The milestone is set to be reached on May 16 at Dover International Speedway.
Driver: Kevin Harvick
The scoop: Harvick is 13 starts away from 1,200 and has made 675 consecutive starts entering the season — with the spring Martinsville race of 2002 being the last race he missed. The milestone is set to be reached on May 16 at Dover International Speedway.
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Milestone: 700 Cup starts
Driver: Ryan Newman
The scoop: Newman is 11 starts away from becoming the 19th driver in NASCAR history to make at least 700 Cup Series starts. Provided he doesn’t miss any races, the veteran driver should reach the mark at Kansas Speedway on May 2.
Driver: Ryan Newman
The scoop: Newman is 11 starts away from becoming the 19th driver in NASCAR history to make at least 700 Cup Series starts. Provided he doesn’t miss any races, the veteran driver should reach the mark at Kansas Speedway on May 2.
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Milestone: 600 Cup starts
Driver: Kyle Busch
The scoop: The two-time Cup champion enters the 2021 season at 570 starts — meaning he will become the 31st driver to crack 600 starts during the playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 26 — his home track.
Driver: Kyle Busch
The scoop: The two-time Cup champion enters the 2021 season at 570 starts — meaning he will become the 31st driver to crack 600 starts during the playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 26 — his home track.
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Milestone: 60 Cup wins
Drivers: Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch
The scoop: Harvick (58 wins) and Busch (57 wins) are each within striking distance of getting to 60 wins. The drivers rank ninth and 10th, respectively, on the all-time Cup wins list. Dale Earnhardt is the next closest driver at 76 wins.
Drivers: Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch
The scoop: Harvick (58 wins) and Busch (57 wins) are each within striking distance of getting to 60 wins. The drivers rank ninth and 10th, respectively, on the all-time Cup wins list. Dale Earnhardt is the next closest driver at 76 wins.
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Milestone: 50 Cup wins
Driver: Denny Hamlin
The scoop: Hamlin enters the season with 44 wins in his Cup career. But this is in reach when you consider he has 13 wins in the last two seasons (six in 2019 and seven in 2020) — and both those seasons came with Chris Gabehart atop the box. Should Hamlin hit 50 wins, he’ll be the 15th driver to do so.
Driver: Denny Hamlin
The scoop: Hamlin enters the season with 44 wins in his Cup career. But this is in reach when you consider he has 13 wins in the last two seasons (six in 2019 and seven in 2020) — and both those seasons came with Chris Gabehart atop the box. Should Hamlin hit 50 wins, he’ll be the 15th driver to do so.
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Milestone: 30 Cup wins
Drivers: Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano
The scoop: The two champions are close to joining this club. Truex is sitting on 27 wins and it's hard for us to think he’ll have back-to-back one-win seasons — he seems primed for more in 2021. Logano has 26 wins entering the upcoming season and has multiple wins in six of his last seven seasons.
Drivers: Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano
The scoop: The two champions are close to joining this club. Truex is sitting on 27 wins and it's hard for us to think he’ll have back-to-back one-win seasons — he seems primed for more in 2021. Logano has 26 wins entering the upcoming season and has multiple wins in six of his last seven seasons.
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Milestone: 150 NASCAR Cup Series top-five finishes
Drivers: Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
The scoop: Twenty five drivers have notched at least 150 top-five finishes and the Team Penske teammates are the closest active drivers who could join the list next. Both Keselowski and Logano enter 2021 with 128 top-five finishes. Only one of them has had a season with 22 top fives — Logano in 2015 — so admittedly this mark could still be in play until 2022.
Drivers: Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
The scoop: Twenty five drivers have notched at least 150 top-five finishes and the Team Penske teammates are the closest active drivers who could join the list next. Both Keselowski and Logano enter 2021 with 128 top-five finishes. Only one of them has had a season with 22 top fives — Logano in 2015 — so admittedly this mark could still be in play until 2022.
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Milestone: 100 NASCAR Cup Series top-10 finishes
Driver: Chase Elliott
The scoop: The reigning Cup champion has 96 top-10 finishes — an average of nearly 20 a season over his five full-time campaigns. He should nab this mark by the end of March if not mid-April. Ryan Blaney enters the season at 76 top 10s and Aric Almirola has 79 top 10s — big seasons by each could have them reach this mark as well.
Driver: Chase Elliott
The scoop: The reigning Cup champion has 96 top-10 finishes — an average of nearly 20 a season over his five full-time campaigns. He should nab this mark by the end of March if not mid-April. Ryan Blaney enters the season at 76 top 10s and Aric Almirola has 79 top 10s — big seasons by each could have them reach this mark as well.
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Milestone: Cup Series debuts
Driver: Chase Briscoe
The scoop: The driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford will make his first Cup start in the 2021 Daytona 500 as he takes over the seat of the retiring Clint Bowyer. The 2021 Daytona 500 will also mark the debuts of 23XI Racing (the Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin owned effort with Bubba Wallace driving), Trackhouse Racing (the team owned by Justin Marks with Daniel Suarez driving) and Live Fast Motorsports (the co-owned team of Matt Tifft and B.J. McLeod with McLeod behind the wheel.)
Driver: Chase Briscoe
The scoop: The driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford will make his first Cup start in the 2021 Daytona 500 as he takes over the seat of the retiring Clint Bowyer. The 2021 Daytona 500 will also mark the debuts of 23XI Racing (the Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin owned effort with Bubba Wallace driving), Trackhouse Racing (the team owned by Justin Marks with Daniel Suarez driving) and Live Fast Motorsports (the co-owned team of Matt Tifft and B.J. McLeod with McLeod behind the wheel.)
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Milestone: 10,000 Laps led in Cup Series
Drivers: Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
The scoop: There have been 19 drivers in Cup history to lead over 10,000 laps in Cup Series history. The two past champions — Busch (9,902 laps led) and Truex (9,856) are the next closest active drivers to join the club. Busch needs 98 laps to crack the mark and he’s led at least 169 laps in the seven of the past eight seasons. Truex needs 144 laps led to hit the mark and he has not led less than 567 laps in the past six seasons.
Drivers: Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr.
The scoop: There have been 19 drivers in Cup history to lead over 10,000 laps in Cup Series history. The two past champions — Busch (9,902 laps led) and Truex (9,856) are the next closest active drivers to join the club. Busch needs 98 laps to crack the mark and he’s led at least 169 laps in the seven of the past eight seasons. Truex needs 144 laps led to hit the mark and he has not led less than 567 laps in the past six seasons.
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Milestone: 250 Cup Series starts
Driver: Kyle Larson
The scoop: After being fired from Chip Ganassi Racing last season and suspended by NASCAR for using a racial slur during an iRacing event, Larson returns to the Cup ranks with Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 5 Chevrolet. His 250th Cup start is slated to come at Darlington at the start of the 2021 playoffs.
Driver: Kyle Larson
The scoop: After being fired from Chip Ganassi Racing last season and suspended by NASCAR for using a racial slur during an iRacing event, Larson returns to the Cup ranks with Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 5 Chevrolet. His 250th Cup start is slated to come at Darlington at the start of the 2021 playoffs.
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Milestone: 200 Cup Series wins as a team
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
The scoop: Joe Gibbs has 185 Cup wins as a team owner and with a roster that includes Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and newcomer Christopher Bell, the squad can rack up wins in bunches. Reaching 200 wins, will require 15 for the team this season, far from an impossible task with this roster. In 2019, the Busch-Truex-Hamlin-Erik Jones quartet combined for 19 wins
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
The scoop: Joe Gibbs has 185 Cup wins as a team owner and with a roster that includes Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and newcomer Christopher Bell, the squad can rack up wins in bunches. Reaching 200 wins, will require 15 for the team this season, far from an impossible task with this roster. In 2019, the Busch-Truex-Hamlin-Erik Jones quartet combined for 19 wins
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Milestone: 100 Cup Series wins as a team
Team: Wood Brothers Racing
The scoop: Since Ryan Blaney’s Pocono win in 2017, the storied Wood Brothers Racing organization has been sitting at 99 wins. Matt DiBenedetto had his moments in 2020 and he will have a full schedule to try and give the organization its landmark 100th win before giving way to Austin Cindric in 2022.
Team: Wood Brothers Racing
The scoop: Since Ryan Blaney’s Pocono win in 2017, the storied Wood Brothers Racing organization has been sitting at 99 wins. Matt DiBenedetto had his moments in 2020 and he will have a full schedule to try and give the organization its landmark 100th win before giving way to Austin Cindric in 2022.
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Milestone: First Cup Series races in track history
Tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway as a dirt track, Circuit of The Americas, Nashville Superspeedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
The scoop: As part of a big shakeup with the 2021 schedule, several new tracks have been added to the slate that have not yet hosted a Cup race. Bristol will be converted to a dirt track for its spring race, while no national series has previously raced at COTA, Nashville was last run in 2011 by the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Indy road course debuted in the Xfinity Series in 2020 (see photo). Not mentioned above, Road America, which has hosted one Cup race (in 1956) and has hosted an Xfinity event annually since 2010.
Tracks: Bristol Motor Speedway as a dirt track, Circuit of The Americas, Nashville Superspeedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
The scoop: As part of a big shakeup with the 2021 schedule, several new tracks have been added to the slate that have not yet hosted a Cup race. Bristol will be converted to a dirt track for its spring race, while no national series has previously raced at COTA, Nashville was last run in 2011 by the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Indy road course debuted in the Xfinity Series in 2020 (see photo). Not mentioned above, Road America, which has hosted one Cup race (in 1956) and has hosted an Xfinity event annually since 2010.
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Milestone: 50 Cup races at a track
Track: Phoenix Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The scoop: The spring race at Phoenix Raceway will mark the 50th Cup race for the venue and is currently serving as the host for the championship weekend across all three NASCAR national series. The July date at the “Magic Mile” will also mark the New England-based track’s 50th race as well — with 1.058-mile track hosting Cup events since 1993.
Track: Phoenix Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The scoop: The spring race at Phoenix Raceway will mark the 50th Cup race for the venue and is currently serving as the host for the championship weekend across all three NASCAR national series. The July date at the “Magic Mile” will also mark the New England-based track’s 50th race as well — with 1.058-mile track hosting Cup events since 1993.
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Milestone: 60 Truck Series wins/100 Xfinity wins
Driver: Kyle Busch
The scoop: The all-time Camping World Truck Series wins leader is sitting one win away from 60 in the series. He has won at least two races in the series in every season since 2013 so this milestone feels a lock to be reached. In the Xfinity Series, Busch is at 97 wins but only won one of his five starts in 2020 so that is not a lock for him to get just yet.
Driver: Kyle Busch
The scoop: The all-time Camping World Truck Series wins leader is sitting one win away from 60 in the series. He has won at least two races in the series in every season since 2013 so this milestone feels a lock to be reached. In the Xfinity Series, Busch is at 97 wins but only won one of his five starts in 2020 so that is not a lock for him to get just yet.
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