Let’s look back at the key moments for the 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers from 2016, plus XFINITY champion Daniel Suarez and Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter. Come back for updates.
JIMMIE JOHNSON
The 2016 season was a history-making one for Johnson as he moved up the all-time wins board and topped the campaign off with a seventh championship to match a mark shared by Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. Read more
JOEY LOGANO
With a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race among his paydays, Joey Logano added three more points-paying victories to his season haul in 2016. A timely surge in the Chase playoffs placed him among the quartet of championship contenders in the Homestead-Miami finale. Read more
KYLE BUSCH
Coming off his first premier series championship in 2015, Busch started off the season strong with a pair of sweeps during the Martinsville and Texas race weekends. He went on to earn four wins total in addition to a Championship 4 berth. Read more
CARL EDWARDS
In his second season at Joe Gibbs Racing, Edwards produced three wins and a career high six poles. Making the Championship 4, things seemed to be going great for him until a late restart in the title race. Read more
MATT KENSETH
The veteran driver earned two wins in 2016 as he closes in on 40 premier series victories for his career. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver came up heartbreakingly short of advancing to the Championship 4. Read more
DENNY HAMLIN
It was a season of firsts for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver thanks to a split-second win in the Daytona 500 and the first road-course win of his premier series career coming at Watkins Glen. Read more
KURT BUSCH
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver got off to a monster start, including an early win at Pocono that helped him qualify for the Chase. He advanced to the Round of 8 before his title hopes ended. Read more
KEVIN HARVICK
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver was extremely consistent during the regular season and pulled off two clutch Chase wins to advance in the postseason before being eliminated in the Round of 8. Read more
KYLE LARSON
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver enjoyed a rebound season during which he won his first premier series race and qualified for the Chase. Plus, he showed off his dirt-racing skills with a win at Eldora in the Camping World Truck Series. Read more
CHASE ELLIOTT
The Hendrick Motorsports driver started fast with the pole for the season-opening Daytona 500 and never let up. In addition to being the top rookie, Elliott made the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Read more
MARTIN TRUEX JR.
What a story the 2016 season was for the Furniture Row Racing driver who led the most laps in the premier series and won four races, including marquee events at Charlotte and Darlington. Read more
BRAD KESELOWSKI
The Team Penske driver racked up four wins, including at restrictor-plate tracks Daytona and Talladega, but his championship hopes ended in a steaming car after a wreck at Kansas. Read more
JAMIE MCMURRAY
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver made the Chase for the second straight season, but he couldn’t get past the first round when his engine blew in the Round of 16 finale at Dover. Read more
AUSTIN DILLON
The Richard Childress Racing driver made his first Chase in his third season. He advanced past the opening round by finishing eighth at Dover during a season of breakthroughs. Read more
TONY STEWART
He started the season late because of a back injury, but a win at Sonoma propelled him to a Chase berth in his final season. And there were some surprises along the way (looking at you, Eddie). Read more
CHRIS BUESCHER
Look Mom, we’re headed to the Chase as Buescher celebrated a fog-shortened win at Pocono to help him qualify for the postseason and joined fellow rookie Chase Elliott in the field. Read more
DANIEL SUAREZ, XFINITY CHAMPION
Suarez did Joe Gibbs Racing and his country proud as he became the first Latin American champion in a NASCAR national series during a season in which he won three races, including the Miami finale. Read more
JOHNNY SAUTER, CAMPING WORLD TRUCK CHAMPION
From start (Daytona win) to finish (first national series championship), Johnny Sauter’s first season with GMS Racing was one for the driver with strong racing roots to remember. Read more