One of the longest sports seasons we have is the NASCAR schedule which begins in February with the Daytona 500 and runs until November.
With racing happening nearly every weekend, this is a grueling and tough season of racing that takes drivers to various tracks around the country to showcase their talents and see how they can try to tame tracks that may or may not be familiar to them.
Which Drivers are the Top Ten Right Now?
Most of the time, the NASCAR drivers are the participants followed the most for the racing we love to enjoy. After several weeks of racing so far, the top ten drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are as follows:
- Denny Hamlin
- Martin Truex, Jr.
- Joey Logano
- William Byron
- Ryan Blaney
- Kyle Larson
- Chase Elliott
- Kevin Harvick
- Brad Keselowski
- Christopher Bell
Brands Are Part of the NASCAR Schedule
Even though most of us pay attention to the drivers the most, the brand of vehicle they drive does matter to many. Brand loyalty is strong in NASCAR. Among the top ten drivers, we see three that drive Toyota models, three that are being the wheel of Chevrolet vehicles, and four that sit in the cockpit in cars that wear the Ford badge.
Consistency Matters in NASCAR
Points are awarded to NASCAR drivers for leading laps, finishing races, and where they place in those races. Oddly enough, the driver with the most points, Denny Hamlin, doesn’t have a win in a race so far this season. Even so, he has finished in the top five eight times and started all nine races on the schedule. This consistency has put in 81 points ahead of the second-place driver despite Truex, Jr. having two wins on the season already.
Which Drivers Have Won Races on the NASCAR Schedule?
With nine races in the books, we have eight different drivers that have won races so far. These drivers are:
Martin Truex, Jr –2 wins
Joey Logano
William Byron
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Larson
Christopher Bell
Alex Bowman
Michael McDowell
A Recent Honoring from a Legend
One name you won’t see among the NASCAR drivers any longer is Jimmie Johnson. After seven seasons of winning the championship in a row, and a few seasons after that didn’t fare quite as well, Johnson has moved on to IndyCar racing. Even though he has his own schedule to keep, he took the time to give praise to his successor on Twitter after Alex Bowman won the race at the Richmond Raceway in the No. 48 Chevrolet car.
Kyle Busch Adds Some Color to Racing
We love the M&M’s guys and the color scheme that painting a car with this candy theme can create. Joe Gibbs Racing commemorates the M&M’s 80thanniversary with a throwback style that will make its way to the Darlington Raceway next month. Kyle Busch will be behind the wheel and we’ll get to see this impressive car riding around the track. Maybe the M&M’s car will make its way to victory lane.
The NASCAR Schedule Can be Filled with Penalties
During the race at Richmond, three teams were issued penalties for lug-nut violations. Each vehicle was found with one unsecured lug nut when checked after the race, which could have caused serious problems on the track. These violations cost each of the teams $10,000 in fines but did not come with a points or position violation that could have caused any issues for teams after the race.
How is this Season Going to Go?
As with the rest of the major sports in America, NASCAR is working to have a full schedule for 2021. This sport is one that is made for social distancing, which is why it was the first to restart last year once the pandemic took hold of the country. The question will be whether or not we will get to the end of the season without any COVID-19 issues, but so far, it’s going very smoothly.
Find Your Favorite Driver for this NASCAR Season
Do you already have a favorite NASCAR driver? Is there a team you love to support and cheer on? Maybe you work for one of the companies sponsoring the cars and will cheer on that car or you’ve grown to love some of the characters behind the wheel. Find your car and driver and give them your support as they take to the track this year.
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