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NASCAR Silly Season is always a wild time in the sport. Seeing where each driver will land for the future, new teams, and much more will shape the NASCAR landscape for the rest of time. But what are the silliest silly seasons of the 21st century? Which one left the most people with their jaws on the floor. Let’s look back the 10 craziest Silly Seasons NASCAR has to offer.
2007 is widely considered by many to be the craziest Silly Season of the 21st century. Two of the biggest names in the sport moved to new teams that would change the sport forever: a powerhouse team takes a chance on a new manufacturer, and a Hall of Fame driver calls it quits on his career.
On paper, 2017 seems just as crazy as 2007 was a decade prior. This one, however, makes more sense given the players, or drivers, involved. Two developing drivers found seats, and two Hall of Fame drivers stepped away from full-time racing, although one returned just three years later.
We can all agree that 2020 was a crazy year. The COVID lockdowns and NASCAR racing in front of empty grandstands were odd parts of racing history. But that didn’t stop the driver market from taking some detours. Three new teams emerged: 23XI, Trackhouse, and Live Fast Motorsports, and the greatest driver of the 21st century called it a quit on his career. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what turned out to be an insane Silly Season.
The late 2010s were a crazy time for the NASCAR driver market. So many big names moved teams, and 2018 was no different. Defending champ Martin Truex Jr. jumped ship from the closing Furniture Row to JGR, which set up a chain event that moved Suarez out of the No. 19 over to SHR, who just lost veteran Kurt Busch to Ganassi. Here is the list:
2019 saw the rise of the “Big 3” in the Xfinity Series. Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, and Cole Custer all left the field to waste as they dominated all season long. It’s no wonder these three headlined another wild Silly Season in NASCAR history. But there’s more to the story than just Reddick, Bell, and Custer. Let’s see what else.
Many people don’t think of 2005 as a wild year for Silly Season, but many of those moves are still being paid off to this day. Mark Martin was slated for retirement but came back for one more year. Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. would be called from the Xfinity Series to go full-time Cup racing, amongst other moves. Here’s the results of the 2005 Silly Season.
Like 2005, 2013 was an underrated year for NASCAR Silly Season. But looking back on it, a lot of moves were made that reshaped the NASCAR landscape. Rookies making their mark, powerhouse teams expanding, and a driver making the biggest switch of his career. Here’s the 2013 NASCAR Silly Season:
2022 turned out to be another wild Silly Season for NASCAR. The biggest domino to fall was Kyle Busch leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for Richard Childress Racing after sponsorship fell through. Aric Almirola announced retirement, only to reverse his decision, but SHR wasn’t done with driver changes. Here’s a look at the 2022 NASCAR Silly Season.
The first season of the Gen-6 Car was set up to be a wild one. 2012 was a pretty wild Silly Season, with Kenseth leaving Roush for Joe Gibbs and Danica Patrick announcing to run full-time in 2013. Let’s take a look at the 2012 NASCAR Silly Season.
The 2000 season had many highlights, including Bobby Labonte’s first championship and Dale Earnhardt’s final win. But Silly Season was also big in 2000. Crew Chief Ray Evernham announced he’d start his own team and team up with Dodge, and DEI would expand to three cars with Michael Waltrip in the No. 15. Here’s the Silly Season from 2000.
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