While no one wants to be at the bottom of the standings, someone has to be there. With two off-weekends upcoming, now is a good time to take an honest look at the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series grid and see which drivers have performed significantly below expectations. These are the five most disappointing 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season drivers.
Kyle Busch is currently over 100 points out of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, with only four races before the Playoffs. His time at Richard Childress Racing started great, with three wins in 15 races to start 2023. Busch is on pace for potentially his worst Cup Series season since his rookie year, 2005.
How much of it is Busch, and how much of it is RCR? Given Busch’s track record, it’s easy to point the finger at RCR, but Busch hasn’t been perfect. Either way, his best years might be in the rearview mirror.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Corey LaJoie coming into 2023. Spire Motorsports signed him to a multi-year contract extension, and the team made $multi-million investments in improving the organization in the off-season. LaJoie has responded by hovering around the low 20s in points for most of the season.
He hasn’t done himself any favors with his behavior on the track at times either, most notably his run-in with Kyle Busch at Pocono. LaJoie has gone from a lovable underdog to a disappointment, and many wonder if he could be on the hot seat in 2025.
Zane Smith finally got his Cup Series chance with Spire Motorsports this season on loan from Trackhouse. Given it’s through a brand new team that Spire just started this season, expectations were not ultra-high. No one was expecting Smith to be a Playoff driver or anything, but he’s spent most of this season as the lowest driver in points amongst full-time competitors.
Is it fair to write off Smith after just one season for a band new team that’s not even the one he’s under contract with? Probably not, but everyone was hoping he would have more to show than this.
If you had told fans at the beginning of the year that Ross Chastain would be only seven points above the Playoffs cutline 22 races into the season, many would’ve stared at you funny. Well, that’s the situation Chastain finds himself in. Since he has only three top-10s in the last 16 races, missing the Playoffs is a real possibility.
He was in the Championship 4 just two years ago, and he won the season finale at Phoenix in 2023. Many expected Chastain to be a factor again, but his Championship run could be over before it starts.
Legacy Motor Club joined Toyota as a “Tier One” team at the start of the season. Well, this team currently sits outside of the top 25 in points. Yes, the move to Toyota is big, but this team lags well behind the other Toyota teams, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing, who could get all their drivers in the Playoffs.
While many expected LMC to struggle in the transition, they haven’t gotten far off the ground. Maybe another off-season will do them good.
What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and even YouTube.
Lionel Racing finally confirmed the first wave of 2026 NASCAR Authentics 1:64 scale diecast for Monday morning, with the line of retail-exclusive diecast featuring a new look for the new year.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Chase Pistone, a former competitor on the short track racing circuit in addition to NASCAR’s National Series, has passed away. Pistone, now a successful Legends Car owner, was 42.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Three races in, the 2026 season is finally starting to show its hand. COTA shifted narratives, exposed weaknesses, and raised new questions about contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.
From substitute drivers being forced into action to points gaps growing faster than expected, COTA delivered more than just a road course chess match. There were momentum swings, reputation hits, and at least one young driver stacking up enemies before stacking up results.
Watch Also:
