What’s Happening?

With the Brickyard 400 come-and-gone, the NASCAR world has officially started its two-week break for the Paris Olympics. With the sport on hiatus, it leaves plenty of time to look back and watch some of NASCAR’s most iconic races, especially from the Generation-6 car. But which races are the best to watch? Let’s dive into the 10 best races to watch from the Gen-6 during the Olympic break.

• The NASCAR Cup Series used the Generation-6 car from 2013-2021. The car was meant to  “Put the stock back in stock car racing,” following the Car of Tomorrow, giving teams and manufacture’s more room to adjust their cars.
• The car was hit or miss. It performed exceptionally well on short tracks and road courses, but the intermediates left a lot to be desired, especially with the 550 horsepower package from 2019-2021.
• There have been multiple iconic races in the “Gen-6 Era”. Races that have gone down in NASCAR history as some of the best. Fans look back fondly on these races and with the Olympic break, its a good time to turn back the clock.

2018 Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland Speedway

Let’s start this list with a popular one. Ask any fan to list their favorite races from Gen-6, and the 2018 race at Chicagoland will be included. It had everything from competitive action to surprise faces up in the front and made Chicagoland Speedway a fan favorite. From Dale Jr.’s iconic “slide job” call to a thrilling edition of the “Kyle vs. Kyle Show,” the 2018 Overton’s 400 is definitely warranted for a re-watch.

2018 Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Sticking with 2018, who can forget the inaugural race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval? It was the first “big swing” NASCAR had taken in years, and one we’re still discussing today. The big pileup in Stage 3 and Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex Jr. getting together, parting the seas for Ryan Blaney to get the win. This race was the first of its kind and the start of something new, not just for Charlotte but for the sport as a whole.

2016 Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

An iconic race needs not just one but multiple iconic moments. The 2016 championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway checks that box. It was the final race for Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards in a Cup car, along with the infamous Edwards/Joey Logano wreck that set up Jimmie Johnson winning his record-tying seventh NASCAR Cup Series championship. This was also the final race before NASCAR’s “Stage Racing Era” began in 2017. The 2016 Ford Ecoboost 400 had it all and is one fans should definitely re-watch during the Olympic break.

2017 First Date 500 at Martinsville Speedway

The Gen-6 shined best at the short tracks, and what race shows that better than the 2017 First Data 500 at Martinsville? It had everything fans want in a short track race: tempers, bumper-to-bumper action, and a thrilling finish. Add the intensity of the playoffs into the mix, and this race did not disappoint. From Chase Elliott vs. Brad Keselowski to the start of Denny Hamlin’s villain arc, no one will forget this race at Martinsville.

2019 Bristol Night Race

Many fans consider Bristol Motor Speedway as NASCAR’s best race track. Put it together with the Gen-6 car, and the result is a fantastic race. The 2019 Bristol Night Race race was competitive from the start, with no one leading more than 93 laps during the 500-lap event. It came down to Matt DiBenedetto vs. Denny Hamlin, and many can say that DiBenedetto became a household name among NASCAR fans. Hamlin came away with the win, but NASCAR fans came away with another fantastic race.

2013 Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway

Let’s go back just over a decade ago to year one of the Gen-6 cars. Following a lackluster Daytona 500, many fans were skeptical about what this car could produce. Those doubts were silenced during the 2013 Auto Clun 400 at Auto Club Speedway. Hamlin and Logano put on a battle for the ages, culminating in the two getting together and parting ways for Kyle Busch to get the win. At a time when the Gen-6 was on the ropes, this race gave hope that the car could deliver some thrilling racing.

2014 Daytona 500

Any list of NASCAR races to watch has to include at least one Daytona 500. Considered by many to be the best Daytona 500 of the Gen-6 era, the 2014 Daytona 500 had a mix of everything, including weather and a late-night finish. Some of the most iconic moments of the Gen-6 occurred in this race, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s celebration, earning it a spot on this list.

2021 Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway

Every list needs a “Wild Card” addition to its lineup. For this list, it’s the inaugural Bristol Dirt Race in 2021. This was the first NASCAR Cup Series race on dirt since 1970, marking a historic moment for the sport. Yet despite the race on dirt, it raced more like the old Bristol configuration before 2007, with everyone running the bottom. The two favorites, Larson and Christopher Bell, wrecked out early, with Joey Logano besting Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the win. 

2021 Bristol Night Race

Sticking with 2021, and Bristol for that matter, the 2021 Bristol Night Race was one that fans look on fondly for its on-track action and tempers at the end. Once again, pair the Gen-6 with a short track, and the result is a phenomenal race that sits at No. 2 on Jeff Gluck’s “Was it a Good Race?” Poll. Everyone remembers Chase Elliott vs. Kevin Harvick that parted the seas for Larson to score his sixth win of the season.

2016 Daytona 500

Let’s end this list with another Daytona 500. But not just any Daytona 500, the closest finish in the history of the Great American Race. A rookie Chase Elliott started on the pole for his first 500, with Dale Jr. starting alongside. The Toyota brigade of Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing dominated the day, leading up to a side-by-side finish between Hamlin and Truex, with Hamlin taking the win by just 0.010 seconds over MTJ.

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