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The NASCAR history books are rewritten every time the green flag drops on a Sunday afternoon. Something happens that adds to a driver’s, track’s, or NASCAR as a whole’s legacy, whether good or bad. These drivers are close to interesting milestones that could rewrite NASCAR’s history books.
Denny Hamlin: 4 Wins Away from Jumping 2 Spots
As of right now, Denny Hamlin is 13th on the All-Time Cup Series wins list with 51 wins. He is three wins away from tying Lee Petty for 12th and four wins away from tying Rusty Wallace for 11th. Hamlin is 10 wins away from passing Kevin Harvick and cracking the top-10 all-time, but, that is a tall task for one year.
Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr: 1 Win Apart
Currently, Brad Keselowski (35 wins) and Martin Truex Jr. (34 wins) sit one win apart on the all-time wins list at 24th and tied for 25th respectively. With Truex Jr.’s future beyond 2024 uncertain, this will be an interesting spot to watch on the all-time wins list.
Denny Hamlin: Looking to Become 3rd Driver with 4 Daytona 500 Wins
Denny Hamlin is in elite company as one of 6 drivers with 3 or more Daytona 500 wins. He is the only active full-time driver with multiple Daytona 500 wins, but, if he gets a fourth, he joins rarified air. Only Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough have won 4 or more Daytona 500 wins, and one more win for Hamlin makes him the 3rd.
Future Hall of Famers Looking for Their First Win
Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Martin Truex Jr. all have 10 or more Daytona 500 starts without a win. Each of these drivers are Champions with Hall of Fame Resumes including wins in the other “Crown Jewel” races. A Daytona 500 is the final piece to each of these drivers’ careers.
Brad Keselowski: 752 Laps Led from 10,000 in His Career
Only 21 drivers have led 10,000 laps in their career. Brad Keselowski is only 752 laps from getting there, and it is not impossible. Five times in his career he has led 752 laps or more, so, it is not impossible to get there this season. However, he only led 341 laps in 2023, so, it may be a tall order.
Joey Logano: 1,520 Laps Led from 10,000 in His Career
Joey Logano is also not too far away from 10,000 laps led in his career. While leading 1,520 laps in a season is a tall order, Logano has a career-high of 1,431 laps led in 2015. It’s not impossible to get to 10,000 laps led.
Kyle Larson: 2,444 Laps Led from 10,000 in His Career
Kyle Larson is only 31 years old, and he is over 75% of the way to 10,000 laps led in his career. That is more impressive indeed, but, 2,444 laps led to get to 10,000 in 2024 is a tall order. Larson’s career high is 2,581 laps led in 2021, so, if he is that dominant again, he can get there.
Kyle Busch: 3 Poles Away from Tying for 20th on the All-Time List
Kyle Busch currently has 33 poles in his Cup Series career, but the magic number to crack the top 20 is 36. Three poles are doable, but, Busch has won only 2 poles since the start of the 2019 season. Can he find a way into the top 20 all-time?
Denny Hamlin: 5 Poles Away from 12th on the All-Time List
Denny Hamlin has the most poles of any current full-time driver with 40. He is five poles away from typing Buck Baker for 12th on the all-time list. Hamlin is also 9 poles away from tying for 10th on the all-time list, but, he has never had more than 5 poles in a season.
11 full-time Cup Series drivers enter 2024 without a Cup Series victory. These drivers include Josh Berry, Corey LaJoie, Noah Gragson, Harrison Burton, Daniel Hemric, Todd Gilliland, Ryan Preece, John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, Zane Smith, and Carson Hocevar. Ty Gibbs feels like the favorite to get his first career win given his Joe Gibbs Racing equipment.
What are some other fun milestones to watch out for as the 2023 season approaches?
