What’s Happening?

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.

• To be included, drivers must perform below what they were expected in the pre-season. If a driver is towards the bottom of the standings, but either people expected them to be there or it’s been a pattern beyond just this season, they’re not necessarily disappointing as much as they’re performing to expectations.
• Drivers towards the middle or top of the standings might also be included if they are below what people expect. If someone is consistently a Championship contender and suddenly struggles to make the Playoffs, they could be included on this list.
• Just because a driver is on this list doesn’t mean they cannot turn their season around. However, time is limited, with the Cup Series Playoffs only one year away.

Kyle Busch

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.

Corey LaJoie

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

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.

Ross Chastain

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

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.

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