We did this for IndyCar and we did this for Formula One. Now we will do it for NASCAR. Between the three national series, there were 92 races this season in NASCAR competition. There are plenty of drivers who made history in the famed series and many notable names accomplished impressive achievements in 2022. This is a chance to properly acknowledge what happened this season.
Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick: 60th Cup Victory
What does it mean: There are now ten drivers with 60 Cup victories in NASCAR Cup Series history. Busch was the first to reach this mark, doing it with a victory on a last lap pass at the Bristol dirt race after Chase Briscoe collided with Tyler Reddick. Harvick was two victories away from the 60-victory milestone at the start of the season and Harvick had not won in 43 races. He went another 22 races without a victory before he won at Michigan. Then he won the following week at Richmond.
Sixty is a marker in the NASCAR history book. Prior to Busch and Harvick, there was a gulf in the records between Dale Earnhardt's 76 victories and Rusty Wallace's 55 victories. Busch and Harvick now fill it and this "60-plus" group is an accomplished group of some of NASCAR's best. These ten drivers are all champions. Only Bobby Allison and Harvick do not have multiple championships. Only Busch doesn't have a Daytona 500 victory. These drivers have done it all and have separated themselves from the rest.
Kurt Busch: Fourth different manufacture with a Cup Victory
What does it mean: Busch became the 19th different driver to win a Cup race with four different manufactures. Busch's victory at Kansas was his first with Toyota after he had previous won with Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet. Of the 19 drivers to do it, Busch became the sixth to do it entirely in NASCAR's Modern era joining Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker and Neil Bonnett.
However, Busch joined Bonnett as the only drivers to start a Cup career during the Modern era to win with four different manufactures. It is rare to accomplish, and difficult when there are currently only three different makes in the Cup series. I am not sure when we will ever happen again. Brad Keselowski is the only active driver to have won with three different manufactures, but I doubt we will see Keselowski drive a Toyota anytime soon and get a shot to win with a fourth.
23XI Racing: Multiple Winners in One Cup Car
What does it mean: At the start of the year, we thought Kaulig Racing could possibly accomplish this, but after Kurt Busch's concussion at Pocono forced him out for the rest of the season, 23XI moved Bubba Wallace to the #45 car as that entry was in the Owners' Championship playoffs. Wallace won at Kansas and that meant the #45 car won twice with two different drivers and coincidentally at the same track.
This was the first time since 2002 one car had two different drivers win in it. Twenty years ago, it was the #40 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge with Sterling Marlin and Jamie McMurray. In NASCAR's Modern era, this was only the fourth time one entry has produced multiple winners. The other two times? The Wood Brothers #21 Ford with A.J. Foyt and David Pearson, and the #2 Rod Osterlund Racing Chevrolet with Dale Earnhardt and David Pearson.
It might be another 20 years before we see this again. It could be 50 years. We don't know. It might happen in 2023, but we at least got a bit of history this season.
Joe Gibbs Racing: 200th Cup Victory
What does it mean: Joe Gibbs Racing became the third team in NASCAR Cup Series history to reach 200 victories joining Hendrick Motorsports and Petty Enterprises. Gibbs did this in just under 30 years. Its first victory was the 1993 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett. The 100th victory was on September 23, 2012 at Loudon with Denny Hamlin. Win #200 was at Martinsville in the playoffs with Christopher Bell.
Along with Hendrick Motorsports, Gibbs has been a stalwart in the NASCAR Cup Series in the 21st century. Impressive with Gibbs is its success has spanned three manufactures from Pontiac to Chevrolet to Toyota. It has had a few low points, but the organization has always bounced up and won races and championships and been a force.
Joey Logano: 500th Cup Start
What does it mean: In what was a championship season for Logano, he reached 500 starts at the Bristol race in September, the 45th driver to reach the milestone. He ended the season with 507 starts and Logano is only 32 years old.
It is kind of nuts he has reached 500 starts and is still only 32 years old. He has at least another decade left. That is 360 starts if the schedule remains 36 races and Logano doesn't miss any. That would put him sixth all-time and he could still possibly go for another three or four seasons. Three more seasons and he could have 968 starts, second all-time and only the third to break 900. If he runs another season, he would have 1,004 starts, only the second driver to reach 1,000 starts, joining Richard Petty.
Logano would still be 180 starts behind Petty's record. Logano would have to make every race in a 36-race season until he is 51 years old just to tie Petty's record. The all-time record might be out of reach, but Logano is on track to establish himself as one of the most experienced drivers in Cup Series history.
Kyle Larson: 295 Cup Starts
What does it mean: This appears to be an odd number, but this season Larson became one of the 100 most experienced drivers in Cup Series history. He entered the top 100 in starts with start 287 at the Bristol race in September, surpassing Mike Skinner for 100th. He became 99th three races later moving ahead of Bill Champion. Larson ended the year in 99th on 295 starts.
It is a cool note. Like Logano, Larson doesn't feel that old, he is only 30 after all, but he has been around and now fewer than 100 drivers have run more Cup races than Larson. To be specific, only 98 drivers have run more Cup races than Larson. I don't think anyone would have guessed that.
Denny Hamlin: 208 Cup Series Top Five Finishes
What does it mean: Hamlin had ten top five finishes this season, his lowest since 2018, but his second top five finish of the 2022 season was the 200th in his Cup career, making the 16th driver to reach 200 top five finishes. Ending on 208 top five finishes, Hamlin is ranked 14th all-time, third among active drivers behind only Harvick (245) and Kyle Busch (236).
Where does Hamlin rank? He is only 24 top five finishes behind Jimmie Johnson. Tony Stewart didn't reach 200 top five finishes. Stewart ended on 187. Champions Matt Kenseth and Terry Labonte ended up 182 top five finishes, Bill Elliott on 175 and Dale Jarrett on 163. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. didn't even reach 150 top five finishes, falling one short.
The lack of a championship blurs part of Hamlin's career, but when you really get into the details, he is one of the best of his generation and up among a small group of all-timers.
Kevin Harvick: 430 Cup Series Top Ten Finishes
What does it mean: Harvick began the season on 413 top ten finishes. But reaching 429 top ten finishes was meaningful. It put Harvick ahead of Dale Earnhardt for fifth all-time in top ten finishes. That came at Homestead in October. Anytime anyone can surpass Earnhardt and any statistical category it is noteworthy, for Harvick, it is much more sentimental.
Harvick took on an enormous weight in 2001 when he moved into the Cup Series after Earnhardt's fatal accident. Considering the pressure, Harvick flourished into being a great driver. He could have been a footnote in the history book and now Harvick deserves his own chapter. If he keeps up on his pace, he will continue to climb up the record book.
Kevin Harvick: 604 Cup Series Lead Lap Finishes
What does it mean: It means Harvick is now the all-time leader in lead lap finishes. Lead lap finishes are an odd thing. Once upon a time, they didn't mean much because maybe four or five cars out of 40 would finish on the lead lap. In contemporary NASCAR, 25 of 40 cars are on the lead lap. There is less attrition, and the cars are closer together on speed. The races are set up to keep cars on the lead lap. Harvick benefits from driving in this era.
For perspective, Richard Petty had 387 lead lap finishes, good enough for 14th all-time. Bobby Allison and David Pearson are the only other drivers to begin their careers prior to the start of NASCAR's Modern era in 1972 with at least 200 lead lap finishes (Allison 36th on 213 and Pearson 39th on 203). Kyle Larson has one more lead lap finish than Allison and Austin Dillon has two more lead lap finishes than Pearson.
But lead lap finishes are still not a guarantee. If a driver is reckless, he will not finish on the lead lap. If a driver is slow, he will not finish on the lead lap. This is a mix of longevity and ability that has Harvick first all-time.
Whose record did he break?
Jeff Gordon. Gordon has 588 lead lap finishes. Harvick entered the year 12 lead lap finishes behind Gordon in the record book. Harvick took the number one spot at Sonoma. He became the first driver to reach 600 lead lap finishes at the Charlotte roval. Harvick will set the bar and the drivers of the 21st century will give him chase. In ten years, we will see where Harvick stands and if he has set it far enough out of reach.
Jeremy Clements and Justin Allgaier: 400 NASCAR Grand National Series starts
What does it mean: They became the ninth and tenth drivers respectively to reach 400 start sin NASCAR's second division. Clements is now seventh all-time with 431 starts and Allgaier ended the season ninth on 405 starts. Both drivers are likely to continue for 2023 and probably further into the future. Both will continue to move up the order.
They are career guys in the second division. There is nothing wrong with that and this series has a great history of guys who make a living at this level. They are quality drivers and darn good at what they do.
Matt Crafton: 500 NASCAR Truck Series starts
What does it mean: Crafton was already the all-time leader in Truck starts. He just entered another level of the atmosphere. The 500th start came at Atlanta in March. He ended the season with 521 starts. Crafton is 161 starts clear of Ron Hornaday in second. Johnny Sauter is the next closest active driver, but Sauter was only part-time in 2022 and he has 317 starts.
The closest full-time driver is Ben Rhodes on 164 starts, but I bet Rhodes doesn't hope to approach 500 Truck starts. I am not sure anyone will come close to Crafton in Truck starts. He is a bygone from the original Truck era when short track guys got a shot at a national series. They are not making Matt Craftons anymore. When he is gone, he is gone. Appreciate him while he is around.
