Photo courtesy of NASCAR
With a lot of team sports on hold as a result of COVID-19, NASCAR is one of the few American sports up and running. We took this opportunity to look at the sport’s best by counting down the top 10 drivers.
With each driver, we’ve included their tangible statistics for the 2020 season. On track performance that cannot be quantified in statistics is, but not limited to: driver’s position before being wrecked out of position/out of a win and the breaks that worked in favor of the driver due to an incident they weren’t involved in (Brad Keselowski’s two wins are obvious examples).
Keep in mind, this list is how we rank them for only the 2020 season so far. This is not in any way, a forecast for the remainder of the season.
These rankings are fluid and will change weekly.
10. Kurt Busch
Wins: 0
Top 5: 3
Average Start: 11.667
Average Finish: 11.333
Positions Gained/Lost: Gained 0.334
Overview: Since brother Kyle Busch cemented his spot in NASCAR’s top competition circuit, Kurt has kind of taken a backseat (pun intended). This year however, he’s doing a good job of keeping pace with his brother, amassing eight top-5 finishes. Twice, he’s finished in the top 3.
9. Kyle Busch
Wins: 0
Top 5: 6
Average Start: 11.333
Average Finish: 12.167
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 0.834
Overview: Kyle Busch isn’t looking like he’s going to defend his Cup Series Championship from last year so far. But anybody who’s watched Busch during his career knows he’s never completely out; he can turn it on at any point. Once he finds his groove, he’s arguably the toughest driver to beat in the Series. Even with his struggles this year, he’s compiled three second-place finishes and three other top-5s.
8. Alex Bowman
Wins: 1
Top 5: 2
Average Start: 7.917
Average Finish: 16.25
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 8.333
Overview: Bowman has one victory on the year, coming during the Auto Club 400. It’s also half of his top-5 finishes on the year. His only other top-10 finish came at Martinsville. His average finish is in the high-20’s, but his lone victory puts him above the Busch brothers on this list. Neither of the brothers have won a race this season.
7. Martin Truex Jr.
Wins: 1
Top 5: 2
Average Start: 12.25
Average Finish: 13.75
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 1.5
Overview: Truex already has one victory under his belt this season (Martinsville) in which he was dominant for the majority of the final stage. His other top-5 finish came in Atlanta; he’s racked up three other top-10s in 2020. He hasn’t had the year that teammate Denny Hamlin has had, but he’s ahead of teammate and defending champion Kyle Busch.
6. Ryan Blaney
Wins: 0
Top 5: 6
Average Start: 11.167
Average Finish: 13.417
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 2.25
Overview: Blaney has done everything this season but find victory lane. With five top-5 finishes in the last six races and four top-3s in that same span, it’s only a matter of time before this Team Penske driver starts stacking up wins.
5. Joey Logano
Wins: 2
Top 5: 3
Average Start: 5.5
Average Finish: 12.083
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 6.583
Overview: Logano has two wins this season: Las Vegas and Phoenix. Logano also won a Daytona Duel. His only other top-5 finish came at Martinsville. He’s primarily finished in the middle of the pack the rest of the season, but he always seems to be in the mix at the end of stages and even when he’s not on the lead lap (Homestead). A rivalry with Chase Elliott could really add some spice this season.
4. Chase Elliott
Wins: 1
Top 5: 6
Average Start: 10.167
Average Finish: 11.333
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 1.166
Overview: Elliott only has one win this season, but he’s been in position for two other possible wins. One win opportunity was taken when Kyle Busch misjudged his clearance and turned Elliott late in the race near the front of the pack. The other came at Bristol when he over-drove a turn on the last lap, sending him into the driver’s side door of Logano.
3. Brad Keselowski
Wins: 2
Top 5: 5
Average Start: 8.333
Average Finish: 8.917
Positions Gained/Lost: Lost 0.584
Overview: Brad Keselowski is near the top of the Cup standings in playoff rankings as well as average finish. He consistently runs near the front, and that’s catapulted him to his two victories this season. Keselowski should send Chase Elliott a Christmas card this year.
2. Kevin Harvick
Wins: 2
Top 5: 6
Average Start: 9.833
Average Finish: 8
Positions Gained/Lost: Gained 1.833
Overview: Kevin Harvick just keeps on keeping on. Harvick is the model of consistency. He’s a threat to win 90 percent of his races, although he does have certain tracks where he’s proven it’s just not in the cards.
1. Denny Hamlin
Wins: 3
Top 5: 6
Average Start: 13.083
Average Finish: 10.667
Positions Gained/Lost: Gained 2.416
Overview: Hamlin started the year defending his Daytona 500 title, proving that he’s a legitimate contender and should be treated as such. Hamlin also has the most wins in the Cup Series so far this season. It also feels like we view Hamlin this way every single year at this point, but he’s yet to capture a Cup championship.