Does Being a ‘Triple Threat’ Mean Anything?

There are several ways to be considered elite.

Maybe it’s hitting the double-digit win column in a single season. Maybe it’s winning seven championships or 75 or more races. Maybe it’s dominating a single race, such as winning by 14 laps or leading 588 miles of the Coca-Cola 600.

But what about winning in all three of NASCAR’s top premier series?

Often called a “triple threat,” these drivers have won at least one race in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck series in their career. To date, only 41 drivers have accomplished this feat, with Tyler Reddick becoming the most recent driver to do so, winning his first Cup race at Road America in 2022.

There are a bunch of active drivers who have won two out of three series and could join the list this year but would need some help (for example, AJ Allmendinger would need to join a Truck team, which is not likely), making it next to impossible to happen for most, at least this season. For other drivers, becoming a triple threat is very possible.

Alex Bowman could join the list if he wins the Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May. Noah Gragson could also become a triple threat member should he win a Cup race this season. Other drivers, such as Ty Dillon, also have a shot, but would need a lot of help to notch that Cup win he needs to join the list.

But is there any weight to being a “triple threat?”

In the 2000s, with the competition so much tighter than before with the playoffs and stage breaks, it certainly could be argued that you are noteworthy if you accomplish this feat. In the grand scheme of NASCAR? Not so much.

The Xfinity Series was founded in 1982, around 35 years after NASCAR was founded. Elite NASCAR drivers of that time, such as Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough were still active in the Cup Series and could try their hand at the Xfinity Series, should they have desired.

However, the Truck Series was formed in 1995. Given that NASCAR is in its 75th season, that leaves a whopping 47 seasons of drivers unable to compete for the triple threat. All of the drivers who proved themselves as some of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history had since retired, making it impossible for them to complete the triple sweep.

Petty only won in the top level of NASCAR. He never won an Xfinity or a Truck race — in fact, he never attempted a race for either series. But he is still rightfully “The King”…