1. It’s Parity Season Again
Ross Chastain is on the board.
In the midst of his worst season so far for Trackhouse Racing, the Melon Man found victory lane for the first time in 2024 at Kansas Speedway, his first race win since last year’s finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Chastain’s triumph gives us 17 different NASCAR Cup Series victors so far, just two short of the record of 19 (which has been set in five different seasons). With Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL still to come, not to mention some drivers who generally win still looking to break through in 2024, there’s a chance the record is in play.
Since 2000, there hasn’t been too much to point to in terms of trends when it comes to the number of winners in a season. There have always been at least 12 winners, and the two times this century there have been 19 winners came more than 20 years apart (2001 and 2022).
Of course there’s another good measure of parity, which is the most wins any single driver racks up in a given season. There, too, the 21st century has been pretty consistent, with the big winner always taking the checkered flag at least five times and never more than 10.
What we can say about 2024 is that it will be near the most parity-friendly extremes for both stats, as the big winner so far is Kyle Larson with just five trophies. But perhaps the most interesting way to dissect these numbers is the thought that once the Next Gen car was in place for a few seasons, the bigger, better-funded teams would find a way to bring those advantages to bear and parity would start sliding backward.
As we approach the end of year three, it sure doesn’t appear that’s the case.
2. Are Non-Playoff Drivers Winning Really a Big Deal?
One other theme that popped up in the wake of Chastain’s victory is the idea that he has “disrupted” the playoffs. There are lots of “gee whiz” discussions about drivers no longer alive for the championship shaking things up, and to be fair, there are some definite effects on those still seeking the title as they miss out on locking themselves into the next round.
It’s also unquestionably good for the sport for drivers no longer in contention to grab some victories, since, you know, they are still running and have fans too.
But should we be acting like it’s some kind of huge deal every time it happens? Maybe if it was rare, but recent history shows it really isn’t.
It was…
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