History UsefulNotes / NASCAR

* '''Creator/RossChastain''' (1992-) grew up the son of a watermelon farmer in Florida, with Chastain's father racing for fun before the racing bug got Ross; who managed to collect 50 victories on local short-tracks as well as the World Series of Asphalt Limited Late Model Series championship for 2011. Chastain first entered NASCAR driving in the Truck Series; finishing 10th in his first race. 2012 saw Chastain make his full-time Truck Series debut run (fittingly, sponsored by the National Watermelon Association); losing out on Rookie of the Year honors to Ty Dillon but collecting his first Top 5 finish. 2013 saw Chastain move to Brad Keselowski's team, finishing 2nd twice along with a pole before moving to Ricky Benton Racing; only for comments made before and after and actions at the Martinsville race to lead to the team firing him. Chastain would then run in the K&N Pro Series East regional series while making his Xfinity Series debut in Charlotte in May 2014, later finishing 12th at Michigan after replacing Johnny Sauter at Hattori Racing Enterprises. 2015 saw Chastain's up-to-then journeyman career take him to JD Motorsports; where he replaced Jeffrey Earnhardt (Dale Earnhardt's eldest grandson; Jeffrey's father is Dale's eldest son Kerry). After finally sticking with a team for more than one season; Chastain began showing promise in 2017; getting a Top 5, 2 Top 10's and a career-best 13th in points (just outside the Xfinity playoffs) - though not before getting into fights later in the season with Jeremy Clements and Brendan Gaughan. 2018 would be his best season to date; collecting his first win that season in Las Vegas (which he would celebrate by [[SmashingWatermelons smashing a watermelon]] on the track). That drew the attention of Chip Ganassi, who eventually made a deal to sign Chastain for 2019 to drive for his Xfinity team with sponsorship by renewable energy firm DC Solar[[note]]incidentally, the sponsor of this particular race[[/note]]. However, Chastain would have to scramble for a ride in 2019 after DC Solar was shut down following an FBI raid that revealed it as a Ponzi scheme, resulting in Ganassi shutting down his Xfinity team. Returning to JD Motorsports and the Truck Series; Chastain managed to pick up his first Truck victory at Kansas Speedway, winning 3 races (though he was disqualified from another win in the Truck race in Iowa after his truck failed post-race inspection) in the Truck Series along with an Xfinity win and doing occasional Cup Series races. 2020 saw Chastain shift back to Xfinity full-time; though Chastain would also race as a substitute driver in the Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing's #6 Ford while Ryan Newman recovered from injuries sustained at the end of the 2020 Daytona 500, running three races in the #6 before the season was paused following the COVID-19 pandemic, later moving to Spire Motorsports once the season resumed and Newman recovered. 2021 would see Chastain make his debut as a full-time Cup Series driver, driving for the team who had planned to sign him for the Xfinity Series two years earlier, Chip Ganassi Racing. This would be short-lived, however, as by mid-season Trackhouse Racing bought the Ganassi team effective for 2022. That season marked a breakout year for Chastain, who overcame poor showings at the Daytona 500 and the race at Fontana with a 3rd place finish at Las Vegas and consecutive 2nd place runs at Phoenix and Atlanta before taking his first Cup win at Circuit of the Americas[[note]]coincidentally on Trackhouse owner Justin Haley's birthday[[/note]]; followed by a win at Talladega en route to finishing 2nd in the points to Joey Logano and also gaining social media notice following his "wall rider" move in Martinsville's October race that saw Chastain climb from 10th to 5th and clinching a spot in NASCAR's Championship 4 (NASCAR would [[ObviousRulePatch ban the manuever]] for the 2023 season). Ross' younger brother, Chad, is a part-time driver in both the Xfinity and Truck Series.

* '''Creator/CarlEdwards''' (1979–) got into racing while studying engineering at the University of Missouri before deciding to drop out of college to pursue racing full-time, working as a substitute teacher before getting his first opportunity by racing for MB Motorsports in 2002 in the Truck Series; which led to his being hired by Jack Roush for his first full-time season in the Truck Series, winning 3 races and the 2003 Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors while appearing in a Busch Series race, adding another 3 wins in the Truck Series for 2004 while making his Cup Series[[note]]2004 was the first year after Winston cigarettes ended their longtime sponsorship of the Cup Series, with Nextel cell phones taking over as title sponsor[[/note]] after Jeff Burton left the team in the #99 Ford Taurus. Edwards would make his full-time debut in both the Nextel Cup (in the #60 Ford once driven in the Busch Series by fellow [[EveryYearTheyFizzleOut championship bridesmaid]] Mark Martin below) and Busch Series in 2005 (during the height of what became known as "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buschwhacker Buschwhacking]]" due to drivers such as Kyle Busch above {who the gambit was named after} and Mark Martin below often racing in both of NASCAR's top 2 series. NASCAR would [[ObviousRulePatch change the rules in 2011]] to strongly discourage this gambit by forcing drivers to declare which of the three top series they would compete for points in, with later rule changes limiting Cup Series regulars to a maximum of 7 races in what's now the Xfinity Series and 5 in the Truck Series while barring Cup drivers from racing in the playoffs, regular-season finale or bonus money races); winning his first Busch and Nextel series wins in the same weekend in Atlanta (the first time that happened at that particular track) en route to winning 4 Cup Series and 5 Busch wins along with the Busch Series Rookie of the Year award[[note]]Edwards, since he ran more than 7 races in the Cup Series in 2004, was ineligible for Rookie of the Year honors in the Nextel Cup Series[[/note]]. After a sophomore slump in 2006 where he failed to win a race, he rebounded in 2007 with 3 wins in the Cup Series[[note]]including his win at Bristol that got him into the Chase for the Cup and which Edwards called the biggest of his career[[/note]] while adding 4 Busch Series wins and the 2007 Busch Series championship. 2008 would see Edwards win a career-high 9 races (including another win at Bristol where Edwards bumped Kyle Busch out of the way late, resulting in Busch driving into the side of Edwards' car and Edwards retaliating by spinning Kyle out) including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway; only to lose the Sprint (which bought out Nextel) Cup Series title to Jimmie Johnson by 69 points[[note]]due to Johnson finishing 15th and leading at least one lap[[/note]]. 2009 saw Edwards have a mixed season, failing to register a win in the Cup Series while winning 5 Busch Series races and finishing 2nd in points in that series to Kyle Busch. Edwards was also involved in a scary crash at the spring race in Talladega that also involved Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman that resulted in 8 fans being injured (Edwards, upon exiting the car, ran to the start-finish line in a move inspired by a scene in ''Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby''). That crash sparked an apparent rivalry with Keselowski, as in the 2010 spring Cup race in Atlanta Edwards - following being tapped by Keselowski that led to Edwards crashing into Joey Logano - retaliated later in the race by spinning Keselowski, causing him to go airborne and NASCAR to park Edwards and slap a three-race probation on him; part of a 2010 that saw Edwards win the last two Cup races (after entering the second half of the season in danger of missing the Chase altogether) and 3 Nationwide (which replaced Busch as title sponsor in the second-tier series in 2008) races (the second of which, at Gateway in Madison, IL, saw Edwards turn Keselowski on the final lap). 2011 would be Edwards' last running both Cup and Nationwide full-time due to the aforementioned rule changes above; winning 8 Nationwide races and allowing Jack Roush to win the owners' championship while running neck-and-neck with Tony Stewart in points in the Cup Series; losing the Sprint Cup title by way of a tiebreaker after ending the season tied in points (Stewart having won 5 races to Edwards' 1). Following a disappointing season in 2012; in 2013 Edwards would collect two victories, though controversy clouded the latter victory, the Federated Auto Parts 400 in Richmond, after it was discovered Edwards jumped past leader Paul Menard on a restart to take the lead late in the race, an action that NASCAR had penalized drivers for in the past[[note]]NASCAR would soon change rules to allow anyone to pass the leader to the start-finish line as long as they accelerate past the start-finish line first. Incidentally, that race would become infamous as a result of the "Spingate" controversy[[/note]]. After winning 2 races in 2014; Edwards left Roush for Joe Gibbs Racing to drive their new #19 entry, and in 2015 he picked up 2 more wins, both of which were his only Crown Jewel wins[[note]]in NASCAR venacular; the Crown Jewel refers to the Daytona 500, what's currently the GEICO 500 spring race at Talladega, the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and the Southern 500 in Darlington. Winning all four of those at least once in a driver's career is termed a "grand slam"[[/note]] at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte and the Southern 500 in Darlington. 2016 would see Edwards winning twice only to be hooked in the championship race by Joey Logano with 10 laps to go, resulting in Jimmie Johnson winning his record-tying 7th championship. After this, Edwards surprised many by announcing his retirement, finishing with 28 Cup Series victories along with 38 Xfinity wins and the 2007 championship and 6 Truck Series wins. Edwards was noted for doing celebratory backflips following his victories[[note]]what turned out to be his last win, in Texas, ended with his not doing so due to that race being rained out[[/note]] and following his retirement was the subject of speculation of a possible political career[[note]]at one point being rumored to run as the Republican candidate against Democratic incumbent Senator Claire [=McCaskill=] in 2018. He declined, and [=McCaskill=] was defeated by Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley. Also in 2022; Edwards' name was mentioned as a possible candidate following Republican Senator Roy Blunt's retirement, only to decline again; with Hawley's successor as Attorney General Eric Schmitt winning that seat[[/note]]. Edwards has a couple of notable relatives, as his first cousin once removed is former NASCAR driver Ken Schrader; while his great-great-great grandfather was former President UsefulNotes/RutherfordBHayes.

* '''Tim Richmond''' (1955–1989) grew up in a well-to-do home in Ohio, a contrast to many of his contemporaries and earlier drivers who grew up in less well-off families predominantly in the South, having developed his interest in racing when he was given a go-kart as a small child. Richmond's parents - concerned over Tim being treated poorly by classmates - enrolled him at a military school in Miami, where he exceled in a number of sports[[note]]including playing well enough in football that the school retired his number[[/note]] and - on returning to Ohio for summer vacation - first connected with drag racer Raymond Beadle. After working as a crew member for a family friend, Richmond got hired to drive an open-wheel car for a team co-owned by his father, only to be fired due to frequent crashes. Richomnd would soon get a second chance and won the local [=SuperModified=] championship for 1977. This was followed by a move to United States Auto Club, where he won the 1978 USAC Rookie of the Year award before moving to [=IndyCar=]; with the highlights of his career in that field including an 8th place finish at Watkins Glen and winning the 1980 Rookie of the Year award for the Indianapolis 500 after finishing 9th (running out of fuel; having finished with the unofficial practice speed for the entire month only to start 19th after crashing in an attempt to qualify on the pole), only to suffer several more crashes. This led to Richmond trying his luck in NASCAR for 1980 after being coaxed into trying NASCAR by the president of Pocono Raceway, with his NASCAR debut coming at the "tricky triangle" - finishing a respectable 12th, finishing 12th two more times along with 2 races he failed to finish. 1981 saw Richmond bounce around driving for D.K. Ulrich, Lennie Childers and Bob Rogers, picking up 6 Top 10 finishes and ending his first full-time season 16th in points. 1982 saw Richmond start the year without a ride before bouncing around again, racing for Mike Lovern and J.D. Stacy; though getting his first career victories in sweeping the two races at Riverside. 1983 saw Richmond reunite with Raymond Beadle, getting his first oval victory at the tri-oval of Pocono and finishing 10th in points, his best to date, establishing Richmond as a star on the rise. 1984 saw Richmond get his first short-track win at North Wilkesboro but dip to 16th in points. 1985 would mark Richmond's first winless season since 1981, adjusting to new crew chief Barry Dodson and his best finish would be 2nd at Bristol, though he would get his first Busch Series win in Charlotte. 1986 would see Richmond move to up-and-comer Hendrick Motorsports, teamed with veteran crew chief Harry Hyde. While the early season would see Richmond struggle to adjust, the second half of the season (beginning with a win at Pocono) would see Richmond go on a tear, winning the July 4 race at Daytona, the second Pocono race along with wins at the first visit by NASCAR to Watkins Glen since 1965; the Southern 500 at Darlington and the season-finale at Riverside, in all winning 6 races and finishing 2nd 3 times to finish 3rd in the points. However, Richmond became mysteriously ill shortly after the NASCAR Awards banquet in New York, missing the 1987 Daytona 500 with what was initially reported as "double pneumonia", though managing to recover enough to run a handful of races at mid-season, including winning the first two races of his return at the tracks that he had had the most success: Pocono and Riverside. Richmond would race until the August race at Michigan, where he finished 29th after blowing an engine[[note]]one possible theory was that Richmond, who was becoming increasingly exhausted, deliberately blew the engine by overrevving it[[/note]] and subsequently left Hendrick in September. 1988 would see Richmond's health become a focus of NASCAR scrutiny when he attempted to enter the Daytona 500, only for NASCAR to ban him for testing positive for banned substances...which turned out to be over-the-counter medications Advil and Sudafed. Richmond took a second drug test and passed, but was unable to secure a ride and also had NASCAR demanding his medical records. The drug test led to Richmond suing NASCAR that April, which was settled out of court. That proved to be Richmond's last public appearance; and on August 13, 1989, Richmond died from what would - shortly afterwards - be revealed to be complications from AIDS, acquired from an unknown woman.[[note]]in a postscript on the drug rumors, in early 1990 a report by Roberta Baskin, the medical reporter for Washington Creator/{{ABC}} affiliate WJLA-TV 7, revealed that NASCAR's lead anti-drug advisor, Dr. Forrest Tennant - who had recently been fired from his similar position with [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague the NFL]], had falsified Richmond's drug test with the implicit approval of NASCAR. When the story was picked up by the New York Times, NASCAR announced they were relieving Tennant of his duties[[/note]]. Richmond's legacy would continue after his death, providing the primary inspiration for the Cole Trickle character played by Creator/TomCruise in ''Film/DaysOfThunder''; being named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers and his 1986 Folgers scheme being the basis of throwback schemes for drivers such as current Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman and an ARCA Menards Series driver who happens to also be named Tim Richmond, though the younger Richmond is not related.
* '''Ricky Rudd''' (1956–), nicknamed "The Rooster", began racing in motocross and karting in his native Hampton Roads region of Virginia[[note]]Rudd was born in what was then South Norfolk, VA; which in 1963 merged with Norfolk County to form the city of Chesapeake on the Virginia-North Carolina border[[/note]] before entering NASCAR in 1975 in 4 races for family friend Bill Champion, followed by 4 more races driving for his father Al. 1977 marked Rudd's first full-time season, finishing with ten Top 10 finishes and Rookie of the Year honors. After running part-time between 1978 and 1980 driving for his father, D.K. Ulrich (step-father of Rudd's nephew, actor Creator/SkeetUlrich) and veteran team owner Junie Donleavy; Rudd was signed to drive the #88 [=DiGard=] Gatorade-sponsored ride recently relinquished when Darrell Waltrip left for Junior Johnson's team, picking up 3 pole positions before moving to Richard Childress Racing for 1982. 1983 would see Rudd get his first victories at Riverside and Martinsville - starting a consecutive streak of seasons with at least one victory that ran through 1998. 1984 saw Rudd swap rides with Dale Earnhardt (who had been driving for Bud Moore - both drivers would be sponsored by Wrangler Jeans), and that season began to develop his reputation as one of NASCAR's toughest drivers when - during the Busch Clash - Rudd went airborne and suffered a frightening crash that left Rudd with torn rib cartilage and a concussion, yet somehow managed to run in the Daytona 500 despite his eyes having been swollen so much that his eyes were taped over[[note]]upon learning of the injury some time later; NASCAR changed rules to require an [[ObviousRulePatch examination of any driver involved in a crash]] before they can be cleared to run in the next race[[/note]], adding a victory in Richmond. 1985 and 1986 saw him add 3 victories (the 1985 season finale in Riverside and a career-high 2 victories in 1986; with Rudd finishing a career-best 5th in points). After two more victories in 1987, Rudd left for Kenny Bernstein's King Racing team in 1988; and despite a win at Watkins Glen he suffered engine failures frequently and was also injured during the Winston All-Star race following a blown tire[[note]]this being during the 1988-89 Goodyear vs. Hoosier tire wars[[/note]] to fall to 11th in points, his worst finish since 1980. 1989 saw Rudd win the inaugural race at Sonoma, also finding himself at the center of a wild ending in the fall North Wilkesboro race when he and Earnhardt spun on the final lap, leading to a Geoff Bodine win and Rusty Wallace closing in on Earnhardt in a tight points battle. 1990 saw Rudd move to Hendrick Motorsports to replace Bodine in the #5 Chevrolet. Rudd added a win at Watkins Glen but finished the year mired in a tragic scene where Rudd, racing for a pit stop in the season-finale in Atlanta, lost control of his car and ended up crushing Mike Rich, a tire changer for Bill Elliott who ended up dying as a result of his injuries[[note]]after experimenting with a series of changes to improve pit road safety, NASCAR eventually instituted speed limits for pit road[[/note]]. For 1991, Rudd's car would switch from Levi Garrett chewing tobacco sponsorship to that of Tide[[note]]which had sponsored former Hendrick teammate Darrell Waltrip - who had left the team to run as an owner-driver[[/note]] and despite winning only once finished a career-best 2nd in points behind Dale Earnhardt - though 1991 would see Rudd at the center of one of NASCAR's most bizarre controversies at Sonoma[[note]]Rudd began the race at the pole; and in the final lap was in a fierce battle for the lead with Davey Allison, with Rudd tapping Allison's car as the white (final lap) flag was shown and appeared to have the win in hand only to have a black flag - indicating a rule violation; which would normally require a drive-through penalty; though since this was the final lap, Rudd was given a 5-second penalty; resulting in Allison being declared the winner[[/note]]. 1992 and 1993 would see Rudd win once before leaving to start his own team, taking the Tide sponsorship with him. Rudd would win the 2nd race held at Loudon, New Hampshire in 1994 but nearly had his consecutive win streak end in 1995 and 1996 before getting victories late in the season. 1997 would see Rudd win multiple races for the first time in a decade (including the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis) only to drop to 17th in points, his worst points finish as a full-time driver to date. 1998 would see him win in Martinsville despite his cooler box breaking in Lap 1; resulting in Rudd developing heat exhaustion to the degree that he had to do his post-race interview with an oxygen mask on and being attended to by paramedics with help from Creator/{{ESPN}} pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch. That would mark the end of his consecutive season with a win streak at a record 16 seasons[[note]]since surpassed by Kyle Busch, whose streak has run to 19 consecutive seasons with at least one victory[[/note]]; as 1999 would see Rudd go winless for the first time since 1982. With Tide pulling its sponsorship, Rudd closed his team and moved to the Robert Yates Racing team in 2000. Despite not winning any races that season, his two poles led to his finishing 5th in points. 2001 marked a brief resurgence for Rudd, winning twice at Pocono and Richmond en route to a 4th place finish, his best in 10 years. 2002 would see Rudd finish 10th in points and collect his final victory at Sonoma, only to leave Yates after an argument between Rudd and team engine man Larry Lackey at Richmond that led to Lackey punching Rudd. 2003 would mark the second time Rudd and another driver swapped rides, this time moving to the Wood Brothers #21 being vacated by Elliot Sadler, who replaced Rudd at Yates; with his "Ironman" streak running until 2005, when Rudd "[[TenMinuteRetirement took a break]]" from racing, not running (save for a one-off run at Dover where he filled in for an injured Tony Stewart) before returning to Yates Racing for a final season in 2007. Rudd's honors include being named as one of NASCAR's 50th Greatest Drivers as well as being inducted in the Virginia (2007) and Hampton Roads (2010) Sports Hall of Fames.

* '''David Pearson''' (1934–2018) was Richard Petty's great rival; Petty himself would say, "It didn't hurt as bad to lose to Pearson as it did to some of the others, because I knew how good he was," and believed that Pearson would have at least equaled his own 200 wins had he raced full-time throughout his career. "The Fox", later "The Silver Fox", only raced full-time in three Cup seasons (1966, 1968, 1969), but won the series title in each of them, and had at least one top-10 race finish in each of his 27 Cup seasons (1960–1986). Pearson, a 2011 HOF inductee, ended his Cup career with 105 race wins, second only to Petty, and had a higher winning percentage than his rival.

The 1960s and 70s were a time of growth for the organization and the sport of stock car racing. This is the time when the sport and organization really began to gain attention around the country and the world. Despite some races run in the Northern United States (and Canada) in the early years, stock car racing was still considered a Southern sport. However, with TV coverage, the sport began to find some popularity outside the South. The 1972 season was a GenreTurningPoint for the series--NASCAR established a minimum distance of 250 miles (about 400 km) for points-paying Cup races[[note]]It was shortened to 300 km (188 miles) in 1974 due to the then-current energy crisis, but returned to 250 miles the next year.[[/note]], and further established that all races would take place on a paved surface, a rule that remained in effect until 2013. This in turn led to the elimination of shorter races, some of which were as short as 50 miles, from the Cup schedule, dramatically reducing the number of races in the season. NASCAR considers that season to be the start of its "modern era". In the 1960s, the Daytona 500 was usually taped and presented in heavily edited form as part of ABC's ''Series/WideWorldOfSports'' package. However, in 1974, ABC began to broadcast the race itself live, starting with the halfway point at lap 101. The first live, flag-to-flag coverage of the race was done in 1979 by CBS, which included a memorable last-lap crash between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough, which resulted in a fistfight between the two drivers and Donnie's brother Bobby. This race happened to coincide with a major winter storm that paralyzed much of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, which noticeably increased the potential TV audience. The 60s and 70s were dominated by UsefulNotes/RichardPetty, who later became known as "The King", winning 7 Grand National (now Cup Series) championships and 200 races total. (Even now, more than 30 years after his retirement, no driver has even come '''close''' to that number of wins; second place goes to Petty's early days rival David Pearson, with 105).

* '''Brad Keselowski''' (1984–) is the current driver of the #6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, which he is also a part-owner of. The son of former ARCA and Truck Series driver Bob Keselowski, nephew of 1970s NASCAR driver Ron and younger brother of former Xfinity driver Brian; Brad began his NASCAR career at age 20 driving for the family team in the Truck Series in 2004; and after two full-time seasons in the Truck Series, Brad moved to the Busch Series full-time in 2007; finishing 20th in points after bouncing around teams[[note]]Brad's original team, Keith Coleman Racing, went out of business mid-season; then later substituted for a suspended Ted Musgrave before finishing with Dale Earnhardt Jr's JR Motorsports[[/note]]. 2008 would see Keselowski racing for Dale Earnhardt Jr's JR Motorsports for the newly-renamed Nationwide Series, winning his first 2 races and finishing 3rd in points (the highest for a full-time Nationwide Series driver; as the championship that year went to Clint Bowyer, running in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series - permissible at the time but derided with the term "Buschwhacking") while making his Sprint Cup debut that year in 2 races driving for Hendrick Motorsports[[note]]Brad's first Cup appearances were as a standby driver for an ill Jeff Gordon in Kansas and for expectant father Casey Mears at Talladega[[/note]]. Keselowski continued driving full-time in the Nationwide Series for 2009, adding three wins while collecting his first Cup win as a part-time driver when he - driving for James Finch's Phoenix Racing - collected his (and the team's) first win at Talladega by leading just the final lap despite being involved in a crash earlier in the race where his car went airborne (eight fans were injured by debris, most seriously a woman who suffered a broken jaw); only for his aggressive driving to lead to a rivalry with Denny Hamlin in the Nationwide Series (who wrecked Brad in the season finale at Homestead in retaliation for Keselowski punting Hamlin in the previous race in Phoenix) and an incident at the second Talladega race where he triggered the "Big One" after bumping Kurt Busch, leading to a 15-car wreck that also collected Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin (who was also clipped by Martin Truex Jr.). Hendrick Motorsports lacked a ride for Keselowski in 2010, resulting in his being fired for his first full-time Cup Series ride by Team Penske, becoming a Buschwhacker in the process driving the #22 Dodge Charger for Penske in Nationwide and the #12 in the Cup Series, inadvertently tapping Carl Edwards in the spring Nationwide race at Atlanta that resulted in Joey Logano being collected in the collision and Edwards retaliating in the fall race by deliberately wrecking Keselowski, resulting in Edwards being booed in Victory Lane and NASCAR placing both drivers on probation, with Keselowski also involved in a rivalry with Kyle Busch. On a plus side, Keselowski won 6 races and the 2010 Nationwide championship. Kurt Busch's departure in 2011 opened up Penske's flagship #2 Miller Lite car for Keselowski; who improved from a disappointing 2010 Cup season with 3 wins[[note]]including the inaugural STP 500 in Kansas[[/note]] en route to making the Chase for the first time, finishing 11th in points. 2012 saw Keselowski start his own Truck Series team in addition to running in Cup and selected Nationwide races, and had success in winning the first Nationwide Series race at Indianapolis while winning 5 races (including becoming the first Dodge driver since Dave Marcis in 1976 to win at Talladega) en route to clinching the 2012 Cup championship (famously celebrating with a few sips of sponsor Miller Lite during an interview on ''Series/{{SportsCenter}}'') as well as Dodge's first championship since Richard Petty's 1975 championship. Despite the championship, Dodge left NASCAR after 2012; resulting in Team Penske returning to Ford for 2013. Keselowski would have a significant championship hangover, missing the Chase and not getting a victory until the fall race at Charlotte. 2014 saw Brad rebound with a career-high 6 victories (though he failed to make the final round of the Chase) along with his first career Truck Series win despite a pair of odd incidents[[note]]including when a trash bag landed in the grille during the final restart at Pocono, and despite an attempt to use Danica Patrick's car to blow the trash bag off the grille, that provided an opening for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win. Later, Keselowski cut Jeff Gordon's tire during contact at Texas; resulting in a pit road confrontation that (aggravated by a shove by eventual 2014 champion Kevin Harvick) led to a brawl between Gordon, Keselowski and their respective pit crews[[/note]]. 2015 would see Keselowski try his hand at broadcasting working a handful of races for what was by now the Xfinity Series for Creator/{{Fox}} while finishing with one win and of his nine Top 5's, a heartbreaking five were second place. 2016 saw Keselowski finish with 4 wins (including the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona) and advance to the Round of 8. 2017 would see Keselowski win twice, including the first win for Ford at Martinsville since 2002 and advance to the Championship 4 - his best season since 2014. 2018 would see Keselowski collecting back-to-back wins with his first Crown Jewel victory in Darlington's Southern 500 and the Brickyard 400 along with a Las Vegas win that marked the 500th total motorsports victory for team owner Roger Penske en route to advancing to the Round of 12. 2019 saw Keselowski win once and make it to the Round of 12 again; but 2020 saw a rebound as he won 4 races including his first win at the Coca-Cola 600 en route to finishing 2nd in points to Chase Elliott. Keselowski would win once in 2021 at Talladega and made it to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Playoffs before leaving to replace Ryan Newman in the #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, with Keselowski becoming a part-owner in the process. Keselowski would have a disappointing 2022 with his new team, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and failing to win a points-paying race since his first full-time Cup season in 2010.

-->The newest officially sanctioned NASCAR series, Heat Pro League is the first NASCAR [=eSports=] league to be held on consoles using [=704Games=]' ''NASCAR Heat'' as the game of choice. Like the PEAK Antifreeze Series, the drivers compete on simulated versions of the actual real-world tracks and cars. Currently there are 28 drivers on 14 teams, with each of the participating teams fielding two drivers, one competing on UsefulNotes/XboxOne and the other on UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.

* '''Joey Logano''' (1990–): A two-time Cup Series champion and current driver of the #22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, and the only driver who debuted during the otherwise new talent-devoid Buschwhacker era to rise to prominence. Another driver from an unusual state for a NASCAR star, ''Connecticut'', Logano was a racing prodigy who gained high praise from active NASCAR drivers as a {{teen|Genius}}ager. Mark Martin (below) called him "the real deal" and predicted that he would become one of NASCAR's all-time greats, and two-time Busch (now Xfinity) Series champion Randy [=LaJoie=] gave him his nickname of "Sliced Bread" (yes, it's exactly what you think). Logano got off to a flying start in NASCAR in 2008 with Joe Gibbs Racing, becoming the youngest driver ever to win an Nationwide/Xfinity race in his third start in that series. The next year saw him become the youngest-ever Cup race winner with a win in his backyard in New Hampshire. Moving to Penske in 2013, where he's stayed to this day, he broke out in 2014 with five Cup race wins and a top-5 series finish, followed by six race wins in 2015 including the Daytona 500. He had a chance to win his first season title in 2016 before a crash near the end of the season finale at Homestead took him out, missed the playoffs in 2017, and finally broke through completely with his first series title in 2018. Logano claimed his second Cup championship in 2022, and entered the 2023 season with 31 Cup wins. He's a polarizing driver on the track due to his take-no-prisoners racing style combined with a soft-spoken personality that some view as [[{{Hypocrite}} disingenuous]], but his status as a future Hall of Famer is undeniable.

* '''Kevin Harvick''' (1975–) was a Busch and Truck series regular whose Cup career began under rather tragic circumstances, when Richard Childress appointed him to replace Dale Earnhardt a week after the 2001 Daytona 500.[[note]]Although it was largely the same team, Childress changed Harvick's car number from 3 to 29 out of respect; the number 3 remained unofficially retired in the Cup series until 2014, when Childress' grandson Austin Dillon began using it again.[[/note]] He quickly proved he belonged, however, when he edged out Jeff Gordon by only 6 thousandths of a second to win the spring race at Atlanta that year--in just his third career Cup series start. He continued to win races here and there until joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, now driving the #4 Ford (Chevrolet from 2014-16), winning his first championship that same year and firmly establishing himself as one of NASCAR's elite contenders. He gained a reputation as a driver who could pull off wins [[DarkHorseVictory seemingly out of nowhere]], and also gained an even bigger reputation for an infamous temper, leading to him gaining the IronicNickname "Happy". Seemed to be on track for a similarly dominant year in 2020, but a late-season slump saw him knocked out of the playoffs in the next-to-last race at Martinsville. He's announced that the 2023 season will be his last as a driver, after which he will move into Fox's NASCAR broadcast booth.
* '''Ernie Irvan''' (1959–) is a former driver who - after leaving his native California to pursue his dream of racing in NASCAR after having success in local go-kart and stock car racing[[note]]so passionate about racing was he that Irvan missed his high-school graduation ceremony to race at Riverside, CA[[/note]] - took a series of odd jobs including building racecars, welding seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway and unloading the moving van of future NASCAR colleague Ken Schrader, while still managing to find time to race in the late model series, winning 9 races in a 2-year span at nearby Concord Speedway. This got the attention of race car builder Marc Reno, who gave him his first Winston Cup opportunity in late 1987, driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the fall race at Richmond sponsored by Dale Earnhardt's Chevy dealership, making it only 35 laps before the engine overheated. D.K. Ulrich signed him up soon after, and in 1988 Irvan would race for Ulrich in all but 4 races that season; narrowly losing Rookie of the Year honors to Ken Bouchard by a margin of 3 votes. 1989 saw Irvan race the entire schedule, getting 4 Top 10 finishes only for sponsorship troubles to lead to Ulrich letting Irvan walk. 1990 would be a turbulent season for Irvan, as he started the season driving for longtime owner Junie Donleavey only for Donleavey's sponsor, True Cure, to fail to meet their financial commitments; leading to Irvan taking the Morgan-[=McClure=] #4 Kodak ride that opened up when Phil Parsons was let go. Irvan would collect two significant firsts at Bristol, taking his first pole in the spring race and the summer race taking his first win. However; Irvan would be the subject of controversy following the events in the spring race in Darlington when Irvan - 10 laps down - made contact with Schrader that triggered a major crash that nearly killed Neil Bonnett after Sterling Marlin bounced off the wall and hit Bonnett's car hard, resulting in Bonnett suffering amnesia as a result), with Irvan's reckless driving getting him the nickname "Swervin' Irvan". Irvan would have a career season in 1991 with 2 more victories in the Daytona 500 and at Watkins Glen[[note]]the latter race marred by an early crash that claimed the life of veteran independent driver J.D. [=McDuffie=][[/note]] en route to a career-best 5th in the points while also managing a Busch Series win and was able to shed his reckless reputation following a public apology to his fellow drivers at Talladega. 1992 would see him take a career-high 3 victories[[note]]at Sonoma, held just hours after the death of NASCAR founder "Big Bill" France and the summer races at Daytona and Talladega[[/note]] along with 2 wins in the Busch Series. 1993 would see Irvan win the spring race at Talladega with Morgan-[=McClure=] before finding himself in a controversy that July when Robert Yates asked Irvan if he could take over the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford Thunderbird after Davey Allison died from injuries sustained in a helicopter crash. A lawsuit ensued before Irvan was permitted to leave in September, going on to win twice with Robert Yates Racing[[note]]the first, at Martinsville, would see Irvan dedicate his victory to Allison while wearing a Davey Allison t-shirt under his fire suit. In addition, Yates and Irvan's crew were seen with [[ManlyTears visible tears]] on the final laps[[/note]]. 1994 looked to be Irvan's best shot at a championship, winning 3 races and trailing Dale Earnhardt by 27 points entering the August race at Michigan. During a practice session on August 20, 1994; crew chief Larry [=McReynolds=] called him into the pits because he wasn't liking how the car handled. Irvan decided to run one more lap, only for blow a tire and slam into the wall at 170 miles per hour; being diagnosed with [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat a basilar skull fracture]] and given a 10% chance of surviving the night. Irvan miraculously made a slow but steady recovery; eventually managing to address fans at the fall Charlotte race while receiving the True Value Hard Charger Award at NASCAR's Awards Banquet[[note]]despite missing the last 11 races, Irvan had been such a dominant driver that he was still tied with Geoff Bodine for most poles and was first in most miles led[[/note]]. 1995 saw Irvan work a handful of races for [[Creator/ParamountNetwork TNN]] before being cleared to return to racing that September, making his return at North Wilkesboro in both the new Truck Series and Winston Cup races alongside Dale Jarrett, who filled in for Irvan for 1995; racing a handful of races in the #88. 1996 saw Irvan return to his usual #28 while Jarrett moved to the #88, qualifying second in the Daytona 500 and winning two more races. Irvan's final win came in 1997 at the track that nearly claimed his life: Michigan. That season saw Irvan leave Yates after a pair of controversies involving Irvan refusing to dance with a female patron on an Easter weekend event in Charlotte that escalated in a fight and later showing up late to an event thanking Texaco for 10 years of support; being replaced by Kenny Irwin Jr. for 1998. Irvan would move to upstart [=MB2=] Motorsports in 1998, racing for them until being injured in a Busch Series crash at Michigan on August 20, 1999; exactly five years to the day of his near-fatal crash at the same track. Irvan would eventually work on his son Jared in his racing endeavors and started a foundation called [=Race2Safety=] to raise awareness for head injuries. Additionally, Irvan was the favorite driver of longtime ''Radio/TheHowardSternShow'' contributor Ronald "Ronnie the Limo Driver" Mund.

Currently, NASCAR has 13 series under its sanction: 3 major national series (Cup, Xfinity, Truck), 5 regional series (ARCA, ARCA East, ARCA West, Modified, and All-American), 3 international series (Pinty's, Mexico, Euro), and 2 UsefulNotes/ProfessionalGaming ("[=eNASCAR=]") series (PEAK Antifreeze Series for ''VideoGame/{{iRacing}}'', Heat Pro League for ''NASCAR Heat''[[note]]In 2023 NASCAR took the unprecedented step of actually '''cancelling their licensing agreement''' with Motorsport Games over the poor quality of the ''NASCAR Heat'' series and the constant backlash from fans, which may be the first time a publisher lost their license simply because they made shitty games. The license was handed over to the team that makes ''VideoGame/{{iRacing}}'', unfortunately their first console game won't be released until 2025 at the earliest[[/note]]).

* '''Tony Stewart''' (1971–) competed in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1999-2016[[note]]Having migrated over from UsefulNotes/IndyCar, where he was series champion in 1997[[/note]], first in the #20 Home Depot car for Joe Gibbs Racing, and then the #14 for Stewart-Haas Racing (co-owned with Gene Haas) from 2009 until his retirement in 2016. He won three Cup Series titles as a driver in 2002, 2005, and 2011, and a fourth as Kevin Harvick's car owner in 2014. Stewart's 2011 title was the first by a driver-owner since Alan Kulwicki nearly two decades earlier. Stewart was inducted into NASCAR's HOF in 2020. In that same year, he co-founded a new stock-car circuit, the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), which held its first season in 2021.[[note]]It's not a direct competitor to NASCAR; it concentrates on short races at short tracks, and randomly pairs drivers with crew chiefs for each race, making it somewhat similar to the former IROC series. Or the racing equivalent of golf's PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior Tour), as most SRX competitors are drivers that have retired from another series (mainly NASCAR or [=IndyCar=]/CART), along with a weekly guest driver that's active in some form of racing in North America.[[/note]] Stewart has since pivoted to drag racing, running in the NHRA's second level in the Top Alcohol dragster class and fielding two cars as an owner in the NHRA's top level (a Top Fuel dragster driven by his wife and a Funny Car with another driver).
* '''Brian Vickers''' (1983-) began by driving go karts and by 2001 had worked his way up to what was then the Busch (now Xfinity) Series, making his full-time debut in that series the following year driving for his father's team. After that team ran into financial problems in 2003; Vickers got hired by Rick Hendrick to replace his son Ricky in the #5 GMAC-sponsored Chevrolet as the younger Hendrick decided to move to an ownership role, winning 3 races and becoming the youngest Busch Series champion up to then at the age of 20. Vickers moved to a full-time Cup Series ride in 2004 and finished 3rd in that circuit's Rookie of the Year vote. Vickers' first Cup Series win was in the 2005 Nextel Open[[note]]the open being a last-chance opportunity for drivers to win their way into the All-Star Race[[/note]] by dumping teammate Mike Bliss on the final lap (Vickers would finish 3rd in the All-Star Race). More controversy came the following year when Vickers[[note]]who had announced he was leaving Hendrick after the season[[/note]] decided during the fall 2006 race at Talladega to [[HistoryRepeats dump teammate]] Jimmie Johnson to take his first points-paying win; though getting blasted by the media and Johnson (whose crew chief, Chad Knaus, would say that Vickers "ran out of talent"). 2007 saw Vickers move to upstart Red Bull Racing; one of the first teams to field Toyotas in NASCAR, and the change appeared promising with Vickers scoring Toyota's first Top 10, Top 5 and first laps led; though the Top 5 - at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte - was a disappointing finish after Vickers led 70 laps before his power steering failed and Vickers ended up failing to qualify for 13 races. 2008 saw history repeat again at the Coca-Cola 600 when Vickers led 63 laps before disaster struck (this time, losing a left rear tire). 2009 saw Vickers make the Chase for the Cup on the strength of 6 poles[[note]]second behind 2009 Cup Series runner-up Mark Martin[[/note]] and his second career win[[note]]Vickers also got a pole in the Carfax 250 race at Michigan in what was now the Nationwide Series; but another round of rough racing between Vickers and one-time teammate Kyle Busch allowed rookie Brad Keselowski to win[[/note]]; ultimately finishing a career-best 12th in points. However, in May 2010, Vickers missed the spring Dover race due to blood clots in his legs and - more seriously - near his lungs, ultimately missing the remainder of the season. Vickers returned in 2011 but despite 7 Top 10 finishes a series of wrecks led to his finish 25th. Red Bull Racing closed its doors after 2011; but instead of moving to BK Racing[[note]]which was not officially sponsored by Burger King; but rather was partly owned by a Burger King franchise owner[[/note]] Vickers left for Michael Waltrip Racing, running part-time in 2012 and then (after a stint as a substitute driver for an injured Denny Hamlin) returning in 2013; picking up his third career win and securing a full-time ride for 2014 and 2015, only to be embroiled in the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Federated_Auto_Parts_400#Race_manipulation_controversy Spingate]] controversy[[note]]specifically; Vickers being told by spotter and MWR vice-president Ty Norris to make a green lap pit stop to allow Martin Truex Jr., in danger of being knocked out of the Chase, to gain another position on Ryan Newman on top of Clint Bowyer spinning out[[/note]]; which was followed by another blood clot ending his season (by which time Vickers did commercials for the prescription blood thinner Xarelto). Vickers ran the 2014 season but [[RuleOfThree missed much of 2015 due to health reasons]], this time a patch inserted into a hole in the heart during his initial health troubles in 2010 being rejected by his body. After Michael Waltrip Racing closed in 2015; Vickers last raced in 2016 as a substitute driver for Tony Stewart. Vickers was last known to be working as an interior decorator; but found himself at the center of controversy in 2019 when it was revealed that Vickers' wife, Sarah Kellen, had been a scheduler under the alias Sarah Kensington for [[PaedoHunt sex trafficker]] Jeffrey Epstein but had received immunity as part of Epstein's non-prosecution deal. While whether Vickers had any involvement himself is unknown; his decision to go dark on social media raised a number of eyebrows.

* William Caleb '''"Cale" Yarborough''' (1939–) developed a love for stock-car racing at an early age by managing to sneak into the 2nd running of the Southern 500 at Darlington in Yarborough's native South Carolina. After being a high-school football star who briefly played semi-pro football and becoming a Golden Gloves boxer; Yarborough first attempted to enter the Southern 500 as a teenager but was caught lying about his age and disqualified; resulting in his waiting until 1957 (at the same event) to make his debut. Yarborough would not get a full-time ride until 1963 and collected his first victory in Valdosta, GA in 1965. Yarborough would find consistent success and stability in 1968 after joining the Wood Brothers team, and despite running in only 17 races[[note]]NASCAR schedules were much longer prior to 1972, considered to be the start of the sport's modern era; with multiple races in a week being common and thus few true "full-time" racers due to many drivers working other jobs[[/note]], won 6 races; including the Daytona 500[[note]]holding off Lee Roy Yarborough - no relation to Cale[[/note]]; the Firecracker 400 on July 4 and his first Southern 500 victory on Labor Day[[note]]until 1984; the Southern 500 was held on Labor Day due to South Carolina blue laws prohibiting sporting events on Sundays[[/note]]; remaining with Wood Brothers until 1970 due to Ford withdrawing manufacturer support, and after four races driving Plymouths for Ray Fox in 1971; Yarborough turned his focus to U.S. Auto Club racing, or USAC, before returning to NASCAR full-time for 1973, making every race[[note]]the 2nd year of the modern-era with a more consistent, less demanding schedule[[/note]] driving for Howard & Edgerton Racing as well as being the first driver to lead every lap in a Cup Series race at the spring Bristol race. 1974 would see Yarborough win a career-high 10 races but finish 2nd by nearly 600 points to Richard Petty[[note]]that season saw NASCAR introduce a [[ObviousRulePatch short-lived points system change]] - done in reaction to Benny Parsons winning the 1973 championship despite only one victory - where one would take purse winnings, multiply by number of starts and divide by 1,000. After much criticism - including the 1974 Southern 500 (won by Cale Yarborough) where Darrell Waltrip openly criticized the fact that Petty, despite crashing out early, managed to get more points than any other driver save for Cale. In 1975; this system would be changed to the system created by statistician Bob Latford that would be used in some fashion until 2013[[/note]]; a season that saw Junior Johnson buy the team. 1975 saw Yarborough struggle until gaining sponsorship by poultry supplier Holly Farms[[note]]since absorbed into Tyson Foods[[/note]] before hitting his stride in the late 1970s; winning 9 races in 1976 and 1977 (including his 2nd Daytona 500; Yarborough would also become the first of only two drivers to win the championship and finish every race; a feat matched only by Bobby Labonte in 2000) and tying a career-high 10 wins in 1978; winning the Winston Cup championship all three years. 1979 would see Yarborough finish 4th in the points, though that season was best remembered for his last lap crash with Donnie Allison at the Daytona 500 and the subsequent fight between the two and Donnie's brother Bobby. 1980 would mark Cale's last season with Junior Johnson and last full-time season; but he went out strong, winning 6 races and a modern-era record 14 pole positions; narrowly losing the championship by 19 points to 2nd-year driver Dale Earnhardt. Despite moving to a part-time career; Cale would collect 5 wins in a 2-year span with M.C. Anderson (including his final Southern 500 victory in 1982) before moving to the Hardee's-sponsored Ranier-Lundy Racing after the Anderson team shuttered; racing there from 1983-86, including winning the 1983 and 1984 Daytona 500s to become the second driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s[[note]]what made the 1983 win even more impressive was Cale's regular car, a Chevy Monte Carlo, having been totaled in qualifying. The team then found a Pontiac [=LeMans=] painted like the regular car outside a nearby Hardee's; got it in racing condition and entered the car at 8th position to start[[/note]], the 1984 Winston 500 at Talladega (which had a then-record 75 lead changes) and his final victory in the fall Charlotte race in 1985 for a total of 83 victories. After buying Jack Beebe's Race Hill Farm team in 1986; Yarborough ran his final two seasons as an owner-driver, bringing the Hardee's sponsorship with him before retiring after 1988. Yarborough would have much less success as a car owner, with only one victory in the 1997 Pepsi 400 in Daytona before selling the team in mid-2000 due to financial troubles. Outside of NASCAR; Yarborough dabbled in local politics as the first Republican member of Florence County's County Council since Reconstruction in 1972 (though he would later be re-elected as a Democrat and was a close supporter of UsefulNotes/JimmyCarter during Carter's successful campaign for President in 1976); won the International Race of Champions title in 1984 and ran 4 Indianapolis 500's in 1966-67 and 1971-72, with the last race being his best Indy finish at 10th place. Yarborough would be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012. No relation to [=LeeRoy=] below.

** '''Kyle Busch''' (1985–) drives the #8 Cheddar's Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, joining that team in 2023 after 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing in the #18 Advertising/MAndMs Toyota. He's one of the winningest—and most hated—drivers in the sport. After growing up around his father and older brother's racing operations in UsefulNotes/LasVegas, he quickly proved to be a can't miss prospect by posting a top-10 finish during his first race in the Truck Series at the age of ''16''. He was chosen to drive the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports full-time in 2005, and that year became the youngest driver to win a Cup race at the age of 20, winning two races that year (since surpassed by Joey Logano, see below). After moving to Gibbs in 2008, he had his breakout season and has continually set records ever since, becoming the winningest driver in all three combined national series with 223, the all-time wins leader in both the Grand National/Busch/Nationwide/Xfinity and Truck Series, a two-time Cup champion in 2015 and 2019, the first driver to win all three top series races in one weekend, and the driver with Cup race wins in the most consecutive seasons (19),[[note]]Busch took sole possession of this last record, previously shared with Richard Petty, by winning at Fontana in 2023 in the last race at that track before its planned conversion to a short track.[[/note]] just to name a few. At the same time, he was almost more well known for an infamous temper and frequent {{Freak Out}}s that were frequently compared by his detractors to childish tantrums. After wrecking the beloved Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the win at Richmond in 2008, he quickly became the most hated driver in the sport, and it's never let up from there, with every single one of his wins or temper-driven incidents like wrecking Ron Hornaday under caution in 2011 bringing out more and more detractors. To his credit, he's embraced his role as NASCAR's biggest heel of the [=21st=] century, as it seems like he enjoys doing things that piss the fans off [[LoveToHate just as much as they enjoy booing him]]. With a surefire Hall of Fame career in the books, it's caused even many of his detractors to have a grudging respect for him, as despite the many things he's done to rankle them over the years, he is nothing if not entertaining. Mars, the maker of [=M&Ms=], announcing it was leaving NASCAR after 2022 led to Busch eventually being signed to Richard Childress Racing beginning in the 2023 season. Ironically, his move to RCR has led to him, just like his older brother, actually gaining fan respect to the point that he was cheered after winning the last race at Fontana's 2-mile layout: mainly due to his signing bringing the long-suffering Childress team back to prominence, but also due to sympathy over the way that Gibbs had handled his departure[[labelnote:Explanation]]If any of the reports from the garage during the back end of 2022 are to be believed, Gibbs' attitude toward Busch ranged from not trying very hard to resign him to outright attempting to push him out the door, widely viewed as extremely disrespectful toward one of their longest-tenured drivers. The backlash only got worse when Joe Gibbs' [[[{{Nepotism}} widely-disliked grandson Ty]] replaced Busch (including retiring Busch's #18). This led to many accusing Gibbs of deliberately attempting to fire one of their most successful drivers in history for a family member--special note was paid to Joe Gibbs' statement that he couldn't find a sponsor for Busch when Childress had no problem sponsoring his car.[[/labelnote]].
** '''Kurt Busch''' (1978–) most recently drove the #45 Monster Energy Toyota for 23XI Racing, but retired from full-time racing after the 2022 season due to post-concussion effects. (He admitted that the 2023 season would have been his last anyway.) He's been one of NASCAR's most respected veterans, but it didn't start out that way for him--when he made his full-time Cup Series debut in 2001, his young age and give-no-flips attitude and driving style quickly rubbed veteran drivers and long-time fans the wrong way. This was emphasized with his ongoing feud with veteran Jimmy Spencer in 2002, where they [[EscalatingWar continued to intentionally wreck each other for several weeks]] until the sanctioning body finally brought the hammer down after Spencer punched Busch in the face hard enough to knock a couple teeth out. While he became the first champion of the Chase for the Cup era in 2004, he was also known for a HairTriggerTemper and a penchant for off-the-track controversy and inability to get along with his bosses and teammates, which along with a DUI in 2005 led to him leaving Roush Racing, joining Penske, then getting fired from them as well in 2011 after FlippingTheBird to ESPN cameras and verbally berating an interviewer. He reached a nadir in 2012, being relegated to driving for backmarker Phoenix Racing, getting put on probation for wrecking Ryan Newman and a post-race confrontation, then getting suspended for swearing at a reporter. He began to turn it around after making Furniture Row Racing a household name in 2013, continuing that trend with Stewart-Haas Racing (ironically, run by long-time rival Tony Stewart) from 2014-18, then driving for Chip Ganassi between 2019-21 before moving to his current ride. Having consistently outperformed his equipment and toned down his temper during the latter years of his career, the fan animosity he used to have has mostly dissipated and he's pretty well-respected today. When he announced his unplanned retirement thanks to multiple concussions at the end of 2022, there was an outpouring of grief and support from the fans--something that would have been impossible to imagine twenty or even ten years earlier. Fun fact 1: He was the last driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. ever {{flipp|ingTheBird}}ed off (during the 2001 Daytona 500 that took his life). Fun fact 2: He was the last active Cup driver to have raced against Earnhardt.[[note]]Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson both made their Cup debuts in 2001, but not until after Earnhardt's fatal crash.[[/note]]

The 1960s and 70s were a time of growth for the organization and the sport of stock car racing. This is the time when the sport and organization really began to gain attention around the country and the world. Despite some races run in the Northern United States (and Canada) in the early years, stock car racing was still considered a Southern sport. However, with TV coverage, the sport began to find some popularity outside the South. The 1972 season was a GenreTurningPoint for the series—NASCAR established a minimum distance of 250 miles (about 400 km) for points-paying Cup races.[[note]]It was shortened to 300 km (188 miles) in 1974 due to the then-current energy crisis, but returned to 250 miles the next year.[[/note]] This in turn led to the elimination of shorter races, some of which were as short as 50 miles, from the Cup schedule, dramatically reducing the number of races in the season. NASCAR considers that season to be the start of its "modern era". In the 1960s, the Daytona 500 was usually taped and presented in heavily edited form as part of ABC's ''Series/WideWorldOfSports'' package. However, in 1974, ABC began to broadcast the race itself live, starting with the halfway point at lap 101. The first live, flag-to-flag coverage of the race was done in 1979 by CBS, which included a memorable last-lap crash between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough, which resulted in a fistfight between the two drivers and Donnie's brother Bobby. This race happened to coincide with a major winter storm that paralyzed much of the Northeast and parts of the Midwest, which noticeably increased the potential TV audience. The 60s and 70s were dominated by UsefulNotes/RichardPetty, who later became known as "The King", winning 7 Grand National (now Cup Series) championships and 200 races total. (Even now, more than 30 years after his retirement, no driver has even come '''close''' to that number of wins; second place goes to Petty's early days rival David Pearson, with 105).