Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championBrad Keselowski, finished second behind Elliott in the championship.Joey Logano, finished third in the championship.Denny Hamlin, finished fourth in the championship.Kevin Harvick won the Regular Season Championship, but finished fifth in the playoffs.Cole Custer, the 2020NASCAR Rookie of the YearFord won the manufacturers' championship with 1329 points and 18 wins.
This was the first season under NASCAR's new tiered sponsorship model after rejectingMonster Energy's offer to extend its title sponsorship.[6][7] On December 5, 2019, NASCAR announcedBusch Beer,Coca-Cola,GEICO, andXfinity as the Premier Partners of the NASCAR Cup Series, replacing the sole title sponsor of Monster Energy.[8]
This season was scheduled to be the final year for theGen-6 car, with theNext Gen car (formerly the Gen-7 car) debuting in 2021.[9] However, when theCOVID-19 pandemic postponed all NASCAR racing (and therefore, testing) until the month of May, the sanctioning body announced that the debut of the car would be pushed back a year to 2022.[10]
It was announced that 2020 was the last full-time season for seven-time series championJimmie Johnson[11][12] andClint Bowyer,[13] as well as for part-time driverBrendan Gaughan.[14]David Ragan, who retired from racing in NASCAR full-time after 2019, returned this season for theDaytona 500 in the Cup Series (driving forRick Ware Racing in a partnership with his former team,Front Row Motorsports), as well as in a few Truck Series races (driving forDGR-Crosley). 2020 was also the last season forGermain Racing, after long-time sponsorGEICO announced they would leave the team at the conclusion of the season,[15] and for Bob Leavine's family ownedLeavine Family Racing team, as his team experienced enough financial problems during the COVID-19 pandemic that he had to close the team down and sell its assets. A buyer was found on August 4.[16][17]
When the season was put on hold due to the coronavirus, drivers from all NASCAR series, including nearly all Cup Series drivers, participated in theinauguraleNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
^Entries were fielded in a collaboration withJonathan Byrd's Racing and Hayward Motorsports.
^The No. 51 car is officially listed on paper as Petty Ware Racing because they have a long-term partnership withRichard Petty Motorsports to use one of the charters they own. However, RPM is not involved with operating or helping this team out at the races in any way.
^Entry at Talladega was fielded in a collaboration withGo Fas Racing
On September 24, 2019, in a Frontstretch article,Rick Ware Racing ownerRick Ware was interviewed and said that he would like to run three cars full-time in 2020.[39] This news was later confirmed by the team on November 14, 2019.[40]
On December 12, 2019,Front Row Motorsports announced they would revert to a two-car operation in 2020, effectively shutting down the No. 36 Ford.[43] Despite this, they will field the No. 36 at the2020 Daytona 500 in a collaboration with Rick Ware Racing, withDavid Ragan as its driver.[44] On January 21, 2020, FRM renewed its technical alliance withRoush Fenway Racing.[45] On February 3, 2020, Bob Pockrass reported that the No. 36's owner points and charter will be transferred over to the No. 38, while the No. 38's owner points and charter from 2019 will go to the Rick Ware Racing No. 53 (No. 36 at Daytona).[46]
On December 13, 2019, as part of the team's announcement that they would field two cars in the Daytona 500,MBM Motorsports ownerCarl Long said that there is a chance they would field the No. 66 full-time in 2020, withTimmy Hill as the primary driver of that car.[48] On February 3, 2020, Bob Pockrass reported that the MBM Motorsports No. 49 team will use the owner points of the No. 46 from the previous season.[46]
On December 14, 2019, when it was announced thatJames Davison would be running the Daytona 500 this season, it was announced that he will be driving a car fielded together byJonathan Byrd's Racing and Hayward Motorsports, which will be both teams' first forays into NASCAR. The former is anIndyCar Series team and the latter is a Sprint Car team (and both of whom Davison has previously driven for).[49] However, this did not end up happening because the team was not on the official entry list for the race.[50]
On January 10, 2020,Kaulig Racing announced that they would be fielding a Cup Series team for the first time after running only in the Xfinity Series in their four years of operation.Justin Haley, one of their full-time Xfinity drivers and the defending summer Daytona Cup Series race winner, will drive the No. 16 Cup car for Kaulig in the Daytona 500.[36]
On March 3, 2020, Bob Pockrass reported that Rick Ware may be in the process of purchasingPremium Motorsports from Jay Robinson. On May 13, Pockrass confirmed that Ware had completed the transaction, acquiring the No. 15 charter. As a result of the acquisition, the RWR No. 52 team was renumbered to the No. 27 due to sponsorship preference. Ware explained that he purchased Premium Motorsports to own two charters (the No. 15 and No. 27), as the ones for the No. 51 and No. 53 are leased fromRichard Petty Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports, respectively.[51]
On May 11, 2020, it was revealed through the 2020 The Real Heroes 400 entry list thatB. J. McLeod would be debutinghis team, which currently competes in the Xfinity Series, in the Cup Series with the No. 78 Chevrolet/Ford. He stated the following day that he is set to compete in both Darlington and Charlotte races in May, with the potential of up to 15 events this season after buying equipment from Rick Ware Racing, a team he has driven for in the Cup Series in select races for the last few years.[52]
On August 4, 2020, it was announced that for the Michigan doubleheader, theSpire Motorsports No. 77 car would be renumbered to the No. 74. The car will have a paint scheme that will be seen in theNetflix sitcomThe Crew, starringKevin James, and will have "sponsorship" from the fictional company Fake Steak. Camera shots and film of the car competing in the two races will be featured in the TV show.[53][54]
On June 7, 2019,Daniel Suárez was reportedly working on extending his one-year contract withStewart–Haas Racing.[55] On October 5, 2019, Suárez stated that he and Stewart-Haas were getting close to an agreement.[56] On November 14, 2019, it was officially announced that Suárez would not return to the No. 41 car in 2020.[57] On December 6, 2019, it was reported thatRichard Childress Racing was interested in hiring Suárez either for a third team or as the driver of the No. 2 Chevrolet in theXfinity Series.[58] On January 6, 2020, Adam Stern ofSports Business Journal reported that Suárez is still working on a deal for 2020, with theGaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 car being his top option.[59] On January 28, 2020, Suárez officially signed with Gaunt Brothers Racing for 2020.[60][34]
On June 10, 2019, Richard Childress Racing was reportedly working on gettingTyler Reddick a full-time Cup Series ride in 2020, either with the team or its alliances.[61] Later, on July 30, 2019, team ownerRichard Childress said that Reddick would not be in the Xfinity Series next year as long as he stays with his team, and that the Cup Series was the only option.[62] On September 4, 2019, it was reported that RCR is unclear if they can afford a third team for Reddick, and that Reddick has been talking to other teams such asRoush Fenway Racing.[63] On October 2, 2019, RCR officially announced Reddick as the driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet for the 2020 season. In addition, Reddick will compete for the 2020NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors.[64][65]
On June 28, 2019,Christopher Bell signed a contract extension withJoe Gibbs Racing, but had stated he was unsure if he will stay in the Xfinity Series or advance to the Cup Series.[66] On August 15, 2019, when asked about the rumors of him replacingMatt DiBenedetto in theLeavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota in 2020, Bell said that no deals had been signed yet.[67] On September 24, 2019, LFR officially announced Bell as the driver of the No. 95 in 2020. In addition, Bell will compete for the 2020 Rookie of the Year honors.[68][69]
On August 13, 2019, it was reported that Matt DiBenedetto may not return to Leavine Family Racing in 2020, with rumors that the No. 95 Toyota will be vacated for either Christopher Bell or Erik Jones, with the other driver in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20.[70] Two days later, DiBenedetto confirmed that he would not be back with LFR after the end of the2019 season.[71]
On August 14, 2019, it was announced thatDavid Ragan would be retiring from full-time competition following the 2019 season.[72] However, it was announced on January 10, 2020, that Ragan would return to run the Daytona 500 in the Front Row's No. 36 car in a collaboration with Rick Ware Racing.[44]
On August 17, 2019,Aric Almirola confirmed that he is signed with the Stewart–Haas Racing No. 10 Ford for the 2020 season.[75][76]
On August 17, 2019,Daniel Hemric stated he was "iffy" about his status for 2020, with Tyler Reddick likely moving to Cup and if Richard Childress Racing is not able to find sponsorship to run a third car full-time, Hemric may lose his ride to Reddick despite having signed a two-year contract with the team last year.[77] On September 17, 2019, RCR announced that Hemric would not return to the team following the 2019 season.[78][79]
On August 19, 2019, it was reported thatCorey LaJoie's status withGo Fas Racing in 2020 is uncertain, as Xfinity driverCole Custer has been mentioned as an option for the No. 32 Ford while theFront Row Motorsports No. 38 car may be an option for LaJoie withDavid Ragan not returning to that ride next year. If Custer ends up in the No. 32, the team would start a partnership with Stewart–Haas Racing, the team he competes for currently in the Xfinity Series and where his father serves as a team executive. Specifically, it was reported that SHR discussed the possibility of offloading many of their cars to GFR to make room for the Gen-7 car which will debut in 2021.[80] On November 15, 2019, Stewart–Haas Racing announced that Custer will replace Suárez in the No. 41 Ford and compete for the 2020 Rookie of the Year honors.[81] On December 3, 2019, it was confirmed that LaJoie had signed a deal to return to the No. 32 in 2020.[82]
On August 21, 2019, it was reported thatRick Ware Racing was consideringGarrett Smithley to drive the No. 51 full-time (in every race) in 2020.[83] When asked about his future with RWR, Smithley replied: "I'm going to take it one race at a time."[84] On September 24, Smithley was interviewed about those rumors and he stated that if he could do what he wanted, he would try to do something similar to whatRoss Chastain did in 2019 and run as many races as possible in all three series (Cup, Xfinity, and Truck). In the same article, RWR team ownerRick Ware said that he anticipated Smithley would run several races with his team in 2020, whether it was full-time or part-time.[39] On February 18, 2020, RWR announced Smithley's return to the team.[85]
On September 6, 2019,Ty Dillon posted a video to his Instagram in which he denied the rumors that he would be retiring after the 2019 season to move into a management role at his grandfather's team, Richard Childress Racing, which has an alliance with theGermain Racing No. 13 team he drives for. The rumor was that either Tyler Reddick would take his place in the No. 13, moving up from the RCR No. 2 car in the Xfinity Series, or that Reddick would bump Daniel Hemric out of the No. 8 car and Hemric would be in the RCR-aligned No. 13 for Germain.[86]
On September 10, 2019,Paul Menard announced he will retire from full-time racing after the 2019 season and at the same time,Wood Brothers Racing signed Matt DiBenedetto to drive for the No. 21 Ford full-time for the 2020 season.[87] It was previously reported on July 12, 2019, that Menard had re-signed with WBR and was expected to return to the No. 21 team in 2020 with speculation that he had been considering retiring within the next few years after 2020.[88]
On September 13, 2019, it was reported that Chris Buescher and JTG Daugherty Racing were "in progress" in negotiating Buescher's contract renewal.[89] However, on September 25, 2019, it was announced that Buescher would be returning to Roush Fenway Racing and would drive the No. 17 Ford, replacing Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was released from the team despite having signed a contract extension through 2021 on August 1, 2019.[90][91][92][93]
On October 16, 2019, JTG Daugherty Racing announced that they signed Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to a multi-year deal starting in 2020.[94] Stenhouse replaces Chris Buescher as a driver for JTGD, although he will drive the No. 47 this season, replacing his new teammate Ryan Preece who will be in the No. 37.[74]
On November 7, 2019, it was reported thatJohn Hunter Nemechek may be close to signing a deal with Front Row Motorsports for the 2020 season. Nemechek replacedMatt Tifft in the No. 36 Ford for the final three races of the 2019 season.[95] On December 12, Nemechek was announced as the new driver of the No. 38 Ford, replacingDavid Ragan and competing for the 2020 Rookie of the Year honors.[43]
On November 13, 2019, it was announced that Matt Tifft and Front Row Motorsports have mutually parted ways after Tifft started having health issues towards the end of the 2019 season.[96]
On November 14, 2019, it was announced thatJ. J. Yeley would run the full season for Rick Ware Racing in 2020 after running part-time for them last year. The exact car he will drive has not been announced.[97]
On November 27, 2019, it was announced thatQuin Houff would drive the No. 00 Chevrolet forStarCom Racing full-time in 2020 and 2021, replacingLandon Cassill, who is likely to still remain with the team in some other way. Houff had driven part-time forSpire Motorsports andPremium Motorsports last year in the Nos. 15, 27, and 77 cars. In addition, Houff will compete for the 2020 Rookie of the Year honors.[98][99]
On December 11, 2019, it was announced thatBrennan Poole would be running the full season in the No. 15 forPremium Motorsports and compete for the 2020 Rookie of the Year honors. In 2019, he drove most of the Truck Series schedule forOn Point Motorsports. He has also driven full-time in the Xfinity Series for Chip Ganassi Racing.[100]
On December 14, 2019, it was announced that AustralianJames Davison would make his Cup debut at the Daytona 500 in an entry jointly fielded byJonathan Byrd's Racing, anIndyCar Series team he has driven for in the past, and Hayward Motorsports, a Sprint Car team he has driven for in the past. The car will come from Rick Ware Racing. He has made four Xfinity Series starts as aroad course ringer. Davison primarily drives in IndyCar, and will attempt to qualify for theIndianapolis 500 this year, meaning he will run both marquee races in the same year.[49]
On December 20, 2019, Rick Ware Racing announced thatJoey Gase will drive one of their cars full-time in 2020. After many years running full-time in the Xfinity Series, this is Gase's first full season in Cup.[101] He ended up driving multiple cars for the team instead of one for the whole year. He drove the No. 51 in the Daytona 500 before moving to the No. 53 for the next few races. He will return to the No. 51 at Darlington.[102]
On January 9, 2020, it was announced that Ross Chastain would drive the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports at the Daytona 500 as well as the Coca-Cola 600 in a partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing, the same way how the two teams jointly fieldedJamie McMurray's entry at the 2019 Daytona 500.[103]
On January 10, 2020,Justin Haley, a full-time Xfinity Series driver forKaulig Racing, was announced to pilot Kaulig's new part-time Cup Series car, the No. 16 Chevrolet, in the Daytona 500. He ran three races last year driving the No. 77 for Spire Motorsports, including at the summer Daytona race where he pulled off an upset win in his third series start.[36]
On January 17, 2020,Parker Kligerman announced that he has no plans to return to the No. 96 of Gaunt Brothers Racing or in any of NASCAR's three national series.[104]
On February 17, 2020,Ryan Newman was injured in a last-lap flip across the finish line at theDaytona 500. After being removed from his car by safety personnel, Newman was taken to the hospital[105] and then released from the hospital on the Wednesday after the race,[106] and continues to recover from the crash. He eventually spoke publicly about his future driving plans, attending the Phoenix race[107] and appearing onthe TODAY Show, where he indicated that he will return to driving as soon as he is able to.[108] Ross Chastain substituted for Newman in the No. 6 at Las Vegas,[109] California,[110] and Phoenix. On April 27, 2020, it was announced that Newman was medically cleared to return to competition.[111] In addition, NASCAR granted him a waiver for eligibility in the 2020 playoffs.[112]
On April 13, 2020,Chip Ganassi Racing suspendedKyle Larson indefinitely without pay after he was found to use a racial slur during an iRacing event the day before. Shortly after Ganassi's announcement, NASCAR also suspended him indefinitely.[113] The following day, Ganassi outright released Larson.[18] On April 27, 2020, Ganassi announced thatMatt Kenseth will drive the No. 42 for the remainder of the season.[114] In addition, NASCAR granted Kenseth a waiver for eligibility in the 2020 playoffs.[112]
On July 3, 2020, it was announced thatJimmie Johnson tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to miss the2020 Brickyard 400.Justin Allgaier was announced as his replacement for the race.[115] On July 8, 2020, Johnson was cleared to race after testing negative twice that week.[116]
On August 15, 2020, it was announced thatAustin Dillon tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to miss the2020 Go Bowling 235 at Daytona.Kaz Grala was announced as his replacement for the race, making it Grala's Cup debut.[117] On August 20, 2020, Dillon was cleared to race after testing negative twice that week.[118]
On September 17, 2020, it was announced thatJ. J. Yeley would replace Brennan Poole in the Premium Motorsports No. 15 car for the2020 Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race atBristol after Poole was unable to secure sponsorship for the race.[119]
On September 24, 2019, it was announced thatJoe Gibbs Racing crew chiefJason Ratcliff will replaceMike Wheeler as the crew chief of theLeavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota, to be driven byChristopher Bell in 2020. Both Ratcliff and Bell worked together in theXfinity Series in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Ratcliff was last a crew chief in Cup Series competition in 2017, with driverMatt Kenseth and the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team. Wheeler will move to the position of LFR's competition director.[68][69]
On October 17, 2019,Roush Fenway Racing announced thatBrian Pattie would not return as the crew chief for their No. 17 car, which will now be driven byChris Buescher. He had worked for the team for the past four years, in 2016 withGreg Biffle and then since 2017 withRicky Stenhouse Jr.[121] On November 5, 2019, Luke Lambert was announced as Pattie's replacement at Roush Fenway Racing, moving over from Richard Childress Racing after many years there, most recently as the crew chief for their No. 31/8 car, working withJeff Burton,Ryan Newman, andDaniel Hemric.[122][123]
On October 28, 2019, Danny Stockman announced he will step down as the crew chief of theRichard Childress Racing No. 3 car, driven byAustin Dillon at the end of the 2019 season. Justin Alexander will return as the No. 3 team's crew chief in 2020 after having served that position in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.[124]
On November 5, 2019, it was announced that Richard Childress Racing crew chief Randall Burnett would be moving up with Tyler Reddick from RCR's Xfinity Series No. 2 team to the No. 8 Cup car. He replaces Luke Lambert, who on the same day was announced to be leaving to join Roush Fenway Racing in 2020 as the No. 17 crew chief.[125][123]
On November 25, 2019, Joe Williams announced that he has left theStarCom Racing No. 00 team. StarCom Racing has yet to announce his replacement for 2020.[126]
On December 2, 2019, it was announced that Brian Pattie would move with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. toJTG Daugherty Racing, where he will crew chief the No. 47 car, which Stenhouse will drive.[74]
On December 4, 2019, Stewart–Haas Racing announced a change in their crew chief lineup. Mike Shiplett will replaceBilly Scott as the crew chief of the No. 41 Ford, to be driven byCole Custer in 2020. Both Shiplett and Custer worked together during the2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series. In addition,Johnny Klausmeier andMike Bugarewicz will switch teams, with Klausmeier going to the No. 14 team ofClint Bowyer and Bugarewicz going to the No. 10 team ofAric Almirola.[127] Scott later tweeted the following day that he had joined Richard Childress Racing as the head of engineering, replacing Justin Alexander, who is returning to crew chiefing at RCR full-time in 2020 with Austin Dillon's No. 3 team.[128]
On December 6, 2019, reporter Bob Pockrass tweeted that Mike Kelley has leftFront Row Motorsports and started working atJTG Daugherty Racing, overseeing their fabrication shop. He worked a portion of the 2019 season withMatt Tifft's No. 36 team and the remainder withDavid Ragan's No. 38 team after a swap with Seth Barbour.
On December 9, 2019,Cole Pearn announced he had parted ways with Joe Gibbs Racing to pursue opportunities outside of NASCAR. Pearn served asMartin Truex Jr.'s crew chief atFurniture Row Racing from 2014 to 2018 and at JGR in 2019.[129] On December 19, 2019, James Small was announced as Truex's new crew chief for 2020. He previously worked with Truex as an engineer at both JGR and Furniture Row. Small was also interim crew chief forErik Jones' No. 77 FRR team in2017 for two races.[130]
On January 6, 2020,Team Penske announced that all crew chiefs would be seeing a move to different teams within the organization. Paul Wolfe would be moving from the No. 2 of Keselowski to the No. 22 of Logano, Todd Gordon would be moving from Logano to the No. 12 of Blaney, and Bullins would be moving to join Keselowski.[131]
On January 7, 2020,Go Fas Racing announced that Ryan Sparks would be the crew chief for the No. 32 car, driven byCorey LaJoie. Sparks previously served as a race engineer at Richard Childress Racing for the No. 3 of Austin Dillon.[133]
On January 22, 2020, it was reported that Dave Winston would be the crew chief for theGaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 car, driven byDaniel Suárez. Winston previously served as a race engineer for Richard Childress Racing.[134]
On January 23, 2020, it was announced that Steve Idol would be the crew chief of the MBM Motorsports No. 66 Cup Series team, after previously having been a car chief for the organization.
On August 4, 2020,Chip Ganassi Racing announced thatChad Johnston would be replaced as crew chief on the No. 42 car by the team's engineer, Phil Surgen, for the remainder of the season.[135]
On March 1, 2020, prior to the2020 Auto Club 400 atFontana, the No. 37 and No. 47 teams ofJTG Daugherty Racing were docked 10 owner and driver points each and crew chiefsTrent Owens and Brian Pattie were suspended for the race after the cars were discovered to have an illegal modification during pre-race inspection. Brian Burns and Eddie Pardue took over the crew chief duties for the No. 37 and No. 47, respectively, for the race.[136]
On May 18, 2020, following the2020 The Real Heroes 400 atDarlington,Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 crew chief Chris Gayle was suspended for one race and finedUS$20,000 after it was discovered that two lug nuts were not safely secured during post-race inspection. Race engineer Seth Chavka was announced to take over Gayle's duties at the2020 Toyota 500 at Darlington.[137]
On May 25, 2020, following the2020 Coca-Cola 600, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 crew chief Chris Gabehart, car chief Brandon Griffeth, and engineer Scott Simmons were suspended for four races after atungsten ballast came loose and fell off the frame rail of the car during the start of the race.[138]
On August 2, 2020, prior to the2020 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 atNew Hampshire,Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 crew chief Jerry Baxter andGo Fas Racing No. 32 crew chief Ryan Sparks were suspended for the race and their respective teams were each penalized 10 driver and owner points after their cars failed pre-race inspection for improperly mounted ballasts.[140] Roy Gangdal, the engineer for the No. 32 team, would substitute for Sparks as LaJoie's crew chief for that race.[24]
On September 6, 2020, prior to the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500,Team Penske No. 12 crew chiefTodd Gordon was suspended for the race due to the car's ballast being improperly installed.Travis Geisler, Penske's competition director, served as the interim crew chief for the No. 12 in that race.[27]
On September 6, 2020, following the 2020 Cook Out Southern 500, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 crew chiefAdam Stevens was suspended for the Richmond race and finedUS$20,000 after the car was discovered to have two loose lug nuts during post-race inspection.[142]
On October 25, 2020, prior to the2020 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 atTexas Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 crew chief James Small was suspended for the race and finedUS$35,000 while the team was docked 20 driver and owner points for an unapproved rear spoiler during pre-race inspection.[29]
On June 13, 2019,Nationwide Insurance announced the end of their five-year sponsorship ofHendrick Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet driven byAlex Bowman after the2019 season.[144][145] On January 29, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced thatChevrolet Accessories partners will be the primary sponsor of the No. 88 for 26 races. The sponsorship package will consist of the brands Adam's Polishes, NOCO, and Truck Hero.[146] On August 12, 2019,Acronis signed a sponsorship deal with HMS that will run through 2023, including primary sponsorship of the No. 88 team for three races in 2020.[147] On October 26, 2019,Planters was announced as the primary sponsor of the No. 88 at the2020 Xfinity 500 atMartinsville.[148]
On August 7, 2019,Team Penske announcedDiscount Tire renewed and expanded their commitment to the No. 2 car for 2020. Discount Tire who has been associated with Team Penske since 2010 will sponsor 15 races as the main sponsor, including the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and the season finale in Phoenix.[150] On January 28, 2020,Miller Lite announced it would sponsor the No. 2 at theCoca-Cola 600 only.[151]
On September 3, 2019, it was reported thatMonster Energy is considering increasing its sponsorship of theChip Ganassi Racing No. 1 Chevrolet in 2020, as it will no longer become the title sponsor of the Cup Series after 2019. As Monster Energy has spent an estimatedUS$5 million on the team in 2019, the deal could give CGR close toUS$10 million in the next year.[152]
On September 19, 2019,Liberty University reached a two-year agreement to extend the sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports' No. 24 Chevrolet driven byWilliam Byron. Under the agreement, the No. 24 will carry Liberty University sponsorship in 12 races annually in 2020 and 2021.[153]
On September 20, 2019, Cincinnati Inc. signed a partnership deal with Hendrick Motorsports that runs from 2019 to 2028. The deal makes the tool manufacturer an associate sponsor for all four teams and a primary sponsor of the No. 88 Chevrolet driven by Alex Bowman.[154][155]
On October 4, 2019,Ally Financial extended its sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports' No. 48 Chevrolet for three more years through the 2023 season.[156][157]
On October 23, 2019,Hertz extended its sponsorship of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet driven by William Byron through 2021. This deal includes four primary sponsorships per season and a full-time associate sponsorship.[159]
On October 30, 2019,Oscar Mayer extended its sponsorship of theRoush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford driven byRyan Newman through 2021.[160] On January 8, 2020,Wyndham Rewards announced a multi-year extension of its sponsorship of the No. 6 team.[161] On January 22, 2020,Castrol signed up as the official motor oil of RFR and a primary sponsor of the No. 6 team in select events.[162] A day later, Acorns announced that it will no longer sponsor the team.[163] On August 12,Guaranteed Rate signed a sponsorship deal with the team for the remainder of the season.[164]
On October 31, 2019,Mars, Incorporated signed a multi-year contract extension as the official chocolate of NASCAR. The company has sponsored theJoe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota driven byKyle Busch since 2008.[165]
On November 4, 2019, HotelPlanner signed a multi-year deal as the official online booking partner of NASCAR.[166]
On December 2, 2019, NASCAR announced that the organization will not allowCBD sponsorships partly due to restrictions from its media rights partners and also because ofFIA regulations (cannabinoids, which CBD is part, is a Prohibited Substance in theWADA Code that is used by the FIA; NASCAR is a member of theASN of the FIA in the United States, theAutomobile Competition Committee for the United States).[167]
On January 9, 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing announced thatAdventHealth would return to the team in 2020 and increase their sponsorship, with two races on the No. 42 of the driver who will replace Kyle Larson, and two races on the No. 77 Spire Motorsports car of Ross Chastain (which will have an alliance with Ganassi in those races). In 2019, they sponsoredJamie McMurray's No. 40 Spire/Ganassi car in the Clash, Larson in the All-Star Race (which he won), and Kurt Busch's No. 1 at Kansas in October.[103]
On January 14, 2020, it was reported that NASCAR was in advanced discussions withVerizon Communications on a new partnership, which includes upgrading the tracks with5G technology.[168]
On April 13, 2020,McDonald's,Credit One Bank, andFiserv (Clover) terminated their sponsorship deals withKyle Larson following his suspension by Chip Ganassi Racing and NASCAR. In addition, Chevrolet suspended their business relationship with Larson indefinitely.[113]
On January 28, 2020, NASCAR announced a change in stage lengths for 16 races in the Cup Series. The affected tracks will have the length of their final stages decreased so that only one green-flag pit stop is required instead of two.[174]
On October 1, 2019, NASCAR released the 2020 rules package. Among the changes to the rules is the reduction of road crew members from 12 to 10. Teams with three or more cars are limited to three roster spots.Wind tunnel testing is limited to 150 hours per team and will only be permitted at four wind tunnel facilities (three in North Carolina and one in Indiana). Each car number is allowed a maximum chassis quantity of 12 units. Teams must compete with long block and short block sealed engines in a minimum of eight races each.[175][176][177]
On January 14, 2020, NASCAR announced a reduced downforce package for short tracks and road courses. The new aero package consists of the following changes:[178]
The rear spoiler will be reduced from 8 inches to 2.75 inches in height.
The front splitter's overhang will be reduced from 2 inches to a quarter-inch, with its wings trimmed from 10.5 inches to 2 inches.
The radiator pan's vertical fencing will be removed to reduce front-end downforce.
On June 15, 2020, NASCAR announced in response to Newman's Daytona 500 crash that aeroducts would be removed from the cars for Daytona and Talladega, as well as reduce horsepower from 550 to 520. This, along with slip tape being mandatory, were intended to limit the ability to tandem draft and lower speeds.
On August 19, 2020, NASCAR allowed teams to remove a portion of the passenger side window starting with theDover doubleheader to address the heat exhaustion experienced by drivers during the summer races.[179]
On February 14, 2020, NASCAR announced the extension of the charter system through 2024. The charter system was first implemented in2016 and had a five-year term that ran until 2020.[180]
The original 2020 schedule for the NASCAR Cup Series underwent a series of significant changes.[185]
TheFolds of Honor QuikTrip 500 atAtlanta Motor Speedway moved from the second race to the fifth race of the season behind the West Coast swing to March 15, 2020, returning to its pre-2010 date of mid-March.
Pocono Raceway's two races were consolidated into a doubleheader weekend, with thePocono Organics 325 andPocono 350 held across two consecutive days. The starting order for the second race would be determined by reversing the order of the lead lap finishers from the first race.[186]
Dover International Speedway's second date moves to late August, marking the first time the race has not been in NASCAR's postseason.
The Championship Round of the Playoffs will be conducted atPhoenix Raceway on November 8. This will be the first Phoenix race to close out the season. Due to this and the consolidation of the Pocono doubleheader, the 2020 season will end one week earlier than in the past. Usually, the season finale had been held on the third weekend in November, falling sometime between November 16–22.
TheHollywood Casino 400 atKansas Speedway will be held one week later than 2019, replacing Martinsville and becoming the first race of the Round of 8.
TheToyota Owners 400 at Richmond will move back to Sunday afternoon, similar to 2015–2017 when it was run on a Sunday afternoon. This was done because the two Martinsville Speedway races will be night races in 2020, as both races will start in the day and end at night.
On March 16, 2020, NASCAR announced all race events through May 3, 2020 had been postponed.[189]
On April 17, 2020, NASCAR announced thatMartinsville Speedway race weekend on May 8–9, 2020 had been postponed, although the sanctioning body affirmed its commitment to running a full 36-race schedule.[190]
On April 30, 2020, NASCAR announced a revised schedule for the month of May, with two Cup races atDarlington Raceway and two points-paying races atCharlotte Motor Speedway, including theCoca-Cola 600 that will be run with no fans in the stands (Charlotte did allow each owner of a Turn 1 condominium complex overlooking the track five tickets each to the races).[191]
With the exception of theCoca-Cola 600, all races starting with NASCAR's return at Darlington through the Homestead race at minimum will feature no practice or qualifying. Teams will unload, have cars inspected, and race. The Coca-Cola 600 featured same-day qualifying but no practice.[193]
On May 14, 2020, NASCAR announced the schedule for late-May through June 21, 2020, includingBristol Motor Speedway,Atlanta Motor Speedway,Martinsville Speedway,Homestead–Miami Speedway, andTalladega Superspeedway. NASCAR also announced that these races would still be held behind closed doors.[194] However, Atlanta, like Charlotte, allowed owners of its Turn 4 condominiums to attend the races with a similar policy to that in place (five tickets for each unit). NASCAR later announced that it would allow spectators at two races as a trial, with the Homestead race inviting a limited audience of 1,000—representing local branches of the U.S. military.[195]
At theGEICO 500 at Talladega, NASCAR admitted outside spectators for the first time, capped at 5,000 in the stands, as well as limited campsites open.[195]
On June 15, 2020, NASCAR announced that theAll-Star Race would be moved toBristol Motor Speedway so that it could be held with spectators. The speedway admitted a maximum of 30,000 spectators for the All-Star Race (out of a total capacity of 162,000), the largest attendance of any U.S. sporting event held since the beginning of pandemic-related restrictions.[196][197]
On July 8, 2020, NASCAR announced the next phase of revisions to the schedule through the conclusion of the regular season in August, this included twin race weekends at Dover and Michigan (with the races shortened to 500 kilometers each), and theGo Bowling at The Glen being replaced by theGo Bowling 235—NASCAR's first ever road course race at Daytona International Speedway. It was reported that the replacement of the Watkins Glen race was necessitated by travel restrictions imposed by the state ofNew York, which at the time required 14 daysself-isolation for anyone entering the state from areas designated as having large numbers of recent COVID-19 cases (including North Carolina, where the majority of NASCAR teams and staff are based). Fans could have been admitted at events on a case-by-case basis depending on local health orders.[198]
On July 21, 2020, NASCAR announced that the remaining national series events on the 2020 schedule would be held without practice and qualifying.[199]
Kyle Busch won the pole after qualifying was cancelled due to rain.Chase Elliott dominated early and won both stages.Martin Truex Jr. had to return to pit road to tighten lug nuts and later slammed the wall after having a tire go down. Elliott also had a tire go down and slammed the wall.Ryan Blaney, despite a tire rub, took the lead fromJoey Logano and was heading to the win untilRoss Chastain spun. Blaney andAlex Bowman pitted while Logano stayed out.William Byron had a tire rub and wrecked along with Blaney, Kyle Busch, andJohn Hunter Nemechek as Logano held offMatt DiBenedetto for his second straight Vegas win.[205]
Clint Bowyer started on the pole.Alex Bowman won the first stage. Bowyer brought out the caution after having a tire go down.Kyle Larson got into the wall after contact withDenny Hamlin, but was able to keep going.Ryan Blaney won the second stage. Hamlin made contact with the wall. Bowman took the lead fromMartin Truex Jr. and continued to lead with Blaney in second. Blaney had to pit for a flat tire with three laps to go. Bowman continued to lead for his second career Cup victory overKyle Busch.[206]
Season paused for two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The fifth race of the season was supposed to be the2020 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, the first race at Atlanta since its rescheduling from being the second race of the season (in late February or early March, which it was for 5 years) to mid-March immediately after the west coast swing (the races at Las Vegas, Fontana, and Phoenix) as part of the 2020 schedule changes.
Prior to the Atlanta race, NASCAR announced that no fans would be permitted to attend it due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[208] However, it was announced the following day that the race would instead be outright postponed to sometime later in the season. The same restrictions applied to the following race, the2020 Dixie Vodka 400, at Homestead–Miami Speedway.[209] It was supposed to be the first Homestead race since its rescheduling from being the season-finale in November (which it was for 18 years) to March as the sixth race of the season as part of the 2020 schedule changes.
This was NASCAR's first race back since the pandemic hit. It was run on May 17 as a one-day show, with no fans in attendance. This additional race at Darlington replaced the race atChicagoland in June on the schedule. NASCAR announced that there would be no practice or qualifying held so that teams would not need to bring additional crew members to the track and would not need to bring backup cars.[191][192]
Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole position by a random draw, which was done on the Thursday before the race and televised onNASCAR Race Hub.[210]Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrecked on the first lap of the race.Jimmie Johnson was leading at the end of the first stage but wrecked after contact withChris Buescher on the last lap of the stage, withWilliam Byron winning the stage. Keselowski won the second stage of the race.Kevin Harvick led the most laps and won the race, his second win at Darlington and 50th career win.[211]
The second race to air during prime time this season[212] also saw no fans in the stands much like the previous race. Positions 1 through 20 from Sunday's race were inverted, which meantRyan Preece started on pole by virtue of his 20th-place finish on Sunday.[191][192] Positions 21 through 40 made up the remaining half of the grid. The Tommy Baldwin racing entry driven byJosh Bilicki did not enter this race which meant only 39 cars started.J. J. Yeley andGray Gaulding started in the rear due to them not participating in Sunday's race. The race saw Preece, the pole sitter, blow a motor during the first stage and fail to finish.Clint Bowyer led the most laps and won the first and second stages, but got into the wall and spun late in the race.Denny Hamlin was leading when the final caution came out with 28 laps to go whenChase Elliott made contact withKyle Busch. Busch was attempting to fall in line behind Elliott on the front straightaway of the track, but accidentally spun Elliott into the inside wall. Elliott expressed his displeasure under the caution period, when he climbed from his car andextended his middle finger towards Busch in retaliation. During this caution period, rain began to fall, which caused NASCAR to red flag the race. With 20 laps remaining, NASCAR declared Hamlin the winner. This was Hamlin's second victory of the season.[213]
This race occurred on its originally scheduled date of May 24 but was the first race since the COVID-19 pandemic to feature qualifying as part of a one-day show. This would turn out to be the final race in 2020 that would have an actual qualifying session as NASCAR would announce in late July that there would be no further practice or qualifying sessions for any of NASCAR's 3 national touring series for the remainder of 2020.Kurt Busch started on pole for the race. At the beginning of the race,Denny Hamlin lost ballast from his car and was forced to pit, resulting in him starting the race multiple laps down. The race was red-flagged due to rain during the first stage.Alex Bowman won the first stage of the race under caution afterClint Bowyer got into the wall. Bowman also won the second stage of the race.Joey Logano won the third stage of the race.Chase Elliott was leading late in the race whenWilliam Byron spun with two laps to go, setting up an overtime finish. Elliott and several cars came to pit road while other drivers stayed out.Brad Keselowski took the lead and won the race in overtime.Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line 2nd but failed post-race inspection, resulting in him being disqualified and finishing the race in last place meaning he will start in last place in the next race.[214]
The race was postponed from Wednesday to Thursday due to rain. The top 20 from the Coca-Cola 600 was inverted, which meant thatWilliam Byron started on pole.Joey Gase andGarrett Smithley got into the wall on the first lap and collectedTyler Reddick andTy Dillon. Byron had to pit after making contact withCorey LaJoie on pit road.Kyle Busch cut a tire after making contact withAric Almirola.Brad Keselowski cut a tire and got into the wall along withMatt Kenseth. The race was red flagged due to rain. When the race resumed,Joey Logano won the first stage.Alex Bowman won the second stage and led the start of the final stage until he got into the wall and had to pit.Kevin Harvick took the lead, butChase Elliott passed Harvick for the lead and held offDenny Hamlin for his seventh career win.[215]
Chase Elliott won pole from random draw.Kurt Busch had to serve a drive-thru penalty in the first laps due to failing pre-race inspection multiple times.Martin Truex Jr. won both stages asMichael McDowell andJohn Hunter Nemechek both had spin outs that brought the only incidents of the day.Kevin Harvick will go on to lead the most laps and grab his second win of the season.[217]
The first night race to take place at Martinsville since the implementation of the lights in 2017, and the first race toban all confederate flags from sports events in response to themurder of George Floyd.Ryan Blaney won pole from random draw as a quick caution on lap 5 came out for debris from Austin Dilion's car. He would eventually retire from the race on the final stage due to overheating inside the car. Many noticeable drivers, includingKyle Busch,Denny Hamlin,Erik Jones,Brad Keselowski, Blaney, andMatt Kenseth would struggle in the first stage and would already be a lap or two down until the competition caution came out at lap 60. Another caution would come out with 10 to go in stage 1 fromTimmy Hill stalling on pit road. Most drivers who were a lap down opted to take the wave around, butCorey Lajoie opted not to pit while on the lead lap, thus trapping all the wave arounds stuck a lap down.Joey Logano will go on to win stage 1 whileJimmie Johnson would win stage 2.Martin Truex Jr. was busted from going over the commitment box while pitting and had to restart at the tail-end. Two more cautions would come out for incidents involvingDavid Starr andQuin Houff. Truex would assume the lead in the latter portion of the race and would win for the second consecutive time at Martinsville, beating second placeRyan Blaney by 4.232 seconds.[218]
Denny Hamlin won pole as the start of the race was delayed due to lightning in the area, and again on lap 5.Ryan Newman would spin out in the first stage as Hamlin would go on to win both stages.Chase Elliott led late in the race, but was blocked by lapped carJoey Logano due to their incident that happened at Bristol several weeks prior, allowing Hamlin to regain the lead and score his third win of the season.[219]
The race was pushed from Sunday to Monday afternoon due to rain and lightning that washed out the track.Martin Truex Jr. started on pole from random draw.Denny Hamlin would hit the wall late in stage 1 and would have to repair under green. 5 laps before the end of stage 1, a shower damped the track forcing the red flag for almost an hour.Tyler Reddick would win stage 1 under yellow following race resumption.John Hunter Nemechek would spin out in turn four to bring the only incident in stage 2 asRicky Stenhouse Jr. would win stage 2. Stage 3 would see two minor crashes involvingChase Elliott andAustin Dillon with 50 to go, andBrennan Poole andJoey Gase would crash with 46 to go. This caution would ultimately turn into a fuel mileage race as many would either barely make it while others would be a few laps short. The race would run green until 3 laps to go whenJimmie Johnson got turned byKevin Harvick at the start/finish line forcing the race into overtime. Drivers up front likeRyan Blaney, Stenhouse, and Harvick would opt not to pit in order to keep track position and save fuel. On the overtime restart, Harvick would get a push fromChris Buescher to the lead. On the final lap, several drivers would crash in turn 3 involvingClint Bowyer,Matt DiBenedetto, and Truex, allowing Blaney to pass Harvick and score his 4th career win in the Cup Series, beating out Stenhouse by 0.007 seconds asErik Jones,Aric Almirola, and Nemechek crash coming to the finish.[220]
Aric Almirola started the race on the pole.Joey Logano won the first stage of the race while Almirola won the second stage of the race. Almirola led the most laps in the race. During a round of green-flag pit stops, Almirola took four tires whileKevin Harvick took two tires, resulting in Harvick taking the lead. Late in the race, Logano had to make an unscheduled pit stop due to a flat tire. Harvick held offDenny Hamlin to win the race, his third win of the season and first win at Pocono.[221]
Ryan Preece started the race on the pole following an inversion of the top 20 results from the first Pocono race.Kurt Busch won the first stage of the race.Christopher Bell spun and hit the wall. Toward the end of the second stage,Ryan Blaney made contact withKyle Busch, sending Busch spinning and into the wall.Brad Keselowski won the second stage of the race.Kevin Harvick was leading in the final stage of the race and came to pit road for a green-flag pit stop, giving the lead toDenny Hamlin. Hamlin pitted 15 laps later and retained the lead once green-flag pit stops cycled through. Hamlin would hold off Harvick to win the race. The win was the fourth of the season for Hamlin and his sixth win at Pocono, tyingJeff Gordon for the most wins at Pocono.[222]
Joey Logano started the race on the pole. On lap 15, a multicar accident occurred on pit road, with a crew member ofRyan Blaney's pit crew suffering injuries. The race was red flagged due to this incident.William Byron won the first stage of the race.Kevin Harvick won the second stage of the race. Several drivers were involved in wrecks due to tire issues, including Byron,Erik Jones, andAlex Bowman. Late in the race, Harvick andDenny Hamlin were battling for the lead. Hamlin cut a tire and hit the wall while leading with 7 laps to go. This caution set up an overtime finish, where Harvick held offMatt Kenseth to win the race, his fourth win of the season.[223]
Kyle Busch started on the pole.Aric Almirola dominated and won the first stage.Matt Kenseth spun after a flat tire whileBrad Keselowski won the second stage. On a later restart,Jimmie Johnson was spun after contact with Keselowski. Kenseth spun a second time, setting up a two lap restart.Kevin Harvick andMartin Truex Jr. got side by side for the lead andRyan Blaney made it three wide. Blaney and Harvick made contact and it allowedCole Custer to take the lead in a four-wide pass on the last lap and hold off Truex for his first career win.[224] Custer's victory marked the first Cup win by a Cup rookie sinceChris Buescher won at Pocono Raceway in August 2016 when fog shortened the event. Cole became the thirty-third driver to win a race in all three of NASCAR's top divisions.
Martin Truex Jr. started on the pole, but had to start in the back for failing inspection.Kurt Busch spun early asRyan Blaney won the first stage.Chase Elliott won both the second and third stages. In the final 15 lap stage, Elliott pulled away and held offKyle Busch to win $1 million.[225] Chase completed the second Father-Son combination to win the All-Star Race. His dad Bill won it in 1986 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The other combo were the Earnhardts with Dale Sr. winning it three times (1987, 1990, 1993) and Dale Jr. winning it in 2000, becoming the first rookie to win the exhibition event.
A random draw gave the pole toAric Almirola.Kyle Busch slammed the wall early after a flat tire ending his race early.Jimmie Johnson made contact withClint Bowyer and spun.Denny Hamlin won the first stage andBrad Keselowski won the second stage after passing Hamlin.Matt Kenseth had multiple tire issues and spun three different times. Keselowski led the most laps and held off Hamlin for his third win of the season.[228] This would lead to a contract extension between Keselowski andTeam Penske the next day.[229]
The top 20 from the previous race gave the pole toChris Buescher, but had to start at the rear of the field.Clint Bowyer won the first stage whileKevin Harvick won the second stage. Penske teammatesRyan Blaney andBrad Keselowski got together while battling for the lead and got into the wall. Harvick led the most laps and held offDenny Hamlin to sweep the weekend for his sixth win of the season and tyingRusty Wallace for 55 wins on NASCAR's all-time wins list.[231]
Kevin Harvick was awarded the pole due to the owner's standings for the first Cup race on the Daytona road course.Chase Elliott won the first stage whileDenny Hamlin won the second stage.Alex Bowman lost a tire while Harvick spun twice andMartin Truex Jr. andRyan Blaney suffered speeding penalties.Kaz Grala, filling in forAustin Dillon who tested positive forCOVID-19, was leading late until he had to pit, but finished 7th in his Cup debut.Kyle Busch, who was several laps down due to brake issues, spun with both rear tires flat. The dominant Elliott was able to hold off Hamlin for his second win of the season and his fourth career road course win.[232]
Chase Elliott was awarded the pole in the first race of the Dover doubleheader.Kurt Busch got into the wall early after contact withErik Jones and collectedAlex Bowman.Kevin Harvick had to pit twice early due to a loose wheel.Denny Hamlin swept the stage wins and led the most laps. Hamlin retook the lead from teammateMartin Truex Jr. in the final laps for his sixth win of the season.[233]
The top 20 inverted from the previous race gave the pole toMatt DiBenedetto.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun after contact withJoey Logano asChase Elliott rammed into the back ofKyle Busch, ending the day for the 9 team.Kevin Harvick dominated and won both stages.Jimmie Johnson came from a speeding penalty to get the lead off pit road for the final restart. Harvick took the lead from Johnson and held offMartin Truex Jr. for his seventh win of the season, clinching the regular season championship whileKurt Busch, Kyle Busch, andAric Almirola clinched their spots in the playoffs.[234]
Chase Elliott was awarded the pole.Brad Keselowski had a tire go down and got into the wall.Bubba Wallace spun and was taken out by transmission issues.Martin Truex Jr. dominated, leading the most laps and winning both stages. In the closing laps, Elliott was passed for the lead by Truex, but Truex wasn't cleared and the two made contact and got into the wall with both cars cutting down tires.Kevin Harvick took the lead and held off a fast chargingAustin Dillon for his eighth win of the season, his third at Darlington, and punching his ticket to the next round of the Playoffs.[236]
Kevin Harvick was awarded the pole.Jimmie Johnson got into the wall early whileRyan Blaney had tire problems.Denny Hamlin won the first stage whileBrad Keselowski won the second stage. Keselowski led the most laps and took the lead fromAustin Dillon and held offMartin Truex Jr. for his fourth win of the season and punched his ticket to the next round of the playoffs while Hamlin clinched on points.[237]
Denny Hamlin was awarded the pole. The early laps took place in the rain with the cars using rain tires. The teams put on slicks after most of the track dried.Ty Dillon put slicks on before the rest and he was able to get to the lead and win the first stage.Ryan Blaney won the second stage, but spun from the lead on the restart.Kyle Busch had to pit with a flat tire andAustin Dillon spun after contact with Busch. On the restart, a stack up caused damage toClint Bowyer, who needed a win to advance.Matt Kenseth spun and slammed into the tire barrier.Chase Elliott took the lead fromErik Jones and held offJoey Logano for his third win of the season and his fourth straight road course to advance to the next round of the playoffs. Dillon,Aric Almirola, Bowyer, and Kyle Busch were eliminated from the playoffs.[241]
Chase Elliott was awarded the pole and would win the first stage.Matt Kenseth slammed the wall after contact withErik Jones.Denny Hamlin would win the second stage, but would get into the wall in the final stage and had to pit.Tyler Reddick had a tire go down and got into the wall.Joey Logano took the lead off pit road and held off the dominantKevin Harvick for his third win of the season and advancing to the Championship 4 in Phoenix.[242]
Kevin Harvick was awarded the pole. Prior to the race,Martin Truex Jr. was docked 20 points and having his crew chief suspended for the race for having an illegal spoiler. Harvick led early until he got into the wall, sending him to pit road to fix damage. The race was red flagged due to rain and was postponed until Wednesday as it continued to rain for the next several days. When the race resumed,Matt Kenseth spun after contact withDenny Hamlin and collectedBubba Wallace andAric Almirola. The two dominate cars,Clint Bowyer andKyle Busch, won the two stages respectively. Several drivers used different pit strategies. With 20 laps to go, Bowyer pitted while Kyle Busch stayed out trying to win the race on fuel mileage. Busch was able to save enough fuel and held off teammate Truex to finally win in 2020 to break his winless drought.[243]
Brad Keselowski was awarded the pole.Denny Hamlin won the first stage of the race whileChase Elliott, who led the most laps in the race, won the second stage of the race.Kevin Harvick cut a tire early in the race and had to make an unscheduled green-flag pit stop, causing him to fall two laps down at one point in the race. Chase Elliott passedMartin Truex Jr. for the lead with 43 laps to go and would go on to win the race to advance to the Championship 4. Coming to the finish, Harvick needed one more point in order to advance to the Championship 4. On the last lap, Harvick attempted to passKyle Busch to gain that point but both cars wrecked coming to the finish line, and Harvick failed to advance to the Championship 4. Elliott,Joey Logano, Hamlin, andBrad Keselowski advanced to the Championship 4.[244] Harvick, Truex Jr.,Alex Bowman, andKurt Busch were eliminated from the Playoffs.
Chase Elliott was awarded the pole but had to drop to the rear at the beginning of the race after failing pre-race inspection multiple times.Joey Logano won the first stage of the race, while Elliott raced his way up to 3rd by the end of the first stage.Brad Keselowski won the second stage of the race. Elliott led the most laps of the race and would win the race and his first championship. Elliott was followed by fellow Championship 4 competitors Keselowski, Logano, andDenny Hamlin, with Jimmie Johnson rounding off the top 5 in his final race as a full-time Cup Series competitor.[245]
Legend:Results color-coding Bold – Pole position awarded by time.Italics – Pole position set by final practice results, owner's points, previous race field inversion, random draw or competition-based formula. * – Most laps led.1 – Stage 1 winner.2 – Stage 2 winner.3 – Stage 3 winner.[N 1]1–10 - Regular season top 10 finishers. . – Eliminated after Round of 16. – Eliminated after Round of 12. – Eliminated after Round of 8
† – Due to the extreme heat,J. J. Yeley did not run the full race at the Daytona Road Course and was relieved byBayley Currey just before the caution for lightning. Since Yeley started the race, he is officially credited with the 34th-place finish.
_(cropped).jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)