NASCAR: A Look At 6 Drivers Who Are Hot & Who Are Not
By T. Walker
You’re either hot or not in NASCAR. Either you’re winning — or not. There isn’t much room for mediocrity.
No matter how hot you are as a driver, NASCAR has a way of reminding you that anything can happen at any given race. Case-in-point, the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sure, we know Talladega and Daytona are any driver’s races to win, but what we witnessed in Indy proved how unpredictable things can be for a driver that is hot, and for one that is not.
With twenty races completed this NASCAR Monster Energy Cup season, let’s take a look at drivers who are consistently getting it done each week and those who can’t get right. Below are a few drivers that I believe fit the description.
Jimmie Johnson (Hot)
Mr. 7x will always make this list until further notice. Johnson is a champion who is still winning. There is no need to remind you of his top 5’s or top 10’s this season. He has three wins under his name as we head into the playoffs. Need I say anything else?
More from NASCAR Cup Series
- NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
- NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
- NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
- NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
- NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500
If his three wins aren’t enough, how about that spectacular show he put on in Indy at the Brickyard 400 when he took Brad Keselowski and Kasey Kahne three-wide as they raced for the lead with a couple of laps to go? Johnson did it while his car was smoking from engine issues and actually got the jump on both. He eventually spun out and hit the wall, but he was there in the final laps racing for the win. He also gave NASCAR fans one hell of a show.
Brad Keselowski (Hot)
Despite having five DNF’s, Brad Keselowski has 10 top 5’s and 13 top 10’s. He has already won two races, albeit earlier this season, and if Indy was any indication of what is to come, I believe he may win another race before the playoffs start. The Penske driver has four 2nd place finishes this season that easily could have been wins. He did hit a rough patch crashing out of back-to-back races, finishing 31st in Daytona and 39th in Kentucky, but after racing Kasey Kahne hard for the win in Indy, it feels like Keselowski is ready to visit Victory Lane again.
Kyle Busch (Lukewarm)
It is hard to digest that this guy still hasn’t won a race this entire season. Aside from crashing out of three races, he hasn’t had a bad year. Unfortunately, he just hasn’t been able to close.
There are only five races this season in which Kyle Busch did not lead at least one lap. In the past eight races, he started on the pole four times, leading me to believe it is only a matter of time before he seals his fate with a win. I have enough faith to believe that if Kasey Kahne can win, NASCAR’s 2015 Monster Energy Champion driver of the No. 18 can drive into the winner’s circle at least one time in the next couple of races.
Kurt Busch (Not Hot)
This guy hasn’t won a race since the Daytona 500. Kurt only has two top 5’s this season. He has nine top 10’s and his average finish for the first 20 races is 18th place.
The last few races have not been kind to the Daytona 500 winner. He crashed out at Indy and the July race at Daytona. He had engine issues in Kentucky, and he barely scored a top 10 finish in Loudon. Kurt Busch will make the playoffs because of his lone win this season, but if the playoffs started today, I wouldn’t bet 5 bucks on him.
Joey Logano (Not Hot)
Logano’s only win was ruled encumbered by NASCAR. The season began on a high note for Logano but started to tumble downhill after Talladega. Five races in a row including Talladega, Kansas, Charlotte, Dover and Pocono, the highest Logano could score was a 21st place finish. He actually crashed out of two of the five races mentioned.
Logano did manage a top 5 finish at the wreck fest that was the Brickyard 400, but aside from that, he has not shown much of what we have come to expect from him. Maybe things will turn around for him. As of now, I would have to say he is recognizably not hot.
Chase Elliott (Not Hot)
We all expected a win from Chase Elliott by now. It has been almost two full seasons and he still hasn’t won his first NASCAR Monster Energy Cup race. Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chris Buescher have all won a race in NASCAR’s premier series. No one expected Larson, who has won multiple races, to be as good as he is, but no one thought Chase would struggle the way he has.
In 20 starts, Elliott’s best finish came when he finished 2nd in Michigan. He also has three 3rd place finishes (Las Vegas, Martinsville and Kentucky). If the playoffs started today, Elliott would be in the running for the championship thanks to a couple of stage wins, six top 5’s and 11 top 10’s. Yes, the young man is off to a good start, but when you are racing in equipment far more superior than most of your peers, anything short of a win is not hot.
Next: Chase Elliott Is Officially in the Danger Zone
Who is your pick to win in Pocono? Tweet me and let me know. Also, be sure to follow Beyond the Flag on Twitter and Instagram.