NASCAR: The recently broken all-time record that nobody is talking about

An all-time NASCAR record was recently broken, but nobody seems to be talking about it. Oh, and it has nothing to do with Kyle Busch and Morgan Shepherd.

As far as an all-time record concerning a streak to open up a NASCAR season, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch has been in the headlines for what was his 11-race streak of top 10 finishes to open up the 2019 Cup Series season.

Only Morgan Shepherd had ever started a Cup Series season by recording 11 consecutive top 10 finishes before, as he pulled this off in the 1990 season. He failed to finish the 1990 season’s 12th race as a result of an engine failure.

Busch ultimately failed to break this record, as he finished in 30th place in the 2019 season’s 12th race, Saturday night’s Digital Ally 400, at Kansas Speedway.

More from NASCAR

But one driver who was in the headlines for the success that he had this weekend recently broke a significant record in not only Cup Series history but in NASCAR history. However, it is a record that nobody seems to be talking about.

Ross Chastain recently broke the record for competing in the most consecutive Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Cup Series races to open up a season.

Chastain drives for Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series, and he drives for JD Motorsports and Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series. He also drives for Premium Motorsports in the Cup Series. He is eligible to earn points in the Xfinity Series.

After competing in this weekend’s Truck Series and Cup Series races at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Kansas Speedway oval in Kansas City, Kansas, the 26-year-old Alva, Florida native has now competed in each of the first 29 races across the Truck Series, the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series to open up the 2019 season.

Never before had a driver competed in more than 22 races across the Truck Series, the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series to open up a season. In fact, the previous record of 22 consecutive races competed across these three series was held by Busch, who started in each of the first 22 races across these three series in the 2008 season.

Chastain tied this record by making his 22nd start of the season back in mid-April in the Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, and he made his record-breaking 23rd start of the season back in late April in the Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Chastain earned his first victory of the season by winning this past Friday night’s Truck Series race, the Digital Ally 250, at Kansas Speedway. In his seven Truck Series starts so far this season, he has earned one victory and recorded three top five finishes and seven top 10 finishes.

He has led 59 of the 1,138 laps that he has completed so far this season, and he has recorded an average starting position of 14.7 and an average finishing position of 5.9. If he were eligible to earn points in the Truck Series, he would be sitting in an impressive second place in the championship standings.

In his 10 Xfinity Series starts so far this season, Chastain has recorded one top 10 finish, a seventh place finish in the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has led 30 of the 1,637 laps that he has completed, and he has recorded an average starting position of 12.5 and an average finishing position of 17.1. He currently sits in 13th in the championship standings.

In his 12 Cup Series starts so far this season, Chastain has also recorded one top 10 finish, a 10th place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. He has led 10 of the 3,705 laps that he has completed, and he has recorded an average starting position of 33.2 and an average finishing position of 28.2.

Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

Ross Chastain is a full-time driver in both the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series, but he does not have any more confirmed races in the Truck Series this season. While he could certainly still compete in more Truck Series races before the 2019 NASCAR season ends, his streak of consecutive starts across these three series to start the season could very well come to an end in the near future, especially with Kyle Benjamin having already been confirmed as the driver of the #45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, the truck that Chastain has driven in each of his seven Truck Series starts so far this season, for seven of the Truck Series season’s remaining 16 races. That said, this is one record that deserves a ton of respect and recognition but has unfortunately flown almost completely under the radar.

Home/NASCAR