It has become clearer and clearer that we are in the midst of a youth movement in the NASCAR Cup Series. But that didn’t stop the average age of this year’s Championship 4 drivers from being the oldest ever.
The much-publicized youth movement that is taking place in the NASCAR Cup Series and has been developing over the last few years suffered a rather striking blow in the form of this year’s Championship 4 field.
Advancing to this year’s Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway are Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.
Truex won the round of 8 race at Martinsville Speedway, Harvick won the round of 8 race at Texas Motor Speedway and Hamlin won the round of 8 race at ISM Raceway to advance to the winner-take-all 267-lap race around the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Homestead-Miami Speedway oval in Homestead, Florida. Busch advanced on the strength of his point total.
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As a result, the average age of this year’s Championship 4 drivers is the oldest ever.
Harvick is the oldest of the bunch at 43 years old. Truex ranks second at 39, Hamlin ranks third and 38 (turns 39 the following day), and Busch, the youngest of the group, is 34, making the average age of the group 38.5.
In 2014, the Championship 4 consisted of Harvick, Hamlin, Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon, aged 38, 33, 36 and 43, respectively, for an average age of 37.5. In 2015, it consisted of Harvick, Busch, Truex and Gordon, aged 39, 30, 35 and 44, respectively, for an average age of 37.
In 2016, it consisted of Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano, aged 31, 41, 37 and 26, respectively, for an average age of 33.75, the youngest ever. In 2017, it consisted of Harvick, Busch, Truex and Brad Keselowski, aged 41, 32, 37 and 33, respectively, for an average age of 35.75.
Finally, last year, it consisted of Harvick, Busch, Truex and Logano, aged 42, 33, 38 and 28, respectively, for an average age of 35.25
What youth movement?
Which of the four NASCAR Cup Series veterans remaining in contention to win the 2019 championship will do so in Sunday’s Championship 4 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway? The Ford EcoBoost 400 is set to be broadcast live on NBC beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.