NASCAR: One statistic proves 2010s decade the greatest ever

While the quality of drivers, racing, playoff formats and more can be argued endlessly, one statistic proves that the 2010s decade of NASCAR racing was the greatest ever.

Another NASCAR Cup Series season is in the books, and with it, another decade of competition is in the books as well.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch took the checkered flag to win the 36th and final race of the 2019 season and the 360th and final race of the 2010s decade Homestead-Miami Speedway, securing his second career championship in the process.

The last few years have featured many controversial changes to NASCAR, most notably the overhaul to the playoff system ahead of the 2014 season and the introduction of stages ahead of the 2017 season.

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We could spend hours debating about the best era of NASCAR, and that debate could include factors such as the quality of racing, drivers, playoff formats, lack of playoffs, stage racing, traditional racing, etc. in the discussion.

But above all, we as fans so often forget that the drivers are more than drivers; they are all humans, just like you and I.

And that’s what made this decade so special, and without mincing words, the greatest in NASCAR history.

Zero drivers across ALL NASCAR series were killed in accidents.

That has never happened, nor has it ever even come close to happening, in any decade since NASCAR was formed back in 1948.

Something worth noting: this decade (2010’s) is the first since NASCAR’s creation in 1949 to have no fatalities.
— Tyler Head (@TylerHead18) November 18, 2019

Considering the fact that the most recent fatality as a result of a NASCAR Cup Series crash came nearly two decades ago to begin with in the 2001 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway when seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt was killed in a last-lap crash, this may not seem super significant here and now.

But considering just how many drivers have been killed in wrecks each decade prior to the 2010s, this could be the best news NASCAR has ever had.

Excluding drivers killed by medical conditions and non-driver fatalities, the 1940s featured one fatality, that being that of William Davis in the Modified Series (now NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) in 1948. The 1950s featured 17, including six in the Cup Series.

The 1960s featured 13 fatalities, including seven in the Cup Series, while the 1970s featured eight, including three in the Cup Series. The 1980s featured five in the Cup Series and 10 in other series for a total of 15. In the 1990s, there were 14 fatalities, of which three were in the Cup Series. Most recently in the 2000s, there were two in the Cup Series and nine in other series for a total of 11.

That total thankfully dropped to 0 across ALL NASCAR series in the 2010s.

The most recent fatality is that of Carlos Pardo, who passed away following a crash in the Mexico Corona Series (now NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series) in June of 2009.

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Let’s hope that improvements in safety and technology will allow every future decade to join the 2010s decade on the newly introduced list of NASCAR decades to never feature a fatality.

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