NASCAR lost half of a historic group in 2022
By Asher Fair
In 2021, two active NASCAR drivers remained in an exclusive, historic group. But in the 2022 Cup Series season, only one of them remained.
The legendary Dale Earnhardt was tragically killed as a result of a last-lap crash in the 2001 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
“The Intimidator”, whom many still consider to be the greatest NASCAR driver of all-time, earned 76 victories and won seven championships, tying Richard Petty’s record. To this day, nobody has won an eighth, though Jimmie Johnson did join the pair with his seventh in 2016.
During the 2021 season, the season which marked two decades following Earnhardt’s tragic death, there were still two drivers competing full-time who had the chance to compete against Earnhardt earlier in their careers.
Those two drivers were Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. But only one of them competed in 2022.
Busch, who began competing full-time in 2001, made the move from Chip Ganassi Racing, which was acquired by Trackhouse Racing Team after the 2021 season, to 23XI Racing, joining Bubba Wallace.
Ryan Newman, however, was replaced by Brad Keselowski at Roush Fenway Racing, which have since become RFK Racing with Keselowski becoming not only a driver but a co-owner of the organization.
Newman, who had competed full-time since 2002, was unable to put together a deal to compete in the Cup Series, leaving Busch as the only active driver to have compete against Earnhardt.
Busch competed in eight races with Earnhardt, including seven of the 2000 season’s final eight races, the first seven starts of his career, as well as the 2001 Daytona 500, his first race as a full-time driver.
Newman competed in just one, the November 2000 race at Phoenix Raceway. This race marked his Cup Series debut. As a part-time driver in 2001, he did not make his first start until the March race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, at which point Earnhardt was already gone.
Next. 3 possible landing spots for Ty Gibbs in 2023. dark
Busch is set to return to 23XI Racing in 2023, but not as a full-time driver. He missed the final 16 races of the 2022 season after suffering a head injury in a qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway and decided to step away from full-time competition as a result. The 2023 season is set to be the first without a full-time driver who once competed against Earnhardt.