NASCAR sees rare occurrence for first time since 2001

Not since the 2001 NASCAR Cup Series season had a season begun with four straight Chevrolet victories, but that has changed in 2023.

Chevrolet has been on a hot streak to start the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. It began in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, when JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who joined the team in 2020, got his first win behind the wheel of the No. 47 Chevrolet.

Then at Auto Club Speedway, Kyle Busch took Richard Childress Racing to victory lane in just his second start with the team and his second start with Chevrolet since 2007, overcoming an early penalty to secure his first win behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet.

In each of the last two weekends at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron has taken advantage of late race restarts to take his No. 24 Chevrolet to victory lane, marking the first time the car has won back-to-back races since Jeff Gordon pulled it off in 2007.

As a result, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is the first since 2001 in which Chevrolet has opened up a year four for four.

In 2001, Michael Waltrip won the Daytona 500 behind the wheel of his No. 15 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet. Steve Park then won at Rockingham Speedway behind the wheel of his No. 1 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet.

Jeff Gordon won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway behind the wheel of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet before Kevin Harvick won at Atlanta Motor Speedway behind the wheel of his No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Dale Jarrett ended the streak at Darlington Raceway, piloting his No. 88 Robert Yates Racing Ford to victory lane.

If a Chevrolet wins this coming Sunday’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, it will mark the first time since 1995 that the manufacturer has won each of a season’s first five races. In 1995, it took until the season’s eighth race for a non-Chevrolet to find victory lane, when Rusty Wallace pulled it off behind the wheel of his No. 2 Penske Racing Ford.

Sunday’s race, the Ambetter Health 400, is set to be broadcast live from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Fox beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don’t miss it!