Thanksgiving Day is a time to gather with loved ones and express gratitude for all you have. Nearly three weeks removed from the conclusion of the 2024 NASCAR season, here’s what drivers should be thankful for.
Joey Logano: Crew chief Paul Wolfe
It’s time to start putting Wolfe’s name in the conversation for the best crew chief in the Cup Series garage. It was Wolfe’s savvy fuel strategy at Nashville that propelled the struggling Logano into the NASCAR playoffs, and another fuel-mileage call by Wolfe at Las Vegas that got Logano into the Championship 4. At Phoenix, Wolfe gave Logano the best car in the field, which he used to hold off Ryan Blaney to win his third Cup Series championship.
William Byron: Chevrolet’s Martinsville blockade
The race manipulation scandal that took place at Martinsville on Nov. 3 rocked the NASCAR world, but there’s no doubt that William Byron came out smelling like a rose. After the Chevrolets behind Byron formed a blockade, ensuring he couldn’t lose valuable points, Christopher Bell was forced to pull off a half-hearted wall ride on the final lap, which NASCAR deemed illegal. The decision by the officials knocked Bell out of the Championship 4 and granted Byron a second consecutive berth in the championship race.
Kyle Busch: NASCAR’s short offseason
It’s not crazy to say that 2024 was the nadir of Busch’s Cup Series career. Busch’s 20th-place points finish is tied with his rookie season of 2005 as the worst of his career, and 2024 was his first winless season at the Cup Series level. The good news? NASCAR’s extremely short offseason — which is just shy of three months long — means he won’t have to wait very long before being given the opportunity to revitalize his career. 2025 is a big year for Busch, and it could determine the trajectory of his career moving forward.
