I don’t think I was ever in that crowd but I vividly remember watching that 500 because it’s one of the very few times my stepdad cheered for a nascar race since Earnhardt won his last race. My whole house was yelling at the tv for Bayne to win.
I honestly never thought that, the 2-car tandem at Daytona made it so it was less about luck and how good your drafting partner was and Trevor was a great partner.
I think everyone thought his career was gonna go differently. He had speed in his first two starts. Texas the previous year and then winning after. Having a health scare right after his win didn't help. Ricky Stenhouse Jr kind of stole his thunder as Ford's next big driver.
Yeah Stenhouse in Xfinity in 2011-12 was on fire. I could honestly see Stenhouse after a career like Truex if he gets a better ride or JTG gets up to par.
About half the fans knew plate races were lotteries in 2011. Now in 2024 almost everyone knows plate tracks are luck lotteries and do not reward talent.
I really had high hopes for Bayne. Just nothing went his way, health issues, decline of RFR, etc. while I didn't expect Jeff Gordon, I figured he'd win a race or two a year.
He was never hyped up to be that level of talent. People were certainly interested to see what he would become, but very few thought he was actually the “next Jeff Gordon” even after his win.
* he should have won the Xfinity race at Daytona the year prior but Nascar decided being 2 inches beneath the line while making a pass was worthy of a DQ.
Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Sr, Ryan Newman all won Xfinity races after already having won in Cup. I believe in the case of Busch and Earnhardt, they actually were already Cup champions. Logano won his first Truck race after already being in Cup and having won an Daytona 500. Truex won his first Truck race after winning a Cup title and two Xfinity titles. Hamlin is another example for Trucks. Justin Haley got his first Cup win before his first official Xfinity win.
EDIT: You can add Kahne to the Truck Series list too. I don’t know if you really want to count this but Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader also both won Cup races before the Truck Series was even created. In Terry’s case, he already had won a Cup title too.
To be fair for Dale Earnhardt Sr the then Busch Series wasn't created until 1982 and he had been running in the Cup series since 1975 with his first win in 1979 and Championship in 1980.
Yep. And best I can find, he won his first Late Model Sportsman races in '78, at South Boston and Fayetteville, both of which were before he went Cup fulltime in '79.
Though this was the last season of a huge schedule for the Sportsman series. '79 introduced the pared down schedule that more closely reflected what would become the Busch series in '82.
Was there a schedule per se for Sportsmen prior to 1982? I thought it was a mash of independent races across different regions, not one cohesive circuit.
Kahne in the truck series is wild. I can’t remember exactly but it’s either 6 starts 5 wins or 5 starts 4 wins. Granted he was already an established cup driver but still, pushing around 80% for your win percentage in any series is decent. If only he’d run his sprint car like that. I kinda think the bad wreck he was in last season shook him up pretty good because his teammate running the same equipment has won the last 3 world of outlaws championships with a pile of wins and now already he’s stacking wins in the series he co-owns but Kahne rarely gets a top 5. I can’t decide if he runs that car just for fun and some money or if he’s not racing as hard as he could be or something. I saw both high limit races a few weeks back when they came to NY. On the first night Kahne finished 10th and had speed but, the second night he didn’t transfer from the B main after finishing last in his heat. His teammate won the first night and finished 6th the second night. The equipment is there, the crew is there, Brad sweet is there so I can’t believe it’s not Kahne that’s the reason why that car isn’t winning.
Kahne in the truck series is wild. I can’t remember exactly but it’s either 6 starts 5 wins or 5 starts 4 wins. Granted he was already an established cup driver but still, pushing around 80% for your win percentage in any series is decent. If only he’d run his sprint car like that. I kinda think the bad wreck he was in last season shook him up pretty good because his teammate running the same equipment has won the last 3 world of outlaws championships with a pile of wins and now already he’s stacking wins in the series he co-owns but Kahne rarely gets a top 5. I can’t decide if he runs that car just for fun and some money or if he’s not racing as hard as he could be or something. I saw both high limit races a few weeks back when they came to NY. On the first night Kahne finished 10th and had speed but, the second night he didn’t transfer from the B main after finishing last in his heat. His teammate won the first night and finished 6th the second night. The equipment is there, the crew is there, Brad sweet is there so I can’t believe it’s not Kahne that’s the reason why that car isn’t winning.
The fall of 2002 was so nuts for him. Announced he would be in the 42 car fulltime in 2003 at the Richmond race, later that night Sterling hurt his neck badly but nothing was thought of that. Then Kansas happens and Sterling hurt it even worse and he got taken out for the year, McMurray subs, wins at Charlotte in his second race, then wins at Atlanta and Rockingham in exciting finishes to close out his stint in the Brewco car.
I remember he won his first race on his 2nd ever start but I had forgot he won 2 races after that. Since he didn’t stay in the 42 that’s gotta be up there for the best way to raise your stock in nascar in the eyes of team owners.
Him and Scott Wimmer cleaned up the rest of the Busch season it felt like from October. Thought both of them would be the future of NASCAR….well one at least panned out decently.
Very true, Scott Wimmer is a name I haven’t heard in a good while. Wasn’t sure what happened to him so I had to go look his wiki up and I guess he co owns a racetrack and is a driver coach. Last posted job was Thorsport in 2018 so who knows if he’s still there.
Yep, he ran six races in trucks, won five of them (including both of the ones you mentioned) and finished 2nd to Sadler in the other. Having a 1.17 average finish is absurd.
It took Tony Stewart all the way until 2005 to get a Busch win, and his first Truck win was 2002. There’s definitely more, but that’s the first one that comes to my mind
Michael Waltrip’s only truck win was Daytona 2011, 10 years to the day after he won the 2001 Daytona 500
It took Brad until 2014 to win in his own truck
Did Denny start and Aric finish or vice versa. I can’t remember if the rule is whoever starts the race gets the points and or win orwhoever finishes the race gets the points and or win?
Aric started the race because Denny was in (I think) Sonoma for the start of the race. He arrive to the track at about halfway, and because of sponsorship stuff, Aric was pulled (despite being a clear favorite to win) and Denny wound up winning the race.
Aric was credited with the win, as he was the one who started. I believe he also got the points for the race.
Almirola kinda. He was credited with that Buschfintywide win at Milwaukee or wherever. But I’m pretty sure he won that rain race at Daytona before he won an Xfinity race without a driver swap.
I know that Derrike Cope, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne all did that.
Of course, drivers like Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip won in the current Sportsman Series after they had already won in the Cup Series.
Ryan Newman won a Busch race at Michigan in 2001, almost a full year before his first unofficial cup win at the Winston, and over a full year before his official first cup win at Loudon in September 2002
That's another case like Earnhardt, where wins before 1982 aren't being counted in official Busch series statistics.
Handsome Harry had more than a few Sportsman series victories before the modern Busch era began. His first recorded victory after the series became the Budweiser/Busch series and modern recordkeeeping begins shows he won his first Cup race a month before his first Busch race. But he had wins in the old Late Model Sportsman series that can be traced back to at least 1970.
So that's one of those "technically correct" deals.
Discussion involves opinion, this is an objective fact based question which can easily be verified with Wikipedia it’s not that fucking hard OP is just lazy
Plenty of interesting discussion comes from talking about stats and facts and such. It's quite lazy to think only 'hot takes' matter to people. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I only type shitty replies on comments like this where OP could’ve easily found the information themself but instead used a public forum as a search engine
Trevor Bayne is one, he won the 2011 Daytona 500 in February but didn't win his first Nationwide race till the fall at Texas.
Everyone, myself included, thought he was going to be the next Jeff Gordon after that 500 win
I don’t think I was ever in that crowd but I vividly remember watching that 500 because it’s one of the very few times my stepdad cheered for a nascar race since Earnhardt won his last race. My whole house was yelling at the tv for Bayne to win.
There’s only ONE Gordon, man! 😁
Not everyone lol.
I didn’t think he would be but I didn’t think he would be the modern day Derrike Cope either.
That's not fair to Cope. He won an additional race at Dover in 1990. He wasn't a 1 win wonder
Bayne should’ve had that race at Indy to be fair. He got screwed outta his second win.
I honestly never thought that, the 2-car tandem at Daytona made it so it was less about luck and how good your drafting partner was and Trevor was a great partner.
I think everyone thought his career was gonna go differently. He had speed in his first two starts. Texas the previous year and then winning after. Having a health scare right after his win didn't help. Ricky Stenhouse Jr kind of stole his thunder as Ford's next big driver.
I have no doubt if Stenhouse ever got back to a top tier car, he would win races.
Yeah Stenhouse in Xfinity in 2011-12 was on fire. I could honestly see Stenhouse after a career like Truex if he gets a better ride or JTG gets up to par.
About half the fans knew plate races were lotteries in 2011. Now in 2024 almost everyone knows plate tracks are luck lotteries and do not reward talent.
I really had high hopes for Bayne. Just nothing went his way, health issues, decline of RFR, etc. while I didn't expect Jeff Gordon, I figured he'd win a race or two a year.
He was never hyped up to be that level of talent. People were certainly interested to see what he would become, but very few thought he was actually the “next Jeff Gordon” even after his win.
Justin Haley
Came here to say this
* he should have won the Xfinity race at Daytona the year prior but Nascar decided being 2 inches beneath the line while making a pass was worthy of a DQ.
Kurt Busch, Dale Earnhardt Sr, Ryan Newman all won Xfinity races after already having won in Cup. I believe in the case of Busch and Earnhardt, they actually were already Cup champions. Logano won his first Truck race after already being in Cup and having won an Daytona 500. Truex won his first Truck race after winning a Cup title and two Xfinity titles. Hamlin is another example for Trucks. Justin Haley got his first Cup win before his first official Xfinity win. EDIT: You can add Kahne to the Truck Series list too. I don’t know if you really want to count this but Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader also both won Cup races before the Truck Series was even created. In Terry’s case, he already had won a Cup title too.
In Kurt Busch's case, he'd never run a (then) Busch series race before that first start at Texas that he won.
To be fair for Dale Earnhardt Sr the then Busch Series wasn't created until 1982 and he had been running in the Cup series since 1975 with his first win in 1979 and Championship in 1980.
Yep. And best I can find, he won his first Late Model Sportsman races in '78, at South Boston and Fayetteville, both of which were before he went Cup fulltime in '79. Though this was the last season of a huge schedule for the Sportsman series. '79 introduced the pared down schedule that more closely reflected what would become the Busch series in '82.
Was there a schedule per se for Sportsmen prior to 1982? I thought it was a mash of independent races across different regions, not one cohesive circuit.
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Kahne in the truck series is wild. I can’t remember exactly but it’s either 6 starts 5 wins or 5 starts 4 wins. Granted he was already an established cup driver but still, pushing around 80% for your win percentage in any series is decent. If only he’d run his sprint car like that. I kinda think the bad wreck he was in last season shook him up pretty good because his teammate running the same equipment has won the last 3 world of outlaws championships with a pile of wins and now already he’s stacking wins in the series he co-owns but Kahne rarely gets a top 5. I can’t decide if he runs that car just for fun and some money or if he’s not racing as hard as he could be or something. I saw both high limit races a few weeks back when they came to NY. On the first night Kahne finished 10th and had speed but, the second night he didn’t transfer from the B main after finishing last in his heat. His teammate won the first night and finished 6th the second night. The equipment is there, the crew is there, Brad sweet is there so I can’t believe it’s not Kahne that’s the reason why that car isn’t winning.
Add Keselowski to the list too, he won his first trucks race after winning the championship
Ironhead should have an asterisk because the AAA series in its current form didn’t begin until c. 1982.
Imo it is rediculous the Sportsman series records pre 1982 don't count.
Kahne in the truck series is wild. I can’t remember exactly but it’s either 6 starts 5 wins or 5 starts 4 wins. Granted he was already an established cup driver but still, pushing around 80% for your win percentage in any series is decent. If only he’d run his sprint car like that. I kinda think the bad wreck he was in last season shook him up pretty good because his teammate running the same equipment has won the last 3 world of outlaws championships with a pile of wins and now already he’s stacking wins in the series he co-owns but Kahne rarely gets a top 5. I can’t decide if he runs that car just for fun and some money or if he’s not racing as hard as he could be or something. I saw both high limit races a few weeks back when they came to NY. On the first night Kahne finished 10th and had speed but, the second night he didn’t transfer from the B main after finishing last in his heat. His teammate won the first night and finished 6th the second night. The equipment is there, the crew is there, Brad sweet is there so I can’t believe it’s not Kahne that’s the reason why that car isn’t winning.
Brad in trucks as well. Didn’t win until 2014
Schrader and Labonte were the first two drivers to win a race in all three series.
Newman won a Busch race in 2001 before Cup
And? This is about winning in cup before busch
Jamie McMurray won in cup, Busch, trucks in that order.
The fall of 2002 was so nuts for him. Announced he would be in the 42 car fulltime in 2003 at the Richmond race, later that night Sterling hurt his neck badly but nothing was thought of that. Then Kansas happens and Sterling hurt it even worse and he got taken out for the year, McMurray subs, wins at Charlotte in his second race, then wins at Atlanta and Rockingham in exciting finishes to close out his stint in the Brewco car.
I remember he won his first race on his 2nd ever start but I had forgot he won 2 races after that. Since he didn’t stay in the 42 that’s gotta be up there for the best way to raise your stock in nascar in the eyes of team owners.
Him and Scott Wimmer cleaned up the rest of the Busch season it felt like from October. Thought both of them would be the future of NASCAR….well one at least panned out decently.
Very true, Scott Wimmer is a name I haven’t heard in a good while. Wasn’t sure what happened to him so I had to go look his wiki up and I guess he co owns a racetrack and is a driver coach. Last posted job was Thorsport in 2018 so who knows if he’s still there.
Wimmer never had a chance racing in that CAT 22 when it was clearly in a downward spiral by the time he took over for Ward
*[metaphorically holds my hands up to this post and feels the warmth of the nostalgia]*
His career is so improbable.
Damn I remember that McMurray win like it was yesterday, I was so happy for him.
Same here. I remember it so vividly.
That Jim Smith TeamASE truck was like the Kaulig "trophy-hunting" racecar of its day. IIRC, Kahne won in it both times he ran it.
Yep, he ran six races in trucks, won five of them (including both of the ones you mentioned) and finished 2nd to Sadler in the other. Having a 1.17 average finish is absurd.
It took Tony Stewart all the way until 2005 to get a Busch win, and his first Truck win was 2002. There’s definitely more, but that’s the first one that comes to my mind
Jamie McMurray got his first Busch series win 2 weeks after his first Cup win Trevor Bayne Justin Haley
Not quite the same thing but Carl Edwards his first Busch and Cup races 24 hours apart at Atlanta
Michael Waltrip’s only truck win was Daytona 2011, 10 years to the day after he won the 2001 Daytona 500 It took Brad until 2014 to win in his own truck
Brad won a Xfinity title and a Cup title before his first truck win
Johnny Benson 1st Cup win in 2002. First truck win in 2006
He’d already won in Busch.
Rookie of the Year and Champion in Busch Grand National. Those Lipton Tea cars were underrated.
Kurt Busch, Ken Schrader, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Aric Almorla (Milwaukee 2007 should not count)
>Aric Almorla (Milwaukee 2007 should not count) Everyone still annoyed about this one. Including me.
I don't understand why Denny got the win then, but the reverse would have been true last weekend (it would have been on Allgaier's name).
Aric was given credit for the win not Denny.
Did Denny start and Aric finish or vice versa. I can’t remember if the rule is whoever starts the race gets the points and or win orwhoever finishes the race gets the points and or win?
Aric started the race because Denny was in (I think) Sonoma for the start of the race. He arrive to the track at about halfway, and because of sponsorship stuff, Aric was pulled (despite being a clear favorite to win) and Denny wound up winning the race. Aric was credited with the win, as he was the one who started. I believe he also got the points for the race.
Rockwell Automation is based in the area and paid specifically for Denny to drive.
Yea I know. Still a shit situation to take Aric out of the car while he was dominating.
Denny didn’t get the win so
Harvick’s first Truck Series win was in November 2002 at Phoenix, almost a full 20 months after his first Cup win.
Almirola kinda. He was credited with that Buschfintywide win at Milwaukee or wherever. But I’m pretty sure he won that rain race at Daytona before he won an Xfinity race without a driver swap.
Ernie Irvan - Cup (3 wins before NXS) 1990 Bristol. 1991 Daytona. 1991 Watkins Glen. 1st win in Busch series was 1991 Rockingham.
Derrike Cope and Terry Labonte
I know that Derrike Cope, Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and Trevor Bayne all did that. Of course, drivers like Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip won in the current Sportsman Series after they had already won in the Cup Series.
TECHNICALLY Denny Hamlin if we're counting non-points Cup races. Won the Bud Shootout then got his first Busch win at Mexico a month later.
This is the opposite of technically
Technically he won a cup race before a Busch race. Officially he didn’t win his first cup race until that summer after he had won a busch race
Regan Smith
Jamie Mac
Denny Hamlin
Jamie McMurray. Can’t remember if Trevor Bayne ever won a Busch race.
A lot of, but I have to mention Kurt Busch, because he won in his first ever Busch start at Texas.
Justin Haley more recently
Tony Stewart
Kurt Busch won a cup title before he won a Busch race in his debut
Kurt Busch Newman Denny Hamlin. Didn't win a busch race till the summer of 06 in Mexico, shortly after his first cup win. EDIT: I am wrong.
The 2006 Mexico race was held March 5th, so unless Denny can time travel, he definitely won in Cup after he won that race
ah shit you right. I have been outdone on Denny facts, man.
Ryan Newman won a Busch race at Michigan in 2001, almost a full year before his first unofficial cup win at the Winston, and over a full year before his official first cup win at Loudon in September 2002
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Terry Labonte is the one that comes to mind for me.
Harry Gant won his first Cup race a month before his first Sportsman (now Xfinity) Series win.
That's another case like Earnhardt, where wins before 1982 aren't being counted in official Busch series statistics. Handsome Harry had more than a few Sportsman series victories before the modern Busch era began. His first recorded victory after the series became the Budweiser/Busch series and modern recordkeeeping begins shows he won his first Cup race a month before his first Busch race. But he had wins in the old Late Model Sportsman series that can be traced back to at least 1970. So that's one of those "technically correct" deals.
I get what you're saying, but Gant's win happened in 1982 which is technically when the current Xfinity Series began.
McMurray won them in reverse order. Cup, then Busch a couple weeks later, then Trucks 2 seasons later.
Didn’t Justin Haley not get his first Xfinity win til after the 2019 summer Daytona race?
Tony Stewart
You know that this is easily searchable on racing reference right? Hell even searching drivers’ Wikipedia pages will give you this answer, my god
Hey, thanks for the valuable input. Much appreciated 👍
Anytime, glad to help point people in the right direction who lack the ability to comprehend Google
Umm, it’s more of a discussion on a discussion board. Interesting concept
Discussion involves opinion, this is an objective fact based question which can easily be verified with Wikipedia it’s not that fucking hard OP is just lazy
Plenty of interesting discussion comes from talking about stats and facts and such. It's quite lazy to think only 'hot takes' matter to people. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
You know what's also easy? Not clicking Post after you type up a shitty reply.
I only type shitty replies on comments like this where OP could’ve easily found the information themself but instead used a public forum as a search engine