Long winless streaks aren’t uncommon in NASCAR. Even the greatest of drivers like Bill Elliott have gone over 200 races without a win and still managed to find their way back to the victory lane. On the current field of Cup Series drivers, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are battling a dry run with winless streaks of 37 races and 47 races respectively. But the numbers of their fellow contenders show why it isn’t time for them to fret yet.
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RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher is the active driver with the longest stretch of winless races. After scoring his maiden victory at Pocono in 2016, he went without a win for 222 races before winning at Bristol in 2022. The Texas native is currently riding a 26-race winless streak but this can be attributed more to lack of luck than performance.
Joe Gibbs Racing superstar Martin Truex Jr. holds second spot with a streak of 218 races. His first victory ever came at Dover in 2007 and his second came nearly 6 years later at the Sonoma Raceway. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. comes in third place. He won his first two races within a six-week gap but he needed a staggering 199 races between his second and third win, which was the 2023 Daytona 500.
The fourth active driver with the longest winless streak is Justin Haley. His first victory came 121 races back at Daytona. He is still awaiting his second victory. The fifth and final driver on the list is Buescher’s teammate Brad Keselowski. The 2012 Cup Series champion’s streak extended 110 races and came to a close recently in Darlington.
Other active Cup Series drivers who’ve had considerable winless streaks
Busch’s current drought of 37 races is the longest he has gone without winning. This shows the level of consistency that he has maintained over his long career. Logano, on the other hand, had a 103-race winless streak between his first and second wins in the premier tier. His second-longest streak is the current 47-race one that began at Atlanta in 2023.
Denny Hamlin’s longest streak is a 50-race gap that came back in 2008. Alongside Keselowski, Chase Elliott too broke a glaring streak of 42 races this season.
Winless streaks can occur to any driver at any point of time in their career. It depends on a whole lot more than just their skills. The numbers provide a tad bit of assurance to those who might worry that their best is already behind them.
