The more things change, the more they stay the same. And such is the trend in NASCAR. In the past, some of the sport’s greats raced well into their 50s. In recent years, however, most have retired in their early to mid-40s.
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But with Denny Hamlin having his second-best Cup season to date (with a series-leading four wins in the first 21 races this year) at the age of 44 and having signed a new contract extension that will keep him at Joe Gibbs Racing for at least two more seasons, there appears to be a trend that young drivers today may continue driving into their late 40s or perhaps even longer.
It may also prompt other drivers over 40 to consider extending their careers, like Kyle Busch. The Richard Childress Racing driver said during Saturday’s media availability at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, “I guess Jeff (Gordon) did it, (Matt) Kenseth did it, Denny’s doing it, Truex (Martin Truex Jr.) did it. There’s guys that can certainly do it.”
Gordon and Truex both retired at 44, Tony Stewart was 45, Kevin Harvick was 47, and Kenseth was 48.
“I have yet to win a race after my 40th birthday, so I’m working on it,” Busch continued. “But it’s a testament of time. Obviously, someday eventually it comes to an end and you’ve got to put the helmet on the shelf. But those guys are just making the most of all the stuff that they’ve got and the opportunity.”
In addition to Hamlin and Busch, other Cup drivers who are in their early 40s now include Brad Keselowski (41) and Michael McDowell (40).
But Busch can see those 40-somethings, and potentially himself if he can start performing well again, going several more years before they call it quits. That seems to be the trend the sport is heading toward, where young drivers keep driving until the proverbial wheels fall off their cars.
“I still think guys will go 40 or plus,” Busch said. “This car is harder on you, so maybe not. I don’t know. I think there’s a lot of factors that’ll go into that. I don’t want to speculate as to when drivers should hang it up or whatever.
“But if you’re competitive and winning and you’re making the most of your team and everything else with what you’ve got, then keep going as long as you’re happy.”
Busch also suggested that something else may keep drivers going longer into their 40s or keep them motivated: money. “I don’t think drivers in the Denny, Kenseth, Kyle Busch era will make as much as we did during our good years,” he said.
“So, I’m just making up a number, but if we’ve made $50 million over our career, (today’s younger drivers are) probably only going to be around the $20 to $25 million range over the course of their career. So they may have to go further.”
Are peak years for a Cup driver still between 35 and 45 years old?
How long drivers race before retiring has been an issue almost as old as NASCAR itself. Back in the 1980s, the late Neil Bonnett said Cup drivers reached their prime and greatest success between the ages of 35 and 45 because it took them that long to learn the craft of successful racing.
Busch was asked about the development of his 10-year-old son, Brexton, who appears headed to follow his father among the youngest Cup drivers.
“I would say that the peak can be earlier,” the elder Busch said. “I would say that my talent peak was probably early, but my mentality peak was not, being able to handle situations, tough situations, game seven moment situations, that sort of stuff.
“You’ve got to go through some really, really good tutelage or some life lessons ahead of time before you can put all of that together as a person.
“I feel like with everything that I’ve learned and where I became a two-time champion, that I can certainly give some good advice to Brexton and helping his attributes become a little bit better and his speed be better, faster, and maturity level to be ready to go when he gets here.”
