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The 2024 NASCAR season has seen unprecedented moments that will be remembered in the coming years. Just when we thought we’d seen it all, the season had major changes in the calendar and massive lawsuit battles.
The drivers themselves also had a lot of memorable moments, including the infamous Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. fight at the All-Star race, and Austin Dillon deliberately wrecking cars on the final lap to win and make the playoffs.
With plenty to cover, we narrowed the list down to five moments this year.
5. NASCAR announced the addition of Mexico City
Last August, NASCAR announced that Mexico City will be added to the 2025 schedule, which will be the first points-paying race outside the US since 1958. It will be held on June 15 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the same track used in racing series like Formula 1.
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The addition of the Mexico City race reflects the sport's initiative to expand globally.
However, it poses certain challenges, especially with regard to logistics. In 2025, teams will drive from Michigan down to Mexico City before returning to the US at Pocono Raceway.
4. Martin Truex Jr. retired from full-time competition
Martin Truex Jr. concluded his full-time commitment to NASCAR after the 2024 season. He spent 19 years in the premier series, entertaining fans with high-octane on-track battles and stunning liveries with his long-time sponsor, Bass Pro Shops.
Perhaps his most memorable season was in 2017 when he won his first and only Cup Series championship. He had the chance to go back-to-back in 2018, but Joey Logano took the championship after the Team Penske driver bumped him out of the lead on the final lap.
3. Kyle Busch's two streaks ended
Another veteran NASCAR driver who had a memorable moment this 2024 was Kyle Busch. The Las Vegas native snapped his streak of winning at least one race in a season at 19 consecutive years. His 11-year playoff appearance streak also ended.
The streaks were mostly earned during his full-time drive with Joe Gibbs Racing. His move to Richard Childress Racing in 2023 challenged him for race wins, and unfortunately, it cost him a winless season after almost two decades.
2. Joey Logano won third championship in controversial fashion
Joey Logano won his third championship to become the 10th NASCAR driver to do so. However, his championship run was criticized for several reasons.
One was getting back into playoff contention after he was eliminated at the Charlotte oval race. He was reinstated following Alex Bowman's disqualification for failing to meet post-race inspection requirements.
Another reason was his performance throughout the season. He may have had four wins, but Kyle Larson beat him stats-wise as the Hendrick Motorsports driver scoring six wins and leading the most laps at 1,700 laps.
1. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports' lawsuit against NASCAR
NASCAR may have been sued before, but perhaps nothing compared to the magnitude of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports' antitrust lawsuit. After the teams refused to sign the new charter agreement, they sued NASCAR for alleged monopolistic practices.
Since the teams didn't sign the multi-year extension, NASCAR ruled out their charter benefits. However, the plaintiffs filed a preliminary injunction that would allow them to compete as de facto chartered teams while the case is ongoing.
