The Future of NASCAR (2020-2030) (Coolfastjack)

2020

-The 2020 Season saw a few driver changes happen. Matt DiBenedetto took over the #21 from Paul Menard, who retired from full time competition after 2019. Corey LaJoie also ended up taking over the #38 at Front Row Motorsports replacing David Ragan. The #95 ended up going to Christopher Bell, whose rookie rivals consisted of Cole Custer in the #32, and Tyler Reddick in the #16 at Roush. Ultimately, Bell won rookie of the year.

The season played out very similar to 2019, as most of the same figures who won races in 2019 also won at least one race in 2020, with the exceptions being Ryan Blaney, Jimmie Johnson (in his final year) and first time winners William Byron, who won 2 races and Matt DiBenedetto. Alex Bowman and Justin Haley was the only drivers who won the previous year and did not win in 2020.

Ratings saw a minor dip that contested 2018. The average viewership was 4.6 million viewers per race. The new schedule did not go down well with the fans, and most of the races that saw a switcharound saw a dip in ratings with multiple exceptions.

The season itself saw 14 different winners. These included Daytona 500 Champion Chase Elliott (Daytona 500, Michigan, Watkins Glen and Kansas 2), Joey Logano (Las Vegas, Martinsville 1 & 2), Kyle Busch (Auto Club, ISM, Bristol, Pocono Race 1, Darlington, Richmond 2, Charlotte ROVAL and the Championship Finale at ISM Raceway), Kevin Harvick (Atlanta, Michigan 2, Las Vegas 2), Kyle Larson (Homestead), Brad Keselowski (Texas, Talladega and Indianapolis), Defending Champion Denny Hamlin (Richmond, Sonoma, Bristol Night Race), Martin Truex Jr (Dover, Coke 600, Pocono Race 2 and Kentucky), Kurt Busch (Kansas), Ryan Blaney (Chicagoland), Erik Jones (New Hampshire), William Byron (Dover 2, Talladega 2), Matt DiBenedetto who pulled off an upset win in the Coke Zero 400, and Jimmie Johnson who won the 2nd Texas Race on a fuel gamble towards the end of the race. All 14 of them made the playoffs along with Alex Bowman and Aric Almirola.

At the finale at ISM Raceway, the title fight was between first time finale driver Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Kyle Busch and Logano traded the lead most of the race but a late race yellow for a Tire Failure on Cole Custer bunched everyone up. Busch held off Elliott to take the win and the title with Logano and Hamlin both finishing in the top 7. The Final Standings looked like this

2021

Winners

Michael McDowell (Daytona 500)

Christopher Bell (Daytona RC)

William Byron (Homestead, Pocono 2)

Kyle Larson (Las Vegas, Coke 600, Sonoma, Nashville)

Martin Truex Jr (Phoenix, Martinsville, Darlington)

Ryan Blaney (Atlanta)

Joey Logano (Bristol Dirt, Michigan)

Alex Bowman (Richmond, Dover, Pocono 1)

Brad Keselowski (Talladega)

Kyle Busch (Kansas)

Chase Elliott (COTA, Watkins Glen)

Ross Chastain (Road America)

Denny Hamlin (New Hampshire, Daytona 2)

Austin Dillon (Atlanta 2)

Austin Cindric (Indy Road Course) (Ineligible for Playoffs)

Other Playoff Drivers

Kevin Harvick

Tyler Reddick

Playoffs

Round of 16

Darlington:Kevin Harvick

Richmond:Joey Logano

Bristol:Kyle Busch

Eliminated:Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon

Round of 12

Las Vegas:Kevin Harvick

Talladega:Tyler Reddick

Charlotte Roval:Chase Elliott

Eliminated:Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano

Round of 8

Kansas:Kyle Larson

Texas:Alex Bowman

Martinsville:Denny Hamlin

Eliminated:Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, William Byron

Championship 4

Phoenix:Alex Bowman

2nd:Kyle Larson

3rd:Martin Truex Jr

4th:Denny Hamlin