Does NASCAR have its most competitive field in this year’s Cup Series? ‘It’s hard to tell’
More than half of the NASCAR Cup Series drivers have led laps entering the eighth race of the season.
There aren’t many gaps in the field on Sundays. The highest circuit in stock car racing continues to be increasingly competitive, bringing even more attention to details and emphasizing the importance of preparation.
Thirty-four of the 38 cars qualified within 1 second of each other for Sunday’s race at Darlington. Pole-sitter William Byron ran his lap around the 1.366-mile track in 28.774 seconds, while Erik Jones earned the P34 starting position with a 29.617-second effort.
“I was waiting to get bumped,” Austin Cindric said Saturday after qualifying in sixth place. “But you look at the difference in a low 28.9 and a high 28.9, that’s the difference between spots right now. That’s such a good highlight at a race track that’s so difficult to make a lap by yourself, and what it takes in every area to be good in this series.
“Whether that’s on pit road, making pit stops, green-flag cycles, tire wear, track position, restarts, all those things. It’s very challenging to differentiate yourself. All those details really matter.”
‘The field is much closer now than it ever has been’
There are a number of variables that contribute to the packed racing.
Michael McDowell has seen it from different perspectives. The driver of the No. 71 car and his new Spire Motorsports teammates have shown speed this year, as have the cars of RFK Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
After posting a 21st-place average finish over 252 races driving for Front Row, McDowell is 15th in the Cup Series standings entering Darlington. The smaller NASCAR teams that have picked up new charters are becoming more competitive, and it’s creating more parity in the field.
“What’s more difficult now than ever is that the teams are way closer,” McDowell said. “Not just the drivers, the teams. And even over the past four or five years, that’s changed — there are no ‘gimmes’ out there. I’ve been on the other side of it, seeing Front Row go from when we were running in 25th and 30th every weekend to contending for top 10s every week.
“They’re still doing that, and now Spire is doing that, and now RFK is doing that and now everybody is doing that. There are no gaps in the field where there are five or six easy spots anymore. The level of competition on that aspect of teams and execution is higher than it’s ever been.”
23XI Racing is another one of those growing teams. Bubba Wallace, who qualified in P5 for Sunday’s race and is eighth in the Cup standings, has been among the series’ top competitors this season, while reigning regular-season champion Tyler Reddick has one of the fastest Toyotas every week once again.
“It used to be easier to understand,” Reddick said. “But I think, with where this car is at and how close it brings everybody together, it’s hard to tell if it’s the car or the driver, given the lack of differences between them. From all the tools and things we look at as drivers, the competition is really tight. We’re gonna go out there and practice — Group A is gonna go out there, Group B is gonna watch the whole thing and apply things they see.
“Whether it’s talent, work ethic, however you want to put it, the field is much closer now than it ever has been, because of all the things we’re able to see and then compare against one another.”
‘It’s the most competitive it’s ever been’
While Ryan Blaney has led the fourth-most laps in the Cup Series, he finds himself 10th in the standings.
A trio of Did Not Finishes hamper the point total for the 2023 series champion, whose 148 laps led this season trail defending winner Denny Hamlin, along with Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Cindric.
The 31-year-old third-generation driver remains winless heading into Darlington. But the increasingly packed racing on Sundays has led to it, and Blaney feels the competition is good for the sport.
“It’s hard to run well, and it’s hard to win,” Blaney said. “It’s a testament to the great drivers, great teams that put a lot of effort in. I think it’s the most competitive it’s ever been. I don’t think there are years where it gets less competitive or more competitive — it’s always the upper echelon of NASCAR and motorsports in America. It never gets easier.
“I feel like it gets harder and harder when you’ve got younger kids coming in — ‘younger kids,’ crazy I’m saying that — who are really talented at what they do. Guys like me who have been in it for a little bit are just getting to the point where they want to be, and they’re kind of peaking.
“And then you have the veterans out there who’ve been around for 15 years or so and are just as great as they were 10 or 15 years ago. It’s tough, but that just shows that this is a great sport. You have to be on top of your game if you want to run.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Does NASCAR have its most competitive field in this year’s Cup Series? ‘It’s hard to tell’."
