Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
SportsCasting
SportsCasting
Jared Turner

The 5 Most Thrilling Finishes of the NASCAR Cup Series Season

NASCAR NASCAR Cup Series Ryan Blaney Denny Hamlin Cup Series Austin Dillon Harrison Burton Tyler Reddick Austin Cindric Daniel Suarez

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign was not bereft of memorable moments, which included several downright amazing finishes.

As the checkered flag waves on the year 2024, let’s take a quick look back on the five most electrifying finishes of the NASCAR Cup Series season.

We’ll start at No. 5 and work our way down to No. 1.

5. Austin Cindric Roars To Victory When Teammate Ryan Blaney Runs Out Of Gas

One Team Penske driver’s loss was another Team Penske driver’s gain at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis.

With just one lap to go, Austin Cindric sped into the lead when teammate Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford sputtered and ran out of gas coming to the white flag.

Cindric, who held on for the victory, captured his first NASCAR Cup Series triumph since the 2022 Daytona 500 and earned an automatic bid into the playoffs.

4. Harrison Burton Delivers Landmark Triumph For Fabled Wood Brothers

A lame-duck driver for Wood Brothers Racing, second-generation wheelman Harrison Burton used a last-lap push from Parker Retzlaff — a driver making just his second NASCAR Cup Series start — to power his way past Kyle Busch and pick up Cup Series career win No. 1.

Harrison, whose famous father Jeff Burton watched and reacted gleefully from the NBC Sports broadcast booth, gave the fabled Wood Brothers organization its long-awaited 100th NASCAR Premier Series victory after going winless since the summer of 2017.

Harrison, meanwhile, punched a ticket to the playoffs for the first time in three Cup Series seasons while ultimately playing a big role in denying two-time Cup Series champion Busch that same ticket for the first time since 2012.

3. Daniel Suarez Makes NASCAR History In Atlanta Thriller

Taking no backseat to the previous weekend’s season-opening Daytona 500, the second race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season had all the makings of an all-time classic.

A three-wide battle for the win at Atlanta Motor Speedway between Daniel Suarez, Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney ended with Suarez nipping his two closest challengers at the checkered flag by, well, pretty much nothing.

NASCAR had to review footage of the final sprint to determine who was ahead at the finish line, and careful examination of the replay showed it was Suarez — whose 0.00-second margin of victory was the smallest in NASCAR history.

2. Tyler Reddick Rumbles Past Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney At Homestead

With an automatic berth in the Championship 4 up for grabs, Tyler Reddick went from third to first on the final lap at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the second of three races in the Round of 8.

After blowing by his boss and team owner Denny Hamlin on the inside of turns 1 and 2, Reddick did the same — but this time on the outside — to race leader Ryan Blaney in turns 3 and 4.

It was a spectacular drive by Reddick, whose other boss — NBA legend Michael Jordan — was in attendance and joined in the celebration.

1. Austin Dillon Wrecks Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin For Controversial Richmond Win

Needing nothing less than a win to make the playoffs, Austin Dillon quite literally went for broke at Richmond Raceway when he wrecked Joey Logano, and then Denny Hamlin, in the final corner.

It appeared — at least momentarily — that Dillon had accomplished his mission when he took the checkered flag P1 and headed to Victory Lane.

NASCAR had the final say three days later, however, allowing Dillon to keep the win but stripping the Richard Childress Racing driver of the automatic playoff berth that came with it.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Arby's sued twice over growing problem in alarming fast food trend
Arby's gets hit with two lawsuits over an alarmingly growing problem among fast food chains.
The Street
The Street
Billie Jean King revives one of last year's biggest design trends on her bookshelf – it's a 'gallery-like space' with a personal twist
The tennis star reminds us why 2024's most talked-about style isn't slowing down for the year ahead – designers love her styling method
Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
How to replace black plastic tools for a healthier, non-toxic kitchen in 2025
Out with the old utensils and in with the new
Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
Pet Owner Accuses Tourists Of Snatching Her Adorable Puppy Before Trying To Flee
"She said, 'Omg, it's adorable. Can I take it with me? And we were like, 'No, you can't.'" The post Pet Owner Accuses Tourists Of Snatching Her Adorable Puppy Before Trying To Flee first appeared on Bored Panda.
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Netflix Just Accidentally Revealed The 'Squid Game' Season 3 Release Date
A now-deleted social media post may have leaked when 'Squid Game' Season 3 will end the entire series.
Inverse
Inverse
What counts as 'binge drinking'? What about 'high-intensity drinking'?
Episodes of "binge drinking" can have dangerous short-term effects, while repeated binge drinking can trigger longer-term problems.
LiveScience
LiveScience
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play