This is the first season without
Kevin Harvick since
2000, as he retired after the
2023 season and joined the NASCAR on Fox broadcast booth in 2024,[1] and the first season since
2011 without
Aric Almirola, who stepped away from racing full-time after the 2023 season. In addition, this will be the last season for NASCAR's current TV rights deal, which began in 2015.[2]
^On April 2, RCR announced that Justin Alexander would replace Rodden as the crew chief of the No. 3 car for the remainder of the 2024 season.[21]
^On April 20,
Team Penske announced that Palmer would substitute for Hassler as the crew chief of the No. 12 car, as Hassler's wife was expected to give birth soon.[51]
^On April 28,
Legacy Motor Club announced that Cohen would substitute for Elenz as the crew chief of the No. 43 car, as Elenz had to attend to a personal matter.
^Bryan Berry started the Las Vegas race weekend as crew chief of the No. 44 car but was ejected after the car failed pre-qualifying inspection too many times. It is unclear who filled in for him as interim crew chief in the race.[73]
^Jimmie Johnson was oringnally annouced to race at Phoenix Raceway at the championship race but It was annouced he was going to be in the NBC booth instead.
Notable changes
Drivers
AJ Allmendinger returned to the
NASCAR Xfinity Series full time after running a full time season in the
Kaulig Racing 16 car. The 16 car now returns to full time car with multiple drivers running it.
Noah Gragson was removed from
Legacy Motor Club mid way through the 2023 season. The team fielded multiple drivers in the 42 car to round off the season before fully replacing Gragson with
John Hunter Nemechek.
Smithfield Foods announced that it will not return to NASCAR as a sponsor in 2024, after
Aric Almirola announced his retirement from full-time competition. Smithfield sponsored Almirola from 2012 to 2023, as he drove the No. 43 for
Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 10 for Stewart–Haas Racing.[99]
Hunt Brothers Pizza signed a multi-year deal to serve as sponsor of the
Team Penske No. 22 of
Joey Logano, starting in 2024. The pizza chain will also act as an associate sponsor for the No. 12 of
Ryan Blaney.[102] Hunt Brothers previously sponsored the Stewart–Haas Racing No. 4 of Kevin Harvick, who retired at the end of the 2023 season.
The
United States Air Force signed a deal to sponsor the
23XI Racing No. 23 of
Bubba Wallace for several races in 2024. The USAF previously sponsored Wallace when he drove the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 from 2018 to 2020.[104]
In 2022,
3F Racing announced that they hope to run the full season with their No. 30 car in the Cup Series in 2024 after debuting in the series part-time in 2023. The team ultimately did not enter any Cup Series races in 2023.[113] On July 18, 2023, the team announced that Xfinity and Truck Series driver
Ryan Vargas would be their Director of Team and Driver Development as well as a reserve driver for them when they debut in the Cup Series.[114] On November 5, Frontstretch reporter Jared Haas spoke to the team's owners at the
2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race and they indicated that 3F could debut in the Cup Series in 2024 and run eight to ten races if they are able to find sponsorship.[115] The team did make their debut in the
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in
2023.[116]
In 2023, it was announced that
Erebus Motorsport planned to enter the Cup Series for five races in 2024, including an oval race with
Brodie Kostecki in collaboration with
Richard Childress Racing.[117][118] Due to ongoing contract controversy between Erebus and Kostecki, it is unknown whether or not Erebus Motorsport will still race in the Cup Series or with a different driver.[119]Paul Morris, Kostecki's long–time mentor, later confirmed that the planned races, Sonoma and Chicago being two of the likely races, had been axed.[120]
In 2023, it was announced that
The Money Team Racing would run five to eight races in 2024. They reportedly planned to participate in the
2024 Daytona 500, but did not attempt the race.[121]
Drivers
On March 11, 2024,
Matt Jaskol revealed that he is planning on making his Cup Series debut at the
Circuit of the Americas with
MBM Motorsports, whom he had previously driven for in the Xfinity Series in 2021 and 2022, but that they would need sponsorship in order to participate in the race.[122] A couple hours before it was announced that
Timmy Hill would drive the car, Jaskol stated that he had failed to find sponsorship in time for the race, but that he was still planning on making a start with MBM later this season.[123]
Rule changes
Cup Series cars will run a new aero package at all road courses and tracks measuring one mile or shorter (except
Bristol Motor Speedway and
Dover Motor Speedway). The package consists of a three-inch spoiler, a simplified diffuser and diffuser strakes, the 2023-spec short track/road course splitter stuffers, and no engine panel strakes.[124]
All road/street courses in 2024 will have stage-break cautions.[125]
Schedule
The 2024 schedule was released on October 4, 2023 and consists of 31 oval races, 4 road course races, one street track race, and 4 non-championship races to be held on ovals.[126]
Notes: Race names and title sponsors are subject to change. Not all title sponsors/names of races have been announced for 2024. For the races where a 2024 name and title sponsor has yet to be announced, the title sponsors/names of those races in 2023 are listed.
^Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum was brought forward from Sunday, February 4 to Saturday, February 3 due to anticipated severe weather.[128] Television broadcasting of the race was switched from Fox to FS1 due to this rescheduling.[126]
^The Daytona 500 was postponed from Sunday, February 18 to Monday, February 19 due to rain.[129]
Bolded races indicate an event generally known as a
Crown Jewel race.
O Oval track R Road course S Street course
Confirmed schedule changes
On November 6, 2022, it was confirmed that 2023 would be the last race on
Auto Club Speedway's 2-mile configuration.[133] The track is scheduled to be reconfigured into a short track in the coming years and will not be on the 2024 schedule while it is under construction.
On September 15, 2023,
Bristol Motor Speedway announced that the
spring Bristol race would return to being run on concrete, after the race taken place of dirt the prior three seasons. In the same press release, it was confirmed that
Bristol will continue having two race dates; the spring race reverted back to its old Food City 500 name due to the return to concrete.[134]
On October 2, 2023,
Fox Sports and The Athletic reported that
Iowa Speedway was expected to receive a NASCAR Cup Series race in 2024, replacing the
race at Auto Club Speedway.[136] A press conference by Iowa Governor
Kim Reynolds was held on October 3, where she and NASCAR officially announced the inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa Speedway on June 16.[137]
NASCAR was rumored to potentially return to
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in
Montreal, with the track hosting a Cup Series race for the first time in 2024. The race would have been the first international Cup Series race since the 1958 season.[138] On October 2, 2023, it was reported by
Fox Sports and The Athletic that this deal fell through.[136]
The Busch Clash was moved from Sunday, February 4 to Saturday, February 3 in advance of the
February 2024 California atmospheric rivers. This resulted in the cancellation of scheduled heat races, as the event was condensed into a one-day practice, qualifying, and race event.
Denny Hamlin took the pole for the 23-car field, with notable drivers such as
Daniel Suárez,
Austin Dillon,
Austin Cindric, and
Christopher Bell failing to qualify for the 150-lap event. Hamlin led most of the first 50 laps before yielding the lead to
Ty Gibbs on lap 50. Gibbs led 84 of the next 91 laps, as
Justin Haley,
Chase Elliott, and
Todd Gilliland all failed to finish due to mechanical issues. Hamlin reclaimed the lead on a restart with ten laps remaining as Gibbs fell back through the field. Gibbs spun with two laps remaining, ultimately finishing 18th. Hamlin held off on the final restart to win.[139]
Joey Logano started on the pole.
Christopher Bell and
Chris Buescher both hit the wall after a flat tire, with Buescher exiting the race due to the wheel coming off his car.
Kyle Larson dominated the race by leading the most laps. Larson also won both stages and secured the victory by holding off a charging
Tyler Reddick.[142]
Ryan Blaney won the pole. The race was plagued by extreme tire wear.
Ty Gibbs dominated the first half of the race and won both stages. The race saw 54 lead changes, the most for a short-track race in Cup Series history.
Kyle Busch spun twice with a flat tire. Gibbs was heading to the win until the lapped car of
Todd Gilliland slowed down and caused Gibbs and teammate
Christopher Bell to lose multiple spots.
Denny Hamlin dominated the second half of the race and led the most laps. Hamlin and teammate
Martin Truex Jr. stayed out front after the final round of green-flag pit stops and saved their tires. Hamlin was able to hold off Truex for the win, followed by
Brad Keselowski,
Alex Bowman, and
Kyle Larson, marking the first time since the
2004 MBNA America 400 at
Dover that a race ended with 5 or fewer cars on the lead lap.[144]
William Byron won the pole. On lap 1, at the exit of turn 11,
Corey LaJoie made contact with
Bubba Wallace and
Martin Truex Jr.Christopher Bell won Stage 1.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and
Kamui Kobayashi, in his 2nd career Cup Series start, spun after Stenhouse ran into him, causing Stenhouse to spin as he tried to drive away.
Denny Hamlin won Stage 2. In the final stage, Bell made a bold move into turn 1, spinning
Kyle Busch. Towards the end of the race, it seemed to be a battle between Byron,
Alex Bowman, and
Ty Gibbs. However, Bell, with fresher tires, charged through the field but ultimately fell one lap short, allowing Byron to secure the victory. Busch was very upset by this and confronted Bell after the race, during which Bell remained quiet as Busch expressed his frustration.
Kyle Larson won the pole. Larson cleared the first stage and
Ross Chastain won the second stage. Larson led most of the laps with 77. In the end,
Chase Elliott took the lead and pulled away to win his first race of the season.
Michael McDowell started on pole for the second time in his career.
Austin Cindric narrowly beat
Chase Elliott by inches to win Stage 1, while
Joey Logano won Stage 2. The race was incident-free until lap 132 when
Christopher Bell crashed out on the backstretch, collecting
Justin Haley,
Chase Briscoe, and
Zane Smith. On lap 151, the Toyota drivers were drafting alone as part of a pit strategy when
Erik Jones lost control and hit the outside wall head-on in turn 3, collecting
Bubba Wallace,
John Hunter Nemechek, and
Denny Hamlin, which claimed four of the six Toyotas in the draft. McDowell held onto the lead in the closing laps of the race until the last lap when
Brad Keselowski attempted a crossover move from second. McDowell got loose while blocking and wrecked on the tri-oval, triggering "The Big One", which caused
Corey LaJoie to flip upside-down.
Tyler Reddick evaded the wreck and passed Keselowski to score his first win of the season and his first at a superspeedway.
Christopher Bell won the pole. An hour before the race, they entered a light rain delay, which resulted in a 4 hour rain delay that ended at 6:25 PM
EST.
Denny Hamlin won the first stage and
Chris Buescher won the second stage. After Kyle Busch spun on lap 261, the fuel and tire management battles were reset and the field lined up for a restart with two laps to go. Buescher and Hamlin restarted on the front row, but Kyle Larson jumped into second with a move to the apron going into turn 1. Buescher and Larson drove away from the remainder of the field by the white flag. Larson stuck his car against the outside wall to Buescher's right in turns three and four and the two raced two wheel to wheel by the wall through the corner. They came down the track and made contact coming to the line as
Chase Elliott and
Martin Truex, Jr. closed in. Larson edged out Buescher by 0.001 seconds, and it became the
closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.
Tyler Reddick won the pole.
Kyle Larson won the first stage while Reddick won the second stage.
John Hunter Nemechek spun after two flat tires.
On a restart,
Ryan Blaney got into the wall after
William Byron made contact with
Martin Truex Jr. Late in the race, Reddick and
Brad Keselowski made contact battling for the lead allowing
Chris Buescher to make a three-wide pass for the lead. With 10 laps to go, Buescher and Reddick made contact battling for the lead causing both flat tires on both cars taking both to pit road as Keselowski retook the lead and held off
Ty Gibbs and
Josh Berry for the win, his first win as an owner/driver (the first since
Tony Stewart in 2016), the first win of 2024 for
Ford, and snapped a 110-race winless streak, the longest drought of his career.[145]
(
key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or owner's points. * – Most laps led. 1 – Stage 1 winner. 2 – Stage 2 winner. 3 – Stage 3 winner.[N 1]