What Current NASCAR Drivers Could get to 50 Wins?
By Richard Tix
In the NASCAR Cup world getting to 50 wins is a big milestone. In NASCAR history only 12 drivers have accomplished this feat and all of them are already in the NASCAR Hall of Fame or will be (Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are still driving). In 2014 there is a good chance that NASCAR will welcome another driver into the 50 win club, Tony Stewart, who currently has 48 wins. Everyone knows that Smoke will eventually get to 50, but what other current drivers have a shot at 50 or more career wins?
NASCAR Behind the Wall will take a quick look at some drivers that might have the best shot at finishing there career with 50 or more wins.
Top of the Class
Kyle Busch
In today's NASCAR if you want to get to 50 wins you have to get off to a fast start in your career. Well,
Rowdy already has 28 wins which puts him 5th of current drivers, and of those 5 he is by far the youngest. Kyle got his first 10 wins in 132 races which isn't a bad pace to start your career out on (that's a win every 13.2 races and faster then Petty and Earnhardt). Not only that, but he is just getting to the prime of his career. He wins at every level so it is safe to assume he will keep winning in the Cup Series. I think of all the current drivers (excluding Smoke because it is assumed he will get 50) Kyle has the best shot at 50 career wins and a good shot at it.
Next in Line
Denny Hamlin
It took
Hamlin a little while in his career to fully get heated up when it comes to wins (four wins in his first 3 full time seasons or 115 total races) but in 2009 he got going. In 2009 and 2010 he accumulated 12 wins, had 1 win in 2011, and then added another 5 in 2012. He has a set back in 2013 when he was injured but one think we know from DH, when he wins he wins in bunches. That is why NASCAR Behind the Wall has him as the second most likely current Cup driver to get to 50 wins. I think he has a decent shot if he gets back to his pre-injury form.
Brad Keselowski
When predicting who can get to 50 wins it comes down to youth and potential. It is hard to see what lies ahead in a drivers career, so with
BK it is very much a guessing game. Ford may not turn it around, he may struggle and lose a ride with a quality team, really anything can happen. At the same time good things can happen too. BK has already won a Championship with Penske in 2012 and now has 10 career wins. He is just 29 years old so he has a long career in front of him. So your guess is as good as mine, but a guy who already has a Championship and 10 wins in 161 races should always be mentioned. Check back in 5 years and this story will have more clarity. I still think he has an ok shot at 50, but time will tell.
It Could Happen
Matt Kenseth
At 41 years old
Kenseth looks like he is ready for a retirement home compared to these other guys, after 2013 he would laugh in anyone's face who thought that. Actually, his 7 wins last season were more then the other threes combined wins (6). Kenseth has 31 career wins in 508 races. Working against Kenseth is that he did not have a quick start when it came to winning (he did not get his 10th win until he was 33, or his 214th race). He also his at the end of what is normally a NASCAR Drivers prime and a slide could come in the coming seasons. On that note, he does have positives because Kenseth is a proven winner. Not only that but since joining JGR in 2013 he has been red hot. He won 7 races last year and if he does something near that in the next few seasons he will be all over the radar for 50 wins. I still think 2013 might have been a hot flash and he will come down to earth, finish his career short of 50 around 40-45 wins.
Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch's career started pretty well win wise, he had 14 wins in his first 5 full time seasons. Ever since then though he has been having seasons of 1 or 2 wins every season. Not helping his case, a two year win less streak dating back to when he was at Penske. Finally Kurt is back in a major team ride and can get back on track for his 50 win pace. Will those down years cost Kurt his chance at the 50 win club? The next few years will be critical in deciding this, but the fact is he is still only 35 years old. He might fall short of 50, but he will be wheeling it as hard as he cans up until that point.
Kasey Kahne
He is in a Hendrick car, he is only 33 years old, and he has 16 career wins. The first two are some huge positives fighting for Kasey on his quest to 50. Unfortunately only having 16 career wins through 360 races is not the pace he wants to be on.
Kasey Kahne is fast race after race so he has the chances to win, but it is trying to pull it together. Not only that but Jimmie Johnson seems to be stealing all the thunder at Hendrick. I personally don't believe he will get to 50, but he should put a run together for at least 30 in his career.
Crazier Things Have Happened
Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, and Kevin Harvick
NASCAR Behind the Wall has six named drivers plus four wild cards to make 50 wins and in the end my money is on 1-2 of them actually getting to that number. A new wave of young guns are coming up the NASCAR system. Along with those new drivers could bring even more parity in the sport and make big win season's tough to come bye.
So what do you think? Who gets to 50?
Let me know on Twitter what you think! Does anyone in this group get to 50 wins? Also, by what race does Tony Stewart get 50? Let the count down continue to Daytona!
6-Time weighs in, thanks for the response!
I think Matt might be dreaming...
