The NASCAR Cup Series switches from FOX Sports to NBC after the June 12 race at Sonoma Raceway, so it’s the perfect time to look at the first part of the 2022 season. There are several surprises, but Martin Truex Jr. failing to reach Victory Lane is at the top of the list.
The 2017 Cup Series champion entered the 2022 season with 31 career wins. He was fresh off a four-win season in which he finished second in the championship standings, so there were sky-high expectations. Truex has been consistent in 2021 while accumulating the fifth-most points in the Cup Series, but he hasn’t yet reached Victory Lane. This is a surprise considering that he has seven consecutive seasons with at least one win.
One potential reason for the lack of trips to Victory Lane is the Next Gen car. One goal of bringing in this new car was to make smaller teams more competitive while lowering costs. There are multiple teams that have taken advantage by running well, including Front Row Motorsports, JTG Daugherty Racing, and Petty GMS Motorsports.
“It looks like this car allows [Michael] McDowell to run better, Erik Jones to run better, you know, and then there’s other teams,” Bobby Labonte told Heavy ahead of the Sonoma race. “So I think that’s all good. I still think we need to have… Martin Truex needs to win five races. Because I think there’s so many Martin Truex fans, we don’t want to not see him win races.”
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A Rash of Early Incidents Disrupted Another Contender
GettyDenny Hamlin (right) has dealt with some struggles in 2022.
Truex failing to reach Victory Lane has surprised several fans while one of his teammates turned heads for similar reasons. Denny Hamlin, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry, dropped well below the playoff cutline with multiple DNFs.
Hamlin has been one of the most consistent drivers in the Cup Series throughout his career, to the point that he has 48 wins and 201 top-five finishes in 593 starts. He also completed every single race during the 2021 season in which he finished third in the championship standings.
The 2022 season started differently. Hamlin posted four DNFs in the first nine races. He won at Richmond to keep himself in the playoff field, but he continued to post finishes outside the top 20.
However, Hamlin has turned a corner in recent weeks. He finished fourth at Kansas Speedway and won at Charlotte Motor Speedway after winning the Busch Light Pole and leading 42 laps. Hamlin also had a very fast car at World Wide Technology Raceway before Ross Chastain sent him into the wall and caused damage.
Hamlin only has three top-10 finishes in 2022 after 15 races, marking the first time since 2013 that he sat in the single digits. However, he has a guaranteed spot in the playoffs after winning his second race. Now he just needs to focus on stacking points ahead of the playoffs.
Multiple Drivers Have Consistently Contended for Top-10s
GettyMichael McDowell has matched his career-best for top-10 finishes.
There are multiple former champions that have turned heads early in the 2022 season. Truex has yet to win while Kyle Larson only has one trip to Victory Lane. Kurt Busch, for comparison, has already taken 23XI Racing to Victory Lane while showcasing speed in the No. 45 Toyota Camry.
There are also multiple drivers from smaller teams that have made some big moves early in the 2022 season. Petty GMS Motorsports driver Erik Jones has consistently run in and near the top 10 while posting five top-10 finishes. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also made history for JTG Daugherty Racing by posting four straight top-10 finishes.
Michael McDowell has made similar big moves. He has already tied his career-high of five top-10 finishes, and he has finished all but one race while driving for Front Row Motorsports. The 2021 Daytona 500 winner has yet to return to Victory Lane, but he has a career-best average finish of 18.3 after the first 15 weeks.
Former NASCAR Champion’s Winless Streak Tops Early Surprises