NASCAR
Which NASCAR Playoffs Featured the Most Future Hall of Fame Drivers?
Whether a field of 10, 12, or 16 drivers, each year of the NASCAR Playoffs has seen the sport’s best race it out for the championship. With 18 years representing 18 unique, distinct groups of drivers, is any one group stronger than the others? Which year’s Playoff field features the best overall drivers? A few drivers who have made Playoff appearances have already made the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Let’s go a step further, and look at each year’s Playoffs and determine who could make the Hall of Fame in future years.
A few caveats must be stated before this list starts. First off, this is entirely my own opinion, so some drivers are not regarded as Hall of Fame level talents. Secondly, some active drivers of today have not yet achieved their career pinnacle. Thus, some young drivers are not yet thought of as the best they could become. Lastly, this is entirely for fun and to reflect on the nearly two-decade history of NASCAR’s Playoff format.
2004
NASCAR’s inaugural ‘Chase for the Cup’ featured the top 10 drivers in points after 26 weeks. At the end of this 10-week battle, Kurt Busch stood tall as champion. Busch’s championship and lengthy time at the sport’s peak afterwards have him pegged for future HOF stardom.
Of the nine other drivers in the 2004 Playoffs, six of them either are or likely will be Hall of Famers. This list includes Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Jimmie Johnson. Of these six drivers, only Kenseth and Johnson have not yet donned the iconic blue blazer. As an eventual seven-time champion, Johnson will likely go in first-ballot. With a Cup Series championship and 39 career wins, Kenseth is also a near shoe-in for the Hall.
Inaugural Chase drivers who did not make the cut are Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, and Jeremy Mayfield. In total, seven of the first 10 Playoff drivers either are or soon will be NASCAR Hall of Fame members.
2005
Round two of NASCAR’s Playoffs would see Tony Stewart take his second title in four years. The 2005 Chase featured three names already in the Hall: Stewart, Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace. In addition to them, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Johnson, Kenseth, and Kurt Busch all make the cut. 2005 would see eight drivers who at this time can be called Hall of Famers.
Biffle and Edwards are each within their eligibility windows for induction but have yet to be nominated. Both of them likely will be some day. Each of them had their own eras of dominance with Roush and lower series championships. Biffle is one of just three drivers all-time with a Truck and Xfinity Series title.
2005 Chase drivers not thought of as Hall of Fame caliber are Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield. Of this group of 10, eight drivers are seen as the best of their era.
2006
2006 would begin Jimmie Johnson’s run of five-straight championships, cementing his legacy as a future Hall of Famer. Current inductees from the 2006 Chase include Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joining this trio as future inductees are Johnson, Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch.
Both Harvick and Busch would go on to win championships, as is stated below. For Hamlin meanwhile, he may go down as the winningest driver all-time to not hoist the Cup. Championship or not, Hamlin’s lengthy and fruitful career is Hall of Fame worthy.
2006 Playoff drivers not making this exclusive club are Jeff Burton and Kasey Kahne. Once again, eight of the 10 drivers are considered Hall of Famers.
2007
The first year with 12 Playoff drivers, 2007 features 10 current or future Hall of Fame inductees. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have both already been inducted into the Hall. Joining them are Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin.
The only 2007 Playoff drivers not deemed Hall of Famers are Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. As a result, the first 12-man Playoffs featured 10 future HOF members.
2008
Gordon, Stewart, and Earnhardt all made the 2008 Playoffs, marking three currently in the Hall of Fame. Alongside them one day will be Johnson, Edwards, Biffle, Harvick, Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Kenseth.
2008 will have also featured 10 Hall of Fame members, only leaving out Burton and Bowyer again.
2009
Martin, Gordon, and Stewart all once again made the 2009 postseason. Joining them in the future Hall of Fame will be Johnson, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Biffle, and Edwards. This totals out to only eight representatives from the 2009 Playoff drivers.
2009 Playoff drivers not making the Hall of Fame are Juan Pablo Montoya, Newman, Kahne, and Brian Vickers.
2010
The last of Johnson’s five-consecutive championship seasons, 2010 features 10 Hall of Famers. Joining Gordon and Stewart will be Johnson, Hamlin, Harvick, Edwards, Kenseth, Biffle, and both Busch brothers. This only excludes Burton and Bowyer once again.
2011
Tony Stewart’s memorable third championship year, 2011 features the highest percentage of Hall of Famers in the Playoffs at 11 of 12 (91.6%). Aside from Ryan Newman, every competitor in 2011’s title fight is a current or likely future inductee. This list includes Stewart, Edwards, Harvick, Kenseth, Keselowski, Johnson, Earnhardt Jr., Gordon, Hamlin, Kurt and Kyle Busch.
2011’s Playoffs will certainly go down in NASCAR lore as one of the greatest championship battles ever. The classic Edwards vs. Stewart fight was also them beating some of the best talents in NASCAR history. In addition, this year will also be known as a near-unanimous representation of Playoff drivers making the Hall of Fame.
2012
Brad Keselowski’s underdog championship season, 2012 features 10 of the 12 Playoff drivers as Hall of Famers. Someday going into the Great Hall alongside Gordon, Stewart, and Earnhardt Jr. will be Keselowski, Johnson, Biffle, Hamlin, Kenseth, Harvick, and Truex. This only leaves remaining Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne, who finished second and fourth respectively in 2012’s championship.
2013
The only year with 13 Playoff teams, 2013 featured 10 Hall of Fame drivers. Jeff Gordon (Class of 2019) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Class of 2021) both made that year’s postseason. Joining them one day will be Johnson, Kenseth, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Biffle, Kurt Busch, and Carl Edwards.
2014
The maiden year for the current 16 driver elimination-style format would end with Kevin Harvick as champion. By securing his first Cup title, Harvick cemented his legacy as a future Hall of Fame inductee. Two of Harvick’s toughest competitors for the 2014 title have already been inducted: Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joining this trio are nine others from the 2014 Playoffs: Hamlin, Logano, Keselowski, Kenseth, Edwards, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Johnson, and Biffle.
In total, 12 of the first 16-man Playoffs will likely one day be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The only outliers from 2014 are Newman, AJ Allmendinger, Kahne, and Aric Almirola.
2015
2015 would see another first-time champion in Kyle Busch. After missing the first nine races due to injury, KB18 would take his first title by winning at Homestead. Rowdy being crowned champion all-but secured his future place in the Hall. 2015 was also Jeff Gordon’s final full-time season in his Hall of Fame career. In addition, it was also the last year Dale Earnhardt Jr. made the Playoffs.
From the 2015 Playoffs, nine others will share this honor. Harvick, Truex, Edwards, Logano, Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Johnson, and Kenseth will all someday be inducted. This marks 12 of the 16 from this season, only leaving out Newman, Jamie McMurray, Paul Menard, and Clint Bowyer.
2016
Jimmie Johnson’s seventh championship year, 2016 truly was an all-around historic NASCAR season. This also marked the swan song year for Tony Stewart; his Hall of Fame career ended with one final win and Playoff appearance.
Alongside the 10 championships represented by Johnson and Stewart, an unprecedented 11 other drivers from the 2016 Playoffs are plausible for the Hall of Fame. Logano, both Busches, Edwards, Kenseth, Hamlin, Harvick, Larson, Truex, Chase Elliott, and Keselowski all share this honor.
As of now, 2016 may be considered the strongest year of the 16-driver Playoffs, since 13 of them could make HOF status. McMurray, Austin Dillon, and Chris Buescher are the only 2016 Playoff drivers without this distinction.
2017
The first year of Stage racing would see Martin Truex Jr. dominate, winning seven times en route to his championship. MTJ will one day be inducted into the Hall based on the body of work that culminated in this title effort. Nine others from the 2017 Playoffs will probably join him in the Hall: both Busches, Harvick, Keselowski, Elliott, Hamlin, Kenseth, Larson, and Johnson.
The remainder of the 2017 Playoff field was Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kahne, and Newman. For young drivers such as Blaney, Dillon, and Stenhouse, their careers are still very much being written. As a result, they could all one day attain Hall of Fame status.
2018
The year Joey Logano took down the “Big 3” of Harvick, Busch, and Truex for the championship, these four drivers won 23 of 36 races. Joining those four someday in the Hall will be Elliott, Kurt Busch, Keselowski, Larson, Hamlin, and Johnson. 10 of 2018’s top 16 will have this honor in the future. The six left out are: Almirola, Blaney, Bowyer, Dillon, Erik Jones, and Alex Bowman.
2019
Kyle Busch’s second Cup title certainly locked up his place as a future Hall of Fame member. Eight more from the 2019 Playoffs will share this platform with KB18: Truex, Harvick, Hamlin, Logano, Larson, Keselowski, Elliott, and his brother Kurt.
The remainder of the 2019 Playoff field largely consist of young drivers who could someday be thought of as HOF members. Blaney, Bowyer, William Byron, Bowman, Almirola, Newman, and Jones made up the rest of 2019’s postseason.
2020
Half of the 2020 Playoff field can be seen now as future Hall of Famers. This list of course starts off with champion Chase Elliott, who can only add onto his already-impressive career. Joining Elliott in this list are: Keselowski, Logano, Hamlin, Harvick, Truex, and both Busches.
Likewise, eight drivers from 2020 are still an unknown in terms of HOF credibility. This list features: Bowman, Blaney, Dillon, Bowyer, Matt DiBenedetto, Byron, Almirola, and Cole Custer.
2021
Last year’s postseason featured nine future Hall of Famers, kicking off with champion Kyle Larson. Larson will likely only add onto his otherworldly stats from 2021, thus someday he will be a lock for the HOF. Along with him are: Truex, Hamlin, Elliott, Harvick, Keselowski, Logano, and both Busches.
Not quite making the cut yet from last year’s Playoffs are: Blaney, Byron, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Bowman, Almirola, and Michael McDowell.
Either 2011 or 2016 can be thought of as the strongest overall Playoff field for the NASCAR Cup Series. 2011 featured 11 current or future Hall of Fame members, making that year’s postseason an almost-unanimous grouping of legends. Meanwhile 2016’s 16-man Playoffs features a whopping 13 future Hall of Famers. How many from this year’s Playoffs will someday make the NASCAR Hall of Fame? That remains yet to be seen.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images for NASCAR
