NASCAR is understood for its nail-biting finishes, and this yr was one for the historical past books. All three nationwide divisions — Truck, Xfinity, and Cup — had races come all the way down to a winner crossing the road only a few thousandths of a second forward of their competitor.
Now, this checklist is often dominated by drafting tracks, and whereas they do make up about half of this yr’s high ten spotlight, nevertheless it was a preferred 1.5-mile oval that topped this checklist. It is truly the primary time since 2017 {that a} monitor aside from a drafting monitor has claimed the No. 1 spot. However earlier than we spotlight the closest end ever, we now have just a few extra to get to first… .
10. Xfinity at Talladega – Jesse Love vs. Riley Herbst – 0.141s
Be aware: A Truck race at Bristol additionally featured a 0.141s margin of victory, however we selected ‘Dega because it was the extra dramatic of the 2 finishes
The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence rookie of the yr, Jesse Love, claimed his one and solely victory of the season at Talladega. Whereas he powered forward of Brennan Poole, Riley Herbst charged from exterior the top-five and snagged second place with a four-wide transfer up the center. Whereas these two squabbled over the primary loser, Love was left to seize the checkered flag.
Watch: Jesse Love outlasts NASCAR Additional time to assert first profession win
9. Vehicles at Texas – Kyle Busch vs. Corey Heim – 0.112s
Nobody thought this is able to be the final time we noticed Kyle Busch in Victory Lane this yr, however that may be his destiny. No driver has extra wins than KB in Xfinity or Vehicles, and he collected his 66th victory within the Vehicles earlier this yr at Texas. Although Corey Heim almost obtained alongside Busch after harassing him for just a few laps, he simply could not fairly get there in the long run.
Kyle Busch, Spire Motorsports, Realtree Chevrolet Silverado and Corey Heim, TRICON Storage, Safelite Toyota Tundra
Picture by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Photos
8. Xfinity at Atlanta – Austin Hill vs. Chandler Smith – 0.106s
Automobiles have been working out of gasoline in every single place in NASCAR time beyond regulation, however not Austin Hill. He charged from fourth to first and held off Chandler Smith with oval rookie Shane van Gisbergen in tow. Regardless of the chaos of the end, it was nonetheless anticipated that Hill would pull it off, as he often does on the reconfigured Atlanta. The motive force of the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet has gained 4 of the final 5 races there, and stays probably the greatest pack racers within the decrease leagues of the game.
Race winner Austin Hill, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Photos
7. Cup at Nashville – Joey Logano vs. Zane Smith – 0.068s
That is maybe the one most vital end of the complete season. With out it, Joey Logano doesn’t go on to turn out to be a three-time Cup Sequence Champion. It is one other race the place gasoline grew to become a vital difficulty for a lot of the area, and the Workforce Penske star stretched the gasoline to make it final for his solely win within the common season. Maybe simply as spectacular was the motive force who almost denied him — Zane Smith, who was inside a tenth of a second of pulling off a shocking upset that may have shocked the NASCAR world. However as destiny would have it, Logano gained the race and the championship, whereas Smith stays winless and but to safe a seat for 2025.
Watch: Joey Logano holds on to win in NASCAR Additional time
6. Cup at Daytona – Harrison Burton vs. Kyle Busch – 0.046s
Whereas Smith failed to drag off a Cinderella story for the ages, Harrison Burton was capable of land that tumbler slipper within the iconic Wooden Brothers No. 21. With a push from Parker Retzlaff, who was aiming to jot down his personal underdog story, Burton cleared Busch and blocked exhausting within the run to the end, hanging on to win for the primary time in his Cup profession whereas his father Jeff watched on from the NBC sales space. It was simply as particular for the Wooden Brothers, amassing their one centesimal victory and their first for the reason that 2017 season.
Watch: Harrison Burton claims win No. 100 for Wooden Brothers Racing
5. Vehicles at Talladega – Grant Enfinger vs. Taylor Grey – 0.041s
Grant Enfinger was main the road of vehicles on the ultimate lap of the opening Spherical of 8 race at Talladega. A victory right here would assure any remaining playoff driver a spot within the Championship 4. Taylor Grey made his transfer to the surface, whereas the veteran Enfinger held the underside. They each misplaced their pushers — they have been caught in a spin behind the main duo — leaving Grey and Enfinger to tug race to the road within the closest end of the 2024 NASCAR Truck season.
Tyler Ankrum, McAnally Hilgemann Racing, LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado and Stewart Friesen, Halmar Friesen Racing, Halmar Worldwide Toyota Tundra wreck
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photos
4. Cup at Talladega – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. vs. Brad Keselowski – 0.006s
It was a three-wide photograph end at Talladega within the fall however shockingly, it wasn’t even the closest three-wide photograph end of the yr! After a troublesome season, Ricky Stenhouse Jr was making an attempt to spoil the playoff celebration within the Spherical of 12. Brad Keselowski was away from him exiting Flip 4, and selected to not block. Each had Hendrick drivers pushing them, however Stenhouse had the larger run within the closing seconds of the race. He surged forward, conserving his edge whilst his pusher William Byron threw it to the far exterior to make it three-wide on the line. It was a giant win for one of many few single-car operations left within the sport with Stenhouse amassing his fourth profession Cup win — all of these on superspeedways.
Watch: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins three-wide thriller at Talladega
3. Cup at Atlanta – Daniel Suarez vs. Ryan Blaney – 0.003s
These closing three finishes are about as shut as you may probably get, and this one at Atlanta asserted itself as one of many 5 closest finishes in the complete historical past of the NASCAR Cup Sequence. Daniel Suarez had by no means gained on an oval as a Cup driver and was coming off a winless 2023 season, when alternative offered itself. On the ultimate lap, Kyle Busch shot up the center between Ryan Blaney and Suarez, in a daring transfer that left them gridlocked via the ultimate nook. Suarez nosed simply far sufficient forward of the 2 that he ended up the victor, besting Blaney by simply 0.003, Busch, in third, was solely 0.007s again of the win, which made it the closest three-wide photograph end ever.
Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske, BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang Daniel Suarez, Trackhouse Racing, Freeway Insurance coverage Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photos
2. Xfinity at Texas – Sam Mayer vs. Ryan Sieg – 0.002s
A driver/proprietor who has been racing in NASCAR’s second tier for over a decade and not using a win, Ryan Sieg was in an ideal place to lastly pull it off at Texas earlier this yr. Nevertheless, Sam Mayer was quickly closing in and obtained alongside Sieg with simply half a lap to go. Mayer sailed off into Flip 3, permitting Sieg to chop again underneath him. They slammed doorways and crossed the road almost dead-even, leaving all to marvel who gained the race. By simply 0.002s, Sieg was denied in a heartbreaking, however sensational showdown within the Lone Star state.
Watch: Sam Mayer inches previous Ryan Sieg for unbelievable 0.002 photograph end at Texas
1. Cup at Kansas – Kyle Larson vs. Chris Buescher – 0.001s
In 2003, Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch have been a part of the closest recorded end within the historical past of the NASCAR Cup Sequence at 0.002. A long time handed and nothing may high it … till this yr. Chris Buescher was desperately making an attempt to hold on to the lead, working the excessive line as he entered the ultimate nook.
Nevertheless it was simply not excessive sufficient. Kyle Larson was capable of sneak to the surface of him — and the race to the road was on. Larson turned down into Buescher who ended up on the apron as Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott closed in on each of them.
On the line, it was so shut that FOX Sport’s Mike Pleasure appeared to suppose it was Buescher, and the RFK Racing crew agreed, who began celebrating! Nevertheless, that euphoria solely lasted a second as timing and scoring positioned Larson forward by only one one-thousandth of a second — etching this end into the historical past books because the closest end ever.
Watch: Closest end in Cup Sequence historical past: Larson seizes the Kansas win
On this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR XFINITY
NASCAR Truck
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