Ranking Every NASCAR Season I've Watched!

[@TheIceberg]

How would you rank the NASCAR seasons you’ve watched?

[@Minecrafters-4244]

#1: 2024 That’s it

[@JackLikesTrackhouse]

1. 2024 2. 2022 3. 2021 4. 2017 5. 2023 6. 2019 7. 2016 8. 2018 9. 2020

[@Brantleypop]

1. 2024 2. 2023

[@jakehobby3477]

I don’t even know what my first season watching was I do remember Harvick/Martin finish though

[@hehe-IgoBRRRR]

1. 2011 2. 2014 3. 2024 4. 2016 5. 2007 6. 2022 7. 2012 8. 2023 9. 2017 10. 2010 11. 2021 12. 2009 13. 2019 14. 2013 15. 2008 16. 2018 17. 2020 18. 2015

[@craigstephenson7676]

2024 is definitely great. I don’t even remember all of the lowlights you pointed out. The on track product was great with very few exceptions.

[@mattb.2740]

Lots of controversy in 2024, but at the same time, it did keep you interested and following the news during the week.

[@2tuff.saints]

The Champion and all the controversies

[@pinetreenation7769]

2024 being ranked so low imo is criminal. I think the highs really outweigh the lows and we actually had some great road course, short track, and speedway races. I would've personally put it in upper good to lower great.

[@ericwimpey4235]

Agreed 2024 had great racing the playoffs getting exposed kinda overshadowed it but some of the best racing in years.

[@themidnightinator]

If you didn’t pay attention to the playoffs or the championship itself, just watched the races, pretty good season

[@themlbcollector1450]

Agreed

[@brunz24xxx]

5 really good races doesn't make up for 31 mediocre ones

[@PaperBanjo64]

​@@brunz24xxxyep, I was fed up by the FIRST Martinsville race, only the finish at Atlanta, Vegas was decent, and Bristol 1 were any good, in my 20 years watching this season pissed me off enough to actually not watch most of the season after Martinsville 1 and that was before stuff got really bad! I HATED this season, even the Daytona 500 was unwatchable there's nothing fun about watching them run 20 MPH off the pace saving fuel in gridlocked packs and unable to pass or move forward...if there's a suck thing as a God tier season this season was Satan tier! It was horrible! Garbage! Absolute shit!

[@PaperBanjo64]

To me 2010 felt like the final year NASCAR was really a bigtime mainstream sport and a juggernaut of pop culture.

[@pacthesir]

I swear 2011 is such an underrated season, the COTs were at their best, and they looked amazing, the paint schemes looked great, the racing was great, I really like the 2011 season. I bought a Dale Jr. diecast from 2011 because it was my favorite year.

[@markc3456]

The 1998 season was the best for me. That was the year Gordon and Martin won everything. Not a year with the closest finishes or the best points battle, but I was very aware at the time that I'd probably never see that level of excellence from two different teams over the course of a season again. That was Jeff and Mark at their absolute best.

[@JasonRamme-g9w]

1998 was also were Earnhardt won his Daytona 500.

[@YungM0nęy1]

2014 was my favorite season, though I was a Gordon fan, it w was the best racing I'd ever seen, I started watching Nascar in 2009

[@SnapBackToReality-KFB]

2017 will honestly be one of my seasons i remember, i still don't understand why but probably it was the first season i watched like 60-70% of the races that year since i got to watching Nascar a bit in 2014. My all time favorite season probably is 2021. Still remember spring Kansas and the second Pocono race from the doubleheader of me super happy KFB won, especially Kansas.

[@fishproductions22]

As someone who started watching in 2012, it's 1. 2012 2. 2014 3. 2021 Had the most fun in 2012, greatest wow factors in 2014, best second half of the year/playoffs in 2021, and reminded me of old nascar again. Nod to 2011 tho I wish I was sentient when it was happening

[@JGR4LIFE20]

2006 is my #1. The races was great and the finishes no matter the series was some of the most underrated in all of NASCAR history. Also this was the height of the decade long dominance of Roush vs Hendrick and the rise of JGR. Also it was the sad decline of some teams like DEI, Bill Davis, and RYR. It was the first season I watched live and it’s a good season to get new fans hooked on the sport because it’s the beginning of the new era. During 2004-2007 era gone were the days of the Winston Cup drivers and in with the new generation of younger drivers like we see today being rushed too early or shouldn’t be in cup to begin with. Complains aside it’s a good battle of youth vs experience. The cars wasn’t as aerodynamic as it is now so a lot of the newcomers became instant championship contenders. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin for example.

[@shafranski]

Other than Earnhardt’s passing the 2001 season was very solid; I think there were 19 different winners.

[@johnreams3182]

It's actually my favorite season I ever watched. And it's because of Nascar's beautiful recovery story. It was a terrible moment, but as a sport it was our job to move on respectfully.

[@zachwalentiny]

2012 is an underrated season. Lots of great racing that year and a great championship battle between Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski

[@samcollins4544]

We will never ever see a 51 year old win races and finish 2nd in points. Mark Martin is a legend.

[@Staysick17]

Truex deserved that championship

[@snowtrooper8986]

I don’t know why but 2019 was a good season in my opinion. Not only because it was the first season i really got into nascar lol but something about the races for some reason felt nostalgic to me. I genuinely don’t know how but they did.

[@mikeandlucky]

If we are allowed to include the time before NASCAR was televised: I am an old guy who started following NASCAR on radio in 1961 (NASCAR had no TV time whatsoever in those days) and I still rate 1992 as the high point for NASCAR (as a great book by the late Charlotte Observer reporter David Poole documented). At the last race in Atlanta, Davey Allison, Bill Elliott, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Martin, Harry Gant and Kyle Petty all had at least a mathematical chance to win the championship. (It was also Jeff Gordon's first race and Richard Petty's last). By then we obviously had TV and the ESPN broadcast team of Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons and Dale Jarrett did an admirable job of keeping us up to date as to the points leaders and different strategies throughout that beautiful fall afternoon. Alan Kulwicki, who many felt had little chance, won with the help of five points I think he earned for "leading the most laps". We would tragically lose Davey and Alan the following year in aircraft crashes.

[@harperlucas]

Started watching the sport in late 2012 and early 2013. The best season I have watched was 2014 by far. My first year watching all 36 races. Such an incredible year with the inaugural running of the current win and your win format. Jeff Gordon’s and Dale Jr.’s resurgence. The last of Allen Bestwick calling NASCAR for ESPN. The list goes on. The incredible feelings of joy I got from 2014 were only replicated again in the first half of 2022.

[@Staysick17]

Man this guy only started watching racing in 2005 I feel old at 37 I been watching every season since the mid 90s

[@zumois_productions]

2024 should not be rated so low. It had amazing racing and amazing finishes with a great racing product all around. It had innovations like rain racing on a oval as well as option tires at Richmond. Multiple photo finishes and great racing almost every race. Yes it had controversy but the highs out weighed the lows for sure. It will go down as one of the most memorable seasons in 20 years and maybe even 100.

[@kjprodouctions9050]

I agree

[@twc621]

2011 is absolutely my god tier #1. I'm probably biased as a Stewart fan, but that final run in my opinion is why we have playoffs today. Nascar wanted to recreate the tony/carl needing to win dynamic.

[@Staysick17]

This was first year I watched since Matt kenseth retired I watched few other races in his part time but couldn’t find a driver till Bell

[@CoryAY82383]

That Amp hat is a throwback

[@AlessandroSebastian17]

I have been watching Nascar since the 2000 season. Since that time, in my personal opinion, the 2001, 2002, 2007, 2011 seasons are god tier cup seasons. From storylines to fantatsic racing and underdog winners, these seasons are my personal favorite as a Nascar fan.

[@zachwalentiny]

I think 2014 deserves to be in god tier too.

[@mofoprada]

Starting watching NASCAR in with the 2001 Daytona 500 (ironically). Then started watching NASCAR full time in 2002. My God-Tier Seasons: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011 & 2014. Good Seasons: 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2023 & 2024. Mid Seasons: 2010, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2022. On 7 Cylinders: 2008

[@nickmangona48]

I do think as time goes on that youll forget some of lowlights of 2024. 2022 has some VERY low lights as well but yet you put it above 2024. Even though in my opinion 2024's racing product was superior in every way.

[@stormix5755]

2022 had more interesting winners imo (with the exception of Austin Dillon), and the season itself had a new winner almost every week, you never knew what could happen but in a good way, it was so great to see underdog drivers win. Plus Trackhouse 23Xl and the hail melon. 2024 didn’t have that kind of storyline even though the racing was better at almost every track

[@nickmangona48]

@stormix5755 Maybe the storylines were not as strong, but much like 2024, 2022 had some awful storylines to go with it, in my opinion worse. NASCAR's officiating was horrible this year but it was even worse in 22. Not to mention the safety problems with the first year of the next gen. Better racing will always be the main storyline in my eyes.

[@eriklatham9384]

22 was way more exciting and the new kid on the block Ross Chastain made it must watch every race!! And he competed for a championship against the likes of Gibbs,Hendrick, and Penske teams!!

[@naparacingfan9275]

2011 is so memorable for incredible finishes, an all time championship battle, and Dale Jr heartbreak. 2014 was sadly the last year of high horsepower, unfortunately the first year of the phony playoffs, and Dale Jr's most successful season with HMS.

[@vain3207]

I can only rank 2013 - 2020 , 2022 2023 2024

[@Randomlyshdj]

@@vain3207what happened in 21

[@vain3207]

@@Randomlyshdj Brad Keselowski won Talladega in 2021 on my birthday

[@nascarsteve]

I watched from 1992-2022 (I don't have a TV and a very busy schedule so i watch the highlights) so yeah a lot of those years are a blur.

[@guidedimageryband5235]

1995 Earnhardt and Gordon and the new Monte Carlo body.

[@themindseyecmh]

I started watching nascar in 2001.... and I'd say my two favorite seasons are still 02 and 03... past that, I don't disagree with too much of what you said here

[@jareddiamond5133]

My Predictions: "God" Tier - 2006, 2011, 2014. "Great" Tier - 2005, 2012, 2009. "Good" Tier - 2007, 2024, 2010, 2022, 2016, 2023, 2017. "Decent Enough" Tier - 2021, 2013, 2018, 2020, 2019. "On 7 Cylinders" Tier - 2015, 2008.

[@TylerBonenfant]

2005 was when i started too, was a jeff gordon fan since the first race i watched to his retirement lol

[@Anime_Gamer_WeebWeeb-zs6lt]

My god tier seasons. 11,14,20,21

[@ZPaul_]

2016 was when I started watching, I was only 10 at that time. I was flipping through channels one night and came across the spring Texas race and I was instantly hooked. The fact it was at night too was really cool to me because it reminded me of the opening scene in Cars which is my favorite scene of the movie. I saw Truex dominating the race and instantly gravitated towards him and was bummed out when he lost, which is why I rooted for him from there on, and seeing all the adversities he’s had and hearing about Sherry made me a dedicated fan of him. And from that day on I became a NASCAR fan. I was a casual fan at first but by the end of the season I was a full on diehard and knew the names of all the drivers. It also opened a gateway to other motorsports like Indycar, Imsa, WEC, and F1.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I was the same age as you in 2004 and fell in love with NASCAR...NOTHING and I mean NOTHING beats the NASCAR you grew up with.

[@quincyharlan2930]

Truex jr winning the championship will always my favorite season

[@Jake_Owens]

2014 is my favorite season in the years I have been watching. I think it is the last great NASCAR season in my opinion. And as a Dale Jr fan, it was fun really fun to watch the resurrection of his career. If only it could have lasted 2 or 3 more years

[@tyman1014]

2009 was the first full season I watched. 2011 is my number one, 2014 is a close second.

[@garyglardon5140]

I started watching in 2015. 1.2024 (Besides controversies) 2.2016 3.2021 4.2022 5.2023 6.2027 7.2019 8.2018 9.2020 10.2015

[@GodzillaGaming111]

You need a crown, dude. I agreed with almost opinion for every season and where you put them. Only ones I disagreed with was 2016 was really good in my opinion and 2007 is very underrated. Great video.

[@kjprodouctions9050]

Imo, 2016 was the best season I ever saw

[@GodzillaGaming111]

​@@kjprodouctions9050 I became a fan in 2015, and I can 100% agree with you. I still think 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012, and 2014 were better in terms of racing and how the season went, but 2016 was the last "great" NASCAR season in my honest opinion.

[@kjprodouctions9050]

@GodzillaGaming111 Well, I wouldn't say it was the last great one. But I hope u still love Nascar as much as I do

[@SuperNASCARrocks]

2004 and 2007 will always be great seasons. 2014 had a great racing product as well. But 2015 was pretty awful. The racing product was Lackluster to say the least. 2011 was a great season. The racing in 2011 was really good. It was great. The championship battle between Edwards and Stewart was incredible.

[@rmg_2771]

I started watching full time in 2002 and I’ll put the 2002, 2004, 2011 and 2014 seasons on the God Tier

[@matthewmiszewski9287]

I agree with these just as well. I began watching in 2004.

[@Staysick17]

Matt kenseth should have a lot more championships thanks a lot Jimmy Johnson

[@danielhounsell9387]

2004 (Jr won 6 races) . . . . . 2008 (biased because I saw my first race in person) 2005 2011 2012 2006 2007 2010 2009 2014 2013 Honestly haven’t watched a full season since 2014 because of the Playoffs and stage racing format.

[@jordanthompson5233]

I hold the '97 season in high regard. I was my first nascar season that I remember following in full

[@seannolan9857]

While I've been watching since birth, that was definitely the year that cemented me as a NASCAR fan.

[@hulkhogan5963]

2014 was a fever dream

[@hunternixonfishing2500]

2005- Best of Gen 4 2011- Best of COT 2014- best of Gen 6 but it’s overrated for how people talk about it. Great racing sure but there was also bad boring mile and a half racing to 2020- hot take but 2020 is super underrated. Not just saying that as a Kevin Harvick fan. But the racing was actually good that year and the storylines were good too.

[@GodzillaGaming111]

Based. Kinda disagree with 2020 but I see your point.

[@hunternixonfishing2500]

@@GodzillaGaming111 I think 2020 was much better than 2021. And I’m also a Larson fan but as far as racing product 2020 was better

[@PaperBanjo64]

​@hunternixonfishing2500 2020 was seeing who could beat Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin which was fun, I enjoyed watching that year other than new Nintendo games were about the only bright spots that year was a year from Hell barely saw any chicks or did anything fun it was awful.

[@SortaNonymous]

As someone who's started watching in 2021, I have a lot of fondness for each season, but it's hard to think of my favorite. I have a lot of admittedly premature nostalgia for 2021, but while it was one of the Gen 6's better years, it was still the Gen 6. I had the most fun in 2024, but also the most frustration. Ditto for 2022. Honestly, while 2023 didn't have the highest highs, I feel like it was the most consistently satisfying season of the last four without most of the nuisances (and that's coming from a Truex fan). It is kind of tight though. And that's without having to pick from the last four Xfinity Series seasons, which feels like having to pick a favorite child (although it probably wouldn't be 2022)

[@cjbossin97]

2011 2014 were bangers imo

[@Yomammas]

This is the dilemma with NASCAR. These youngsters and youngster content creators have no clue how awesome NASCAR used to be.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I'm 31 and HATE what it's become, last season I truly enjoyed and wasn't begging for a split from the sanctioning body was 2021.

[@jin010342]

I think him ranking most of his first ten years in higher tiers and last 10 years into lower tiers does show that he agrees that NASCAR used to be better

[@evanwallace4510]

I was born in 88, grew up and still live 20 mins west of Daytona International Speedway. Went to my first race, the 1997 Busch Clash, camped in turn 3. Watched a ton of races on TV, for me, I loved every season in the middle to late 90s. Back when NASCAR was awesome

[@tannerwilburn9203]

2009 was my first year with like , 8-12 races from 2008. God teir : 2009,2012,2014,2016,2021 7 cylinders: 2018 ,2020,2023,2024

[@calvintrudeau4985]

If Jeff Gordon had won 2014 I think I would have a beautiful wife kids home and corvette rn. Pain

[@gnnascarfan2410]

3:42 2009 unfortunately off track news seemed to take bigger precedent over the racing on track, which is why it seems to be forgotten.

[@JaredElliott-yw8my]

Funny how a Dale jr fan ranks any season where Kyle Busch does good as a bad season and the ones he struggles are rated good. Funny how that works

[@NASCARfan38-v6n]

Kyle is the most overrated driver in history he’s terrible

[@RileyHerbst98]

I don't think I can agree with that logic​@@NASCARfan38-v6n

[@Jeff.3]

Or the seasons in general just weren't good????

[@joshuahitt908]

1. 2014. Jeff Gordon fan here 2.2011. 3. 2009. My first full season watching. 4. 2010. 5. 2012. 6.2013. 7. 2008 8. 2015. 9. 2020! So many unknowns I feel like made the season so much more compelling! 10. 2022. 11. 2019 12. 2016. I was not watching the majority of the season. What I did see was exciting so I got back in almost every week 13.2017. 14. 2022. 15. 2022. Building. 16.2023 stumbling. 17. 2024. Very good but questionable, not exactly trying to win over your loyal fans. 2018. 18. Personally I think this season was horrible, the racing itself atrocious!.

[@StanTheManGaming]

For me it’d be: 1 2024 (recency bias?) 2 2021 3 2022 4 2016 4 2020 5 2018 6 2017 7 2019

[@JoshS05]

Not to make you feel old man, but 05 was the year I was born 😂

[@S1159836]

2015 Gordon's final season nothing will ever surpass that

[@hansmitdergans7879]

As a Gordon fan, I think it was very painful. Gordon's dominance from the previous year was completely lost, the whole Logano-Kenseth drama was infuriating and there weren't many other things that I can highlight apart from Gordon's farewell. But I'll always remember the fall Martinsville race fondly. Logano finally got what he deserved and I've never seen Gordon so happy after a win. Drive for five was alive until the end. Almost a story book ending of a legendary career.

[@45558hjj]

for me 2016 is the best out of those

[@Colombiaballnr2055]

I started being a Nascar fan in 2015 when I was 4 years old however I started watching NASCAR in 2017 but truly I remember watching NASCAR in 2020 and here are my favorite seasons 1.2021 2.2019 3.2023 4.2024 5.2015 6.2020 7.2018 8.2016 9.2017 10.2022 what do you want me to explain why? no it sucked Man I am getting old

[@BCanterbury42]

NASCAR’s golden ear was 1991 through 1994! The years 1996 and 2001 are very memorable as well

[@ateddybear1392]

2014-2006-2010-2018-2020* ending killed me, 2024-2011-1999-2000-2003-2013-2017-2016-2007* cuz of Daytona 500/all star- 2008-2004-2005-2022-2021-2023-2002-2001-2009

[@noahcoleman5556]

1. 2011 2. 2014 3. 2005 4. 2004 5. 2022 6. 2012 7. 2024 8. 2003 9. 2007 10. 2009 11. 2010 12. 2023 13. 2006 14. 2016 15. 2021 16. 2017 17. 2020 18. 2019 19. 2013 20. 2018 21. 2008 22. 2015

[@Novusa]

I started watching in 2023 so 8/10 and 2024 was 10/10

[@loganpinner5212]

Something about the COT was awesome to me. I know it sucked but I loved the bigger spoiler and overall shape of the car.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I'd honestly take the 2008 spec COT over Gen 7...you could tell those cars were a handful to drive, the racing on short tracks, road courses, and superspeedways was all amazing, and they had massive off throttle in the corners...we barely got any more off throttle than the 550 package with Gen 7 and they don't appear as absolutely wild beasts that need tamed, once the wing came off, the splitter got filled in COT was a decent race car, not as good as Gen 4.

[@JackerWarriors25]

I think people are too critical of this past year, it had some bad moments but there were way more great moments and races that will be remembered for decades

[@macncheezboi_designs]

Ima rank it from 1-3 (I started watching LATE 2022) 1. 2024 (Yes ik Joey was the most undeserving champion and the whole martinsville cheatshow happened, but despite those it was still a cool season and I just enjoyed watching it the most) 2. 2023 (This one got p2 because I feel like watching 2 races in 2022 shouldn't get the second [Martinsville-2 was actually the first race I watched, like the whole race not just the Hail Melon. Ross did get me into the sport with that move tho]. I think Blaney was a deserving champion and ran well throughout the season. Wish it was Bell or Larson but anyone in that Champ 4 could win it and I would think they deserved it) 3. 2022 (I love the the Martinsville-2 race but only watching Martinsville and Phoenix makes me feel like it should go at the bottom)

[@benlewis9362]

Since I started watching in 2015. 1. 2024 2. 2020 3. 2021 4. 2016 5. 2023 6. 2022 7. 2019 8. 2017 9. 2018 10. 2015 Too bad I didn't get into Nascar when it was great in the 90s and 2000s or before fall 2014.

[@NASCARfan38-v6n]

I started watching in 95 I have had almost 30 years as a NASCAR fan

[@InsaneCelery238]

How can you keep these seasons together 😂, I’ve only been watching since 2019 and they are already blurring togetherlol

[@seannolan9857]

Some of us are just crazy obsessive. I can name the winner of every race since '83 off the top of my head.

[@WastdTrashPanda]

2002 was peak

[@cito1101]

I would say 2021 was the best for me, then 2018 was the worst

[@michaelsanderson9562]

You may want to check the description...

[@JordanRunge14]

2011 wooooo!!! It will never be topped imo

[@tobiojo6469]

2014 was a crazy year

[@southeastcupseries]

Man 2024 if was just based off the racing would be a god season. Still is imo

[@Gooeyburger86]

I’ve been watching since 2014 and my favorite season was either 2023 or 2021

[@justinturley7071]

1999 is my favorite. Had a fantastic Daytona 500, and had a great driver win the Championship. Dale Jarrett and Jeff Gordon were my 2 favorite drivers, so seeing Jarrett finally win it all was a really good feeling! And I was so happy for him. Sad he was the only driver to win a Championship for Robert Yates. 1995 and 1997 were also 2 great years. 95 was interesting, seeing Earnhardt and Gordon battling it out that season, with Earnhardt nearly winning it all on a comeback, but Gordon pulled it off when it mattered. 1997 had 3 main winners, Gordon, Jarrett and Martin. Jarrett won his most that season with 7, but came just 14 points from winning his first championship, which Gordon won it, 1997 saw Jeff Gordon win his first of 3 Daytona 500’s.

[@hehe-IgoBRRRR]

I think 2024 as a whole would be better classified as 'chaotic' rather than 'good' because while mostly everything on track was fun, everything off the track was hell. 2011 is the best season of the 21st century and one of the best in NASCAR history up there with 1979 and 1992

[@redguysimracing2382]

2002 or 2004 would be number one for me. Honorable mentioned would be 1996.

[@nathanedwards2250]

Maybe the grudge against Kyle Busch is still there😂, ranking both of his championships in the last tier. TBH they weren’t great, but as a KB fan they were great to me😂

[@zachwalentiny]

2004, 2005, 2011, and 2014 are probably my favorite seasons, and 2015 is obviously the worst season by a mile. 2018 and 2019 sucked too.

[@NeosAvias]

🟢 Great : 2022 | 2024 🟡 Good : 2023 | 2017 | 2016 🟠 Fair : 2021 | 2015 🔴 Poor : 2020 | 2018 | 2019 2015: 🟠| Started watching NASCAR halfway through season around Sonoma. So I didn't get to enjoy most of it to begin with. Kyle Busch coming back to win the championship after being out for so long seemed like an impressive Olympian effort at the time, but nowadays it does feel... not great. I'm only not ranking it Poor cause it was my first and what got me back into watching it. 2016: 🟡| Like was said, a lot of good finishes and a fair number of races with good competition between drivers. Not really a ton that I have to say about this season, though, honestly; I feel like it was really encapsulated by Carl Edwards - my favorite driver at the time - having such a good run and then having his season and career end the way that it did. 2017: 🟡| I was gon'a say that this season was even more forgettable to me, but I do remember how much Truex dominated this season which was cool to see since he was one of my top faves. Y'also had the interesting or weird team moves like Erik Jones being in the 77 and Suarez replacing Edwards in the 19, but in terms of "moments" I don't recall too many. 2018: 🔴| Genuinely a forgettable season. Literally don't remember anything interesting going on in this season at all. 2019: 🔴| Ditto. (Honestly I kind'a think my judgement and recollection of these seasons also has to do with the fact that we'd recently moved to a new place and I was going through severe depression and a ton of life issues at that. But... apparently I didn't really miss much.) 2020: 🔴| Obviously this was the COVID year and in general the season was just flatly forgettable. Legit the only thing I remember about this season was the Newman wreck, the Bubba Wallace controversy, Larson getting booted, and Chase winning the thing. Like at least there were stories, but none of them were good and there was not a lot of them. 2021: 🟠| Now things are getting interesting again for me. Racing still was kind of forgettable in a lot of places, but we are starting to see some more interesting moves, like the introduction of both Trackhouse and 23XI and even Kaulig on a part-time basis getting into some shenanigans and shaking things up on track. 2022: 🟢| Hot-take: despite the growing pains of the NextGen I felt like this was actually a fun season. Most of the problems I recall from this season were like... NASCAR officiating and controversy behind the scenes, but the on-track product, even when there were issues was at least interesting to watch and talk about. I remember this incredibly positively. 2023: 🟡| Full transparency, I was kind'a close to also making this one green as well because I do think there was a similar amount of interesting story-lines and moments - like SVG coming into win his very first race in Chicago. I don't want to seem biased, though, and to be fair I do feel like NASCAR was kind'a slow on remedying any issues that cropped up in 2022. 2024: 🟢| I am one of those people that has historically not minded the Playoff format but has started to sour on it, especially after the final two races of this season. But ignoring that deflation, I think the rest of the season was absolutely fantastic. We never really talked about any race being a snooze-fest and instead were talking about a lot of the photo-finishes and last-lap passes and all that. Great racing throughout the season.

[@theplayernkc]

Judging NASCAR from 2005 is cute, but the really good racing was in the 90's and a little into the early 2000's.

[@greendayray]

I don’t know about anyone else but I’d say maybe the last 5 years just kinda blur together, nothing too significant or memorable. Other than it being weird how 2020 went.

[@whalesequence]

2024 showed just how screwed up Nascar's rules are, Indy would've likely been Nashville part 2, but Nascar manipulated their own overtime rule to avoid it, that's just one example of the nonsense that happened this year. Honestly, I hope it gets worse in 2025, maybe that will finally create some change in the sport

[@PaperBanjo64]

I don't see positive change ever coming...NASCAR like having control with this car and using gimmicks, Michael Jordan is our only hope of ever getting the sport back only because of NASCAR and the France family being forced to change.

[@whalesequence]

@PaperBanjo64 Man, I hope he wins

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@whalesequence same, if he loses he needs to convince Marcus Smith to side with him, and start a new stock car series without the gimmicks or Gen 7 cars.

[@whalesequence]

@@PaperBanjo64 I wish I could say that, but the Indycar split killed American open wheel racing

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@whalesequence I'm aware of that, but it's obvious NASCAR refuses to change, F1 is gonna take over anyway, somebody has got to do something!

[@jrod1287]

S Tier: 1997 2001 2002 2004 2011 2014 A Tier 1998 1999 2000 2017 2022 2024 B Tier 2003 2005 2006 2007 2010 2012 2016 2011 2023 Then the rest

[@devcurtis29]

For me 2014 was absolute god tier, i loved it, 2012 as a whole year, started with a bright tone but when the July Daytona race rolled around a very dark and ominous tone had befallen and everything felt different and that led all the way into 2013 and didn’t feel any different until Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500 in 2014

[@professorlarrs]

If I did this, I’d have to go all the way back to 89. Not doing that.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I'd rather watch KZbin reruns of 1989 than this year and I wasn't even born yet for another 4 years!

[@elijames3041]

Good evening

[@WarCpa]

2024 was wayyy better than you gave it credit for. So many great races and finishes

[@ChevChamp35]

Top 3. 1st: 2007 2nd: 2014 3rd: 2018

[@rouge4736]

EVERY SEASON SINCE PLAYOFFS F TIER

[@soupernewb]

Started watching in 2021 so my ranking from best to worst would be: 22, 21, 24, 23

[@SortaNonymous]

Did you actually rewatch at least highlights of every or at least damn near every race of the past 20 years for this video?

[@calebharper1590]

2001-2004 probably would be in the great section.

[@johnreams3182]

Every season I ever watched... well long list here. There will be some Gordon bias, but hey, the point of these is opinions 1. 2001, the first season I ever watched, starting on a truly awful note... However the recovery from the tragedy is a truly beautiful story in Nascar, you have DEI immediately winning out of the disaster, the all time great first win for Kevin Harvick, and of course the beautiful finish in the Pepsi 400. That is before my bias kicks in, but I even think it leans into the story, with Earnhardt's most respected rival winning the championship. It felt like the worst possible thing happened to the sport, but at the same time, we learned it would all be okay unless nascar messed anything up (it did) 2. 2014, I hate the finish I really do, one of the 'lost championships' all gordon fans talk about, but the racing was great, and seeing Jeff winning again with regularity was good for me. you described the rest of 2014 well, so I'm sticking to the positives on this one. 3. 2005, just a solid season, tony was always a second favorite of mine, though even at 10 years old something still struck me as funny about the chase. high point was of course the daytona 500, there is something special about seeing your guy win that one. 4. 2011, by this time I was indoctrinated in my anti-chase attitude... however, sometimes you have to clap and say 'okay, I don't agree but that was good" that championship fight was so down to the wire I can't even pretend my biases effected it too much. 5. 2012, some of the craziest super speedway racing I have ever seen, along with some great drama, and great races to boot. I don't think drama is everything, but it can be fun when it was genuine. (yes, I do think Jeff should probably have been suspended, but i will never agree to that once I've had a few drinks) one of my least favorite drivers ever takes the title, but hey he deserved it under any system. 6. 2007, some classic finishes, great racing even from the COT (I'm not a huge fan of those) and possibly the most dominant season besides 1998 Jeff Gordon ever drove. Add to that that I think that is the year the flames were perfected with the two blue flares on the front bumper. 7. 2002, Just a great championship battle, a rookie genuinely having a shot, sadly affected by injury to Sterling Marlin, starting with a controversial finish in the Daytona 500, and my favorite bristol night race ever, where the broadcast booth coined the term bump and run. 8. 2003, I thought this was rose tinted sunglasses, I thought this is the season that caused the chase, maybe nascar had a point? no it was a solid season, where yes... Matt Kenseth dominated, maybe he didn't win a lot, but that kept the winner an interesting variable all season. But if you look at how drivers ran that season, I see no one who even ran close to him on consistency all season. 9. 2006, not a standout to me, but I always enjoy gen 4 racing. I still watch old races all the time, and 06 does still come up on occasion. The last gen 4 one for a while since there is a bit of spite directed at the last one to go. 10. 2016, best racing we got out of the lower horsepower gen 6s. Still some salt against this season, I mean there will be the rest of the way, think this one was by far the least deserved of Johnson's championships, but that's the elimination format. 11. 2013, This one ended up higher than I thought going in, but honestly, I quite liked the first year of these cars, it was lackluster at times, but I saw potential that was truly brought out the next season. Still a few pretty good races that year. 12. 2009, this one wins out over 2010 just because of a few crazy finishes and... well I think everyone likes Mark Martin, seeing him do so well so late in his career made me very happy at the time. 13. 2021, what can I say, I'm something of a Kyle Larson fan. As much as I hate the playoffs, well, I will be happy with my one win. Honestly from here on back we don't have a lot of standout races that I remember loving. Well except one season, but that season is so bad that I have to mark it down lower. 14. 2017, I gotta say, the truex story was a nice one. I still remember "i thought we were dead" after the Kentucky race. 15. 2020, i needed nascar during COVID, and so I got attached to this one despite it not being the best for racing. 16. 2010, this is my most forgotten year, but hey forgotten gets them better than the next few. 17. 2008, Okay, aside from my exceptions I will never beat the 'hating the COT" allegations. The racing this year was just bad. Yeah they'd eventually rebound and fix the racing to an extent, but they never got quite close to the 2014 high power gen 6, or any iteration of the gen 4 18. 2015, they completely ruined the gen 6, turning it into one of the most boring cars for racing, the only, and its barely good, thing about this is... well Jeff's last win straight up made me tear up. Came at the end of a race that was thoroughly entertaining, even if it was just elimination manufactured drama, and ended in a wrecked Joey Logano, what's not to like? 19. 2022, Well.... it's my highest ranked year with a Logano championship. Nothing really positivee to say, wee are currently in my opinion in the darkest years of nascar, yeah mile and a halfs are better in the next gen car, but I am a short track fan. and those are utterly ruined. 20. 2023 again this is down to my opinion on the next gen car. honestly these last couple of years have been a blur to me. 21. 2024, admittedly probably a better season overall than 23... however major spite for how this one ended. The worst champion in nascar history leaves a black mark on the whole series. 22. 2018, you have the dominance factor, but the drivers who dominated were 3 guys I liked. This one ranks so low for me because it truly unmasked this iteration of thee playoffs. huh there is a trend in these last two. Don't worry it gets bucked by a joke last place 23. 2004, Yep, why did i put a season with great racing down here? and honestly there are truly a lot of things I like about this season, if you want honesty, put this at about number 8 ahead of 2006. But it is the beginning of the end. Nascar messing with the championship, the first chase. I always thought it was fishy, and well... i was 9 at the time. but now my actual review of the season... honestly it was pretty damn good. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon battling for the championship lead all year long, (they gave the trophy to Kurt Busch for some reason though) a really solid package that year, it was good ol' peak gen 4. Great super speedway racing, the beginning of my love for martinsville. Great season, only half jokingly down here from salt

[@ming454]

I started in 2022 2022: Great 2023: Decent Enough 2024: Completely ruined by my dead passion to NASCAR after realizing that there's actually no goal in the season and it's just 36 pointless races with big part of them being also rigged by officiating.

[@PaperBanjo64]

There's other racing leagues out there! Try IndyCar, F1, World of Outlaws or something else, racing is a good sport but NASCAR has been getting really bad this year.

[@ming454]

@PaperBanjo64 I was thinking about IndyCar already. Thanks to Larson for bringing attention to it.

[@dylanbissonnette8639]

2011- God tier 2012- God tier 2013- Good even though my driver won his sixth title 2014- great 2015- good enough 2016- great 2017- great 2018- 7 cylinders 2019- decent enough 2020- good 2021- decent enough even though my new favorite after Jimmie retired dominated that season 2022- good 2023- decent enough 2024- decent enough

[@Carsboy95]

Alright ima do this with all the seasons I’ve watched. 2013: decent enough 2014: great 2015: on 7 cylinders 2016: good 2017: decent enough 2018: on 7 cylinders 2019: on 7 cylinders 2020: decent enough 2021: good 2022: good 2023: good 2024: decent enough

[@jc1424]

nice amp hat Jaret!

[@Aimmmers]

2024 had soooooo many things to talk about with crashes and wrecks

[@arktemperedoreo9482]

Here’s my list as a Very VERY new fan 1. 2024 iconic and the best I’ve seen. Hate the championship tho lmao 2. 2022(first year I watched and I became a Ross fan) 3. 2023 (kinda forgettable felt like 22 pt 2)