2021 NASCAR CUP SERIES

NASCAR Cup Series is the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series.The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series is the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season started at Daytona International Speedway with the Busch Clash, where it was the first year that the non-points event was run on the track's road course layout instead of the oval. That race was followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races, and the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, the first points race of the season. The regular season also ended at Daytona with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 28, where Kyle Larson won the Regular Season Championship. The NASCAR playoffs will end with the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway on November 7. This is the first season since the retirement of seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, who is competing part-time in IMSA and IndyCar in 2021, and Clint Bowyer, who joined the NASCAR on Fox booth as a color commentator, as well as both Germain Racing and Leavine Family Racing, which closed down after the 2020 season. This is also the first season for 23XI Racing, co-owned by Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan, and Trackhouse Racing Team, co-owned by former NASCAR and current sports car racing driver Justin Marks and musician Pitbull. It is also the last season for Chip Ganassi Racing, as Trackhouse purchased the entirety of CGR's NASCAR team for 2022. In addition, this is the final season for StarCom Racing, as they will cease operations after 2021, Team Penske crew chief Todd Gordon, who announced his retirement from crew chiefing following the 2021 season, and the Cup Series Generation 6 car, which will be replaced with the Next Gen car starting in 2022.