MOORESVILLE, N.C. — As what many of us will forever call the longest year of our lives winds to a conclusion and the prospect of another year of uncertainty stares us square in the eyes, let’s look back at some of the interesting on-track happenings of the last 12 months.
Despite drastically shortened schedules for most racing series and the constant challenges resulting from restrictions imposed by health officials to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many noteworthy performances.
– After making a costly mistake that led to him being suspended from NASCAR and losing his ride with Chip Ganassi Racing, Kyle Larson captured the attention of race fans around the world with a summer winning streak that was among the best in history.
Larson won 46 dirt-track races in four different types of race cars while also working behind the scenes to earn his reinstatement to NASCAR. Larson’s season ended with him signing a contract to return to NASCAR next season with Hendrick Motorsports.
– Helio Castroneves wrapped up his 21st and final season driving for Team Penske by winning his first championship. Castroneves and teammate Ricky Taylor earned the DPi title in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship during what was also Team Penske’s final season overseeing Acura’s IMSA program.
– Ten-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz won only five features this year.
– Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Kevin Harvick and Chase Briscoe won a combined 18 races, but neither earned a series championship.
Harvick recorded nine NASCAR Cup Series victories but failed to advance to the Championship 4 after a late-season slump. Briscoe became the first full-time Xfinity Series driver to win nine races in a season but was upended by fellow Ford driver Austin Cindric during the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
– Lewis Hamilton is breaking Formula One records many believed were unattainable.
Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Formula One victories seemed unreachable several years ago, but Hamilton went screaming past Schumacher on the list of Formula One winners and had won 94 grands prix with four events remaining in the season.
The Mercedes driver also wrapped up his seventh world driving championship to tie Schumacher in that category.
– Many of the old-school racing skeptics (who me?) learned that iRacing is a lot more than a video game.
– With full-fledged sponsorship support from Drydene, Shark Racing enjoyed its best World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series season with Logan Schuchart winning seven features and finishing second in the points, while Jacob Allen earned his first series victory at Dodge City (Kan.) Raceway Park in September.
– Veteran Ohio sprint car racer Cap Henry and up-and-coming Pennsylvania hotshoe Anthony Macri were big winners. Henry won 12 times in the state of Ohio, while Macri topped nine features.
– Erica Enders flew under the radar en route to capturing a fourth NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock championship.
– Sam Mayer had a heck of a season and one hell of a night.
The 17-year-old stock car driver won five times in six races en route to his second consecutive ARCA Menards East Series title. The son of former Indy car racer Scott Mayer also won five ARCA Menards Series races and claimed the Sioux Chief Showdown Championship.
But it was one big night in September that put Mayer in the national spotlight as he earned his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series triumph and an ARCA Menards Series win on the same night at Bristol Motor Speedway.
– Other drivers racking up big victory numbers this season included World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion Brandon Sheppard, who won 33 features; touring late model racer Brandon Overton (26); Ricky Thornton Jr., who won 39 features across three divisions; and traveling sprint car ace Mark Smith, who visited victory lane on 21 occasions.
Stewart Friesen had a miserable year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series but still won 28 short-track events.
– Brady Bacon won six features en route to his third USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship title.
– Tim McCreadie, 46, enjoyed a bounce-back season, winning 11 late model features in his first year driving for Paylor Motorsports.
– Sheldon Haudenschild won a career-best seven World of Outlaws sprint car features.
Here’s hoping the new year brings health, happiness and a lot more racing than we saw in 2020.