NASCAR ranks Top 10 unluckiest drivers with month to go in regular season

The Joe Gibbs Racing wheelman has been picked to win a myriad of races thus far in 2024, but he’s come up short a number of times. Ty Gibbs has shown immense promise, but he’s still yet to end up in Victory Lane.

Even without a win, Gibbs has been in the Top 16 in the playoff standings for basically the entire season. At the moment, the young wheelman is in P14, 42 points to the good. He can lock himself in with a win, but he’s in a solid spot regardless.

2. Tyler Reddick

It goes to show how phenomenal of a season Tyler Reddick is having, as he’s among the top wheelmen in the sport at the moment, and still near the top of the unluckiest. That’s a heck of an ironic twist.

In the overall Cup Series points at the moment, Reddick’s tremendous season can be illustrated, as the No. 45 wheelman is only -15 points from the lead. As for the playoff standings, he’s sixth overall, the top driver with only one victory, and he could move quickly up the rankings with another win or two on the season.

3. Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. announced his retirement from full-time racing, effective at the end of the 2024 campaign, so some thought he’d capture some sentimental wins. He’s been fast, but he’s still yet to capture a checkered flag, but it may not be all his fault, as the metrics prove he’s been very unlucky.

While Truex Jr. would love to win another race before the playoffs begin, and his career ends, the No. 19 is currently the top driver without a victory, sitting in P13, 108 points to the good in the standings. That could change in an instant, but he’s in as solid of a spot as you can hope, without a win on his resume in 2024.

4. Noah Gragson

After a disastrous 2023, Noah Gragson has proven his abilities throughout the 2024 campaign with Stewart-Haas Racing. Even with some tough luck at times, Gragson has driven well beyond his means, continually running in the Top 15 this season.

Unlike some of the others on this list, Gragson’s luck has kept him from making a playoff run. He’s outside the Top 20 in the standings, and he’ll likely need a win, and a little bit of luck, to punch his ticket to the dance.

5. Chris Buescher

Without the formula provided by NASCAR.com, Chris Buescher would be the easy choice for the unluckiest driver of the season. A couple of instances stick out, like finishing runner-up in the closest finish in Cup Series history, and losing his chance at winning Darlington due to Tyler Reddick.

The RFK Racing wheelman has been impressive in 2024, but he’s right on the edge as it pertains to the playoff standings. The No. 17 driver is in P15, 17 points to the good, but a win would lock him in. We’ll see if he can capture a checkered flag when the Cup Series returns at Richmond, a place he’s won in the past.

NASCAR’s unluckiest drivers — No. 6 through No. 10:

6. Kyle Busch
7. Bubba Wallace
8. Todd Gilliland
9. Ross Chastain
10. Josh Berry

As you can see, bad luck has been a major affliction for some of the Cup Series’ most talented wheelmen in 2024, from Ty Gibbs to Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. Until NASCAR’s return on Aug. 11, they won’t have a chance to rectify it, but a win could change everything for each of the ten drivers who adorn the list.