NASCAR's 2024 season began with near washouts in the first two races, setting the stage for what could have been a miserable year. However, the top motorsports series in the United States showed remarkable flexibility by moving its preseason race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum up a full day, setting the stage for an unpredictable year ahead.

NASCAR's 2024 - A Year of Challenges and Triumphs

How it Started

The third running of the exhibition Clash at the Coliseum was in serious jeopardy before the teams even arrived due to heavy rain headed towards California. With a keen eye on the radar, NASCAR realized that racing on the scheduled day was simply not possible. As a result, officials crammed an entire two-day event into just one Saturday - a day when the Coliseum wasn't even supposed to be open to fans. This unprecedented move cost NASCAR dearly in both television ratings and financial terms."We did something that we had never done before. We pulled a race up a day and raced on Saturday night," said NASCAR president Steve Phelps. "We got crushed in the ratings, right? Saturday night is typically the lowest-rated day of the week, but it was the right thing to do."Rain also played a significant role in postponing the season-opening Daytona 500 in February. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was rain-shortened, ruining Kyle Larson's chance to complete the Indy 500-Coke 500 double. The Chicago street race was also interrupted by rain, making three of the biggest events of the season dampened by the elements.Yet, Phelps noted that NASCAR managed to climb out of a 27 percent ratings hole by the end of the season. "If you had asked me at the beginning of the year, 'I will bet you that you can dig out of a 27 percent hole at the 500 and then two double-digit ratings declines on your next two highest rated races,' I would have said there is no way that's going to happen," he said. "And here we are for our Cup races, and we are in the positive numbers."

How they Raced

Most of the winners were familiar faces this season. Larson, with a series-high six wins, and Daytona 500 winner William Byron were among the five drivers who scored three victories each. Logano, who won his third Cup championship, had only one regular-season victory. But he won three playoff races, becoming only the 10th driver in NASCAR history to achieve this feat.There were some surprises along the way as well. Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton won the final two races of the regular season to secure the final two playoff spots in the 16-driver field. It was a bittersweet moment for both. Briscoe represented Stewart-Haas Racing, which essentially closed at the end of the season. Burton, a first-time Cup Series winner, won in his final season with Wood Brothers Racing.Dillon earned his first victory in nearly two years at Richmond Raceway, but it was ultimately thrown out by NASCAR because he wrecked two cars in the closing laps. There are also allegations that Richard Childress Racing bought the setup information on Dillon's car from a Joe Gibbs Racing employee. JGR has refused to comment, and no formal complaint has been lodged.At the penultimate race of the season, with championship spots on the line, NASCAR levied heavy fines against multiple teams for cooperating with each other to help drivers representing the same manufacturers. NASCAR found this behavior manipulative and said it won't rule out driver suspensions in the future.

The Playoffs

NASCAR also won't rule out taking a look at the playoff format after Logano won the title. Logano was technically eliminated from the field after the second round, but when Alex Bowman's car failed inspection following the elimination race, Logano was reinstated and went on to give Roger Penske his third consecutive Cup Series title.NASCAR was firm in stating that the correct four drivers raced for the title - Logano, regular-season champion Tyler Reddick, Byron, and 2023 champion Ryan Blaney. But they said they would review the system if needed."We are always looking for opportunities to tweak something," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR chief operating officer. "We are not the only sport where the best statistical team doesn't make it to the Final Four or the Super Bowl or the World Series. We're not going to abandon playoffs. We listen to our fans and everything. We will, as always, look at what form the playoffs take in the offseason."

The Lawsuit

NASCAR has been engaged in contentious negotiations with the teams over its revenue-sharing model based on charter agreements for more than two years. A deal described by the teams as a "take-it-or-leave-it" final offer was presented 48 hours before the start of the playoffs in September.Of the 15 teams that held 36 charters, 13 signed. The two teams that refused - 23XI Racing, owned by NBA Hall of Famer Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by businessman Bob Jenkins - are now suing NASCAR over antitrust claims.NASCAR has since revoked the charter offers to these two teams, which held two each. The charters guarantee a spot in the field in all 38 races as well as guaranteed revenue. The teams can still compete as "open" cars but will not have the same protections. Both teams had agreements to buy charters from Stewart-Haas Racing to expand their organizations to three cars, but NASCAR said it will not honor those transfers.The teams have asked for a December hearing in an attempt to clear up the situation before the charters expire at the end of this year. NASCAR on Monday asked for the suit to be dismissed outright.The ramifications of this lawsuit are huge, and it's unclear how 23XI and Front Row can or will proceed if there is no resolution by February. An attorney representing the teams, Jeffrey Kessler, contends that the drivers and sponsors can leave both organizations if the cars aren't chartered. And, without the transfer of the SHR charters, expansion is in question even though both teams have hired drivers for 2025.It's a messy fight that will likely continue until a judge reaches a decision or a settlement is made - and nobody knows if that will be before the preseason Clash, which will be held for the first time on February 2 at Bowman-Gray Stadium in North Carolina.