The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 66th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 43rd modern-era Cup season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway, with the Sprint Unlimited, followed by the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
This season was the final year of broadcasting for both the ESPN family of networks and Turner Sports. ESPN had covered the second half of the Sprint Cup season since 2007 while Turner Sports ended a thirty-one year relationship with NASCAR on TBS and later TNT. For 2015, their portions of the season were divided between Fox Sports and NBC.
Kevin Harvick and Stewart–Haas Racing claimed the drivers' championship and owners' championship, while Chevrolet won the manufacturer's championship. In one of the largest rookie classes in recent history, future Cup Series champion Kyle Larson was named Rookie of the Year.
Teams and drivers
Complete schedule There were 41 full-time teams in 2014.
ManufacturerTeamRace DriverCrew ChiefChevroletChip Ganassi Racing1Jamie McMurrayKeith Rodden42Kyle Larson (R)Chris HeroyFurniture Row Racing78Martin Truex Jr.Todd BerrierGermain Racing13Casey MearsBootie BarkerHendrick Motorsports5Kasey KahneKenny Francis24Jeff GordonAlan Gustafson48Jimmie JohnsonChad Knaus88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Steve LetarteHScott Motorsports 51 Justin Allgaier (R) Steve AddingtonJTG Daugherty Racing47A. J. AllmendingerBrian BurnsRichard Childress Racing3Austin Dillon (R)Gil Martin27Paul MenardSlugger Labbe Justin Alexander 31Ryan NewmanLuke LambertBrian Scott Nick Harrison Mark Hillman Mike Hillman Jr. Ty Dillon Hillman-Circle Sport LLCTimmy Hill David Stremme Alex Kennedy Bobby Labonte Morgan Shepherd Travis Kvapil 40Landon CassillMike Abner Mark Hillman Stewart–Haas Racing4Kevin HarvickRodney Childers10Danica PatrickTony Gibson Daniel Knost 14Tony Stewart Chad JohnstonRegan Smith Jeff Burton 41Kurt BuschDaniel Knost Tony Gibson Tommy Baldwin Racing7Michael Annett (R)Kevin Manion36Reed SorensonTodd ParrottFordFront Row Motorsports34David RaganJay Guy Derrick Finley 38David GillilandFrank Kerr Jay Guy Go FAS Racing 32 Terry Labonte Dan Stillman Ben Leslie Clinton Cram Travis Kvapil Blake Koch Boris Said Eddie MacDonald J. J. Yeley Joey Gase Timmy Hill Kyle Fowler Richard Petty Motorsports9Marcos AmbroseDrew Blickensderfer43Aric AlmirolaTrent OwensRoush Fenway Racing16Greg BiffleMatt Puccia17Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Mike Kelley99Carl EdwardsJimmy FennigTeam Penske2Brad KeselowskiPaul Wolfe Greg Erwin 22Joey LoganoTodd GordonToyotaBK Racing23Alex Bowman (R)Dave Winston26 Cole Whitt (R) Randy Cox 83Ryan Truex (R) Dale Ferguson Doug Richert Joe Williams J. J. Yeley Travis Kvapil Identity Ventures Racing Michael Waltrip Racing 66Michael Waltrip Chad Walter Scott Eggleston Joe Nemechek Jeff Burton Brett Moffitt Timmy Hill Tomy Drissi Mike Wallace Joe Gibbs Racing 11Denny Hamlin Darian Grubb Mike Wheeler Sam Hornish Jr. 18Kyle BuschDave Rogers20Matt KensethJason RatcliffMichael Waltrip Racing15Clint BowyerBrian Pattie55Brian VickersBilly Scott Ford Chevrolet Phil Parsons Racing98 Josh WiseGene Nead
Limited schedule ManufacturerTeamRace DriverCrew ChiefRound(s)ChevroletBeard Motorsports 75 Clay Rogers Darren Shaw HScott Motorsports52Bobby LabonteJimmy ElledgeTeam XTREME RacingJ. J. YeleyWalter Giles Joe Lax Steve Lane Timmy HillPeter SospenzoTommy Baldwin Racing37Bobby LabonteTommy Baldwin Jr.Dave Blaney Zach McGowan Mike BlissFordFront Row Motorsports35Eric McClureTodd Anderson Derrick Finley Blake KochDavid ReutimannLeavine Family Racing95Michael McDowellWally RogersRandy Humphrey Racing77Dave BlaneyPeter SospenzoNelson Piquet Jr. Steve LaneJoe NemechekCorey LaJoieRoush Fenway Racing6Trevor BayneBob OsborneTeam Penske12Ryan BlaneyJeremy BullinsJuan Pablo MontoyaGreg ErwinWood Brothers Racing21Trevor BayneDonnie WingoToyotaBK Racing93Morgan ShepherdRick Ren Mike BlissDoug RichertJohnny SauterJ. J. YeleyClay RogersIdentity Ventures Racing 49Mike Wallace Scott Eggleston87Joe Nemechek Morgan ShepherdTimmy Hill RAB Racing 29Joe Nemechek Chris Rice Matt Lucas Matt Crafton Swan Racing 30 Parker Kligerman Steve Lane
Changes
Teams Stewart–Haas Racing expanded to a four-car team with the addition of Kurt Busch in the No. 41. Busch previously drove the No. 78 Chevrolet for Furniture Row Racing in 2013. Michael Waltrip Racing downsized from a three to two car team for 2014, when sponsor NAPA Auto Parts decided to terminate their 3-year deal after the race fixing incident at the 2013 Richmond September race, shutting down the No. 56 Toyota Camry of Martin Truex Jr. With the No. 56 shut down, Michael Waltrip entered a partnership with the 2013 No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports team, to the new formed Identity Ventures Racing in the No. 66 with Waltrip running the restrictor plate races and Joe Nemechek and various drivers running the remainder of the races. Front Row Motorsports downsized from three full-time teams to two-full-time teams with the No. 35 moving to part-time. The team attempted 10 races in 2014. Hillman-Circle Sport LLC expanded to two full-time teams with Landon Cassill running the full season in the new No. 40, after running part-time for the team in 2013. Swan Racing expanded to a two-car team with the addition of Cole Whitt in the No. 26, who previously ran 7 races in Swan Racing's No. 30 in 2013. Parker Kligerman took over in the No. 30 for Swan Racing, previously running 2 races in the car in 2013. Sponsorship troubles later forced Swan Racing to sell both their cars to other teams in April 2014. The No. 26 of Whitt was sold to BK Racing, who continued to run full-time, while the No. 30 assets were sold to Xxxtreme Motorsport, shutting down the No. 30 and releasing Kligerman.
Drivers Kevin Harvick replaced Ryan Newman in the Stewart–Haas Racing No. 39, which was renumbered to No. 4. Harvick previously drove for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 29 the previous 12 years. Austin Dillon moved up to the Sprint Cup Series full-time to replace Kevin Harvick in the Richard Childress Racing No. 29, renumbered to No. 3. Announced December 11, 2013, this would make the first appearance of No. 3 in the Sprint Cup Series since the 2001 Daytona 500 and the death of Dale Earnhardt. Dillon had built a strong early career in a Childress-blessed No. 3, first in the Camping World Truck Series, then in the Nationwide Series. Childress had polled fans at the beginning of 2013 about Dillon taking No. 3, to the Sprint Cup series, which received 90% positive feedback. "That told me it was time, and if Austin wanted to it was his choice." Ryan Newman replaced Jeff Burton in the Richard Childress Racing No. 31. Newman drove the No. 39 for Stewart–Haas Racing in 2013. Martin Truex Jr. replaced Kurt Busch in the Furniture Row Racing No. 78. Truex drove the No. 56 for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2013. Brian Vickers became the full-time driver of the No. 55 for Michael Waltrip Racing, after running 14 races in the car in 2013. Kyle Larson replaced Juan Pablo Montoya in the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing No. 42. Montoya left to drive in the IndyCar Series. Larson ran full-time for Turner Scott Motorsports in the No. 32 in the Nationwide Series in 2013. A. J. Allmendinger replaced Bobby Labonte in the JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 car. Allmendinger ran part-time for Daughtery and Phoenix Racing in 2013. Justin Allgaier replaced multiple drivers in the HScott Motorsports No. 51 car. Allgaier ran full-time for Turner Scott Motorsports in the No. 31 in the Nationwide Series in 2013. Michael Annett replaced Dave Blaney in the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 7 car. Annett ran in the Nationwide Series for Richard Petty Motorsports in the No. 43 in 2013. Reed Sorenson replaced J. J. Yeley in the Tommy Baldwin Racing No. 36 car. Sorenson ran part-time for various Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams in 2013. Josh Wise replaced Michael McDowell in the Phil Parsons Racing No. 98. Wise drove for Front Row Motorsports in the No. 35 in 2013. Travis Kvapil and various drivers join Go FAS Racing, a team consisting of Go Green Racing and Frank Stoddard's FAS Lane Racing, for races that are not road courses (Boris Said) or restrictor plate superspeedways (Terry Labonte). Alex Bowman replaced Travis Kvapil in the BK Racing No. 93 car, which was renumbered to No. 23. Bowman drove for RAB Racing in the No. 99 in the Nationwide Series in 2013. Ryan Truex replaced David Reutimann in the BK Racing No. 83 car. Truex left after the Chicagoland race in September and was replaced by J. J. Yeley and Travis Kvapil. Michael McDowell replaced Scott Speed and various drivers in the part-time Leavine Family Racing No. 95 car. McDowell drove the Phil Parsons Racing No. 98 in 2013. J. J. Yeley replaced Scott Riggs for Xxxtreme Motorsport in the part-time No. 44.
Manufacturers Germain Racing switched its manufacturer to Chevrolet after being with Ford since 2012. The team's original manufacturer was Toyota.
Changes In contrast to previous seasons, NASCAR imposed several new rules changes that drastically altered how the circuit operates.
Rules changes Beginning this year, NASCAR eliminated traditional single car qualifying in its top 3 series for all races except the Daytona 500, the Mudsummer Classic, and non-points events. Qualifying will now be done in a Formula One-style knockout qualifying. For all tracks larger than 1.25 miles in length, qualifying will consist of all entered cars on track for 25 minutes. The fastest 24 move onto a 10-minute session, while the final 12 drivers compete for the overall pole in a 5-minute session. For tracks shorter than 1.25 miles as well as road courses, all entered cars will qualify in a 30-minute session, while the 12 fastest will compete in a final 10 minute session. A similar system involving groups of cars being released at five-second intervals was used at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International in 2013.
The rule was modified slightly for restrictor plate races (other than the Daytona 500, which maintains its single car pole qualifying and Budweiser Duel qualifying races) beginning at Talladega in the October race. During sessions at restrictor plate tracks, such as at Talladega's spring race, drivers had either ridden around the track at slow speeds or stopped on pit road for several minutes to avoid aiding others in the draft. In an effort to avoid this, a new procedure was implemented: NASCAR will randomly split the field into two groups for session 1. Each group will get 5 minutes of track time. The fastest 24 cars from either group will advance to session 2. These 24 cars will get 5 minutes of track time for session 2. The fastest 12 cars in session 2 will advance to session 3. Session 3 remains unchanged: 12 cars competing for overall pole in a 5-minute session. Statically set car at race ride height—eliminate pre- and post-race front height rules and inspection. The use of a front splitter with a square leading edge. Skirts at 4-inch minimum ground clearance on both the left and right sides. Rear fascia trimmed 1.375 inches higher in current scallop region. The use of a .750-inch higher 8-inch high rear spoiler except at Daytona and Talladega. The use of a 43-inch wide by 13-inch long radiator pan.
New Chase format On January 30, 2014, NASCAR announced radical changes to the format for the season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup. The group of drivers in the Chase will now officially be called the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid. The number of drivers qualifying for the Chase Grid will expand from 12 to 16.