With the introduction of the Next Gen car, the 2022 season signaled the very first of a new era of NASCAR racing. And if the season that was serves as any indication, that new era is going to be a very bright one for stock car racing.
A total of 19 different drivers won a race in 2022, tying a NASCAR Cup Series record for the most different winners in a single season. Five of those drivers earned the first win of their careers, starting with eventual Rookie of the Year Austin Cindric's season-opening win in the Daytona 500. And of those 19 drivers that won a race, only one -- Chase Elliott -- won more than four races.
By themselves, those numbers are proof enough that there was a remarkable level of parity in the 2022 season. But they don't even begin to tell the full extent of the season's story.
- Of the 32 drivers that competed for the Cup Series championship, 29 scored at least one top-five finish. Going further than that, all 32 drivers -- every single one -- scored at least one top-10 finish.
- After the 2021 season saw champion Kyle Larson lead 2,581 laps en route to the title, not a single driver in 2022 led over 1,000 laps, or even came close. Chase Elliott led all drivers with 857 laps led, one of 11 drivers to lead more than 500 laps on the season.
- Nine different organizations won a race, including several who may not have been expected to do so. Trackhouse Racing earned its first win in team history and finished the season with three victories total. RFK Racing won with Chris Buescher at Bristol, breaking a five-year winless streak for the organization. Petty GMS won the Southern 500 with Erik Jones, which marked the first win for a Richard Petty-owned team since 2014.
And then those numbers still don't describe just how competitive the 2022 season truly was. Ross Chastain went from a promising talent just beginning to get chances in good equipment to coming up just short of winning his first Cup championship. Drivers like Chastain, Daniel Suarez, Michael McDowell, Bubba Wallace and more shattered their career-highs for top fives and top 10s. The old guard gave way to a new generation coming of age, but drivers like Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin still did plenty to make their presence felt.
Here is a look at the final NASCAR Cup Series championship standings for 2022, from series champion Joey Logano on down through all 32 drivers who made a run at the championship this year.
| Rank | Driver | Change | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joey Logano | -- | Four wins (Darlington I, Gateway, Las Vegas II, Phoenix II), 11 top fives, 17 top 10s, 784 laps led, average finish: 13.5 | |
| 2 | Ross Chastain | -- | Two wins (Circuit of the Americas, Talladega I), 15 top fives, 21 top 10s, 692 laps led, average finish: 13.3 | |
| 3 | Christopher Bell | -- | Three wins (New Hampshire, Charlotte Roval, Martinsville II), 12 top fives, 20 top 10s, 573 laps led, average finish: 13.8 | |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | -- | Five wins (Dover, Nashville, Atlanta II, Pocono, Talladega II), 12 top fives, 20 top 10s, 857 laps led, average finish: 12.5 | |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | -- | Two wins (Richmond I, Coca-Cola 600), 10 top fives, 16 top 10s, 624 laps led, average finish: 15.5 | |
| 6 | William Byron | -- | Two wins (Atlanta I, Martinsville I), five top fives, 11 top 10s, 746 laps led, average finish: 15.6 | |
| 7 | Kyle Larson | -- | Three wins (Fontana, Watkins Glen, Homestead), 13 top fives, 19 top 10s, 635 laps led, average finish: 14.1 | |
| 8 | Ryan Blaney | -- | Best finish: second (Talladega II, Phoenix II), 12 top fives, 17 top 10s, 636 laps led, average finish: 13.6, 2022 All-Star Race Winner | |
| 9 | Chase Briscoe | -- | One win (Phoenix I), six top fives, 10 top 10s, 280 laps led, average finish: 17.3 | |
| 10 | Daniel Suarez | -- | One win (Sonoma), six top fives, 13 top 10s, 280 laps led, average finish: 16.5 | |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | -- | One win (Daytona II), five top fives, 11 top 10s, 24 laps led, average finish: 16.5 | |
| 12 | Austin Cindric | -- | One win (Daytona 500), five top fives, nine top 10s, 86 laps led, average finish: 16.3, 2022 Sunoco Rookie of the Year | |
| 13 | Kyle Busch | -- | One win (Bristol Dirt), eight top fives, 17 top 10s, 627 laps led, average finish: 16.7 | |
| 14 | Tyler Reddick | -- | Three wins (Road America, Indianapolis, Texas), 10 top fives, 15 top 10s, 503 laps led, average finish: 17.6 | |
| 15 | Kevin Harvick | -- | Two wins (Michigan, Richmond II), nine top fives, 17 top 10s, 119 laps led, average finish: 14.3 | |
| 16 | Alex Bowman | -- | One win (Las Vegas I), four top fives, 12 top 10s, 137 laps led, average finish: 16.7, missed 5 races (concussion) | |
| 17 | Martin Truex Jr. | -- | Best finish: fourth (Richmond I, New Hampshire), four top fives, 15 top 10s, 572 laps led, average finish: 14.9 | |
| 18 | Erik Jones | -- | One win (Southern 500), three top fives, 13 top 10s, 147 laps led, average finish: 16.3 | |
| 19 | Bubba Wallace | -- | One win (Kansas II), five top fives, 10 top 10s, 150 laps led, average finish: 18.3, missed Homestead (suspension) | |
| 20 | Aric Almirola | -- | Best finish: fifth (Daytona 500, Gateway), two top fives, seven top 10s, 81 laps led, average finish: 17.8 | |
| 21 | Chris Buescher | -- | One win (Bristol Night), three top fives, seven top 10s, 194 laps led, average finish: 17.9, missed Gateway (illness) | |
| 22 | Justin Haley | -- | Best finish: third (Darlington I, Texas), three top fives, four top 10s, 44 laps led, average finish: 18.4 | |
| 23 | Michael McDowell | -- | Best finish: third (Sonoma, Talladega II), two top fives, 12 top 10s, 67 laps led, average finish: 16.7 | |
| 24 | Brad Keselowski | -- | Best finish: fifth (Homestead), one top five, six top 10s, 224 laps led, average finish: 19.2 | |
| 25 | Cole Custer | -- | Best finish: eighth (Bristol Night), three top 10s, 15 laps led, average finish: 20.6 | |
| 26 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | -- | Best finish: second (Dover), one top five, five top 10s, 77 laps led, average finish: 22.8 | |
| 27 | Harrison Burton | -- | Best finish: third (Indianapolis), one top five, two top 10s, 35 laps led, average finish: 22.8 | |
| 28 | Todd Gilliland | -- | Best finish: fourth (Indianapolis), one top five, two top 10s, 11 laps led, average finish: 23.2 | |
| 29 | Ty Dillon | -- | Best finish: 10th (Bristol Dirt), one top 10, two laps led, average finish: 22.6 | |
| 30 | Kurt Busch | -- | One win (Kansas I), five top fives, eight top 10s, 182 laps led, average finish: 16.9, missed final 16 races (concussion) | |
| 31 | Corey LaJoie | -- | Best finish: fifth (Atlanta I), one top five, one top 10, 31 laps led, average finish: 24.3 | |
| 32 | Cody Ware | -- | Best finish: sixth (Daytona II), one top 10, one lap led, average finish: 27.8, missed Charlotte Roval (foot/ankle) |
