Which NASCAR teams improved the most and least during the 2024 regular season?

The NASCAR Cup Series witnessed several ups and downs throughout this year. Apart from the regular action between drivers, the season also saw movement between teams.

Maintaining performance week after week through 26 races in the regular season is a challenging task. Winning races takes more than just a good driver. It requires coordination between the crew chief, pit crew, and spotters.

Here's a look at the NASCAR teams that made the most improvement during the 2024 Cup Series season:

#1. Hendrick Motorsports

With drivers such as Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports made the most progress in the 2024 season. With nine wins, all four racers are set to compete in the Playoffs this year. Apart from 2024, HMS is also one of the most successful teams in NASCAR.

#2. Joe Gibbs Racing

The second most successful team this year has been Joe Gibbs Racing. Drivers Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell have three wins apiece in the 25 races so far. Apart from these two, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs are currently 14th and 15th in the Playoffs list. However, Hamlin's L2-level penalty has likely impacted the team's credibility by quite a margin.

#3. 23XI Racing

The team has just two full-time racers- Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick. While the former has struggled to make it in the Top 16 drivers, the latter is currently leading the regular season. With just one race remaining, it is a do-or-die situation for Wallace, who is 21 points below the cutoff mark.

#4. Team Penske

Apart from Hendricks Motorsports, Team Penske is the second team with all drivers, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, and Joey Logano, in the 2024 Playoffs list. Of the three, Logano had the biggest opportunity of adding a second win to his name at Richmond Raceway. However, a last-lap incident with Austin Dillon changed the entire picture for the #22 driver.

Now, let's look at those teams with the least improvements since the start of the 2024 Cup Series season:

#1. Richard Childress Racing

Despite being one of the more successful teams in the past, Richard Childress Racing couldn't make a mark in the 2024 Cup Series season. With a line-up of talented drivers like Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon, fans expected better results from RCR in the regular season. Although Busch had a few close finishes in Top 5s, the former Cup Series champion could not push his car to the limits. He missed the opportunity to join the Playoffs to Harrison Burton at Daytona.

#2. Stewart-Hass Racing

With drivers such as Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, and Ryan Preece, Stewart-Hass Racing had the potential to challenge the top runners. However, due to bad management calls and financial challenges, the team has decided to wind up its operations at the end of the 2024 Cup Series season. This will likely have an impact on their driver's performance throughout the year.