Top 10 Best First Time WInners in NASCAR for 2019

TOP 10 BEST First Time Winners in NASCAR for 2019

A List Compiled by Brian Cotnoir

Another NASCAR Season has come and gone, and while the Cup Series wasn’t anything to get too excited over (unless your favorite driver won lots of races), but we had a lot of first time winners across NASCARS top-3 series this season; eleven in fact!  So I’m counting down the Top 10 Best 1^st time winners in NASCAR this season!  Who is the one driver I’m leaving off this list?  Austin Sh!twreck of course!  Why?  Because screw him!  He only has that ride because his dad runs Penske’s IndyCar team, and he’s a dirty driver.  I’ve seen him dump other drivers to get wins in multiple series, and it’s not “rubbing is racing incidents”, it’s the-only-way-I’m-going-to-win-is-if-I-wreck-this-other-driver incidents!  So screw you Austin Sh!twreck consider this your (dis)honorable mention. Now without further ado let’s talk about the Good 1^st time Winners this season!

10.)  Michael Annett

So Michael Annett got his first win at the season opener at Daytona this year.  Annett is not a terrible driver, but he drives for one of the best teams in the Xfinity Series and this win did come out a restrictor plate track, so it’s not too impressive, and if I’m being totally honest nobody expected him to win any other races this season.

9.)  Justin Haley, 1^st Cup Win at Daytona

I’m not even putting an asterisk on this one, I don’t care that it was a rain-shortened race; Justin Haley got his first cup series win by being in the right place at the right time.   He has won in truck series, and his highly competitive in the Xfinity series.  Had this race run the full distance and Haley still won, he would easily be #1 on this list, but because it was rain-shortened victory he ranks lower.

8.)  Todd Gilliland

If you can’t win driving for KBM there is a problem!!  I can’t believe it took Todd Gilliland this long to get his first truck win considering how close he’d come all season long.

7.)  Brandon Jones

Like Annett, Brandon Jones drives for one of the top teams in the Xfinity Series.  While his teammate Christopher Bell was dominating this season, Jones wasn’t much of a factor, so it’s pretty impressive that he got his first win this season.

6.)  Ross Chastain (1^st Gander Outdoor Truck Series Win)

I don’t think anyone figured Chastain would have been a factor in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series this year (especially since he initially declared he was running for the Xfinity Points Championships).  He proved to be one of the most versatile drivers in NASCAR this year competing across all 3 divisions, scoring a win in the Xfinity series race at Daytona for Kaulig Racing and also helping Niece Motorsports win their 1^st three truck races.   Chastain came home 2^nd in this year’s final point’s standings, and I don’t think anyone could have seen that one coming.

5.)  Austin Hill

Austin Hill replaced defending series champion, Brett Moffitt, at Hattori Racing in the #16 truck and made a huge splash when he won the season opener at Daytona, his first win in NASCAR, and it wasn’t a fluke.  Hill would score 3 more victories this season.

4.)  Tyler Ankrum

Tyler Ankrum had a season full of ups & downs.  The 2018 K&N Pro East Champion had to miss the first three races of the season for DGR-Crosley Racing because he had not turned 18, yet.   Upon turning 18, he ran into some issues when he was dropped by his team after some disputes about sponsorship payments.   Ankrum drove to rounds for NEMCO before returning to DGR-Crosley, and one his first and only race of the season at Kentucky.  Ankrum followed that race up with a 2^nd place at Pocono, but after that his season results were very inconsistent.

3.)  Spencer Boyd

Spencer Boyd also didn’t run a full season in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series, but the 24-year-old from Missouri shocked the racing world when he finished 2^nd at Talladega and then shortly after was declared a winner after former Series Champion Johnny Sauter was disqualified for an illegal block.  This wasn’t only the first win for Boyd, but it was also the first win for his team Young’s Motorsports

2.)  Alex Bowman (1^st Cup Series Win)

I’ve always like Alex Bowman since his days at RAB Racing.  I was supporter of him when he drove for BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing, and I knew he could do good things if he was just given the right equipment.    When he replaced Dale Jr. when he had to sit out do to concussions, I thought he’d be a perfect fill-in for Junior, and I love saying “I told you so”, because Bowman got his 1^st Cup Series Win at Chicago in the #88 car for Hendrick Motorsports.

1.)  Stewart Friesen

Stewart Friesen reminded me a lot of a Rookie Kasey Kahne, where it seemed like every race he was competing for wins every race, but just never could seal the deal!  Well he finally did it!  At the famous Eldora Dirt Derby this summer Stewart Friesen won his first race in the Gander Outdoor Truck Series, and he also managed to score his second career victory at the penultimate race in Phoenix.  Here’s hoping Friesen continues to win in 2020.