NASCAR fans don’t just watch the race for the fast cars. They watch for the best, most charismatic drivers. While there are always fan favorites in any sport, one of the best things about NASCAR is the villains. Those are the drivers you hear boo’d when they’re introduced and who sarcastically celebrate other drivers poor performance. Right now, there are several different villains on the track. Some of the top names include Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Carson Hocevar, and Joey Logano.
It’s best to start with the driver with the most recent win. Hamlin most recently won at Michigan International Speedway during the FireKeepers Casino 400. This is nowhere near the first win Hamlin has ever recorded. Since starting his career in 2005, he’s achieved over 50 NASCAR Cup Series victories and even co-owns the team, 23XI. One thing that makes him the most well-known is his aggressive driving style and willingness to make contact with drivers to get ahead.
Fans are known to ‘boo’ Hamlin everytime he wins, which he plays up during his celebratory speeches. One of the most common things he’ll be heard to say is “I beat your favorite driver”, something that always brings the anger out in fans.
Busch started racing just a couple of years before Hamlin, in 2003. He started his career with Hendrick Motorsports, but developed his rowdy persona when he drove with Joe Gibbs Racing. Much like Hamlin, Busch’s aggressive style behind the wheel is what started his villain era. His arrogant post-race interviews are what cemented his title. That arrogance isn’t without cause. Busch holds several records, including holding the youngest-ever pole spot and being the only driver in history to have at least 60 wins in all three of NASCAR’s top series.
One of Busch’s most famous lines that brought that reaction came from one of his race intros, and the words “If you love you some rowdy, let me hear you go boo”. After leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch continued his career with Richard Childress Racing. That change has shifted fan perception of him. This could be because the former Cup Series Champion hasn’t had the same success, or because of his long history of success over the past 20 years. He’s even celebrated Hamlin as the newest villain of the sport while accepting his new role as a fan favorite.
Chastain might be considered a villain, but it could be argued that he has more of a ‘bad boy’ persona. Part of that is credited to his devil-may-care attitude. His incident record is also pointed to as a reason he’s a villain. Some of those incidents are caused by forcing drivers three wide on the track or even riding up against the wall. Chastain is also known for his ability to move forward in a race. Just a few weeks ago, he started near the back of the pack in Charlotte’s Coca-Cola 600 only to end the night as the winner. Of course, his enthusiastic tradition of smashing a watermelon after every race win also helps show a little ego.
Hocevar might be the youngest villain currently on the track. Like every other villain, he’s aggressive in a car. He was most recently in the news when he turned Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. while racing in Nashville. That incident showed that he’s not afraid to make contact to make up laps during cup races. His unapologetic attitude toward the sport can also be referenced, often saying he’s not racing to make friends. Hocevar is also looking to bring more drivers to his way of thinking, saying more competitiveness is needed in the sport for it to be successful.
There are many reasons people dislike current Cup Series champion Logano, but one of the easiest to point to is his success. He’s been crowned the champion three separate times since starting his career in 2007. He’s also the youngest ever winner in two of NASCAR’s three top divisions. Logano is willing to win at other drivers’ expense, which is something he owns up to. Earlier this year, he agreed with commentators that he has opened the door to race roughly and aggressively. That’s also something he plans to continue after solidifying his way into the playoffs with a win at the Würth 400.
What most of these NASCAR villains have in common is the willingness to win no matter the cost. That’s what makes good racing, and what makes each cup race weekend more exciting. Most of those villains are also Cup Series champions, or at least are contenders for the playoffs this year and in years past. Right now, Logano, Hamlin, and Chastain all have guaranteed spots in the playoffs because of previous race wins. Busch has just enough points to currently qualify, while Hocevar sits just outside the points needed to get a spot. That means it’s likely the playoff field will be full of the villains fans love to root against.
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