Corey LaJoie becomes 15th NASCAR Cup Series driver with DNF-free season

Through his first six full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, Corey LaJoie never had fewer than four DNFs in a single season.

In 2023, season no. 7 fittingly enough, LaJoie became just the 15th driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to not have a DNF in any race.

LaJoie survived all 36 points races, the Clash, his Duel and the All-Star Open without a single DNF.

Moreover, LaJoie is the fifth driver to not have a DNF in a points race since NASCAR instituted the DVP clock in 2017:

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The clock limited how much time each team could spend on repairing a damaged vehicle. Crucial, as many teams would spend more than the now-allotted seven minutes on repairs and get their driver out to avoid a DNF.

For example, after Matt Kenseth infamously wrecked Joey Logano in turn one on lap 454 at Martinsville in November 2015, Logano’s crew repaired his car and got him back on the track with five laps to go to finish the race.

Logano is one of six drivers who have multiple seasons without a DNF:

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At 89 races, Greg Biffle holds the all-time record for most consecutive points races without a DNF. Herman Beam held the old record of 84 points races.

Bowyer and Harvick each took a crack at the record. However, they fell short at 83 and 81 points races, respectively.

In 2014, Jeff Gordon became the sixth NASCAR Cup Series champion to have at least one season without a DNF in a points race.

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Cale Yarborough (1977) and Bobby Labonte (2000) are the only two drivers in the 75-year history of the NASCAR Cup Series to not have a DNF in their championship year.

The other 10 drivers who had a season without a DNF are as follows:

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Herman Beam also ran 51 of 53 races in 1962 and didn’t have a single DNF.