1. Gordon's 85th win 2. Tony & Carl's legendary battle at Homestead 3. "Happy birthday, Trevor Bayne" 4. Smith getting to keep the flag 5. Three Wide Talladega finish
My favorite thing about 2011 was that no team was really especially dominant. SHR and RCR tied for the most wins at six apiece, and HMS, JGR, RFR and Penske won five each. A good amount of parity among the top teams.
One possible theory- Jimmie Johnson was nowhere to be found in the championship chase, which was a complete shocker considering his dominance prior to 2011 (If not for that Talladega photo finish, he could have been winless going into October)
Tony stewart has always been my favorite nascar driver. Seeing his david to goliath transformation this chase was unreal. All culminating in the most dramatic fashion with a tie. Not to mention that race had everything. Strategy, long run short run, rain, driving thru the field multiple times, the race flipping upside down etc still comes down to those two at the end. I will always believe the 2011 season is what inspired the eventual 2014 format.
The greatest battle for the championship in the chase era back when they still legitimately won titles and wasn't manufactured to come down to 1 race. The 2011 Dautona 500 1 of the biggest upsets ever.
Allen Bestwick in his first year as the ESPN lead commentator after having Dr Jerry Punch from 2007-2009 and Marty Reid in 2010 was a great deal for me! That made NASCAR on ESPN so much better for me, he was such the right fit as the lead guy! ESPN should've made him the lead commentator back in 2007
My favorite moments were Tony Stewart winning in that amazing last race with Carl Edwards and 2011 Auto Club Kevin Harvicks last corner pass on JJ for the win
2011 was my 6th full-time season of watching NASCAR and I was at the Pocono race featuring Brad's comeback win, followed by a rare instance of my driver getting into it with Kurt Busch. I've never seen Jimmie mad like that up to that point before. 😳
I think 2011 might forever stay my fav season, not just cause of all the great moments and the championship fight but also cause the nostalgia surrounding it for me. I basically randomly discovered NASCAR mid season in 2011, while randomly clicking through the programs on cable here in Czech Republic and the All-Star Race was just on and i was immediately hooked.
Yeah. I love it. I really liked seeing Jeff Gordon getting his 85th win. Plus, Marcos Ambrose winning at Watkins Glen and top tier COT racing. Also, Allen Bestwick doing PxP on ABC/ESPN. Felt like home.
What's interesting about Austin Dillon's championships is that both of them came down to the last race and saw him win by under a 10 point gap in the end. In 2011, he gets the Truck Series title by 6 points over Johnny Sauter, and in 2013, he gets the Xfinity Series title by 3 points over Sam Hornish.
@@isaiahmarker407 correct, but I still consider the 2011 through 2015 Xfinity series and truck series formats a different points format from the Winston Cup Latford format, because that awarded one point per position as opposed to the scoring system where there was 175 points for the winner and only 34 points for last place.
2011 was the 1st season I ever watched so you better believe this season holds a special place in my heart. The racing, the storylines and the championship… I remember all of them and thinking “man, this is really awesome!” My only regret was Cousin Carl not getting the title, but even then I was and still am very happy for Stewart being able to pull it off!
Life long Carl Edwards fan growing up in Missouri. I've attended roughly 100 Nascar races, mostly from double dipping with season tickets at Kansas. But I've also had the privilege to experience the majesty of Talladega a dozen times. The 2011 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway is the greatest race I've ever been to. It had absolutely everything and I loved seeing the 2 car tandems breaking off all afternoon. What an absolute classic! Would have loved to see Carl get the championship in the end. But you can't deny that Tony put together one hell of a run to win that championship and we all got to witness some of the best racing the COT every provided us.
@@runrafarunthebestintheworld I've spent almost 20 years in sports media so living out of a suitcase is just a part of that life. But I love it and wouldn't change for the world.
2011 in nascar was amazing. I'm going back and watching all the races to see what I missed out on since I was only 5/6 at the time. Nascar on fox was so much better in this time too. They were so much more interactive with the drivers and so much more creative. Miss it. It was also one of the many seasons in the most competitive era in nascar history. I also really miss sprint. 💔 Also KFB wrecking Hornaday he mentioned years later was not only because he was sick of getting wrecked a lot at the time, but also because Hornaday cost Busch an Xfinity Series title in 2004.
going into '24 will be my 10th full season watching nascar, dale jr was my fav until he retired in '17, alex bowman has been my other favorite since 2016, hence my username. hope my boy will win a cup soon
I’m a NASCAR historian, I’m one of the rare people that can pull out any season since I’ve started watching NASCAR, I can tell you what happened. 2011 was such a great season.
2011 was the season that got me back into NASCAR after a decade; basically just didn't have time for it from puberty to fatherhood due to various activities, interests and obligations. But working as a bartender at a sports bar in 2011 I caught the Daytona 500 and was hooked. Mark Martin was still my guy but as his career seemed to be winding down I took to the various underdogs who won in 2011, particularly Brad Keselowski in his breakout year. He's been my driver ever since. This season is also memorable because I watched the April Talladega finish at the hospital just minutes after my mother passed away from cancer.
Been watching it for 45 years. Born in 1970 and there are a lot of memorable years, just like any sport. Some include: 1979 - Daytona 500 classic makes NASCAR a national sport. The King wins race and the championship. 1985 - Awesome Bill dominates, DW is champion. 1992 - Kulwicki wins wild championship battle and gives birth to Polish Victory Lap. 1998 - Earnhardt wins Daytona, Gordon dominates season. “The Chase” format has been a mess since the start. All because of Kensenth’s “boring” title and the desire to give Junior an easier path to a title. (Who I like by the way.)
Congrats on nearly 20 years of being a Nascar fan. It'll be 14 years for me on Valentine's Day since my first race, which was the 2010 Daytona 500, which ran on February 14th. Anyway, i remember watching this race in 2011. It was an exciting end to my 2nd year of watching Nascar. I watched more races that year than in 2010. I saw 4 Cup Series races that year. In 2011, however, I saw 20 races in the Cup Series and 3 truck races
2011 is my favorite season because it was when the cars were still "old school" powertrain-wise. In 2012 they switched from carburetors to fuel injection and for the Next-Gen, seqential shift instead of an H-pattern.
I was at the Kansas race (that race was so hot which is why they have lights and moved the date to April) and I was also at the truck race where Kyle wrecked Hornaday under caution. The COT put on some good races, they still had the 900HP motors that would SCREAM, and as you could tell from the clips of Gordon/Johnson at Atlanta and Kyle Busch at Pocono, you still had to manhandle those cars.
An absolutely epic season. Kicking things off with Bayne's stunner in the Daytona 500 among the year's first-time winners. Johnson finally stumbling after five years of shut-out dominance. So many different winners that Stewart was shut out of the regular season only to roar back in the Chase. All in a year that saw the COT finally look good with a new nose. Not to mention the peak of tandem racing on superspeedways. A glorious season.
As an F1 fan in addition to NASCAR, I loved the 2011 season in NASCAR especially the championship battle. Contrast this with F1 that year as F1 was in the middle of the first Red Bull dynasty with Sebestian Vettel & he completely dominated the championship. In fact Red Bull won over half the races that season with Ferrari only winning one race. Then in Indycar the 2011 season is remembered for Dan Wheldon first for winning the Indy 500 on the last lap & then sadly for the violent accident that took his life way too young at Las Vegas in the season finale in one of the worst ideas that Indycar has ever come up with. As someone who watched that race live, it is only one of two races (with Dale Sr dying at the 2001 Daytona 500 being the other) where I cried while watching it.
The racing was great that season and the Chase was intense. The championship battle came right down to the final race. Plus you had all these first time winners which was cool to see. It was a phenomenal season.
My rose tinted glasses say 2011 was good. The battle at Watkins Glen on an oiled down track was amazing. I was at the Fall Martinsville race and it was fun to watch.
I absolutely loved the two man Tandem it was awesome racing so much on track strategy and the drivers were allowed to radio each other back then. Some drivers would pretend to be up to work with another driver only to ditch them for a different driver to get around the one they faked out. I loved it wish it would come back.
In 2011, both Dillon brothers won championships. Austin Dillon won the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series championship. Ty Dillon won the 2011 ARCA Series championship. Back when both were considered to be big future stars. 2011 also marked the return of NASCAR video games with NASCAR The Game 2011. At the time, it was a huge deal. I remember being super hyped and excited. It was a fun game until my copy randomly quit working after a few months. I remember the game utilizing the 2010 season stuff while 2011 season stuff was DLC. NASCAR The Game 2011 is often forgotten
@@juliana.lymond2622 it would be awesome. I’m from Australia maybe I liked it back then also because of the nostalgia of Marcos Ambrose racing back then. But I’ve never enjoyed stage racing at all.
Honestly, 2011 Nascar is what 2021 F1 would have been if Saudi Arabia was the final race & Abu Dhabi never happened: A tie for the championship where a seemingly insurmountable reign of dominance is ended, a bunch of fresh faces in victory lane/podium, and some of the most competitive racing the sport has seen up & down the field the sport has seen in years
2011 was my first year watching nascar and it has sort of been a gift and a curse. I'm grateful to have been hooked by such a great year but since then every year has just felt like a downgrade lol.
You forgot to mention Brian Vickers and his feuds on the track with champions Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart. Regardless, this was a great video. 2011 was a fun year for NASCAR, no doubt.
Ambrose really should have won that Sonoma race, but he forgot that....well....you can't coast uphill. His car moved backward in the caution and NASCAR was right in their ruling. He gave JJ a gift on a silver platter. I always liked Ambrose and thought it a bad decision.
Carl’s underdog story could’ve been one with a happy ending. But he only got THIS close, even as a Tony Stewart fan I feel bad for Carl cuz he was also one of my favorites.
I remember watching the Homestead race at a Buffalo Wild Wings, I was sitting next to Edwards fans and I was rooting for Stewart. We all know how that ended but we had a great time watching it unfold. Only thing I hated about them cars was the tandem drafting at superspeedways.
Carl Edwards losing the Daytona 500 to Trevor Bayne and losing the Southern 500 to Regan Smith probably lost him chase points he could've used to win the championship.
I’m just going to add my two. Cents. It was the first time Johnson wasn’t in contention to win a championship since 2005. I mean he was still in it had he won Martinsville 2011, but he didn’t so fans were more interested to see who would win now. Another reason adding onto that, would be the spoiler, and the splitter was changed. It made much more of a difference in races were a lot better in 2011. Lastly the rivalry’s, there was a lot of tempers between a lot of different drivers in that year.
@@seannolan9857 I said “if had he won Martinsville in 2011, but he didn’t” meaning if he had won that race, it would’ve put him in the championship picture, but since he didn’t, and Tony won it, it knocked basically knocked him out. But Jimmie had the lead until the last caution, and then Tony won. So it’s safe to say that was an opportunity missed. But I wasn’t saying he won it, I was saying if he had
They finally hit the sweet spot for the CoT and produced some damn good racing. Gordon surpassed the likes of Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to claim 3rd spot on NASCAR's all-time win list. And Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards had one of the best championship duels in the sport's history. GREAT season!
These are the winners we got in 2011, that would be considered non-front-runners. Also, note the following races which they won: Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500) Regan Smith (Southern 500) David Ragan (Pepsi/Coke Firecracker 400) Paul Menard (Brickyard 400) Marcos Ambrose (Race at The Glen) Outside of The Glen, those are all crown jewel events. Back then, it was still possible for a mid-packer to rise up and have a chance to win at non-plate tracks.
For a few reasons. 5 first time winners The legendary Carl Edwards vs Tony Stewart for the championship The High Speed action of the COT Tandem drafting
@@cito1101 obviously in racing, nobody brings back a generation of race cars. Racing moves forward like life. COT 2.0 would be nice as a Gen 8. But realistically, I don’t see it.
2011 was a rough year for me I was in the hospital with a stomach ultcer that bursted I was bullied in middle school for almost 4 years I almost died at the hospital the doctor thought I wasn't gonna make it through the night and I did I stayed in the hospital 29 days and I came back from the hospital after they checked if I had another stomach ulcer and I didn't and I came home just in time to see my driver Tony Stewart win Chicagoland And went on to win the 2011 championship in 2012 I went back to see if I had another stomach ulcer and as the doctor was taking the camera out of my stomach he accidentally dropped the camera and cut another hole in my stomach almost died again that time I stayed 11 days in the hospital so here I am 2023 I'm alive and living well
2011 definitely surpases 2014 and 2013 in every way. Even 2012 and 2016 do that because the racing just didn't disappoint with the expectation of the Brickyard race in 2016.
*sad carl edwards fan noises* edit: The broadcast was way different, especially pre race shows. Another was different drivers having a chance to win every week with Marcos Ambros, Trevor Bayne, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick. In my opinion, this year was the peak of the COT era.
I've been going down the Jimmy Spencer on Race Hub rabbit hole, so this video came at an appropriate time. I wonder how things would look if Nascar still followed this wild card chase set of rules in the present day. Why did they change it?
I like to think Paul Menard would have had a better career slingshot if he came to the #15 DEI Busch car like 1 year later that he did. I think he would of gotten a lot more of the #8 Busch series car support as Truex would have been sort of transitioning onto cup at that point & eventually move Paul Menard to the #8 Busch series car later and just done better in the Busch series. Idk just a fan theory. Love your vids
AD earning that truck championship against the veterans like that proves hes fit for the 3. Not kush, not anyone thats not related to RC. Dillon proved that he is the rightful driver of the 3. Dale would be very proud of what hes accomplished in that number
This is completely unrelated to this video, as this video is discussing 2011, but I wasn’t watching NASCAR back then. I have been watching NASCAR since 2014. To me, my favorite NASCAR season would have to be 2015.
I liked everything about 2011 except for the end. The chase system approved once again that it’s broken. Tony Stewart at least admitted that were not for that system. They would never have won that championship.
Pretty sure more people actually love 2014 lol. Also lmao lets not pretend Menard beat Gordon on speed, he didn't "hold him off" another lap and Gordon would dust him off. That Atlanta race though.
![Kodak Black - Sharp Vibes [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oEV0OoLJeIs/mqdefault.jpg)
What was your favorite moment from 2011?
Tony winning the championship
First time winners
Tony Stewart (my favorite driver at the time from 2002-2016).
1. Gordon's 85th win
2. Tony & Carl's legendary battle at Homestead
3. "Happy birthday, Trevor Bayne"
4. Smith getting to keep the flag
5. Three Wide Talladega finish
Jeff Gordon scoring Career Win #85 at Atlanta
2011 will forever be an iconic season
I know that but the fact Carl Edwards didn't win the title after all that is tremendously heartbreaking. A defeat I've never forgotten.
My favorite thing about 2011 was that no team was really especially dominant. SHR and RCR tied for the most wins at six apiece, and HMS, JGR, RFR and Penske won five each. A good amount of parity among the top teams.
Lies again? Most Romantic Tushy USD SGD
One possible theory- Jimmie Johnson was nowhere to be found in the championship chase, which was a complete shocker considering his dominance prior to 2011
(If not for that Talladega photo finish, he could have been winless going into October)
Tony stewart has always been my favorite nascar driver. Seeing his david to goliath transformation this chase was unreal. All culminating in the most dramatic fashion with a tie. Not to mention that race had everything. Strategy, long run short run, rain, driving thru the field multiple times, the race flipping upside down etc still comes down to those two at the end. I will always believe the 2011 season is what inspired the eventual 2014 format.
The greatest battle for the championship in the chase era back when they still legitimately won titles and wasn't manufactured to come down to 1 race. The 2011 Dautona 500 1 of the biggest upsets ever.
I love both 2011 n 12 season. Cars were really fun to watch, hearing those engines roar on Sundays was magical.
I love this season because I finally got to see Jeff win in person at the Phoenix race! I'll never forget that feeling!
Allen Bestwick in his first year as the ESPN lead commentator after having Dr Jerry Punch from 2007-2009 and Marty Reid in 2010 was a great deal for me! That made NASCAR on ESPN so much better for me, he was such the right fit as the lead guy! ESPN should've made him the lead commentator back in 2007
My favorite moments were Tony Stewart winning in that amazing last race with Carl Edwards and 2011 Auto Club Kevin Harvicks last corner pass on JJ for the win
As a Tony Stewart fan growing up it was awesome to see that championship run live. Just an amazing performance and battle between him and Edwards
2011,2016,2004 and 1992 will forever be remembered as seasons that either changed nascar or just the greatest seasons EVER
2001 and 1979 too!
Looking back on past seasons like this, make me so grateful for Nascar Classics.
2011 was my 6th full-time season of watching NASCAR and I was at the Pocono race featuring Brad's comeback win, followed by a rare instance of my driver getting into it with Kurt Busch. I've never seen Jimmie mad like that up to that point before. 😳
Feisty Jimmie is a rare Jimmie
2011 was my 10th full time season.
2011 was my third full time season
any season over a decade old is immediately nostalgic
Absolutely not.
not even close
I think 2011 might forever stay my fav season, not just cause of all the great moments and the championship fight but also cause the nostalgia surrounding it for me. I basically randomly discovered NASCAR mid season in 2011, while randomly clicking through the programs on cable here in Czech Republic and the All-Star Race was just on and i was immediately hooked.
Yep 2011 Will be My favorite too it's much better than 2014.
Yeah. I love it. I really liked seeing Jeff Gordon getting his 85th win. Plus, Marcos Ambrose winning at Watkins Glen and top tier COT racing.
Also, Allen Bestwick doing PxP on ABC/ESPN. Felt like home.
That 2011-2014 ESPN Cup Series booth was perfect
What's interesting about Austin Dillon's championships is that both of them came down to the last race and saw him win by under a 10 point gap in the end. In 2011, he gets the Truck Series title by 6 points over Johnny Sauter, and in 2013, he gets the Xfinity Series title by 3 points over Sam Hornish.
Both under full season formats. They didn't bring the chase/playoffs to trucks or Xfinity until mid 2010s despite cup ditching it after 2003
@@isaiahmarker407 correct, but I still consider the 2011 through 2015 Xfinity series and truck series formats a different points format from the Winston Cup Latford format, because that awarded one point per position as opposed to the scoring system where there was 175 points for the winner and only 34 points for last place.
@@isaiahmarker407but it was still better than the old Winston format
A lot of things were great from that season from that championship battle to that superspeedway package with tandem drafting
Can’t forget Gordon and Johnson’s battles at Atlanta and Martinsville and Regan Smith in the 78
2011 was the 1st season I ever watched so you better believe this season holds a special place in my heart. The racing, the storylines and the championship… I remember all of them and thinking “man, this is really awesome!” My only regret was Cousin Carl not getting the title, but even then I was and still am very happy for Stewart being able to pull it off!
The right horsepower/aero package, and it was the best Chase format they had. No stages were needed and racing was fantastic at most tracks.
Life long Carl Edwards fan growing up in Missouri. I've attended roughly 100 Nascar races, mostly from double dipping with season tickets at Kansas. But I've also had the privilege to experience the majesty of Talladega a dozen times. The 2011 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway is the greatest race I've ever been to. It had absolutely everything and I loved seeing the 2 car tandems breaking off all afternoon. What an absolute classic! Would have loved to see Carl get the championship in the end. But you can't deny that Tony put together one hell of a run to win that championship and we all got to witness some of the best racing the COT every provided us.
100 races? Damn you probably away from Home 20 weeks out of the year.
@@runrafarunthebestintheworld I've spent almost 20 years in sports media so living out of a suitcase is just a part of that life. But I love it and wouldn't change for the world.
2011 in nascar was amazing. I'm going back and watching all the races to see what I missed out on since I was only 5/6 at the time. Nascar on fox was so much better in this time too. They were so much more interactive with the drivers and so much more creative. Miss it. It was also one of the many seasons in the most competitive era in nascar history. I also really miss sprint. 💔 Also KFB wrecking Hornaday he mentioned years later was not only because he was sick of getting wrecked a lot at the time, but also because Hornaday cost Busch an Xfinity Series title in 2004.
going into '24 will be my 10th full season watching nascar, dale jr was my fav until he retired in '17, alex bowman has been my other favorite since 2016, hence my username. hope my boy will win a cup soon
That was the first full year after I had really gotten into it, and I loved every minute of it. Still bummed Edwards didn't win the cup though.
I'm so glad I was old enough to enjoy the 80s and 90s. 2011 was a great year, but the Winston Cup era had so many great moments
2007, 2014, and of course 2011 are my all time favorite NASCAR seasons
I’m a NASCAR historian, I’m one of the rare people that can pull out any season since I’ve started watching NASCAR, I can tell you what happened. 2011 was such a great season.
I feel like part of it is the fact that it was the first time since 05 that someone named Jimmie Johnson didn't win the championship
2011 was the season that got me back into NASCAR after a decade; basically just didn't have time for it from puberty to fatherhood due to various activities, interests and obligations. But working as a bartender at a sports bar in 2011 I caught the Daytona 500 and was hooked. Mark Martin was still my guy but as his career seemed to be winding down I took to the various underdogs who won in 2011, particularly Brad Keselowski in his breakout year. He's been my driver ever since. This season is also memorable because I watched the April Talladega finish at the hospital just minutes after my mother passed away from cancer.
I'm sorry for your loss
Been watching it for 45 years. Born in 1970 and there are a lot of memorable years, just like any sport. Some include:
1979 - Daytona 500 classic makes NASCAR a national sport. The King wins race and the championship.
1985 - Awesome Bill dominates, DW is champion.
1992 - Kulwicki wins wild championship battle and gives birth to Polish Victory Lap.
1998 - Earnhardt wins Daytona, Gordon dominates season.
“The Chase” format has been a mess since the start. All because of Kensenth’s “boring” title and the desire to give Junior an easier path to a title. (Who I like by the way.)
I miss it. The storylines, the on track product, and the way it was marketed.
Congrats on nearly 20 years of being a Nascar fan. It'll be 14 years for me on Valentine's Day since my first race, which was the 2010 Daytona 500, which ran on February 14th. Anyway, i remember watching this race in 2011. It was an exciting end to my 2nd year of watching Nascar. I watched more races that year than in 2010. I saw 4 Cup Series races that year. In 2011, however, I saw 20 races in the Cup Series and 3 truck races
2011 was a very competitive season, lots of raw emotion from drivers in each series, Johnson’s title streak was broken, just all around competitive.
2011 was all about the battles.
2012 was just chaos.
I think it was the opposite for me. 2011 was a lot more chaotic and interesting.
I saw this video and immediately thought about how this was my first time watching a full series of NASCAR this season stands out because of that
2011 is my favorite season because it was when the cars were still "old school" powertrain-wise. In 2012 they switched from carburetors to fuel injection and for the Next-Gen, seqential shift instead of an H-pattern.
I was at the Kansas race (that race was so hot which is why they have lights and moved the date to April) and I was also at the truck race where Kyle wrecked Hornaday under caution. The COT put on some good races, they still had the 900HP motors that would SCREAM, and as you could tell from the clips of Gordon/Johnson at Atlanta and Kyle Busch at Pocono, you still had to manhandle those cars.
An absolutely epic season. Kicking things off with Bayne's stunner in the Daytona 500 among the year's first-time winners. Johnson finally stumbling after five years of shut-out dominance. So many different winners that Stewart was shut out of the regular season only to roar back in the Chase. All in a year that saw the COT finally look good with a new nose. Not to mention the peak of tandem racing on superspeedways. A glorious season.
As an F1 fan in addition to NASCAR, I loved the 2011 season in NASCAR especially the championship battle. Contrast this with F1 that year as F1 was in the middle of the first Red Bull dynasty with Sebestian Vettel & he completely dominated the championship. In fact Red Bull won over half the races that season with Ferrari only winning one race. Then in Indycar the 2011 season is remembered for Dan Wheldon first for winning the Indy 500 on the last lap & then sadly for the violent accident that took his life way too young at Las Vegas in the season finale in one of the worst ideas that Indycar has ever come up with. As someone who watched that race live, it is only one of two races (with Dale Sr dying at the 2001 Daytona 500 being the other) where I cried while watching it.
The racing was great that season and the Chase was intense. The championship battle came right down to the final race. Plus you had all these first time winners which was cool to see. It was a phenomenal season.
My rose tinted glasses say 2011 was good. The battle at Watkins Glen on an oiled down track was amazing. I was at the Fall Martinsville race and it was fun to watch.
I absolutely loved the two man Tandem it was awesome racing so much on track strategy and the drivers were allowed to radio each other back then.
Some drivers would pretend to be up to work with another driver only to ditch them for a different driver to get around the one they faked out. I loved it wish it would come back.
In 2011, both Dillon brothers won championships. Austin Dillon won the 2011 NASCAR Truck Series championship. Ty Dillon won the 2011 ARCA Series championship. Back when both were considered to be big future stars.
2011 also marked the return of NASCAR video games with NASCAR The Game 2011. At the time, it was a huge deal. I remember being super hyped and excited. It was a fun game until my copy randomly quit working after a few months. I remember the game utilizing the 2010 season stuff while 2011 season stuff was DLC. NASCAR The Game 2011 is often forgotten
My Favorite My Favorite Part Was Jeff Gordon Winning His Eighty Fifth Career Cup Series Win In 2011
Chicagoland was my first race, so 2011 will always be special to me
2011 was the last organic close title race we’ve ever had. At least in cup
Because it was awesome back then, simple to follow & had no stage racing
Imagine NASCAR Today Without Stage Racing.
@@juliana.lymond2622 it would be awesome. I’m from Australia maybe I liked it back then also because of the nostalgia of Marcos Ambrose racing back then. But I’ve never enjoyed stage racing at all.
Honestly, 2011 Nascar is what 2021 F1 would have been if Saudi Arabia was the final race & Abu Dhabi never happened: A tie for the championship where a seemingly insurmountable reign of dominance is ended, a bunch of fresh faces in victory lane/podium, and some of the most competitive racing the sport has seen up & down the field the sport has seen in years
2011 was my first year watching nascar and it has sort of been a gift and a curse. I'm grateful to have been hooked by such a great year but since then every year has just felt like a downgrade lol.
You forgot to mention Brian Vickers and his feuds on the track with champions Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart. Regardless, this was a great video. 2011 was a fun year for NASCAR, no doubt.
Even though I have been a NASCAR fan for almost 26 years and counting, 2024 will be my 21st full time season watching NASCAR.
As a Harvick fan, I was eating GOOD in 2011
Ambrose really should have won that Sonoma race, but he forgot that....well....you can't coast uphill. His car moved backward in the caution and NASCAR was right in their ruling. He gave JJ a gift on a silver platter. I always liked Ambrose and thought it a bad decision.
wrong season lil bro
@@BlueJimmie48Fan Yeah, I know, but it's still a memory.
Carl’s underdog story could’ve been one with a happy ending. But he only got THIS close, even as a Tony Stewart fan I feel bad for Carl cuz he was also one of my favorites.
I remember watching the Homestead race at a Buffalo Wild Wings, I was sitting next to Edwards fans and I was rooting for Stewart. We all know how that ended but we had a great time watching it unfold.
Only thing I hated about them cars was the tandem drafting at superspeedways.
Kurt wasn't acting insane. He was just being rude to the media
Carl Edwards losing the Daytona 500 to Trevor Bayne and losing the Southern 500 to Regan Smith probably lost him chase points he could've used to win the championship.
I’m just going to add my two. Cents. It was the first time Johnson wasn’t in contention to win a championship since 2005. I mean he was still in it had he won Martinsville 2011, but he didn’t so fans were more interested to see who would win now. Another reason adding onto that, would be the spoiler, and the splitter was changed. It made much more of a difference in races were a lot better in 2011. Lastly the rivalry’s, there was a lot of tempers between a lot of different drivers in that year.
Harvick and Tony won Martinsville. Johnson won Talladega and Kansas.
@@seannolan9857 I said “if had he won Martinsville in 2011, but he didn’t” meaning if he had won that race, it would’ve put him in the championship picture, but since he didn’t, and Tony won it, it knocked basically knocked him out. But Jimmie had the lead until the last caution, and then Tony won. So it’s safe to say that was an opportunity missed. But I wasn’t saying he won it, I was saying if he had
@@bostonwarrior4824 Oops, I must have read "had he" as "he had".
They finally hit the sweet spot for the CoT and produced some damn good racing. Gordon surpassed the likes of Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip to claim 3rd spot on NASCAR's all-time win list. And Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards had one of the best championship duels in the sport's history. GREAT season!
When Smoke crosses that finish line and won his 3rd championship❤
Smoke made that season, winning half the chase races
These are the winners we got in 2011, that would be considered non-front-runners. Also, note the following races which they won:
Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500)
Regan Smith (Southern 500)
David Ragan (Pepsi/Coke Firecracker 400)
Paul Menard (Brickyard 400)
Marcos Ambrose (Race at The Glen)
Outside of The Glen, those are all crown jewel events. Back then, it was still possible for a mid-packer to rise up and have a chance to win at non-plate tracks.
That Was My 2nd Full Time Season Watching As A Fan.
Why does everyone call him "Marcus Ambrose?" Weve always known the right way to say his name, yet we we will likely always screw this up
For a few reasons.
5 first time winners
The legendary Carl Edwards vs Tony Stewart for the championship
The High Speed action of the COT
Tandem drafting
Honestly the Gen 5 era in general was good, not great, but like 2009-2012 were the best. 2011 was awesome.
Gen 5 supremacy forever!
Out of curiosity, Why can't NASCAR bring back the COT since you love it so much?
@@cito1101 obviously in racing, nobody brings back a generation of race cars. Racing moves forward like life.
COT 2.0 would be nice as a Gen 8. But realistically, I don’t see it.
2011 was a rough year for me I was in the hospital with a stomach ultcer that bursted I was bullied in middle school for almost 4 years I almost died at the hospital the doctor thought I wasn't gonna make it through the night and I did I stayed in the hospital 29 days and I came back from the hospital after they checked if I had another stomach ulcer and I didn't and I came home just in time to see my driver Tony Stewart win Chicagoland And went on to win the 2011 championship in 2012 I went back to see if I had another stomach ulcer and as the doctor was taking the camera out of my stomach he accidentally dropped the camera and cut another hole in my stomach almost died again that time I stayed 11 days in the hospital so here I am 2023 I'm alive and living well
Last year for carburetor engines before they went EFI in 2012.
To me 2005 was the last best season gen 4 car put on some really good racing we did have the chase but Stewart still won that title legitimately
2005 was my first full season, and it was the best season a kid who discovered NASCAR that summer could have watched.
2011 definitely surpases 2014 and 2013 in every way. Even 2012 and 2016 do that because the racing just didn't disappoint with the expectation of the Brickyard race in 2016.
Great racing, awesome championship fight, and a driver fighting back from adversity to win the championship by one point? Seems like a nice season.
Great video as always!
this was first season i ever watched...
*sad carl edwards fan noises*
edit: The broadcast was way different, especially pre race shows. Another was different drivers having a chance to win every week with Marcos Ambros, Trevor Bayne, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick. In my opinion, this year was the peak of the COT era.
I've been going down the Jimmy Spencer on Race Hub rabbit hole, so this video came at an appropriate time. I wonder how things would look if Nascar still followed this wild card chase set of rules in the present day. Why did they change it?
You forgot to mention Jimmie Johnsons dominace took a pause
I love it because my guy won it all.
It was a hell of a season.
I like to think Paul Menard would have had a better career slingshot if he came to the #15 DEI Busch car like 1 year later that he did. I think he would of gotten a lot more of the #8 Busch series car support as Truex would have been sort of transitioning onto cup at that point & eventually move Paul Menard to the #8 Busch series car later and just done better in the Busch series. Idk just a fan theory.
Love your vids
Such a heartbreaking season as a Carl Edwards fan but fun to watch either way. Tie breakers suck!
Just so we're clear, the season, not the game.
Seems every season year ending in a 1 has been a memorable one good and bad. 2001, 2011, 2021.
Gordon v Johnson at Atlanta and obv the championship battle. Kyle Busch trying to kill Ron Hornady lol
I am definitely biased because my favorite driver won the championship but imo 2011 was amazing!
AD earning that truck championship against the veterans like that proves hes fit for the 3. Not kush, not anyone thats not related to RC. Dillon proved that he is the rightful driver of the 3. Dale would be very proud of what hes accomplished in that number
Tony Stewart snapping 48's run of dominance was sweet
This is completely unrelated to this video, as this video is discussing 2011, but I wasn’t watching NASCAR back then. I have been watching NASCAR since 2014. To me, my favorite NASCAR season would have to be 2015.
I liked everything about 2011 except for the end. The chase system approved once again that it’s broken. Tony Stewart at least admitted that were not for that system. They would never have won that championship.
The 500 will mark 30 years for me. 🎉
We all remember Kyle wrecking Ron but forget about a few years earlier when Ron did it to Kyle in Cup.
I think u made a typo I think u meant 2014 everyone seems to love that year specifically
No 2014 is overrated.
Pretty sure more people actually love 2014 lol.
Also lmao lets not pretend Menard beat Gordon on speed, he didn't "hold him off" another lap and Gordon would dust him off.
That Atlanta race though.
I was at daytona for the 500 to finish off our honeymoon 😊
Underdogs winning the big races, exciting championship fight. What’s not to love about 2011?
Good question. I hated it. And yes, mostly because Stewart won over Edwards in a tiebreaker. God it pissed me off so much.
Jimmie Johnson not winning was the best part
The cars were faster and had more personality than they do now with the carbon fiber robot look
Well these cars must comeback
The chase should be only for the money and the regular season champ should be the one getting the Trophy.