2021 NASCAR Cup Series

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series was the 73rd season for NASCAR professional stock car racing in the United States and the 50th season for the modern era Cup Series. The season started at Daytona International Speedway with the Busch Clash, where it was the first year that the non-points event was run on the track's road course layout instead of the oval. That race was followed by the Bluegreen Vacations Duel qualifying races, and the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, the first points race of the season. The regular season also ended at Daytona with the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 28, where Kyle Larson won the Regular Season Championship. Following the 2021 Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 31, Chevrolet claimed its 40th Manufacturer's Championship and its first since 2015. The NASCAR playoffs ended with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 7 with Larson earning his first Cup Series championship after a 10-win season.

The 2021 season represented a new era as several mainstays of the sport were absent.
This was the first season since 1997 without 2003 series Champion Matt Kenseth. This was also the first season since 2000 without seven-time Champion Jimmie Johnson. Finally, this was the first season without Clint Bowyer and Reed Sorenson since 2004, the former of which joined the ''NASCAR on Fox'' booth as a color commentator. This was also the first season for 23XI Racing, co-owned by Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin and basketball legend Michael Jordan, and Trackhouse Racing Team, co-owned by former NASCAR and current sports car racing driver Justin Marks and musician Pitbull. It was also the last season for Chip Ganassi Racing, as Trackhouse purchased the entirety of CGR's NASCAR team for 2022, StarCom Racing, as they ceased operations after 2021, Team Penske crew chief Todd Gordon, who announced his retirement from crew chiefing following the 2021 season, and the Cup Series Generation 6 car, which will be replaced with the Next Gen car starting in 2022; by extension, it was also the final season for the Car of Tomorrow chassis, as the Next Gen car will have a completely-new chassis design. In addition, this was the final season to have races covered by NBCSN, which shut down at the end of the year and had its coverage of NASCAR and all other sporting events taken over by USA Network.

Teams and drivers

Chartered teams

Non-chartered teams

Complete schedule

Limited schedule

Notes

Changes

Teams

* On July 23, 2020, it was reported that Leavine Family Racing owner Bob Leavine solicited bids for the team due to the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 4, 2020, Leavine confirmed that his team has been sold and would cease operations at the end of the 2020 season. On August 11, 2020, the team's charter was officially sold to Spire Motorsports, which would be used to field a second full-time car in 2021 (which would end up being the No. 7 of Corey LaJoie). With its purchase of Leavine Family Racing's assets, Spire Motorsports will expand into a two-car operation in 2021. On August 24, 2020, the team announced that they would be looking for two full-time drivers for the season.
* On September 1, 2020, it was reported that Germain Racing owner Bob Germain was exploring conversations for a potential sale of the team due to lack of sponsorship, as their contract with primary sponsor GEICO expired at the end of the 2020 season and it was confirmed four days later that they would not return for the 2021 season. Their charter was later put up for bid, and was purchased on September 21, 2020, and as a result, Germain ceased operations at the end of the 2020 season.
* On September 21, 2020, retired NBA player and Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan announced that he and Denny Hamlin would be forming 23XI Racing with Bubba Wallace as the driver after purchasing the charter from Germain Racing, which closed down after the 2020 season.
* On October 7, 2020, Trackhouse Racing Team, owned by Justin Marks, announced its entry into the Cup Series, fielding one full-time car, the No. 99, for Daniel Suárez in 2021. The team will run Chevrolets in a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing. The team has leased the charter from the No. 77 Spire Motorsports car for this season. On January 15, 2021, it was announced that musician Pitbull would co-own the team with Marks. On May 30, 2021, motivational speaker and philanthropist Tony Robbins hinted at investing in the team.
* On October 8, 2020, it was revealed that Spire Motorsports bought a third charter, which they will use for the No. 77 in 2021 after the team leased the original charter for the No. 77 to Trackhouse for 2021. Upon further reports on December 30, 2020, it was revealed that this third charter for Spire came from JTG Daugherty Racing for the No. 37, which will now be non-chartered in 2021.
* On October 22, 2020, Go Fas Racing owner Archie St. Hilaire announced that the team would scale down to a part-time schedule in 2021. Joe Falk will continue to own half of the team's charter while St. Hilaire transfers his half to Falk's new business partner. The following day, it was announced that B. J. McLeod and Matt Tifft had purchased Go Fas Racing's ownership stake in the charter, and it would be moved from the No. 32 to McLeod's No. 78, meaning that car will run full-time with a charter in 2021. On November 20, 2020, McLeod and Tifft announced the team's name as Live Fast Motorsports, with a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.
* On October 28, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that the No. 88 team would be renumbered to the No. 5 in 2021.
* On November 20, 2020, Kaulig Racing announced they would run a partial schedule in 2021, with the intention of entering all superspeedway and road course races and the goal of running full-time in 2022, hoping to purchase a charter by then.
* On December 2, 2020, NY Racing Team teased a potential return to Cup competition after posting the No. 44 with "2021" on their Instagram account, as well as updating their website, which stated that they would attempt to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500.
* On December 30, 2020, Bob Pockrass reported that Wood Brothers Racing purchased the charter they had leased from Go Fas Racing since 2017.
* On January 5, 2021, team owner John Cohen announced that NYRT will compete full-time as an open team. The team last competed in the series in 2018 with J. J. Yeley running part-time in partnerships with Premium Motorsports and BK Racing as well as one race by themselves in the 2018 Coca-Cola 600.
* On February 3, 2021, MBM Motorsports announced that NASCAR approved its number change from No. 49 to No. 13, which it had requested after the demise of Germain Racing.
* On February 9, 2021, it was revealed through the list of owner points transfers prior to the start of the season that Tommy Baldwin Racing would use the No. 71 if they end up attempting any races in 2021, a number the team previously used in 2019. The team gave their old car number, the No. 7, to Spire Motorsports to use for their new second car with Corey LaJoie.
* On April 6, 2021, Rick Ware Racing announced that the No. 53 driven by Joey Gase would be renumbered to the No. 28 with a Havoline-inspired paint scheme for the spring Talladega race to honor the late Davey Allison. Gase would also drive the No. 28 (renumbered from the No. 17) at the Talladega Xfinity race.
* On April 26, 2021, it was announced that B. J. McLeod Motorsports would return to the Cup Series and field a car, the No. 55, for Matt Mills, one of their full-time Xfinity Series drivers, in the spring race at Kansas. (This entry was not a second car for Live Fast Motorsports, which McLeod also owns).

Drivers

* On August 6, 2020, Erik Jones and Joe Gibbs Racing announced that they would mutually part ways at the end of the 2020 season. On October 21, 2020, Jones officially joined Richard Petty Motorsports as the driver of the organization's No. 43 entry.
* On August 21, 2020, Corey LaJoie and Go Fas Racing announced that they would mutually part ways at the end of the 2020 season. On November 12, 2020, '' Sports Business Journal''s Adam Stern reported that LaJoie was a leading candidate for one of the Spire Motorsports teams in 2021. On November 30, 2020, Spire announced that LaJoie would drive the team's new second car, the No. 7, full-time.
* On September 9, 2020, Matt Kenseth mentioned on Sirius XM's ''Late Shift'' that he would more than likely not return to the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 team in 2021. On September 21, 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Ross Chastain would replace Kenseth in 2021.
* On September 10, 2020, Bubba Wallace announced that he would not be back in the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 in 2021. On September 21, 2020, it was made official that he will be the driver of the 23XI Racing No. 23 car.
* On September 15, 2020, Daniel Suárez announced that he would not be back in the Gaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 in 2021. On October 7, 2020, Suárez joined Trackhouse Racing Team full-time for the 2021 season.
* On October 6, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Alex Bowman will move from the No. 88 to the No. 48 team in 2021.
* On October 8, 2020, Team Penske announced that Austin Cindric will drive the No. 33 Ford in select Cup Series races while competing full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2021. He would then transition to the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 team in 2022.
* On October 8, 2020, Clint Bowyer announced he would retire from full-time driving at the end of the 2020 season and work as a ''NASCAR on Fox'' commentator in 2021. Chase Briscoe, who previously drove for SHR in the Xfinity Series in their No. 98 car, replaced Bowyer in the No. 14.
* On October 19, 2020, NASCAR reinstated Kyle Larson six months after he was suspended from the sport and fired by Chip Ganassi Racing for using a racial slur during an ''iRacing'' event. He will be cleared to resume all NASCAR activities on January 1, 2021. On October 28, 2020, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Larson would drive the No. 5 (renumbered from the No. 88) for the team, replacing Alex Bowman, who moved over to the No. 48 to replace Jimmie Johnson. On July 14, 2021, Larson signed a contract extension with HMS through 2023.
* On November 16, 2020, John Hunter Nemechek announced he would not return to Front Row Motorsports in 2021. On November 23, 2020, it was announced that Nemechek would return to the Camping World Truck Series to drive full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2021.
* On December 19, 2020, MBM Motorsports announced that Timmy Hill, Chad Finchum, and Stephen Leicht (who drives for the team's Xfinity Series program) will return to the team in 2021, with Hill and Finchum attempting to run the 2021 Daytona 500.
* On December 22, 2020, Adam Stern of ''Sports Business Journal'' reported that Anthony Alfredo was in talks with Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 38 in 2021. On January 6, 2021, FRM confirmed that Alfredo will drive the No. 38 for the Rookie of the Year honors.
* On December 23, 2020, Chris Knight of ''Catchfence'' reported that JR Motorsports Xfinity Series driver and 2020 Daytona 300 winner Noah Gragson would attempt to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500 in the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports. Since 2017, Brendan Gaughan, who retired after the 2020 season, drove this car at each of the restrictor plate races (as well as the Daytona Road Course in 2020). The team would officially announce this on January 14, 2021.
* On January 6, 2021, Front Row Motorsports announced that David Ragan would return to the No. 36 for the 2021 Daytona 500.
* On January 13, 2021, Kaulig Racing announced that Kaz Grala would attempt to qualify for the 2021 Daytona 500 for the team in the No. 16. On January 21, 2021, Kaulig announced that A. J. Allmendinger would drive the No. 16 at the Daytona road course, making his first start in the Cup Series since the end of the 2018 season.
* On January 15, 2021, Jim Utter of ''Motorsport.com'' reported that Ty Dillon was likely to drive the No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing car at the Daytona 500 as well as the Daytona Road Course race the following week. It is unclear if he will run any additional races for the team beyond that. On February 3, 2021, 23XI Racing announced that Dillon would drive the No. 23 at the 2021 Busch Clash, as he was eligible after winning a stage in 2020 while regular driver Bubba Wallace was not. On August 23, 2021, Gaunt Brothers Racing announced that Landon Cassill would drive the No. 96 at the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona and the 2021 YellaWood 500 at Talladega.
* On January 19, 2021, Spire Motorsports announced that Jamie McMurray would drive the No. 77 at the 2021 Daytona 500.
* On January 19, 2021, Rick Ware Racing announced that Derrike Cope would make his final Daytona 500 start in the No. 15.
* On March 15, 2021, MBM Motorsports announced that 2018 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Mike Marlar, who drove for the team in the Xfinity Series at Richmond in September 2019, would make his Cup Series debut in the Bristol dirt race for the team in the No. 66.
* On March 16, 2021, Spire Motorsports announced that full-time Truck Series driver and accomplished dirt racer Stewart Friesen would make his Cup Series debut in their No. 77 in the Bristol dirt race. Although Friesen's Truck team, Halmar Friesen Racing, is a factory-backed Toyota team, Friesen competed for Spire, a Chevrolet team, in this one race.
* On April 13, 2021, Rick Ware Racing announced that longtime Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb would make her Cup debut in the spring race at Talladega in their No. 15. She becomes the first female driver to compete in the Cup Series since Danica Patrick retired after the 2018 Daytona 500. Cobb has competed for RWR in the past in select Xfinity races in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2016. However, on April 19, 2021, NASCAR announced that Cobb would not be approved to compete in the race, due to lack of prior Cup experience and the lack of practice and qualifying. A similar situation happened with James Davison and Keith McGee, who were not approved for the 2020 Cup and Truck races at Talladega, respectively. J. J. Yeley would replace Cobb in the RWR No. 15 in the race.
* On April 15, 2021, it was announced that Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series driver Harrison Burton, the son of retired driver and current ''NASCAR on NBC'' color commentator Jeff Burton, would make his Cup Series debut in the Gaunt Brothers Racing No. 96 in the spring race at Talladega. He would become the first driver born in the 2000s decade and the 21st century to run a Cup Series race.
* On May 14, 2021, Spire Motorsports announced that Josh Berry would drive the No. 77 at Dover as a substitute for Justin Haley, who was sidelined in accordance with team and COVID-19 protocols. This was his Cup Series debut. On June 27, 2021, Justin Allgaier substituted for Haley in the second race of the Cup Series doubleheader at Pocono after Haley had to recover from a hard crash in the Xfinity race earlier in the same day. This was the third time that Allgaier was called on as a last minute substitute replacement driver, after filling in for Michael Annett in the 2016 Bristol Night Race and Jimmie Johnson in the 2020 Brickyard 400.
* On August 19, 2021, Spire Motorsports announced that Josh Berry would drive the No. 7 at Michigan as a substitute for Corey LaJoie, who was sidelined in accordance with team and COVID-19 protocols.
* On September 10, 2021, Rick Ware Racing announced that Garrett Smithley would drive the No. 51 at the Richmond playoff race as a substitute for Cody Ware

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