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What Do NASCAR Drivers Do In The Offseason? There's Plenty To Keep Them Busy
The Cup Series may be over, but there's never a dull moment for NASCAR drivers.
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Season is over, and the many drivers of “Race For The Championship” now find themselves with a lot of downtime on their hands as they prepare to run back the numbers and do it all over again in 2023.
After spending the entire season in fierce competition with one another, drivers like Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott now have time to pursue what’s important to them outside of NASCAR. However, that can prove tricky when what’s important to them is performing at a top-tier level with each passing season. Although drivers have well-documented hobbies, let's look at how these athletes choose to use their offseason spare time.
Racing
It will surprise no one to hear that many drivers, when left to their own devices, simply want to get back out on the track. As a result, you’ll often see pros like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott testing their skills on different race circuits like dirt or cart racing just to keep that competitive streak within them alive as they wait to return to the big show: the NASCAR Cup Series.
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In 2021, for example, the two Hendrick Motorsports drivers were very public about the fact they were spending the offseason behind the wheel in various non-stock car divisions.
Giving Back
Given all the success that comes with a professional career in NASCAR, many of the “Race For The Championship” drivers tend to spend the offseason giving back in any way they can. Drivers like Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and more have used their star power to either establish or support some kind of charitable organization with causes ranging from pediatric care to giving back to U.S. veterans.
Practicing
As mentioned, what’s often most important to these competitors is doing even better the next season. Whether it’s someone who didn’t make the playoffs or NASCAR Cup Series champions like Joey Logano, there’s always room for improvement and that starts in the offseason.
It’s important for not only these drivers, but their teams and pit crews to remain sharp and not let their skills cool off just because they’ve got a few months of downtime. While i they do need to decompress after a highly competitive season, drivers like Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch have already started clocking in a lot more time on the Richard Childress Racing driving simulators so they can hit the ground running in 2023.
Teaching Their Kids
Many NASCAR drivers have kids, and the offseason is the best option to get in some quality time with them since they’re no longer traveling to a new city and track every weekend.
Fortunately for people like Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, that can mean being on the race track still. A lot of the current Cup Series drivers got into professional motorsports because their relatives were drivers. For many, they’re continuing to honor that legacy by helping their kids who get bitten by the racing bug engage with the sport as well.
Vacationing
Competition and lifestyle aside, NASCAR drivers work very hard so they tend to play hard as well. It’s not uncommon to see them living it up on social media as soon as the Cup Series Season is over. For example, in 2019, best buddies Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney were spotted vacationing together in the Bahamas soaking up the sun and living their best lives.
If there’s one thing NASCAR drivers know how to do, it’s travel. What they struggle with is sitting still. So it takes a really, really picturesque and relaxing destination to get them to settle down and take a breather before they get back behind the wheel for another season.
Catch up on past episodes of “Race For The Championship” right now on Peacock.
