The 2010 Sprint Cup Series was the 62nd season of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The season began with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 14 and ended with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 21.
Kevin Harvick led the points standings through much of the first 26 races of the season, but was seeded third in the Chase behind Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin would lead the standings after the first two races of the chase, but Johnson would take the points lead after a win at Dover and a 2nd place finish at Kansas. Johnson would lead the points standings until the seventh race of the Chase, but Hamlin took the points lead following a win at Texas. Despite finishing lower than Johnson and Harvick at the ninth race of the Chase, Hamlin led the most laps and thus held the points lead entering the final race. The championship came down to Hamlin, Johnson, and Harvick, with Hamlin and Johnson swapping the points lead through various points of the race. In the end, Johnson finished ahead of his two challengers with one lap led, and thus he won his record-setting fifth consecutive championship by 39 points over Denny Hamlin, and 41 points over Kevin Harvick.
The 2010 season saw the return of spoilers to the Car of Tomorrow at the sixth race of the season, following several high profile airborne crashes during the 2009 and early part of the 2010 season. It was the only season where the Car of Tomorrow had a splitter braces/spoiler combination. It was also the first season where driver behavior restrictions were loosened, with the new approach being known as “Boys, Have at It,” allowing for more confrontations and retaliatory actions on track. In addition, during the season, the NASCAR Hall of Fame opened with a charter class of five members- Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., and Junior Johnson inducted on May 23.
Full Time Team Chart[]
Schedule[]
| Round | Date | Race Name | Track | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 6, 2010 | Budweiser Shootout | Daytona International Speedway | FOX | |
| February 11, 2010 | Gatorade Duel 150s | Daytona International Speedway | SPEED Channel | |
| 1 | February 14, 2010 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | FOX |
| 2 | February 21, 2010 | Auto Club 500 | Auto Club Speedway | FOX |
| 3 | February 28, 2010 | Shelby American | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 4 | March 7, 2010 | Kobalt Tools 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 5 | March 21, 2010 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 6 | March 29, 2010 | Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 | Martinsville Speedway | FOX |
| 7 | April 10, 2010 | Subway Fresh Fit 600 | Phoenix International Raceway | FOX |
| 8 | April 19, 2010 | Samsung Mobile 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 9 | April 25, 2010 | Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway | FOX |
| 10 | May 1, 2010 | Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 | Richmond International Raceway | FOX |
| 11 | May 8, 2010 | Showtime Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | FOX |
| 12 | May 16, 2010 | Autism Speaks 400 Presented by Hershey's | Dover International Speedway | FOX |
| May 22, 2010 | Sprint All-Star Challenge | Charlotte Motor Speedway | SPEED Channel | |
| 13 | May 30, 2010 | Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 14 | June 6, 2010 | Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target | Pocono Raceway | TNT |
| 15 | June 13, 2010 | Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 | Michigan International Speedway | TNT |
| 16 | June 20, 2010 | Toyota / Save Mart 350 | Infineon Raceway | TNT |
| 17 | June 27, 2010 | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | TNT |
| 18 | July 3, 2010 | Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola | Daytona International Speedway | TNT |
| 19 | July 10, 2010 | LifeLock.com 400 | Chicagoland Speedway | TNT |
| 20 | July 25, 2010 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | ESPN |
| 21 | August 1, 2010 | Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 | Pocono Raceway | ESPN |
| 22 | August 8, 2010 | Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen | Watkins Glen International | ESPN |
| 23 | August 15, 2010 | Carfax 400 | Michigan International Speedway | ESPN |
| 24 | August 21, 2010 | Irwin Tools Night Race | Bristol Motor Speedway | ABC |
| 25 | September 5, 2010 | Emory Healthcare 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | ESPN |
| 26 | September 11, 2010 | Air Guard 400 | Richmond International Raceway | ABC |
| Chase for the Sprint Cup | ||||
| 27 | September 19, 2010 | Sylvania 300 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | ESPN |
| 28 | September 26, 2010 | AAA 400 | Dover International Speedway | ESPN |
| 29 | October 3, 2010 | Price Chopper 400 Presented by Kraft Foods | Kansas Speedway | ESPN |
| 30 | October 10, 2010 | Pepsi Max 400 | Auto Club Speedway | ESPN |
| 31 | October 16, 2010 | Bank of America 500 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | ABC |
| 32 | October 24, 2010 | Tums Fast Relief 500 | Martinsville Speedway | ESPN |
| 33 | October 31, 2010 | Amp Energy Juice 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | ESPN |
| 34 | November 7, 2010 | AAA Texas 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | ESPN |
| 35 | November 14, 2010 | Kobalt Tools 500 | Phoenix International Raceway | ESPN |
| 36 | November 21, 2010 | Ford 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | ESPN |
Results[]
| Round | Race | Pole Winner | Winner | Make | Cautions | Caution Laps | Average Speed | Number of Lead Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Budweiser Shootout | Carl Edwards | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 5 | 14 | 144.670 | 12 | |
| 2010 Gatorade Duel 150 (Race #1) | Mark Martin | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 3 | 11 | 146.461 | 8 | |
| 2010 Gatorade Duel 150 (Race #2) | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Kasey Kahne | Ford | 1 | 3 | 174.644 | 11 | |
| 1 | 2010 Daytona 500 | Mark Martin | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 9 | 40 | 137.284 | 52 |
| 2 | 2010 Auto Club 500 | Jamie McMurray | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 6 | 30 | 141.911 | 26 |
| 3 | 2010 Shelby American | Kurt Busch | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 7 | 29 | 141.450 | 18 |
| 4 | 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Kurt Busch | Dodge | 11 | 53 | 131.294 | 31 |
| 5 | 2010 Food City 500 | Joey Logano | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 10 | 103 | 79.618 | 29 |
| 6 | 2010 Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 | N/A | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 13 | 79 | 73.180 | 24 |
| 7 | 2010 Subway Fresh Fit 600 | A.J. Allmendinger | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | 9 | 59 | 99.372 | 20 |
| 8 | 2010 Samsung Mobile 500 | Tony Stewart | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 7 | 32 | 146.230 | 88 |
| 9 | 2010 Aaron's 499 | N/A | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 8 | 32 | 150.590 | 88 |
| 10 | 2010 Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400 | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 6 | 37 | 99.567 | 12 |
| 11 | 2010 Showtime Southern 500 | Jamie McMurray | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 11 | 56 | 126.605 | 20 |
| 12 | 2010 Autism Speaks 400 Presented by Hershey's | Martin Truex, Jr. | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 5 | 24 | 128.790 | 20 |
| 2010 Sprint All-Star Challenge | Kurt Busch | Kurt Busch | Dodge | 6 | 0 | 94.175 | 6 | |
| 13 | 2010 Coca-Cola 600 | Ryan Newman | Kurt Busch | Dodge | 8 | 34 | 144.966 | 33 |
| 14 | 2010 Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Presented by Target | Kyle Busch | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 8 | 27 | 136.303 | 14 |
| 15 | 2010 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 | Kurt Busch | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 4 | 14 | 156.386 | 18 |
| 16 | 2010 Toyota / Save Mart 350 | Kasey Kahne | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 7 | 14 | 74.357 | 12 |
| 17 | 2010 Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 4 | 19 | 113.308 | 14 |
| 18 | 2010 Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola | N/A | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 9 | 37 | 130.814 | 47 |
| 19 | 2010 LifeLock.com 400 | Jamie McMurray | David Reutimann | Toyota | 4 | 21 | 145.138 | 10 |
| 20 | 2010 Brickyard 400 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 6 | 25 | 136.054 | 14 |
| 21 | 2010 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 | Tony Stewart | Greg Biffle | Ford | 5 | 31 | 132.246 | 19 |
| 22 | 2010 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen | Carl Edwards | Juan Pablo Montoya | Chevrolet | 5 | 13 | 91.960 | 10 |
| 23 | 2010 Carfax 400 | Kasey Kahne | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 5 | 25 | 144.029 | 17 |
| 24 | 2010 Irwin Tools Night Race | Jimmie Johnson | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 7 | 39 | 99.071 | 15 |
| 25 | 2010 Emory Healthcare 500 | Denny Hamlin | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 8 | 53 | 129.041 | 22 |
| 26 | 2010 Air Guard 400 | Carl Edwards | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 3 | 28 | 104.096 | 14 |
| 27 | 2010 Sylvania 300 | Brad Keselowski | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | 8 | 34 | 106.769 | 21 |
| 28 | 2010 AAA 400 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 4 | 19 | 131.543 | 16 |
| 29 | 2010 Price Chopper 400 Presented by Kraft Foods | Kasey Kahne | Greg Biffle | Ford | 5 | 24 | 138.077 | 20 |
| 30 | 2010 Pepsi Max 400 | Jamie McMurray | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 9 | 36 | 131.953 | 23 |
| 31 | 2010 Bank of America 500 | Jeff Gordon | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | 9 | 39 | 140.391 | 27 |
| 32 | 2010 Tums Fast Relief 500 | Denny Hamlin | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 15 | 90 | 71.619 | 24 |
| 33 | 2010 Amp Energy Juice 500 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Clint Bowyer | Chevrolet | 6 | 19 | 163.618 | 87 |
| 34 | 2010 AAA Texas 500 | Elliott Sadler | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | 9 | 40 | 140.456 | 33 |
| 35 | 2010 Kobalt Tools 500 | Carl Edwards | Carl Edwards | Ford | 5 | 25 | 110.758 | 13 |
| 36 | 2010 Ford 400 | Kasey Kahne | Carl Edwards | Ford | 10 | 41 | 126.585 | 22 |
Final Points Standings[]
| Pos. | Driver | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Poles | Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 2 | 6622 | |
| 2 | Denny Hamlin | 36 | 8 | 14 | 18 | 2 | 6583 | -39 |
| 3 | Kevin Harvick | 36 | 3 | 16 | 26 | 0 | 6581 | -41 |
| 4 | Carl Edwards | 36 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 3 | 6393 | -229 |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth | 36 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 6294 | -328 |
| 6 | Greg Biffle | 36 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 6247 | -375 |
| 7 | Tony Stewart | 36 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 6221 | -401 |
| 8 | Kyle Busch | 36 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 6182 | -440 |
| 9 | Jeff Gordon | 36 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 1 | 6176 | -446 |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer | 36 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 6155 | -467 |
| 11 | Kurt Busch | 36 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 2 | 6142 | -480 |
| 12 | Jeff Burton | 36 | 0 | 6 | 15 | 0 | 6033 | -589 |
| 13 | Mark Martin | 36 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 4364 | -2,258 |
| 14 | Jamie McMurray | 36 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 4325 | -2,297 |
| 15 | Ryan Newman | 36 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 4302 | -2,320 |
| 16 | Joey Logano | 36 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 1 | 4185 | -2,437 |
| 17 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 36 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 4118 | -2,504 |
| 18 | David Reutimann | 36 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 4024 | -2,598 |
| 19 | A.J. Allmendinger | 36 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3998 | -2,624 |
| 20 | Kasey Kahne | 36 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 3961 | -2,661 |
| 21 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 36 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 3953 | -2,669 |
| 22 | Martin Truex Jr | 36 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3916 | -2,706 |
| 23 | Paul Menard | 36 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3776 | -2,846 |
| 24 | David Ragan | 36 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3599 | -3,023 |
| 25 | Brad Keselowski | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3485 | -3,137 |
| 26 | Marcos Ambrose | 36 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3422 | -3,200 |
| 27 | Elliott Sadler | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3234 | -3,388 |
| 28 | Regan Smith | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3229 | -3,393 |
| 29 | Sam Hornish, Jr. | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3214 | -3,408 |
| 30 | Scott Speed | 36 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3178 | -3,444 |
| 31 | Bobby Labonte | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2583 | -4,039 |
| 32 | David Gilliland | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2445 | -4,177 |
| 33 | Travis Kvapil | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2426 | -4,196 |
| 34 | Robby Gordon | 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2028 | -4,594 |
| 35 | Kevin Conway | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1830 | -4,792 |
| 36 | Casey Mears | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1573 | -5,049 |
| 37 | Dave Blaney | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1416 | -5,206 |
| 38 | Joe Nemechek | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1361 | -5,261 |
| 39 | Reed Sorenson | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1355 | -5,267 |
| 40 | Brian Vickers | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1158 | -5,464 |
| 41 | Bill Elliott | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1107 | -5,515 |
| 42 | Mike Bliss | 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1050 | -5,572 |
| 43 | Max Papis | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 907 | -5,715 |
| 44 | J.J. Yeley | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 891 | -5,731 |
| 45 | Michael McDowell | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 879 | -5,743 |
| 46 | David Stremme | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 825 | -5,797 |
| 47 | Landon Cassill | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 717 | -5,905 |
| 48 | Aric Almirola | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 704 | -5,918 |
| 49 | Tony Raines | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 534 | -6,088 |
| 50 | Patrick Carpentier | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 474 | -6,148 |
Drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup are highlighted in yellow. Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.
Rookie of the Year[]
Kevin Conway won the 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year award.[1]
| Position | Driver | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Conway | 227 | 0 |
| 2 | Terry Cook | 55 | 0 |
Manufacturer's Championship[]
With 18 wins, Chevrolet won the Manufacturer's Championship for 2010.[2]
| Position | Make | Points | Race Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet | 261 | 18 |
| 2 | Toyota | 217 | 12 |
| 3 | Ford | 176 | 4 |
| 4 | Dodge | 138 | 2 |
References[]
| NASCAR Cup Series seasons |
|---|
| 1949 |
| 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
| 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
| 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
| 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 |
| 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |