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Come Fan with UsSaturday, June 20, 2026

It’s All In The Name: Bizarre NASCAR Trend Continues

Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Jeff Burton are among the drivers who should be happy to hear that an interesting NASCAR trend continued Monday at Martinsville.

↵Every winner of a Sprint Cup event this season – including the Gatorade Duel races and Bud Shootout – has had a first name that begins with the letter J or K.

↵First noted by reader Kallie Parsons, the trend kept going with Denny Hamlin’s victory at the Virginia short track.

↵Why? Because Hamlin’s real first name is James.

↵A list of the nine J/K winners:

↵↵

    ↵
  • Bud Shootout: Kevin Harvick
  • ↵
  • Gatorade Duel No. 1: Jimmie Johnson
  • ↵
  • Gatorade Duel No. 2: Kasey Kahne
  • ↵
  • Daytona 500: Jamie McMurray
  • ↵
  • Fontana: Jimmie Johnson
  • ↵
  • Las Vegas: Jimmie Johnson
  • ↵
  • Atlanta: Kurt Busch
  • ↵
  • Bristol: Jimmie Johnson
  • ↵
  • Martinsville: James "Denny" Hamlin
  • ↵

↵

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