Almost every year, for some reason or another, some Sprint Cup Series driver misses a race. It is rare, but it happens. However, this year you can drop the rare part. Every race this year has had a substitute driver. It is really rather crazy.

It all started with the Daytona 500. Kyle Busch broke a leg and foot the day before the race, and Kurt Busch was suspended by Nascar. Matt Crafton and Regan Smith filled in for the Busch brothers. After that week David Ragan, who is a Cup regular, filled in for Kyle. Kurt was reinstated after week three, and he returned to his ride.

Brian Vickers missed the first couple races of the year due to blood clots, and Michael Waltrip and Brett Moffit filled in for him. Vickers returned for two weeks, only to suffer more blood clots, and he has been out for several races now. Brett Moffit has continued to fill in for Brian, and to Brett’s advantage, he is now eligible for rookie of the year, even though he is a substitute.

David Ragan is a Cup regular, unlike the other subs, so his moving to Busch’s team, Joe Gibbs Racing, left an open seat at Front Row Motorsports, his old team. That hole has been filled by several drivers, and Chris Buescher (shown above) is his current sub. For Ragan, his ability to race Kyle’s car is a huge opportunity. Being a Sprint Cup contender, if he wins a race he will most likely be in the post-season Chase for the Sprint Cup. A huge opportunity for a driver like Ragan.

The latest edition of substitute came this past race at Martinsville. Kyle Larson passed out while signing autographs at the track, and due to how unexpected this was, he was not cleared to race. Regan Smith was called on to drive the no. 42 for the STP 500.

All that said, this has been quite a year for drivers. For those who have missed races it is a disappointment. But for drivers like Ragan and Moffit, this opportunity is priceless. For them, it could mean a chance to run for a championship.