With a brand new NASCAR season a little bit greater than a month away, many younger drivers wish to stake their declare as one among NASCAR’s subsequent superstars. Listed below are 4 — two from the NASCAR Cup Sequence and two from the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence — who’ve a possibility to interrupt via in 2026.
Corey Day
No. 17 Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports | NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence
Age: 20 | Hometown: Clovis, California
Day’s racing background lies totally on filth. Two-time Cup Sequence champion and fellow filth racing fanatic Kyle Larson has turn into a de facto mentor to Day, who struggled to seek out his footing as he made the transition to NASCAR competitors on asphalt.
However Day has improved lately. He managed three top-10 finishes in 9 Craftsman Truck Sequence begins in 2025 and a pair of prime 10s in 11 O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence begins. He’ll be within the highlight all 12 months because the full-time driver of a Hendrick Motorsports entry within the O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence.
Day might not have the most effective NASCAR resume in comparison with his contemporaries on this record, however he does have loads of room to enhance and could possibly be a fringe title risk in 2026 if he learns shortly.
Carson Hocevar
No. 77 Chevrolet | Spire Motorsports | NASCAR Cup Sequence
Age: 22 | Hometown: Portage, Michigan
For higher or worse, Hocevar’s identify dominated the NASCAR information cycle for a lot of 2025. Whether or not it was his outright velocity, misfortune or his run-in with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. over the summer time, the 2024 Cup Sequence Rookie of the Yr normally discovered his means into the night paper in a roundabout way.
In 2026, he could possibly be doing so by successful races. Spire isn’t a corporation that may win on a weekly foundation, however it may give Hocevar a possibility each every so often. If he can harness his absurd expertise and maintain his head, he could possibly be en path to his first Cup Sequence win in 2026.
Jesse Love
No. 2 Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing | NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence
Age: 20 | Hometown: Menlo Park, California
Love comes into 2026 because the defending O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence champion and one of many title favorites. He additionally obtained 5 races price of Cup Sequence expertise underneath his belt in 2025, and whereas he is solely a three-time winner within the O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence, he is additionally one of the vital constant drivers within the discipline.
Love is in an fascinating place at RCR. With an getting old duo of Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon making up the crew’s Cup Sequence lineup — the latter of whom might in the future discover himself operating the group — Love’s long-term future appears each safe and foggy on the similar time.
Connor Zilisch
No. 88 Chevrolet | Trackhouse Racing | NASCAR Cup Sequence
Age: 19 | Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Zilisch’s maiden voyage into full-time Cup Sequence competitors might find yourself being probably the most anticipated rookie season in Cup Sequence historical past. The younger phenom got here up simply shy of the O’Reilly Auto Components Sequence title in 2025 after placing collectively a dominant season that included 10 wins and 20 top-five finishes.
Trackhouse Racing isn’t the strongest crew within the Cup Sequence, however Zilisch confirmed flashes of brilliance in his first three Cup Sequence races with the crew in 2025. If Trackhouse is ready to discover some extra velocity over the offseason, be careful for Zilisch to be operating with the highest canines early in his rookie season.
