Josh Berry’s triumph at Las Vegas marked his first profession Cup win. It got here in his 53rd profession Cup begin.
With Berry’s victory, there are solely 10 of the 36 full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers that do not have a victory within the collection.
What are the possibilities followers will see one other first-time winner this season? It appears considerably probably, as a number of of those drivers have the potential to seek out their approach to victory lane.
Who will or not it’s? We’ll rely them down from least prone to most certainly:
10. Cody Ware (111 profession begins)
Ware has one prime 5 and two prime 10s in his profession, driving for his household’s Rick Ware Racing — the one full-time energetic Cup group with no victory. He has led 10 laps in his profession and has not completed higher than twenty fourth this season. Ware is 0-for-146 in nationwide collection begins.
9. Ty Dillon (250 begins)
Dillon has two profession prime 5 finishes and 7 prime 10s in his profession, with a finest end this season of 14th at Daytona. Kaulig Racing has two Cup victories (AJ Allmendinger in 2021 and 2023) in its historical past. Dillon is twenty sixth within the standings and a prime 25 end within the standings can be thought-about a good season. He has one win in 165 Xfinity begins and three victories in 76 truck begins.
8. Riley Herbst (13 begins)
Herbst has two profession prime 10s however has not completed higher than seventeenth (his finishes in every of the primary three races) this yr in his rookie season at 23XI Racing. He has led 10 laps in Cup racing in his profession. Herbst has three profession NASCAR victories in 176 Xfinity begins.
7. John Hunter Nemechek (82 begins)
Nemechek has one prime 5 and 9 prime 10s in his profession. He suffered by way of a depressing season final yr at Legacy Motor Membership. And whereas this one has began higher, as he at the moment sits fifteenth within the collection standings, he has led solely 37 laps in his Cup profession. This group nonetheless appears to be a bit away from difficult for the win most weekends. Nemechek has 11 wins in 111 Xfinity begins and 13 wins in 149 truck begins.
6. Zane Smith (50 begins)
Smith has two prime 5 finishes and 6 prime 10s, with 9 laps led in his Cup profession. He had a irritating rookie season at Spire, the place issues improved over the second half of the yr when he already knew he wanted a brand new dwelling for 2025. He landed at Entrance Row Motorsports, the group for which he received a truck championship in a collection, the place he has 9 wins in 97 begins.
5. Noah Gragson (80 begins)
Gragson has two prime fives and 9 prime 10s in his profession. He wants to steer extra laps to be thought-about greater than an occasional menace for a win. He has simply 17 laps led in his profession. Of these on this checklist, he has extra Xfinity wins (13 in 139 begins) than every other driver. He additionally received two races in 47 truck begins.
4. Todd Gilliland (113 begins)
Gilliland has one prime 5 and 11 prime 10s and is taken into account the chief of Entrance Row Motorsports. He has led 148 laps in his Cup profession. That have places him larger on the checklist than his teammates Gragson and Smith. Gilliland has three profession NASCAR wins, all in vehicles (94 begins).
3. Carson Hocevar (50 begins)
Hocevar has two prime fives and 7 prime 10s, whereas main 17 laps in his profession. However of anybody on this checklist, he has spent extra time working within the prime 10, as he has earned factors in 5 of the ten phases this season. In his second yr at Spire Motorsports, Hocevar’s upside appears limitless. He had 4 wins in 77 truck begins earlier than shifting to Cup.
2. Ryan Preece (192 begins)
Preece has 5 prime fives and 17 prime 10s with 219 laps led in his profession. He appears revitalized driving for RFK Racing and sits 18th within the standings. He’s a driver that appears extra apt to be in the precise place on the proper time for a win than a lot of the others on this checklist. Preece has two wins in 62 Xfinity begins and two wins in 12 truck begins.
1. Ty Gibbs (92 begins)
Gibbs has clearly struggled this yr. He at the moment sits at thirty fourth within the standings. He hasn’t completed higher than sixteenth and hasn’t earned any stage factors. However Gibbs is with the very best group of all of the drivers on this checklist. He has 12 prime fives and 23 prime 10s and final yr, he appeared to be getting ready to successful a race. Gibbs has led 531 laps in his profession, and whereas he has not had the season he needed, if he will get again to working up entrance, few can be stunned. He received 12 Xfinity races in simply 65 begins within the collection, the place he received the 2022 title.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Observe him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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