Carson Hocevar and rookie Connor Zilisch are among the top rising NASCAR prospects for 2026. The future of NASCAR looks promising with these emerging talents.
Key points
Carson Hocevar is emerging as a NASCAR superstar.
Rookie Connor Zilisch is expected to excel in the Cup Series.
The future of NASCAR is bright with new talent.
Several up-and-coming drivers are increasing their odds for success.
Carson HocevarConnor Zilisch
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Carson Hocevar is emerging as one of the next superstars in NASCAR, with rookie Connor Zilisch likely a few years away from becoming one of the top drivers in the Cup Series. The future of the sport is bright and that has a lot to do with some of the up-and-coming drivers.
Let’s dive into our list of the top NASCAR prospects in 2026 who are off to hot starts this season and increasing their odds of reaching the Cup Series.
Corey Day
Top NASCAR Prospects
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Corey Day, who turns 21 years old in November, got off to a rough start in 2026 with a 27th-place finish at Daytona and an incident with Connor Zilisch. It was just the latest in a series of mistakes and questionable moves by the young driver that raised questions about his readiness for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Since then, he’s demonstrated why Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have so much confidence in him long-term.
Through 13 races, Day has the fifth-most points (422) in the O’Reilly Series and he’s showing a lot of consistency lately. Even including the DNF (37th place) at Texas Motor Speedway, Day boasts a 9.75 average finishing position in the last 12 races. He earned his first-ever O’Reilly Series win at Talladega and has four top-five finishes with nine top-10 finishes in that 12-race span. If Hendrick decides to move on from Alex Bowman, Day seems like the favorite to take over the No. 48 car. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the team waits until 2028 for Day to become a full-time Cup driver.
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Kaden Honeycutt
Top NASCAR Prospects, Kaden Honeycutt
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Even before he won four races in a single weekend, 22-year-old Kaden Honeycutt was viewed as one of the top NASCAR prospects in 2026. He was the obvious choice to take Corey Heim’s spot in the No. 11 truck for TRICON Garage, and the move has paid off. Honeycutt led the Truck Series in points even before his first win in the series at Watkins Glen. Through eight races, Honeycutt leads the Truck Series in top-fives (five) and top-10s (six), and he has the third-most laps led (68) among full-time drivers. The minimal experience in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series likely means that Honeycutt is two years away from reaching Cup. However, we could see him get a few chances in 2027.
Of the top NASCAR prospects in 2026, outside of Corey Heim, Jesse Love probably has the best chance of landing a full-time Cup Series ride in 2027. A top development driver for Richard Childress Racing, Love is already driving part-time in the No. 33 car. Most of his time is spent behind the wheel of the No. 2 in the O’Reilly Series, where he’s already recorded three career victories and he currently ranks third in points (479) with the third-most top-10s (nine) and the most laps led (279). Love will have a shot at being the O’Reilly Series champion for the second consecutive year. Whether he accomplishes that or not, Love might have the choice of driving full-time for RCR or Legacy Motor Club at the Cup level next season at just 22 years old.
Gio Ruggiero entered the season ranked 15th by Bob Pockrass among the top NASCAR prospects in 2026. It would be fair to say the 19-year-old is elevating his stock this season. While he finished 15th at Watkins Glen, NASCAR admitted to the No. 17 team that Ruggiero shouldn’t have received a penalty for his early restart. The mistake cost him a top-five finish, which would’ve been his fourth through eight races this season.
Even with that mistake made by NASCAR, Ruggiero still has the fourth-most points (257) in the Truck Series with the third-most top-fives. If he can continue at this pace and finish the year in the championship mix, perhaps there’ll be a full-time ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in the O’Reilly Series in 2027. Given he doesn’t turn 20 until the end of August, it’s possible we see Ruggiero in a Cup car before he turns 21.
Chandler Smith
Top NASCAR Prospects
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Chandler Smith is on the older side for NASCAR prospects right now, turning 24 years old in June. He does, however, have experience racing in the Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports. He spends the majority of his time behind the wheel as the full-time driver for the No. 38 in the Truck Series. Through eight races, he has nearly as many top-fives (four) as he did all of last season (five), and he’s on pace for the best season-long performance in his career.
Brent Crews
Top NASCAR Prospects, Brent Crews
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At 18 years old, Brent Crews is already viewed as one of the future stars in NASCAR. The California native’s age limited the number of O’Reilly Series races he could be a part of to start the season. So, instead of highlighting that he ranks 11th in points (324) in nine races, there are better ways to look at his success this season.
Crews is averaging 36 points per race in 2026, which ranks third in the O’Reilly Series behind only Justin Allgaier (49.2) and Sheldon Creed (37.3). He’s also gotten even better as he’s gained more experience at the level, recording five consecutive top-10 finishes with a 4.0 average finishing position in that span. If you want to know just how high people inside the sport are on Crews’ future, he is widely viewed as Denny Hamlin’s successor with JGR.