Looking at Some of NASCAR's Up and Comers
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| 2015 NASCAR Next Class |
By Richard Tix
Finally the 2016 NASCAR season is on our doorstep. The Daytona 500 is right around the corner and the Sprint Unlimited already has one foot in the door. NASCAR fans can already smell the Sunoco Race Fuel and burnt rubber at the track, NASCAR is back.
With the season right around the corner, it is time for you to get the young guns back on your radar. The guys that will be shaping this sport and be the next faces of NASCAR as we know it. NASCAR Behind the Wall will list out the guys (or gals) you need to know for the 2016 season. This is in order of NBTW top prospects, but many drivers can have a case made for them any given year. Some will hit, some will miss, and some just may never get the right opportunity. No matter the situation, get ready to watch these guys on Friday's and Saturdays (heck even on Wed.).
Do note, that guys that are slated to run a full time schedule at the Cup level going into the 2016 season were not included. Guys like Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Chris Buescher have officially been retired from the list (however guys like Brett Moffit, Ty Dillon and Ryan Preece are still eligible).
With the season right around the corner, it is time for you to get the young guns back on your radar. The guys that will be shaping this sport and be the next faces of NASCAR as we know it. NASCAR Behind the Wall will list out the guys (or gals) you need to know for the 2016 season. This is in order of NBTW top prospects, but many drivers can have a case made for them any given year. Some will hit, some will miss, and some just may never get the right opportunity. No matter the situation, get ready to watch these guys on Friday's and Saturdays (heck even on Wed.).
Do note, that guys that are slated to run a full time schedule at the Cup level going into the 2016 season were not included. Guys like Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Chris Buescher have officially been retired from the list (however guys like Brett Moffit, Ty Dillon and Ryan Preece are still eligible).
**NBTW left out prospect that will driver full time at the Cup level in 2016**
Erik Jones, 20 Years Old
Jones was on top of my list last season and that was before even having a full time ride at any of the three National levels (behind Elliott and Blaney). In 2015 he finally got that chance in the Camping World Truck Series where he ran all 23 races.
Jones cashed in on running 23 of 23 races by winning the 2016 Championship with 3 wins, 11 top 5's, and 20 top 10's while finishing an average of 6.3 place.
In 2015 he even filled in for Kyle Busch (INJ) and Matt Kenseth (SUS) when they were out (3 total races) at the Cup level. He had mixed results (40th, 12th, and 19th) but the confidence shown by JGR says it all about his potential. Jones Might be the future replacement of Matt Kenseth when Kenseth finally decides to retire. Jones continues to be a Joe Gibbs Racing development driver who will eventually get a Cup ride.
Jones was on top of my list last season and that was before even having a full time ride at any of the three National levels (behind Elliott and Blaney). In 2015 he finally got that chance in the Camping World Truck Series where he ran all 23 races.
Jones cashed in on running 23 of 23 races by winning the 2016 Championship with 3 wins, 11 top 5's, and 20 top 10's while finishing an average of 6.3 place.
In 2015 he even filled in for Kyle Busch (INJ) and Matt Kenseth (SUS) when they were out (3 total races) at the Cup level. He had mixed results (40th, 12th, and 19th) but the confidence shown by JGR says it all about his potential. Jones Might be the future replacement of Matt Kenseth when Kenseth finally decides to retire. Jones continues to be a Joe Gibbs Racing development driver who will eventually get a Cup ride.
Tyler Reddick, 20 Years Old
Reddick was fifth on my list last year, but guys like Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher have fallen off the list as they will run Cup full time in 2016. As was the case with Jones, Reddick got his first shot at a full time ride in 2016 in the Camping World Truck Series and he ran off with it.
Tyler, with Brad Keselowski Racing, took his opportunity and won 2 races, 14 top 10's, and 19 top 10's on his way to a runner up spot to Erik Jones. He also had an average finish of 6.3 and in many ways was just as good, if not better, then Jones in 2015. Reddick was in a lower tiered truck compared to Kyle Busch Motorsports but still produced high numbers week in and week out.
It is hard to know where he will fit in at the next level and where he will be able to get a ride, but he is an exciting prospect to keep an eye on.
John Hunter Nemechek, 19 Years Old
JHN has still yet to run a full season at a top three level, but when he has he has looked pretty impressive. He is only 19 years old and has already begun establishing a nice resume that includes a Camping World Truck Series win in 2015, 2015 Snowflake 100 win, and 2015 Snowball Derby win.
In just 18 Truck starts in 2015, he had 1 win, 8 top 5's, and 10 top 10's on his way to a 12th place points finish which was better than a few full time drivers. Son of former Cup driver Joe Nemechek, he still has some time before he makes it to Cup (if he does), but he is a guy you can't take your eye off of because of the loads of potential. JHN just need to continue to log seat time and eventually an opportunity should come his way.
Cole Custer, 18 Years Old
I am still very high on Cole Custer as he is still very young, but he has had a habit of getting into bad situations that end up in wrecks. He ran a ton of races inside the top 15 in the Camping World Truck Series in 2015, but sometimes struggled to finish them out.
He only ran a partial schedule in 2015, 10 races, and finished the year with 1 win, 2 top 5's, and 4 top 10's. But, he has started a pretty nice resume that should help continue to get him in seats going forward. He is locked in as getting a full season ride in the #00 Truck for the 2016 season.
In 2014 Cole Custer beat out Dylan Kwaniewski's record of the youngest driver to win on the K&N Pro Series level by 6 months, Cole was 15. Last season season Cole became the youngest driver to win on the NASCAR national level when he won in the truck series at NHMS at the age of 16, 7 months, and 28 days.
He is still a ways out, as are many of these guys, but it will be fun to watch how he develops if he starts to keep his truck/car clean during races.
Ty Dillon, 24 Years Old
Ty is a safe bet on the prospect list to reach the Cup level. He has a bunch of sponsors and just like his brother, he should easily find his way to Cup either with RCR, or with RCR equipment. He has had the benefit of having quality rides on the way, so sometimes it is a bit tougher to judge how bright he really can shine.
He has now run back to back full time Xfinity seasons and has won just one race in 66 tries (78 total including part time seasons), but both years he finished top 5 in the standings including 3rd in 2015.
He has become a very consistent driver but it might be becoming more and more apparent that that might be all he becomes at the Cup level.
Reddick was fifth on my list last year, but guys like Ryan Blaney and Chris Buescher have fallen off the list as they will run Cup full time in 2016. As was the case with Jones, Reddick got his first shot at a full time ride in 2016 in the Camping World Truck Series and he ran off with it.
Tyler, with Brad Keselowski Racing, took his opportunity and won 2 races, 14 top 10's, and 19 top 10's on his way to a runner up spot to Erik Jones. He also had an average finish of 6.3 and in many ways was just as good, if not better, then Jones in 2015. Reddick was in a lower tiered truck compared to Kyle Busch Motorsports but still produced high numbers week in and week out.
It is hard to know where he will fit in at the next level and where he will be able to get a ride, but he is an exciting prospect to keep an eye on.
John Hunter Nemechek, 19 Years Old
JHN has still yet to run a full season at a top three level, but when he has he has looked pretty impressive. He is only 19 years old and has already begun establishing a nice resume that includes a Camping World Truck Series win in 2015, 2015 Snowflake 100 win, and 2015 Snowball Derby win.
In just 18 Truck starts in 2015, he had 1 win, 8 top 5's, and 10 top 10's on his way to a 12th place points finish which was better than a few full time drivers. Son of former Cup driver Joe Nemechek, he still has some time before he makes it to Cup (if he does), but he is a guy you can't take your eye off of because of the loads of potential. JHN just need to continue to log seat time and eventually an opportunity should come his way.
Cole Custer, 18 Years Old
I am still very high on Cole Custer as he is still very young, but he has had a habit of getting into bad situations that end up in wrecks. He ran a ton of races inside the top 15 in the Camping World Truck Series in 2015, but sometimes struggled to finish them out.
He only ran a partial schedule in 2015, 10 races, and finished the year with 1 win, 2 top 5's, and 4 top 10's. But, he has started a pretty nice resume that should help continue to get him in seats going forward. He is locked in as getting a full season ride in the #00 Truck for the 2016 season.
In 2014 Cole Custer beat out Dylan Kwaniewski's record of the youngest driver to win on the K&N Pro Series level by 6 months, Cole was 15. Last season season Cole became the youngest driver to win on the NASCAR national level when he won in the truck series at NHMS at the age of 16, 7 months, and 28 days.
He is still a ways out, as are many of these guys, but it will be fun to watch how he develops if he starts to keep his truck/car clean during races.
Ty Dillon, 24 Years Old
Ty is a safe bet on the prospect list to reach the Cup level. He has a bunch of sponsors and just like his brother, he should easily find his way to Cup either with RCR, or with RCR equipment. He has had the benefit of having quality rides on the way, so sometimes it is a bit tougher to judge how bright he really can shine.
He has now run back to back full time Xfinity seasons and has won just one race in 66 tries (78 total including part time seasons), but both years he finished top 5 in the standings including 3rd in 2015.
He has become a very consistent driver but it might be becoming more and more apparent that that might be all he becomes at the Cup level.
Darrell Wallace Jr, 23 Yeasr Old
After a very successful two year career at the truck level (2013 and 2014) where Wallace notched 5 total wins and 14 top 5's in 44 races he got a shot with RFR at the Xfinity level full time. In 2016 Wallace wasn't as good as he had been at the truck level, but he did show some consistency when he stayed clean.
But, as it is for Custer, staying clean will be a big part of how Wallace continues to develop in his career. If he can find the right CC pairing and keep his nose clean, he should have the opportunity to possibly make a splash with RFR at the next level in the next few years.
Christopher Bell, 22 Years Old
Last season Christopher Bell wasn't even on the radar by the time I set the Prospect Watch loose. In 2015 he ran a total of 7 Truck Series races and 2 K&N races. But, he was all over the scene at every level that rocketed him from not on the list to up with the big boys.
All of this happened when he won the "Mud Summer Classic" (at the time it was still named that), which is obviously the truck race at Eldora Speedway. Christopher might be a product of the Toyota system rocketing people up the ladder by having superior equipment, but we will find out more in 2016 as he will have a full time ride in the truck series (though it will still be in KBM equipment).
William Byron, 19 Years Old
Byron spent 2015 running Late Models for Jr Motorsports and running the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for HScott Motorsports. He notched 4 wins, 5 top 5's, 11 top 10's in 14 races on his way to his first K&N Championship.
Byron maybe part of the Toyota hype machine as his 3.214 was the lowest PEER of a K&N East champ in the last five seasons. However, he will get a chance to continue to develop with good equipment in 2016 as he will be a full time driver for Kyle Busch Mototsports in the Truck Series.
Daniel Hemric, 25 Years Old
In 2015 Daniel got on the National radar by running full time for the first time in the Truck Series for NTS Motorsports. He ended the season with 4 top 5's and 13 top 10's in those 23 Truck races on his way to a 7th place points finish.
Before being on the National radar he was well known for his Legend Car success and was very well respected from that aspect.
Now, he will get a chance to continue to gain respect in the Truck Series as a full time driver of the #19 for Brad Keselowski Racing in 2016. In 2015 he was an above average passer and one of the better late race chargers (plus-8.2 percent PRD-F), so it will be interesting to see how he does with a bit better equipment in 2016.
Brandon Jones, 19 Years Old
Jones is a guy with talent, but also with a lot of connections that might help him when competing with others for a ride at the next level. His father has a big connection with Rheem so RCR might just keep him close and in the system just for that fact.
In 2015 he competed part time in Xfinity (5 races), Trucks (17 races), and ARCA (10 races) plus a few other races here and there. He didn't notch a win in any single series last season but did have a 2.206 PEER in those 17 Truck Series races. Between his upside and his potential to keep a sponsor (Rheem) and ride (RCR) Jones is one to keep tabs on.
Last season Christopher Bell wasn't even on the radar by the time I set the Prospect Watch loose. In 2015 he ran a total of 7 Truck Series races and 2 K&N races. But, he was all over the scene at every level that rocketed him from not on the list to up with the big boys.
All of this happened when he won the "Mud Summer Classic" (at the time it was still named that), which is obviously the truck race at Eldora Speedway. Christopher might be a product of the Toyota system rocketing people up the ladder by having superior equipment, but we will find out more in 2016 as he will have a full time ride in the truck series (though it will still be in KBM equipment).
William Byron, 19 Years Old
Byron spent 2015 running Late Models for Jr Motorsports and running the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for HScott Motorsports. He notched 4 wins, 5 top 5's, 11 top 10's in 14 races on his way to his first K&N Championship.
Byron maybe part of the Toyota hype machine as his 3.214 was the lowest PEER of a K&N East champ in the last five seasons. However, he will get a chance to continue to develop with good equipment in 2016 as he will be a full time driver for Kyle Busch Mototsports in the Truck Series.
Daniel Hemric, 25 Years Old
In 2015 Daniel got on the National radar by running full time for the first time in the Truck Series for NTS Motorsports. He ended the season with 4 top 5's and 13 top 10's in those 23 Truck races on his way to a 7th place points finish.
Before being on the National radar he was well known for his Legend Car success and was very well respected from that aspect.
Now, he will get a chance to continue to gain respect in the Truck Series as a full time driver of the #19 for Brad Keselowski Racing in 2016. In 2015 he was an above average passer and one of the better late race chargers (plus-8.2 percent PRD-F), so it will be interesting to see how he does with a bit better equipment in 2016.
Brandon Jones, 19 Years Old
Jones is a guy with talent, but also with a lot of connections that might help him when competing with others for a ride at the next level. His father has a big connection with Rheem so RCR might just keep him close and in the system just for that fact.
In 2015 he competed part time in Xfinity (5 races), Trucks (17 races), and ARCA (10 races) plus a few other races here and there. He didn't notch a win in any single series last season but did have a 2.206 PEER in those 17 Truck Series races. Between his upside and his potential to keep a sponsor (Rheem) and ride (RCR) Jones is one to keep tabs on.
Daniel Suarez, 24 Years Old
Suarez was heavily overlooked for his 2015 Xfinity season debut. Much of that was caused by the fact that he did not finish the season with a win. But, despite that he has a very success full rookie season where he finished with 8 top 5's and 18 top 10's in 33 races. However, 0.803 PEER and pass efficiency of 49.95 percent at the Xfinity level were nothing to be happy with.
The 2013 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class member will once again drive for JGR in the Xfinity Series in 2016 with a chance to finally notch his first Major Series win. We have seen a slow start with Suarez before (K&N Series), so he may come around in his second year.
Rico Abreu, 24 Years Old
Rico doesn't have a ton of experience at the National level, but he has been a fan favorite for a few years now while he has risen up the ranks in a quick fashion. Friend of another local driver and current Cup driver Kyle Larson, Larson helped him break into sprint cars which Abreu excelled in.
He did run a full 14 race K&N East Series schedule last season and finished with a win, 4 top 5's and 8 top 10's while finishing the year with an average finish of 9.4.
Unlike Larson, Abreu might not find the fast track to Cup as quick, but he has been given a fast track to the Camping World Truck Series. In 2016 he will run the #98 for ThorSport Racing in the Truck Series. Like Larson, he is a Ganassi development driver and if he continues to improve could one day end up in a Cup car.
Suarez was heavily overlooked for his 2015 Xfinity season debut. Much of that was caused by the fact that he did not finish the season with a win. But, despite that he has a very success full rookie season where he finished with 8 top 5's and 18 top 10's in 33 races. However, 0.803 PEER and pass efficiency of 49.95 percent at the Xfinity level were nothing to be happy with.
The 2013 NASCAR Drive for Diversity Class member will once again drive for JGR in the Xfinity Series in 2016 with a chance to finally notch his first Major Series win. We have seen a slow start with Suarez before (K&N Series), so he may come around in his second year.
Rico Abreu, 24 Years Old
Rico doesn't have a ton of experience at the National level, but he has been a fan favorite for a few years now while he has risen up the ranks in a quick fashion. Friend of another local driver and current Cup driver Kyle Larson, Larson helped him break into sprint cars which Abreu excelled in.
He did run a full 14 race K&N East Series schedule last season and finished with a win, 4 top 5's and 8 top 10's while finishing the year with an average finish of 9.4.
Unlike Larson, Abreu might not find the fast track to Cup as quick, but he has been given a fast track to the Camping World Truck Series. In 2016 he will run the #98 for ThorSport Racing in the Truck Series. Like Larson, he is a Ganassi development driver and if he continues to improve could one day end up in a Cup car.
Others to Keep an Eye on:
- Ben Rhodes, 19 Years Old- Part time Xfinity in 2015. 2014 K&N East Champ. Full time trucks in 2016
- Ben Kennedy, 24 Years Old- NCWTS driver of the #11
- Spencer Davis, 18 Years Old- K&N driver
- Brett Moffit, 23 Years Old- Ran some Cup in 2015.
- Ross Kenseth, 22 Years Old- ARCA
- Ryan Preece- Ran a few Cup races in 2015
- Austin Hill, 21 Years Old- NASCAR Next 2014 Class
- Mason Mitchell, 21 Years Old- ARCA Champion in 2014
- Cameron Hayley, 19 Years Old- K&N Pro Series East in 2014. 2nd in points behind B Rhodes.
- Ruben Garcia Jr, 19 Years Old- 2016 D4D driver. NASCAR Mexico Series Champion
Past Prospect Article Links
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