Coming off a 2023 season that saw Ryan Blaney ascend into the spotlight of NASCAR Cup Series champion, becoming the third driver 29 years old or younger to win the title in the past four seasons, the youth movement has fully arrived.
What’s even more eye-opening is how quickly it has occurred. If you go back just 10 years ago, the majority of the Cup drivers then are either retired or not competing full time anymore.
Even in the midst of a roster overhaul in the past six to seven years, there is still plenty of young talent on the horizon. And while NASCAR doesn’t have a draft like stick-and-ball sports, there is no reason why we can’t do a mock draft of our own and tell you who to look out for in the coming years.
Here are some guidelines. Drivers:
- Must be competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series in some capacity.
- Who have completed a full-time season in Cup or have a Cup ride lined up are not eligible. They also cannot be a former Cup winner.
- Have to be 30 years old or younger.
- Are ranked based on talent level, performance with their equipment, success on their way up and how likely a path to the Cup level could be for them.
10. Parker Retzlaff
Parker Retzlaff has spent the majority of his still-budding career in mid-pack equipment, and he has made the most of it. After qualifying sixth with RSS Racing in his Xfinity debut, he grabbed a top 10 in his second career start to go along with four more top 20s in 2022.
In 2023, he competed as a rookie with Jordan Anderson Racing team. Retzlaff earned one top five, seven top 10s and a 17.9 average finish in his freshman campaign.
At 20 years old, most of Retzlaff’s development and experience has occurred in NASCAR’s second-highest level. That will continue in 2024, as he returns to JAR for a second season. But given that he was linked to stronger rides for the season, such as Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 car, keeps your eyes on him for years to come.
9. Layne Riggs
The 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion made his Truck debut at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2022, immediately putting the garage on notice by finishing seventh. He followed that up with a pair of top five starts and top 20s in two additional races.
In 2023, Layne Riggs made three Truck starts with three different teams, capturing his first top five at IRP (third). The solid runs earned Riggs a call-up to Kaulig Racing for three Xfinity races, producing results of 19th, 10th and 11th.
Riggs’ first full-time national series opportunity immediately puts him on the spot. He takes over the reins of Front Row Motorsports’ No. 38 truck, a ride with which Zane Smith won the 2022 title.
The talent is there from Riggs to carry on the success, and the guiding hand of his father and former NASCAR driver Scott Riggs should serve him well.
8. Nick Sanchez
The 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion turned heads in his Truck rookie campaign, qualifying for the playoffs and falling just short of the Championship 4. Nick Sanchez lost a tie-breaker to eventual champion Ben Rhodes in the Round of 8 finale.
Sanchez finished sixth in points after grabbing two top fives and 12 top 10s during the season with Rev Racing en route to the series Rookie of the Year award. That undoubtedly boosts his stock for the future.
At just 22 years old, the Drive for Diversity alum has a flashy skill set that will make him a coveted prospect for the future. There are areas where he still needs to mature (see: Talladega Superspeedway altercation with Matt Crafton), but strong support from Rev and Chevrolet should serve him well as he returns for a second season to further prove his value.
7. Jesse Love
Jesse Love enters 2024 as the defending ARCA champion and as a highly touted prospect who has burst onto the scene. While the field wasn’t as strong as it has been in the past, Love absolutely decimated the competition, winning 10 of the 20 events and finishing in the top five in 17 of them. Additionally, he made three Truck starts, earning one top five and two top 10s.
The confidence in the 18-year-old is already strong around the garage, so much that Richard Childress called up the Californian to drive his No. 2 in the Xfinity Series. That opens the door for Love down the road if he finds success at the Xfinity level.
And while his new teammate in Austin Hill is hoping for a teammate that “races [him] cleaner,” Love could be the one Hill is chasing at times.
6. Sam Mayer
Sam Mayer‘s stock has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. After charging out of the gates with a Truck win at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2020 in just his seventh start, Mayer didn’t quite meet expectations afterward. His rookie Xfinity season at JR Motorsports in 2022 certainly showed promise, but he didn’t contend for wins as consistently as many had hoped.
The same happened in the first half of 2023 until Mayer finally broke through at Road America with his maiden victory. Then the floodgates opened, as the 20-year-old won three of the final 11 Xfinity races, including a clutch victory at Homestead-Miami to advance to the Championship 4.
With two full-time Xfinity seasons under his belt, Mayer is expected to be a favorite for the title in 2024. Some questions remain, but all signs point to the youngster maturing into the driver many see him becoming.
5. William Sawalich
William Sawalich‘s rise to being a top prospect has been methodical, coming in at the youthful age of 17. Just over a year ago, he became eligible for his driver’s license. And yet, his resume is one many young drivers would desire at this stage. He won the 2023 ARCA Menards Series East title with Joe Gibbs Racing by claiming four checkered flags, and he earned three top 10s in six Truck starts with TRICON Garage.
2024 will see Sawalich compete across multiple series. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native will compete in ARCA East and the main ARCA series, expand his Truck schedule and make his Xfinity debut at Homestead later this year. How would you like to be a classmate with this kid?
4. Sammy Smith
When the Hill-Sheldon Creed-RCR soap opera unfolded at Martinsville Speedway in October 2023, it overshadowed some other drama between teammates. Sammy Smith was unhappy with JGR teammate John Hunter Nemechek after an aggressive restart late in the race. And while Smith’s 2024 fate was already determined before the incident, it certainly didn’t help matters at JGR.
Now, Smith has a new home at JRM, where he replaces the Cup-bound Josh Berry. Smith took the garage by storm in just the fourth race of his rookie season, emerging victorious at Phoenix Raceway (he was also still in high school). However, inconsistency plagued him throughout the summer until a late surge nearly gave him a shot at the title.
A tight relationship with Pilot/Flying J and TMC Truck Sales, along with a season with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a mentor, could tap more potential for the 19-year-old.
3. Austin Hill
Despite the aforementioned RCR soap opera at Martinsville, Hill is still one of the most promising prospects in the garage. After a solid rookie season in 2022 that returned RCR’s No. 21 to prominence at the Xfinity level, Hill took quite a few steps forward in 2023. He won four races, secured 24 top 10s and claimed the regular-season crown over Nemechek. Had it not been for the now-infamous set of turns in the Round of 8 finale, we might be talking about Hill as the reigning champion.
At 29, Hill has not been immune to controversy, but he still has matured before our eyes. The steadiness and hunger he brings are qualities that could land RCR with an epic 1-2 punch down the road if it play its cards right. He also landed five Cup starts with Beard Motorsports in 2023, earning a best finish of 14th.
It’s hard to argue that he is the title favorite at NASCAR’s second-highest level entering 2024.
2. Chandler Smith
Like the other Smith (they’re not related), Chandler Smith wasted no time in letting the world know about his talent at the Xfinity level in 2023. The then-Kaulig Racing driver broke a JGR/JRM stranglehold on Richmond Raceway by winning in just his 10th career start. That led to a year where he produced eight top fives, 13 top 10s and a ninth-place points finish.
What gives him the edge over many prospects is the Cup experience — and results, for that matter — he gained. In three starts at the premier level last season, Smith tallied an average finish of 14.3.
The 21-year-old has proven to be a quick learner who has earned a reputation of being a hands-on driver. Match that with his new ride at JGR, which has won two of the last three Xfinity titles, and his advancement should only grow from here.
1. Corey Heim
Yes, Corey Heim is being placed above several Xfinity winners on this list. Truthfully, he could be competing for Xfinity wins in 2024 had he chosen that path.
Instead, Heim returns to TRICON’s No. 11 for a second season following a spectacular 2023 run. Had it not been for a WWE-style Extreme Rules match at Phoenix between himself and Carson Hocevar, we likely would be referring to him as the reigning Truck champion. Still, he fulfilled expectations and then some last season by finishing the year with three wins, 12 top fives, 19 top 10s and a 6.8 average finish.
Let’s not also forget that he won two Truck races in a part-time role in 2022.
Aside from the Phoenix incident, Heim has shown plenty of growth at 21 years old, and the 2023 Truck regular-season champion will look to take home the big prize in 2024. He will also return to a part-time role at Sam Hunt Racing at the Xfinity level, where he earned one top 10 in four starts last year.
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a contributor, furthering a love for racing that traces back to his earliest memories. Glover inherited his passion for racing from his grandfather, who used to help former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey in his Richmond, Va. garage. A 2023 graduate from the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is the author of "The Underdog House," contributes to commentary pieces, and does occasional at-track reporting. Additionally, Glover enjoys working in ministry, coaching basketball, playing sports, and karting.