The realm of grassroots stock car racing stretches far and wide, with several racing disciplines in place to provide racers of various backgrounds to work their way into the top levels of the sport.
From Late Model Stock Cars to Super Late Models and Modifieds, there’s more than one linear path for racers to utilize on their quest to rise to the top echelon of stock car racing.
A plethora of racers both young and experienced are currently making their way through the ranks. While it’s easy to look at some of the more familiar grassroots circles to evaluate the upcoming talent, the diversity of short track racing should also be taken into effect.
With that in mind, here are 10 racers from all corners of the short track world who have shown that they’re ready to take the next step forward.
10. Gavan Boschele
Boschele is a racer who has turned heads as of late in the pavement Super Late Model world. Recent success in the ASA STARS National Tour and various regional SLM series shown what he’s capable of, while an upbringing in dirt has showcased just how wide of a skillset he has.
The North Carolina native emerged from the dirt midget and karting world, amassing dozens of championships and hundreds of victories. With that success gaining the attention of Toyota Racing Development, Boschele has blossomed into a winner in the top tier of Super Late Model racing. Don’t be surprised to see this 17-year-old prospect propel up the TRD pipeline into ARCA or the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over the coming months and years.
9. Carson Brown
Another racer who has been making waves in the Deep South Super Late Model scene, Brown currently sits second in ASA STARS National Tour points, having collected various wins and championships along the way in Pro Late Model and Super Late Model competition.
The 16-year-old’s diverse skillset also plays into his stock. Brown boasts starts across Trans-Am, Dirt Super Late Model and Off-Road Truck races. His abilities have seen him compete in the ARCA Menards Series East with Hettinger Racing, making it hard to deny that he has the potential to jump into the national ARCA and NASCAR ranks in the near future.
8. Lavar Scott
A regular competitor in the ARCA Menards Series, Scott has shown that he can be competitive when it matters most. The New Jersey native currently leads the 2025 series standings through five races.
With Rev Racing having produced a number of drivers who have made names for themselves across ARCA, NASCAR Trucks, and beyond, it isn’t too outlandish to assume that Scott will quickly find his way into a NASCAR national series. If Scott can bring home the ARCA title this year, the results would speak for themselves.
7. Luke Baldwin
This 18-year-old has been making a name for himself in recent weeks. Baldwin’s talents in the Modified world have resulted in a few wins and top-fives across the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and SMART Modified Tour. The son of veteran NASCAR crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. has even competed in the Snowball Derby, along with other assorted Late Model events.
Baldwin’s accolades landed him a part-time ride with ThorSport Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for 2025. So far, the highlight of that partnership has been a 13th-place effort at North Wilkesboro Speedway. With some time to develop, the young hotshoe seems likely to impress in NASCAR competiton for years to come. A full-time NASCAR ride for Baldwin isn’t out of the question if he can keep up the momentum.
6. Justin Bonsignore
Hailing from the Modified circles of the short track world, Bonsignore has already proven that he’s one of the best. The four-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion sits second on the series’ all-time wins list, with potential to boost his stats even more over the next several years.
Bonsignore has already grasped the attention of Joe Gibbs Racing, securing part-time rides with the team in 2024 and 2025. But let’s be real: a wheelman of Bonsignore’s caliber easily deserves a full-time NASCAR ride.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is no stranger to producing some of NASCAR’s top names. Bonsignore could easily hold the same status as guys like Ryan Preece if the right NASCAR opportunity were to come along.
5. Landen Lewis
The current CARS Tour points leader, Lewis is one of the hottest names in Late Model Stock Car racing, with two wins and four top fives to his credit in 2025. Lewis has also been to victory lane with the ARCA Menards Series – triumphing at DuQuoin in 2021 – and has victories in the ARCA Menards Series West.
Lewis has more than just an impressive resume. The North Carolina native is surrounded by a star team in Kevin Harvick Incorporated. With success behind the wheel and a brilliant support system, Lewis stands to become a regular presence in an ARCA or NASCAR national series garage soon.
4. Austin Beers
Another young Modified wheelman, Beers has been on fire as of late. The Pennsylvania driver has scored a total of three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victories and has yet to finish outside of the top five so far in 2025. Beers also leads the points standings after the first four NWMT events of the year.
Beers’ success has followed in his father Eric’s footsteps. With a family legacy in Modified racing and success coming in droves, it’s only a matter of time before higher-ups take notice.
As we’ve discussed before, Modified racing has produced loads of talent. Beers seems to fit that mold of a special Modified racer primed to climb the Stock Car racing ladder.
3. Connor Hall
One of the drivers in the best spots on this list, Hall has both tons of success and an impressive support system surrounding him. The two-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National champion is now regularly competing for CARS Tour victories behind the wheel of JR Motorsports’ iconic No. 88.
Hall was last year’s championship runner up and currently finds himself second in the CARS Tour standings behind the aforementioned Lewis. At this stage, he’s following a similar path to JRM star-turned Cup Series winner Josh Berry, showcasing his short track prowess in collaboration with the same company. Much like Berry’s ascent, with the right breaks we could see Hall behind the wheel of a NASCAR Xfinity Series machine soon.
2. Cole Butcher
The fastest man in Super Late Models has been on fire in 2025, putting the entire short track industry on notice. Canada’s Butcher has been dominant in SLM competition so far this year, leading the ASA STARS National Tour and Southern Super Series standings while picking up impressive wins along the way.
Butcher’s team, Wilson Motorsports, has a notable history of being one of the major teams in the Toyota Racing Development pipeline. Drivers like Gio Ruggiero, Sammy Smith, and William Sawalich have all passed through Wilson Motorsports en route to full-time NASCAR competition. While he’s a little older than the aforementioned drivers, Butcher has showcased the skill and the results to warrant at least a part-time NASCAR deal.
1. Brenden Queen
A fan-favorite known as ‘Butterbean’, Queen has been the biggest story lately when it comes to grassroots racers getting their chance at big-time spotlight. The 2024 CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion has ran in a few NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and even secured a full-time ARCA ride in the process.
Despite this, the ceiling feels much higher for Queen, with many individuals across the industry expecting the Virginian to jump straight into the Truck Series. His ARCA tenure has been off to a fantastic start, with two early wins in 2025 at Daytona International Speedway and Kansas Speedway. With those two victories, Queen sits only four points behind championship leader Scott in the standings.
Queen has already shown he was a top LMSC prospect, transferred that talent to ARCA and has proven to be competitive in limited Truck Series starts. The pace of his development has been blistering, showing that he is by far the most exciting grassroots prospect that the sport has on offer right now.
Grassroots stock car racing has more to offer than what meets the eye of the casual NASCAR fan. With so many disciplines and pathways available for up-and-coming racers to take advantage of, the greater stock car fanbase should re-examine what all there is to absorb in the world of short track racing.
The racers featured in this story are shining examples of this, showing that grassroots racing is a broad spectrum with many underrated parts. Who knows? If you take the time to look into these grassroots names, they might just reappear on Sundays a couple years down the road.
