1) How many races will Ty Gibbs win this season?
Thomas Dunn: I can see Ty Gibbs winning another race this season. I’ll roll with two as my official position because as we’ve seen in the past, once you get the first one, there’s a weight lifted off your shoulders. There’s still elite talent everywhere in the NASCAR Cup Series, but Gibbs’ recent run of form leads me to believe that he will not only maintain the ability to contend but also nab another checkered flag. We are still a ways away from anointing him as a championship contender, but this is a great first step, like Chase Elliott back in 2018 at Watkins Glen International, in starting to elevate yourself above others.
Steve Sonderman: Gibbs had an average starting position of 13.6 last season. Through the first eight races this season, his starting position is identical to his overall Cup career average of 13.5. So, what is different? It may be that with experience, he has developed more patience, which is resulting in better finishes. If this trend continues, he could win at least one or even two more races in 2026.
Michael Bellifemini: Gibbs could win up to three to four more races the way they have been running. Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota as a whole have gotten off to a hot start. Sometimes, when a driver wins their first race, the floodgates open afterward, and it would not surprise me if that’s the case with Gibbs.
Jeffrey Boswell: The fact that this question is labeled “1” pretty much answers the question. It took Gibbs 131 races to snatch his first Cup win. It’s doubtful he can double that number in the next 28 races. Gibbs will forever be in the shadow of his grandfather and team owner Joe Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls as head coach of the Washington Commanders and five Cup championships as an owner in NASCAR. But apparently, Gibbs has winning in his DNA. I guess there’s a chance it skipped a generation or two.
2) Who will be the next first-time Cup Series winner?
Luken Glover: Even up until Bristol, Carson Hocevar was my pick to be the next first-time winner. Those expectations only grew now that Gibbs is off the list, as Hocevar has consistently been the fastest among the group seeking their first checkered flag. Through all of the noise about Hocevar’s reputation and style on-track, he has handled himself quite well the past few weeks. He started last at Darlington Raceway, worked his way through the field, and earned a fourth-place finish. At Bristol Motor Speedway, he was a consistent presence in the top 10 all day. Hocevar has actually been one of the top-running Chevrolets this season, even if the stats don’t reflect it. Like Gibbs, the more that he runs up front, it only forces the door open for him to get his first win. Keep an eye on him as the series approaches intermediate tracks like Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Chris Graham: Hocevar, because he’s running like a guy who’s about to trip over a win. He’s 13th in points with two top fives and three top 10s through eight races, and that’s the kind of profile that usually turns into wrong place, right time (or right place, right time) in a hurry. The pool of regulars still chasing that first one isn’t some endless list of sure-things. I’ll take the kid who’s already knocking on the door every other week, because eventually the hinges give.
Michael Finley: Barring a surprise at Talladega Superspeedway next week, Connor Zilisch at Watkins Glen next month.
Christopher Hansen: Hocevar. With the speed the No. 77 and Spire Motorsports has brought to the track most weekends in 2026, it’s only a matter of time before Hocevar is celebrating his first Cup victory. Through eight races, he sits 13th in points with two top fives and three top-10 finishes. Of the tracks where he’s made at least five starts, EchoPark Speedway is statistically his best track with a 10.2 average finish.
3) Will the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Bristol help jumpstart Connor Zilisch’s Cup season?
Graham: Not in any direct flip-the-switch way. The Bristol win was legit, and the call was perfect, but Cup isn’t NOAPS, and Zilisch’s Cup résumé so far screams that reality. He’s 33rd in points, zero top 10s, two DNFs and an average finish of 26.9 through eight races with a best finish of 14th at Circuit of the Americas. The win might help confidence and calm the noise, which matters, but if he’s getting a Cup win this year, it’s the same place it’s always been: a road course instead of an oval where the Next Gen car demands a totally different kind of patience.
Bellifemini: The Bristol win isn’t going to do much for Zilisch’s Cup season. He could definitely win on a road course, but Trackhouse Racing as a whole has struggled. Zilisch’s struggles have been due to his inexperience as well, but it’s good to see him get another win in the NOAPS to keep his confidence up.
Boswell: Zilisch won 10 times last year in O’Reilly and that level of success guarantees you’ll get a chance in the Cup Series. As Zilisch has found out this year, though, it doesn’t in any way guarantee success in the Cup Series. Sure, Zilisch won the O’Reilly race at Bristol, but he followed that up a day later with a disappointing 33rd in the Cup race. Any momentum gained in the O’Reilly win was immediately lost. Zilisch will have to do a lot more to convince me he can dig himself out of the hole that is 33rd in points.
Sonderman: Seeing Zilisch have speed on an oval again was a promising sign, but it did not translate to Sunday. This trend may continue, as overall speed has been an issue for Trackhouse dating back to last year. Outside of road courses, where their extraordinary talent shines, they have not qualified well. Ross Chastain had some great finishes last year, including a Coke 600 win, but he was often starting near the back and having to fight his way forward. In the Next Gen era, where cars run very similar lap times and passing is difficult, qualifying matters.
4) Six races in, who is your favorite to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title?
Finley: It almost doesn’t really matter, to be honest. Corey Heim is clearly the best driver in the series, and the only reason he isn’t winning the championship again is because of NASCAR’s waiver requirements. Whomever the champion actually is won’t really mean as much.
Glover: It’s been entertaining watching the stars of the series exchange blows each week, and that hasn’t given us a clear favorite to watch so far. Ultimately, Layne Riggs stands out as someone who could be hoisting the trophy at the end of the year. Misfortune has plagued Riggs in a couple of races, but he has consistently been among the frontrunners each week. As a short-track ace who cut his teeth on those tracks at the grassroots level, his lone win came on a road course of all places at St. Petersburg. That bodes well for his long-term prospects, and if he can get up front more and avoid trouble, 2026 could be Riggs’ breakthrough season.
Dunn: This guy still has gears left in the tank to showcase better, but I’m going with Riggs. He was basically the only Truck Series regular to show a pulse next to Heim last season, and while Heim is still truckwhacking and winning, Riggs, both at the start of the season and now, feels like the heir to the throne. Despite some superspeedway racing tomfoolery, I expect Riggs to be the guy to beat on a week-in, week-out basis once everyone has established rhythm a month from now.
Hansen: Kaden Honeycutt. Aside from a 21st-place finish at EchoPark Speedway and a 31st-place finish after being involved in the Heim-Christian Eckes dust-up at Bristol, Honeycutt has been a contender week in and week out. He nearly won at Darlington before being passed by Chastain on the final lap, and lost in a thrilling finish with Heim at Rockingham the next race. All of these near misses are only going to help Honeycutt when it comes time to win a championship, where the pressure is at its greatest.
Michael Bellifemini joined Frontstretch in February 2026 as a contributor. Bellifemini was born and raised in New Jersey and graduated from Seton Hall University. He called Seton Hall men's and women's basketball games for their college radio station, 89.5 FM WSOU, and continues to broadcast in the area. Outside of covering NASCAR, Bellifemini is also an avid baseball, football, basketball, and hockey fan and enjoys watching different sports leagues on a daily basis.
Thomas is in his second year covering NASCAR at Frontstretch. A Bay Area NASCAR fan for over 15+ years, he found his love for the sport through Jeff Gordon. He helps manage the 2-Headed Monster Column.
Thomas has enjoyed several trips to Sonoma Raceway in his time and currently covers college athletics in the Bay Area, writing about the California Golden Bears and doing play by play broadcasting.
Michael has watched NASCAR for over 25 years and has covered it on-and-off for 14.
In addition to Frontstretch he also writes sporadically for his own websites GrandPrixFocus.com and StockCarFocus.com.
Luken Glover joined the Frontstretch team in 2020 as a news writer before elevating to a columnist, where he served as the longtime writer for The Underdog House. Currently, he is an editor for the site and conducts feature interviews. Glover has covered several forms of racing for the site including NASCAR, CARS Tour, and SRX events.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a promotional writer, elementary athletic director, and basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.
Chris Graham is a motorsports producer, director, and broadcast engineer based in the Philadelphia-area. Through his work with NRN Productions, he’s helped build and execute live race coverage and sports streaming workflows ranging from lean, two-to-three person crews to full broadcast-style productions. Chris has worked across nearly every position in the truck—producing, directing, technical directing, replay, graphics, camera operation, and engineering—and has supported events and partners including FloSports, the ASA STARS National Tour, and Diamond State Digital. He’s also involved in developing live show formats and digital coverage that bring fans closer to the stories behind the racing. He is currently also the producer for the Frontstretch podcast Happy Hour.
Ty Gibbs could absolutely win multiple races the rest of the year. He could also absolutely win zero races the races of the year. Both of these statements are true of 1/2 the field. Such is the arbitrary nature of stage racing.
I agree with most writers that Hocevar is the most likely next first time winner, though I wouldn’t overlook Ryan Preece (won the clash, but no points wins). I’ll need to see Zilisch has adapted to the Cup package before I’d put him among the favorites. The skill is clearly there, just seems to need some wheel time.