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NASCAR has a lot of young talent working their way up through the ranks throughout the Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and even the ARCA Menards Series. One day, these guys will all be racing on Sundays and some will become NASCAR Cup Series Champions. Which five drivers do we at the Daily Downforce believe are future Cup Series Champions?
Corey Heim has been nothing short of impressive in his time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He won two races in a partial schedule last year, and he won the Regular Season Championship despite missing a race this year.
He is taking some time to work his way up the ladder, but there is nothing wrong with that as he is still 21 years old. However, could the 20 car opening up at JGR mean Heim is ready to take his next step? He has impressed everywhere he has driven, and there is no reason to think that will stop anytime soon, all the way up to the Cup Series level.
Carson Hocevar has burst onto the scene throughout the 2023 season. From not winning a race in each of his first two seasons in Trucks to impressive runs in the Cup Series throughout 2023. The ceiling for Hocevar is definitely a high one.
It will likely be a few years before he is a Championship-level driver in Cup, as his best shot at getting a Cup ride for 2024 is probably either Spire or Kaulig. However, given how he blossomed in the Trucks, time may be just the thing Hocevar needs.
Zane Smith has not had everything go his way, but that has not stopped him from performing well in the lower series. In four Truck Series seasons, Smith has made three Championship Fours including the 2022 Series Championship. This year, he has won another two races, and he also nabbed his first career Cup Series top-10 finish at the Coca-Cola 600.
All he needs is a chance at the Cup Series level. It seems that chance is going to come at some point, but the question is when. One thing is for certain, Smith is going to be out to prove himself when he gets to Cup, and a Championship may be in the cards in a few years.
Sammy is not the first Smith on this list, and he may not be the last. Sammy Smith is only 19 years old, and he is already a winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He straight-up skipped Trucks, and he is going to the Xfinity Series Playoffs in his first season.
Smith is still very young, so, a Cup Series ride is probably two, maybe three years away at this point. However, his success at such a young age means he has quite the potential for the future.
A stretch, maybe, but, Smith is as close to the Cup Series as anyone on this list. He has won everywhere he has been in NASCAR, from the Xfinity Series with Kaulig to the Truck Series with Kyle Busch Motorsports.
He has a chance to make a move up to the Cup Series with an up-and-coming team. Could he be the guy Kaulig builds their team around?
Which other drivers in the lower series could find a Cup Series Championship trophy on their mantle in the near future?
