What’s Happening?

As the NASCAR circus continues to enjoy some time off, what better time to look at the drivers that have torn up the track this season? Today, we look at the drivers we deem the most impressive of the 2024 season so far.

• A driver being the “most impressive” does not necessarily mean the best. For this list, we will consider the “most impressive” drivers to be those who have outperformed their expectations. If a driver wins a few races but was previously expected to win a few, they will not be included.
• This doesn’t mean a driver cannot fall off as the season progresses. Multiple drivers have started a season off strong, only to falter late in the season when it counts the most.
• This list includes all three National Touring Series. We will rank three drivers from each series to include in this list.

Cup Series: Carson Hocevar

Carson Hocevar has had his ups and downs, but overall, this has been a positive season for him. he took the team that finished 33rd in Owner’s Points last year and made it the best-performing team at Spire Motorsports. He has plenty of raw talent as long as he can harness it.

Xfinity Series: Ryan Sieg

Ryan Sieg came close to his first career Xfinity Series win at Texas, but he’s currently locked in a tight battle to make the Playoffs on points for the fourth time in his career. He is beating out JRM driver Sammy Smith for the last Playoff spot, which is very impressive for an RSS Racing driver. Could we see a win in Sieg’s near future?

Truck Series: Grant Enfinger

Grant Enfinger made the surprise move to CR7 in the off-season after GMS Racing shut down. CR7 had never put a driver in the top 20 in points, but Enfinger has carried the team to the Playoffs. While he hasn’t won a race yet, it seems that he may do so soon.

Cup Series: Noah Gragson

Noah Gragson went from suspended at the end of 2023 to racing full-time for Stewart-Haas Racing. He has a stellar seven top-10 finishes this season, the same amount as Joey Logano and Ross Chastain. Gragson has parlayed this season into a full-time ride with Front Row Motorsports for 2025.

Xfinity Series: Carson Kvapil

Carson Kvapil may only race part-time, but he’s taken advantage of every opportunity. He has four top-10s and three top-fives in six races for JRM this season, and many are hoping he can get a full-time ride. Maybe he will, but a lot has to go right for him to earn one.

Truck Series: Kaden Honeycutt

Kaden Honeycutt is also a part-timer. He has four top-10s in six races this season for Niece Motorsports, more than Niece’s full-time drivers combined. Honeycutt could be a dark horse for a full-time ride sometime in 2025.

Cup Series: Justin Haley

Justin Haley has two top-10s this season and sits 29th in points. That may sound unimpressive, but those top-10s are Rick Ware Racng’s first non-superspeedway top-10s, and no RWR driver has ever finished in the top-30 in points. Haley is helping build RWR into something interesting, and his move from Kaulig has been vindicated so far.

Xfinity Series: Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane Van Gisbergen has been absolutely dominant on the road course this season in the Xfinity Series. He has three road course wins and could easily have had a fourth at COTA. Could next year be the year he makes a full-time jump to the Cup Series? If he has shown enough improvement on ovals, he absolutely can.

Truck Series: Nick Sanchez

Nick Sanchez has broken out this season with two wins. After a solid 2023 season where he recorded 11 top-10s, he looks like someone who could compete for a Championship this year. It’s a tall order with some heavyweights like Corey Heim and Christian Eckes in front of him, but Sanchez cannot be counted out.

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