If fans want to find the next big thing before they were famous, late-model racing is where it’s at. In 2024, late model stars Bubba Pollard and Brenden “Butterbean” Queen both will race in one-off starts in the Xfinity and Truck Series respectively. Former late model stars Josh Berry and Layne Riggs have both forayed success at local short tracks into full-time NASCAR rides. Who are some other late model stars who could join the Major NASCAR ranks soon?
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Carson Kvapil is one to keep a keen eye on this year. He drives for Jr Motorsports in their late model program, and he has won back-to-back CARS Late Model Stock Tour Championships. He also has made some hay in the NASCAR Weekly Series. If he continues to perform at this level, maybe JRM seat could open up for him.
Kvapil already has a Truck Series start under his belt, and he will make his Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville. It will be interesting to see if/when he gets an extended look higher up the ladder. If so, he could be the next big thing.
Brandon Pierce is joining a new CARS Tour race team in 2024. He’s only won one career race, but, he is a veteran of the series. Being a mainstay of that level, this makes him someone to watch for.
If he has a breakout season, then he can pique the interest of teams and fans. However, he needs to show some more improvement to be taken seriously higher up the ladder.
Connor Hall joins the CARS Tour full-time in 2024 after winning the 2023 NASCAR Weekly Series Championship. Layne Riggs just made that jump from Weekly Series Champion to full-time Truck Series driver this season. Hall has an example to follow.
His success in the NASCAR Weekly Series could give Hall a leg-up on some others. Given that he made some connections within the NASCAR ecosystem, that can go a long way towards making the jump up into NASCAR.
Landon Huffman has a large following thanks to his presence on social media and YouTube. He’s not a total rookie to NASCAR, as he has made 5 starts in the Craftsman Truck Series, but, he’s camped out in late models for the most part. He is the 2022 Track Champion at Hickory Motor Speedway along with competing in series like the CARS Tour.
His presence on social media could make him attractive to sponsors. If more opportunities open up in NASCAR down the line, could Huffman nab a ride here or there?
Connor Zilisch is already a Rolex 24 Class winner alongside being under a development contract with Trackhouse. It’s not a matter of if, but when he makes the jump up to NASCAR. He has oodles of talent.
However, ZIlisch is not heading NASCAR racing yet, and the CARS Tour is one place he will race this year. Knowing that he is heading up the ladder quickly, this is fans’ chance to catch him while he is young.
What are some other late-model drives that you are looking forward to watching this year? Which ones could be heading to the big leagues in the near future?
NASCAR veteran Elliott Sadler is set to return to competitive racing next month as he joins the SMART Modified Tour for their March 20 and 21 race weekend at South Boston Speedway.
This race will end a retirement from racing that began when Sadler last raced in NASCAR with Kaulig Racing during the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
While it is not a NASCAR-sanctioned race, the now 50-year-old will have his hands full as the SMART Modified Tour has a very competitive field of drivers.
Though Sadler may not be known for his exploits in Modified racing, he is familiar with South Boston Speedway. The Virginia native is a former track champion at the legendary 0.400-mile track, having won the track’s NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division in 1995.
Sadler worked his way to the top of NASCAR in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But, unlike many drivers who came through the ranks at that time, such as Dale Earnhardt Jr and Ryan Newman, since stepping away from the sport, Sadler has not made a hobby of short track racing.
In a post to X following the announcement, Sadler credited Earnhardt with giving him the confidence to race again:
“Look @DaleJr… you made me feel like I can do it !!! So I’m doing it !! Back in the saddle again !! Bigger (literally) and better than ever!!!” — Elliott Sadler via X
The race weekend kicks off on March 20 with two practice sessions and a qualifying session. On track action will resume on Saturday, March 21, with a Last Chance Qualifier Race at 1 PM EST, and the feature race scheduled for that afternoon.
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Following comments about Carson Hocevar on his podcast Actions Detrimental, NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin made an interesting comparison of Hocevar in a social media post late Monday night.
This past weekend, EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta offered fans another classic race weekend full of solid racing and an exciting finish.
While the sport itself had a great weekend, the attention of the NASCAR community was lasered in on one driver, Carson Hocevar, whose aggressive driving, while nothing new, always seems to catch the attention of his peers.
This week, the key incident involving Hocevar was a wreck involving Christopher Bell during an overtime restart, in which Hocevar attempted to shoot for a gap between Bell and race leader Bubba Wallace.
While Hocevar was gunning for the lead, many commenters, such as FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick, said the young Spire Motorsports driver had “nowhere to go.”
Much like anything involving Hocevar, there has been a somewhat mixed reaction to this crash, with some praising his unapologetic style of racing and others, such as Bell’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin, disapproving of this decision.
During the latest episode of his podcast Actions Detrimental, Hamlin called the situation “tough to watch,” saying that while the media loves Hocevar’s somewhat brash on-track style, as a competitor, he knows that Spire Motorsports driver’s actions will come back to bite him.
“It’s going to come back around. He’ll be in a position where he thinks he’s about to win, and then someone will decide that he’s not going to, and that’s gonna suck.” — Denny Hamlin
Following this episode, in which Hamlin also said Hocevar lacks the “craftsmanship” needed to win races, “beyond just having a fast car,” fans reacted to Hamlin’s take after Dirty Mo Media uploaded the clip on X.
In response, one user responded by comparing Hocevar’s competitiveness to a changing of the guard, saying, “Same old story, old dog doesn’t like puppy.” Hamlin, the proverbial old dog in this case, using this same symbolism, responded to this fan saying:
“Puppies are great, but if they shit in your bed you gonna just lay in it? Or teach the puppy where to properly take a dump?” — Denny Hamlin via X
The fan reaction to Hamlin’s comment ranged from praise to support for Hocevar, and even questions of past on-track actions made by the future Hall of Famer.
Of course, this comment, paired with the latest episode of Actions Detrimental, paints a broader picture of how Hamlin sees this lesson playing out for Hocevar.
Hamlin said on the podcast that he understands that this is just how Hocevar races, but that style will come with consequences, as the former Rookie of the Year is never going to get a break from the rest of the Cup Series garage.
“You’re just never gonna get anyone to give you a break when you clearly won’t give anyone else a break,” Hamlin said. “His style is his style, and he’s free to be whoever he wants to be.”
Nonetheless, it doesn’t seem that Hocevar has reached a point where Hamlin feels a need to take action into his own hands, with the veteran driver adding, “I don’t think we’re gonna do anything about it. I think you gotta just let it play itself out over time.”
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Road course racing is back, and with the NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of the Americas up next, it’s the perfect time for a special conversation. Josh Bilicki joins the show to talk COTA prep, a new season with SS-Green Light Racing, why he loves the O’Reilly cars, and his new partnership with Mando.
From winning a recent endurance race at COTA to breaking down the challenge of managing brakes and tires in the O’Reilly car, Josh offers insight into why road courses are such an opportunity for drivers like him. It’s a great look at the grind smaller teams embrace every week and how preparation can make the difference.
Huge thanks to Mando for supporting Josh and the show this season. Don’t just mask it, Mando it. Available at Walmart and Target.
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