Just like any other sport, tomorrow's champion is always waiting in the wings and in the pinnacle of stock car racing, the final two steps before the big show are the NASCAR Truck and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
We looked at the most promising drivers under 25 from these two divisions, choosing the ten brightest prospects based on their history of on-track successes, their backing, but also their immediate future as several have lined up new rides for 2025. Some names are ones you might already know and recognize. The rest — you'll want to remember.
1. Connor Zilisch (18)
Putting Zilisch at the very top was among the easiest decisions when compiling this list. The Trackhouse signee is only 18 years old and yet, he's already accomplished more than some who have been racing for decades. It would probably be easier to list off what the teenaged sensation hasn't won in, but his current win-list includes IMSA, ARCA, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Trans-Am, and even the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Yep, Zilisch won in his very first Xfinity start at Watkins Glen earlier this year, and it wasn't even his biggest accomplishment of the 2024 season. He also earned LMP2 class victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours for Era Motorsport. He's since been made an official Red Bull athlete, which is always a good company to have behind you.
Zilisch is already under contract to Trackhouse Racing and has secured a full-time Xfinity ride for 2025 with JR Motorsports -- an organization led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley, and one that has won four driver's titles with four different drivers over the last decade. There's really no question that this driver will be in Cup one day.
2. Corey Heim (21)
Heim is about to spend his third consecutive year in the NASCAR Truck Series, which is surprising, but not unheard of for Cup prospects. Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar took a similar path, with both skipping the Xfinity Series before joining at the Cup level. And Heim has a head start as the 21-year-old has actually run three Cup races already -- all with 23XI Racing. In the Truck Series, he's yet to secure a title, but he's made the Championship 4 in back-to-back years and has 11 wins in just 64 starts. He has some starts in the Xfinity Series too, earning a career-best result of third at Iowa earlier this year.
In 2025, he will remain under the Toyota umbrella as he maintains his position as a driver for TRICON Garage. However, the path ahead of him is unclear. Could he jump to Cup in 2026 if a Toyota ride opens? Potentially, but right now, there's not many great options that appear to be available. Hopefully Heim doesn't end up on the losing side of a game of musical chairs as he's perfectly capable of competing at the Cup level. Toyota does have a history of moving drivers up a bit too fast though, so perhaps they're being more patient with pushing Heim forward so when it's finally 'Heim time,' he'll be ready to come out of the gate swinging.
3. Christian Eckes (24)
Eckes really found his groove in 2024, dominating several Truck races and making the Championship 4 with over 1,000 laps led (nearly 400 more than his closest competition). Looking at the full 23-race season, he scored 15 top fives and 22 top tens! He was fast, but also incredibly consistent. Eckes is also a former winner of the Snowball Derby (2016) — an impressive inclusion on a rising star's resume.
In 2025, he will finally get the chance at the second tier of NASCAR's three national divisions, piloting the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, which AJ Allmendinger just drove to a Championship 4 appearance. Eckes has no experience in the Xfinity Series, but he has plenty of experience at the national level with 100+ Truck races under his belt.
4. Carson Kvapil (21)
Older NASCAR fans may recognize this surname. Yes, Carson is the son of Travis Kvapil, who raced in Cup for over a decade with nearly 300 starts. Carson has yet to win in nine starts as an Xfinity driver, but his first two starts were enough to turn heads with a fourth-place finish at Martinsville and a runner-up result at Dover. Kvapil is also a two-time CARS Late Model Stock Car champion, which is no easy feat.
Carson will have a very strong car under him as he embarks on his first full-time season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving for JR Motorsports as a teammate to Zilisch.
5. Jesse Love (19)
Like Zilisch, Love is another driver that has climbed the ladder rather quickly. In 2023, he collected the ARCA title by winning half of the races (10 of 20). In 2024, he essentially skipped Trucks to run Xfinity full-time with Richard Childress Racing. He left the crowded Toyota Racing Development camp, and with RCR managed to win at Talladega, placing eighth in points and earning Rookie of the Year honors over Shane van Gisbergen.
RCR will keep Love behind the wheel of the No. 2 Chevrolet as he focuses forward on his second year as an Xfinity Series driver. Oh, all this, and he's not even 20 years old.
6. Rajah Caruth (22)
Caruth is a driver with a solid foundation under him who has shown marked improvement in his young career. After a rough 2023 in the Truck Series with flashes of brilliance, he returned stronger in 2024, winning from pole position at Las Vegas for his maiden Truck victory. In doing so, he became just the third Black driver to win at the national level of the sport, joining Wendell Scott and Bubba Wallace. Wallace has been a bit of mentor to Caruth, even giving him some very public advice after a disappointing race. And the support doesn't stop there. Caruth also has the backing of Rick Hendrick himself, sponsored by HendrickCars.com. He went on to place seventh in the championship standings with Spire Motorsports in 2024, nine positions higher than the previous year.
Caruth has re-signed with Spire for the 2025 Truck season and there's no reason to think that he won't continue his upward trajectory.
7. Nick Sanchez (23)
Sanchez's young career hasn't been without its setbacks, including some unforced errors and even a fistfight. However, the speed has always been there. The 2022 ARCA champ has been remarkable in qualifying as a NASCAR Truck Series driver with seven poles and 13 front row starts, but it wasn't until his second full-time season that Sanchez finally found Victory Lane.
Next year, he moves up to the Xfinity Series with Big Machine Racing, driving full-time in the No. 48 car vacated by Parker Kligerman. He already has a handful of starts in the Xfinity Series, finishing as high as seventh at Martinsville -- and that was two years ago. Sanchez has noticeably improved since then.
8. William Sawalich (18)
Sawalich earned back-to-back ARCA East titles in 2023 and 2024, notably beating Zilisch to the crown this year. His age limited the tracks he could run, but he was able to make three starts in the Xfinity Series and ten in Trucks. His results aren't anything spectacular just yet, but he did earn pole position for the Xfinity title-decider at Phoenix.
Well, JGR still sees the potential. Sawalich will be full-time with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 18 Toyota in 2025. That is championship-caliber equipment and Sawalich will be one of many in an absolutely stacked rookie class.
9. Kaden Honeycutt (21)
A driver often overlooked, but shouldn't be. Honeycutt is the newly crowned winner of the Snowball Derby and a clear talent behind the wheel of his Niece Motorsports truck. The team has a habit of bringing forth talented drivers who don't have the traditional funding/backing that others usually have. Ross Chastain and Carson Hocevar are perfect examples of that, and they are the only drivers to have ever won races for Niece. Honeycutt could likely be the next, as he showcased his raw speed multiple times while part-time this year.
Honeycutt's performance was more than enough for Niece to bring him on for a full-season effort in 2025 where he will get the chance to possibly win that first race and even compete for a championship.
10. Taylor Gray (19)
Not to be confused with his brother Tanner — Taylor Gray has yet to win a NASCAR Truck Series race in over 50 starts, but he still found his way onto this list. One reason is the progress he showed this year, nearly winning his way into the Championship 4 at Martinsville. After, he handled a very emotional moment rather well, confronting a rival without it coming to blows. He more than doubled his top fives and top tens between 2023 and 2024, where he also went from 15th to sixth in the final standings. He also made his Xfinity debut this year, finishing third in his very first race at Richmond, which certainly made people take notice.
But the main reason for Gray's inclusion is the potential opportunity in front of him. He has secured a full-time Xfinity Series ride, driving the always fast No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
