When will NASCAR’s young guns win a race this season?
By Nick Tylwalk
So far, the very talented crop of young Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers is 0-for-2018.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The way NASCAR envisioned the 2018 Cup Series season, the young guns of the sport would stake their claims to being legitimate championship contenders, pushing the veterans hard and racking up plenty of wins among them.
Heading into Dover, 10 races have come and gone in the regular season, getting pretty close to the halfway point. Only two wins have been recorded by drivers under 30, and they were both restrictor plate races: Austin Dillon at Daytona and Joey Logano at Talladega.
Neither really falls into the young guns category, which everyone defines differently but we’ll call the group of 25 and under drivers that includes:
- 25 – Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson
- 24 – Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace
- 22 – Chase Elliott
- 21 – Erik Jones
- 20 – William Byron
Larson is almost not considered part of this group not because of his age but due to his already having run four full Cup Series seasons prior to this year. We’ll include him here, though, because it illustrates the point even more. Larson won four times in 2017 but has been shut out so far in 2018.
Most fans and pundits expected he’d pick up right where he left off, though perhaps because of the adjustment to the new Chevrolet Camaro, that hasn’t happened. The Fox Sports crew also predicted multiple victories for Blaney and Jones, and everyone believed Elliott would get his much anticipated first Cup Series win this season.
More from NASCAR
- NASCAR rain delay today, July 2 update: Chicago Street Race
- Where is the NASCAR course in Chicago? A look at how the Grant Park 220 will work
- Grant Park 220 Ticket prices: How much does it cost to attend?
- LAST CHANCE: FanDuel’s Crazy $2,500 Bonus NASCAR Promo Expires Sunday
- Trevor, start your engine: Jaguars’ temporary stadium could be NASCAR mecca
It’s not that they don’t have the equipment. With the exception of Wallace, all of the young guns drive for top teams. If you were very nitpicky, you might note that Fords have looked like the fastest make, and only Blaney is a Ford driver in this group. It’s also a Chevy-heavy (sorry) bunch, so the Camaro effect can’t be discounted across the board, not just on Larson.
Still, it’s a legitimate surprise, and one of the underrated stories of the NASCAR campaign so far. The old vs. new battle hasn’t materialized, because the old guard has just been way better, and it’s even getting reinforcements in the form of the returning Matt Kenseth.
So where can the young guns grab a win and change the narrative? Let’s check out the next three races since we’ll be at the halfway point after that.
Dover – If Larson was himself, he’d have a definite shot — he’s finished third, second, second in the last three spring Dover races. Elliott is also excellent at the Monster Mile, with four top-5 finished in four starts.
Kansas – Blaney is the best bet here, as his average finish in the spring race is 4.5.
Charlotte – It’s harder to imagine a breakthrough coming at the Coca-Cola 600, but maybe Jones could be one to watch there, as he finished seventh in his first shot at it in 2017.
Next: Spencer Gallagher goes from triumph to suspension
Just past this stretch is Pocono, where Blaney picked up his first Cup Series win last year, and then Michigan, a track that Larson has dominated and Elliott has run very strong as well. There would seem to be a real opportunity for one of these drivers to put the youth movement on the board.
If Michigan comes and goes without a victory for the young guns, it’ll be time to tear up those preseason predictions and wonder if maybe Kyle Busch was right. Time’s a-wasting, young bucks. Show us what you’re made of.