Coming off a 2023 season that saw Ryan Blaney ascend into the spotlight of NASCAR Cup Series champion, becoming the third driver 29 years old or younger to win the title in the past four seasons, the youth movement has fully arrived.
What’s even more eye-opening is how quickly it has occurred. If you go back just 10 years ago, the majority of the Cup drivers then are either retired or not competing full time anymore.
Even in the midst of a roster overhaul in the past six to seven years, there is still plenty of young talent on the horizon. And while NASCAR doesn’t have a draft like stick-and-ball sports, there is no reason why we can’t do a mock draft of our own and tell you who to look out for in the coming years.
Here are some guidelines. Drivers:
- Must be competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series in some capacity.
- Who have completed a full-time season in Cup or have a Cup ride lined up are not eligible. They also cannot be a former Cup winner.
- Have to be 30 years old or younger.
- Are ranked based on talent level, performance with their equipment, success on their way up and how likely a path to the Cup level could be for them.
10. Parker Retzlaff
Parker Retzlaff has spent the majority of his still-budding career in mid-pack equipment, and he has made the most of it. After qualifying sixth with RSS Racing in his Xfinity debut, he grabbed a top 10 in his second career start to go along with four more top 20s in 2022.
In 2023, he competed as a rookie with Jordan Anderson Racing team. Retzlaff earned one top five, seven top 10s and a 17.9 average finish in his freshman campaign.
At 20 years old, most of Retzlaff’s development and experience has occurred in NASCAR’s second-highest level. That will continue in 2024, as he returns to JAR for a second season. But given that he was linked to stronger rides for the season, such as Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 car, keeps your eyes on him for years to come.
9. Layne Riggs
The 2022 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion made his Truck debut at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in 2022, immediately putting the garage on notice by finishing seventh. He followed that up with a pair of top five starts and top 20s in two additional races.
In 2023, Layne Riggs made three Truck starts with three different teams, capturing his first top five at IRP (third). The solid runs earned Riggs a call-up to Kaulig…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …