標籤: Stock

Carson Hocevar is emerging as one of the next superstars in NASCAR, while rookie Connor Zylisch is a few years away from becoming one of the top drivers in the Cup Series. The future of the sport is bright and it has a huge impact on some of the emerging drivers.

Let’s dive into our list of the top NASCAR prospects in 2026 who are off to a good start this season and increase their chances of reaching the Cup Series.

corey day

Corey Day, who turns 21 in November, had a tough start to 2026 with a 27th-place finish at Daytona and an incident with Connor Zylisch. It was the latest in a series of mistakes and questionable moves by the young driver that raised questions about his preparation for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Since then, he has demonstrated why Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have so much confidence in him for the long term.

Through 13 races, Day has the fifth-most points (422) in the O’Reilly Series and has been showing great consistency recently. Even including a DNF (37th place) at Texas Motor Speedway, Day has boasted a 9.75 average finishing position in the last 12 races. He scored his first O’Reilly Series win at Talladega and had four top-five finishes along with nine top-10 finishes in that 12-race span. If Hendrick decides to move on from Alex Bowman, Day seems to be the favorite to take the No. 48 car. However, it would not be a surprise if the team waited until 2028 for Day to become a full-time Cup driver.

RELATED: Denny Hamlin ponders Corey Day’s future in the Cup Series

Caden Honeycutt

Even before winning four races in a single weekend, 22-year-old Caden Honeycutt was viewed as one of the top NASCAR prospects in 2026. He was the obvious choice for Tricon Garage to replace Corey Haim in the No. 11 truck, and the move has paid off. Honeycutt led the Truck Series points even before his first win in the series at Watkins Glen. Through eight races, Honeycutt leads the Truck Series in the top-five (five) and top-10 (six), and among full-time drivers he leads the third-most laps (68). Minimal experience in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series means Honeycutt is two years away from reaching the Cup. However, we may see him get some opportunities in 2027.

RELATED: Insider reveals when Caden Honeycutt could reach the Cup Series

jessie love

Of the top NASCAR prospects in 2026, other than Corey Haim, Jesse Love probably has the best chance to land a full-time Cup Series ride in 2027. A top development driver for Richard Childress Racing, Love is already driving part-time in the No. 33 car. The majority of his time is spent behind the wheel of the No. 2 in the O’Reilly Series, where he has already scored three career wins and currently sits third in points (479) with most top-10s (nine) and most laps led (279). Love will have a chance to become O’Reilly Series champion for the second consecutive year. Whether he can accomplish it or not, Love may have the option of driving full-time for RCR or Legacy Motor Club at Cup level next season at just 22 years old.

RELATED: Latest discussion on NASCAR Cup Series interest in Jesse Love

gio ruggiero

Gio Ruggiero entered the season ranked 15th by Bob Pockross among the top NASCAR prospects in 2026. It’s fair to say that the 19-year-old has been raising his stock this season. While he finished 15th at Watkins Glen, NASCAR admitted to the No. 17 team that Ruggiero should not have received a penalty for the early restart. The mistake cost him a top-five finish, which would have been his fourth finish in eight races this season.

Even after that mistake made by NASCAR, Ruggiero still has the fourth-most points (257) in the Truck Series and the third-most top-fives. If he can continue at this pace and finish the year in the championship mix, perhaps O’Reilly will have a full-time ride with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Series in 2027. Given that he doesn’t turn 20 until the end of August, it’s possible we see Ruggiero in a Cup car before he turns 21.

chandler smith

Chandler Smith is currently in the old age for NASCAR prospects, turning 24 in June. However, he has experience racing in the Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports. He spends most of his time driving in the Truck Series as a full-time driver for the No. 38. Through eight races, he has almost as many top-fives (four) as he had last season (five), and he is on pace for the best season-long performance of his career.

brent cruz

At 18 years old, Brent Cruz is already seen as one of the future stars in NASCAR. The California native’s age limited the number of O’Reilly Series races he could be a part of to start the season. So, rather than highlight that he is 11th in points (324) in nine races, there are better ways to look at his success this season.

Cruz is averaging 36 points per race in 2026, third in the O’Reilly Series behind only Justin Allgaier (49.2) and Sheldon Creed (37.3). He has improved even more as he has gained more experience at the level, recording five consecutive top-10 finishes with a 4.0 average finishing position over that period. If you want to know how high people inside the sport are regarding the crew’s future, he is widely seen as Denny Hamlin’s successor with JGR.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

It’s always important not to overreact to any race during the 2026 NASCAR season, especially since a lot can change depending on the track. However, coming off the first points race of the season, we can say that there are some drivers who are headed in the right direction and others in the wrong direction heading into Atlanta this weekend.

Let’s dive into our NASCAR Stock Watch after the Daytona 500, highlighting the full-time Cup Series drivers whose stock is up or down ahead of the second race of the season.

Stock Up: Zane Smith

Zane Smith is in the spotlight at a time when 19-year-old Connor Zylisch and 23-year-old Carson Hocevar are viewed as the future faces of the NASCAR Cup Series. However, Smith made his name in the Daytona 500. He won Stage 1 – the first stage win of his career – and then moved up from 15th in Stage 2 to finish sixth behind Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Brad Keselowski. Smith’s 41 points are one of his highest totals since joining the Cup Series, and he led the same number of laps as Logano and Christopher Bell (nine) in the 500. We’re not saying Smith is a safe bet to reach the playoffs by any means, but surpassing his career highs in top 10s (five) and laps led (22) seems possible.

RELATED: NASCAR Power Rankings after Daytona

Stock Down: Chase Briscoe

This is certainly not the time to panic for Chase Briscoe or the No. 19 team; It’s too early in the season for that. He made Championship 4 last season in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing and performed as a top-five driver in the second half of the season. However, Briscoe left Florida with only 2 points after starting 2nd in the Daytona 500 and leading the field in Duel 2. He is already 41 points behind third place in the regular season points, and the new Chase format is unforgiving for many of the underperforming top drivers. Briscoe will still reach the playoffs, but its championship chances took a hit last Sunday.

Read more: Denny Hamlin predicts who will win the NASCAR championship

Stock up: Shane van Gisbergen

We know that Shane Van Gisbergen finished 30th in the Daytona 500 with only 7 points out of the No. 97 car. However, he led three laps and was regularly in the top 10 of the field before getting stuck in the Big One. He was in 12th place when the incident began and his car was so damaged that he could not effectively continue. What matters is that SVG demonstrated he is much better in oval racing than he was a year ago – good enough to crack the top-20 this year and potentially score some top-10s and stage points. SVG stock is on a rise.

RELATED: NASCAR Predictions 2026, 16 Playoff Drivers Projected

Stock Down: Connor Zylisch

With 20 laps to go in Stage 2, Conor Zylisch found himself leading the field in the Daytona 500. As the teen began earning praise from the broadcast crew, he twice got into the side of Justin Allgaier and his car came loose from there before losing control. There’s no denying that this rookie is one of the best prospects to enter the Cup Series in the last few years, but troubles are brewing and he has a lot to learn. He will be very competitive on road courses this year, but struggles on ovals in the Next Gen car will keep him out of the playoffs.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin explains when NASCAR drivers should worry about points, standings

Stock Up: Tyler Reddick

After failing to win a single race in 2025, Tyler Reddick started his 2026 campaign with a Crown Jewel win. Although he wasn’t dominant, his last lap move to get to the front of the field and win the Daytona 500 shows what Reddick is capable of and why he was the NASCAR regular-season champion in 2024. After a turbulent season on the track last year, Reddick has regained his confidence and focus. More wins are coming this year.

RELATED: NASCAR points standings after Daytona 500

Stock Down: Alex Bowman

Hendrick Motorsports’ fourth-best driver always feels some pressure to perform. Alex Bowman has phenomenal equipment and a great team, but results in recent seasons – only one win in the last three years – have been disappointing. Unfortunately for Bowman, his 2026 campaign got off to a bad start. Not only did the No. 48 car fail to lead a lap in the Daytona 500, but it completed only 123 laps after its car suffered race-ending damage in a collision during the Big One. With that result, he now ranks 22nd in average finishing position (20.3) over the last 15 races, with the likes of Daniel Suarez, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier having multiple top-five finishes (one).

RELATED: NASCAR Hot Seat 2026

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

The preliminary round is over and the games are about to go up a notch in Milan. The 2026 men’s Olympic ice hockey tournament has been quite entertaining so far. Which of the seven New Jersey Devils representing their respective countries is seeing their stock rise, versus fall?

Standings are set. Canada and the United States were the only undefeated teams in the first three matches of the tournament, winning their respective groups. Slovakia also won their group, defeating both Sweden and Finland. And Finland earned a bye into the quarterfinals as the best second-place team in the tournament.

Some devils have done more than others.

Let’s take a look at the barometer heading into the play-in round.

Devil’s Stock Up

jack hughes

Jack Hughes is silencing his critics. Hands up, I was one of them. And good on them. The Devils star needed to prove that he wasn’t just there to keep his brother, Quinn Hughes, happy in the eyes of America and the Minnesota Wild GM.

Hughes is reminding the Devils faithful that they probably weren’t happy with him before the Olympic break because he wasn’t there when New Jersey needed him most.

The Devils star has scored one goal and two assists in three matches so far. He is one of the top opportunity creators for Team USA in a limited role, which has seen him skate 13 minutes or less in each of the first three games of the tournament, a far cry from his season average of 20:57 with the Devils.

Hughes is not only showing off his offensive mobility, but he has become a pest in the neutral and defensive zones as a former checker. Number 86 is still making a name for himself on the world stage. And with their toughest competition yet, Devils fans want to see this version of Jack succeed, and then bring this championship back to New Jersey with him.

simon german

Everyone is excited about Simon Nemec, and rightfully so. Nemec is proving to be an international powerhouse, and his chemistry with countryman Juraj Slafkowski continues to be a factor.

Skating in the No. 1 role, Nemec has two points in three games for Slovakia. Both of his assists were primary dishes for Slafkovsky in meaningful moments, helping Slovakia win their group and earn a bye into the quarterfinals.

Nemec is proving everything the Devils brass are still unsure about. He has top pair size, displays poise with the puck on his stick, transition ability, responsible play in the defensive zone and a touch for playmaking.

His play in Milan is certainly similar to what the Devils saw from Nemec in their last international game. That’s why he was taken second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft.

When Nemec was first given an increased role in New Jersey, we saw him flourish. He seems to be struggling in fewer and fewer roles, although those struggles are becoming less frequent. Nevertheless, he is good for the occasional mistakes that lead the opposition to scoring opportunities. We’ve seen it once or twice in Milan too. But come on. He is competing against the best players in the world.

One thing has become clear. The 22-year-old defenseman can still reach a high ceiling and scouts always believed he had gotten there. He needs a bigger role in New Jersey.

Timo Mayer

This is the Timo Meier the Devils wanted. He shows his intensity in New Jersey, but often cools down and remains idle for long periods of time.

But not in Milan.

Meier has three goals and one assist, which ranks him 10th overall in points in the tournament.

He is scoring as a volume shooter and remains Switzerland’s top chance creator. Additionally, he continues to win his puck battles down the middle, struggle for net-front presence, forecheck responsibly, and prove that he is a viable puck transitioner.

Meier’s unique talent is being showcased globally. There must be some way to unlock it in New Jersey.

neutral stock

jacob markstrom

Jacob Markstrom’s got a short runway. He played in one of three games for Sweden and helped them win their last game in the prelims. However, a mistake in the final seconds cost Slovakia a goal that could have affected their ranking.

It was canceled after Finland scored 11 goals anyway. However, this is not the first time Markstrom has missed a key moment this year.

Nevertheless, Markstrom still managed to manage a .906 SV% against Slovakia and was solid for the most part.

Let’s see what happens in the Swede’s net because games matter most right now, but it appears Markstrom remains in line to own the cage.

Nico Hischier and Jonas Seigenthaler

Nico Hischier only has one point in the tournament, but it’s not for lack of effort.

In Sunday’s 4-3 overtime win over Czechia, Hischier assisted on Meyer’s goal to give Switzerland a 2-0 lead. However, the secondary tally remains his only points so far in the tournament.

Nevertheless, he managed approximately 2.5 chances for himself and 2.5 chances for his teammates in the win. Against Canada, it was a little more of a struggle, but still had two chances overall in the game. I mean, this is Canada after all.

But still, after Switzerland’s first defeat of the tournament against France, he left with a total of seven scoring chances (four for himself, three for his teammates), and is overall a net positive in the creation department.

On the blueline, Jonas Seigenthaler remains on top-pairing duties alongside Roman Josi. He hasn’t recorded any points, but that’s not his game. Seigenthaler’s consistent home presence has helped Switzerland post a 1-1-1 record through the prelims, with the likely outcome being that the Swiss will face Finland in the quarterfinals following the Italy vs. Italy play-in game.

devil’s stock down

jasper bratt

Is it really Jespers Bratt’s fault too? Sweden head coach Sam Hallum has drawn some criticism over the way he has deployed his roster.

Sweden started with Filip Forsberg as the odd-man out. Now, heading into the play-in against Latvia, it appears Bratt is the 13th forward.

The Devils forward will still dress, but he is unlikely to spend much time on the ice, as he was benched for the entire match against Slovakia.

In three games, Bratt earned one assist. After the first two days of the tournament, Bratt was one of the top chance scorers in Milan, creating a total of nine chances in Sweden’s first game against Italy. Yet, against Finland, when the game became more physical, he was shut down, allowing only two chances in 60 minutes.

Bratt’s chances against Slovakia ended due to Hallam’s reluctance to play the Devils forward.

So, is it Bratt or Hallam’s fault that the Devils forward’s stock has fallen here?

Everyone is looking to point the finger, but it’s probably a bit of both.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls