12 months in the past at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Josh Berry wheeled the historic #21 Wooden Brothers Racing Ford into Victory Lane and have become the 206th completely different winner in NASCAR Cup Sequence historical past.
It was a shock win with Berry main simply 18 laps, and since then, no different driver has added their title to the NASCAR Cup Sequence winners listing.
Earlier than Berry, Harrison Burton received for the primary time in 2024, and Shane van Gisbergen in 2023, so there’s normally at the least one new winner most years. 2022 was an outlier with a 4 first-time winners within the first 12 months of the Subsequent Gen automotive: Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Briscoe who grew to become the game’s two hundredth completely different winner in Cup.
However who will comply with Berry and change into the 207th? It is already practically occurred this 12 months, and there are a handful of drivers who’re clearly the most definitely to get the job accomplished. Of the 36 full-time drivers, eleven have by no means visited Victory Lane in a points-paying race, however listed here are the highest candidates to hitch that membership of 200+ members:
1. Carson Hocevar — Greatest end of 2nd
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
It is clear that Hocevar is extremely near Victory Lane. He was main on the white flag of the 2026 Daytona 500 and restarted on the entrance row for the ultimate restart at Atlanta. The Spire Motorsports driver not too long ago locked himself right into a contract that can hold him on the crew till the 2030s, so his singular focus is profitable. The 23-year-old has 4 prime fives, together with two runner-up finishes in the course of the 2025 season, and he is led 141 laps. It is a matter of when, not if he wins a Cup race.
2. Ty Gibbs — Greatest end of 2nd
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photograph by: Patrick McDermott by way of Getty Pictures
Gibbs practically received only a few days in the past at Phoenix. He was main the race when Ryan Blany handed him with about ten laps to go, and the previous O’Reilly Sequence champion nonetheless went on to attain his second consecutive prime 5 end. Gibbs has the unlucky distinction of essentially the most begins of any driver in JGR historical past with out a race win, however he has been shut. In 127 begins, Gibbs has 19 prime prime fives, 35 prime tens, two poles, and 852 laps led. No different winless driver comes near these numbers. It is surprising that he has but to win a race, and his grandfather’s crew is doing no matter they will to assist Ty lastly attain Victory Lane.
3. Ryan Preece — Greatest end of third
Conflict winner Ryan Preece, RFK Racing Ford
Photograph by: Jonathan Bachman – Getty Pictures
Preece has received a Cup race, simply not a points-paying one. The RFK Racing driver earned a formidable win within the rain/snow/dry Conflict exhibition race at Bowman Grey at first of the 12 months. It was an emotional win, and solely served to inspire Preece additional in his quest to win an ‘official’ race on the Cup degree. He already has victories on the two decrease nationwide ranges, and has completed as excessive as third in Cup. He additionally earned a second-place end in a photograph end at Talladega final 12 months, however was later disqualified for a technical infraction. He has 227 begins since 2015, so he is some of the skilled drivers on this listing. That features seven prime fives, with three of these coming simply final 12 months. 133 of his 313 profession laps led additionally befell in the course of the 2025 season.
4. Connor Zilisch — Greatest end of eleventh
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
The rising star and Cup rookie has had a troublesome begin to his first full-time season, with crashes and gremlins hindering his efforts. However we now have seen flashes of velocity, particularly at COTA. If not for 2 restart spins, he may have received that race, and there are nonetheless three street/avenue programs left on the 2026 schedule. That is additionally much like his rookie season in O’Reilly, the place he received off two a sluggish begin at first out of the blue clicked. He nonetheless does not have a prime ten as a Cup driver, however he additionally solely has seven begins. There’s loads of time for him to determine it out and shake off this unhealthy luck streak.
5. Zane Smith — Greatest end of 2nd
Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports Ford
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
This can be a title we might not have positioned fifth on this listing only a few weeks in the past, however the Entrance Row Motorsports driver is doing a formidable job early in 2026. He practically received the Daytona 500, earned one other sturdy end at Atlanta, and if not for an incident on the ultimate restart at COTA, may have opened the 12 months with three consecutive prime tens. Whereas FRM hasn’t received a Cup race since 2023, and Smith’s most real looking shot is on a drafting monitor, he is nonetheless price listening to. And even with that being mentioned, Smith’s greatest outcome got here at Nashville in 2024, ending second, and he additionally earned a formidable third-place end at Bristol final 12 months. So, he may probably get it accomplished at any monitor on the schedule.
Different full-time drivers with out a win: Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, John-Hunter Nemechek, Riley Herbst, Ty Dillon, Cody Ware.
Watch: Josh Berry scores first profession Cup Sequence win at Vegas in 2025
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