Welcome to the third installment of ‘Bold Predictions’. If you’re new, this is a series where I present a certain number of, admittedly, far-fetched ideas. Before getting into it, I think it’s important to clarify that this is not a list of things I think will definitely happen, but rather a fun exercise to predict some of the more unexpected things that could happen. So I implore you not to take anything too seriously and read on with an open mind as I present 26 things that I think would be interesting to see happen this season.
1. Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen Will Finish 1-2 at Least Three Times
This is probably quite self-explanatory. Not many drivers can join the Cup Series and immediately be considered amongst the best road course racers in the sport. Both of these drivers are. Van Gisbergen proved it last season, winning 5 times on the road. Zilisch did as well, winning 5 of the 7 road course races in the then Xfinity Series.
2. Tony Stewart Wins the Truck Series Race at Daytona
Smoke is back! He is back in NASCAR for what will likely be a one-off Truck Series start in Kaulig Racing’s 5th entry at Daytona. What better way for a legend of the sport to make his return than going to Victory Lane in NASCAR for the first time in nearly a decade.
3. Brad Keselowski Returns From His Injury and Wins the Daytona 500
Brad Keselowski is a driver that been in search of a win in the Daytona 500 for years. What better time could there possibly be than returning from suffering a broken leg during a ski trip in December? It’s also worth mentioning that this would be the first (points-paying) race since the tragic passing of Greg Biffle, who drove for RFK Racing from 2003 to 2016. This would be an emotional win, not just for Brad, but for everyone at RFK Racing and the sport as a whole.
4. Legacy Motor Club Will Sweep the Darlington Races
Legacy Motor Club is a team on the rise. They had multiple stretches last season where Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek were very competitive. I think LMC is due for a strong season. Jones is notoriously good at Darlington, having 2 of his 3 Cup Series wins come in the Southern 500, and I think he adds another in September. Nemechek has shown improvement during his time with LMC, so just for good measure, I’m going to predict Nemechek gets his first Cup win in the Spring race.
5. Corey Heim Will Be the First 23XI Driver to Win a Cup Series Race This Season
Corey Heim will be competing in 12 Cup Series Races this season, starting with the Daytona 500. He has logged some strong runs already, despite limited Cup experience. He ran 6th in the Night Race at Bristol in September and also logged a 13th place finish in his first race of last season at Kansas.
As a team, 23XI did not win a race until Bubba Wallace logged the team’s only win of 2025 in the Brickyard 400 Last Summer. If the cold streak continues for the team and Heim finds himself in the right place at the right time, it’s certainly feasible that he could be the one who finds Victory Lane first for 23XI.
6. Corey Day Leads the Hendrick/JR Motorsports O’Reilly Series Program in Wins
For the uninitiated, Day is a Sprint Car ace who has been spoken about as the potential “heir apparent” to Kyle Larson, in terms of “dirt track ace turned NASCAR superstar”. But Day has drawn a lot of criticism. Largely as a result of the “he’s the next Larson” talk. On a part-time schedule between the Truck and O’Reilly Series, Day looked solid. As you’d expect from a rookie with limited pavement experience, he ran better as the season went on. He logged a 2nd-place finish in the Truck Series at IRP, as well as a P4 run at Las Vegas late in the year in the O’Reilly Series. Day will be full-time with Hendrick Motorsports this season, and I suspect he will find success sooner rather than later.
7. An Active Australian Supercars Competitor Will Win a NASCAR Race (Again)
I’m not sure I need to remind you who the last driver to do this was. But I feel like it’s about time for someone else to pull this off.
There are several drivers who could be a threat. But I’m predicting that Cam Waters will come stateside and upset the Truck Series field in St. Petersburg later this month. Obviously, this prediction hinges on Waters’ running that race. If he doesn’t, I’ll look like an idiot, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
8. Project 91 Returns with Helio Castroneves in San Diego
The 4-Time Indianapolis 500 winners’ NASCAR debut, in last year’s Daytona 500, did not exactly go to plan. Castroneves just looked out of his element all week and crashed out midway through the race.
I think he deserves another shot, though. A bit more of a fair shake in an environment that he’s far more familiar with. The Streets of San Diego.
9. Austin Cindric Breaks Out and Wins Multiple Races, All of Which Are Superspeedways
This one comes by way of my fellow writer here at SFM, Levi Powell. Austin Cindric has 3 career wins, 2 of which came on Superspeedways. He consistently runs up front, and the team aspect plays well into his favor as well. Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are two of the premier Superspeedway racers of the last decade or so. With now four full seasons of experience under his belt, Austin Cindric could be gearing up for a breakout campaign.
10. One Third of the Top Ten in St. Petersburg Will Be INDYCAR Drivers
Dario Franchitti was the first INDYCAR driver to be announced for the Craftsman Truck Series’ debut on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. St. Pete has long been an INDYCAR staple. Now the Truck Series is joining the party. I suspect there are more driver announcements to come, and I think there will be a couple more INDYCAR drivers (more likely to be former rather than active) wanting to take their shot at NASCAR at a track where they’ll have the upper hand.
11. At Least One Active INDYCAR Driver Will Attempt to Run All Three Races at Phoenix
This is, admittedly, a long shot. But if I had to pick one driver to attempt this, it would be Conor Daly. However, as of February 1st (the most recent update I could find), Daly is not yet signed to drive in INDYCAR. This could change before the season starts, but if Daly doesn’t wind up competing in INDYCAR full-time this year, then I would place my bets on Santino Ferrucci as the best option to attempt this feat, though extremely unlikely.
12. California-Born Drivers Will Sweep All Five Races in California
There are five races in the State of California this season: O’Reilly and Cup at Sonoma and Trucks, O’Reilly and Cup on the Streets of Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
It is not uncommon for California-born drivers to win in NASCAR, as the state has become a bit of a hotbed for NASCAR talent. It’s tied with North Carolina for the most active drivers, and no other state comes even remotely close to producing as many drivers as those two.
Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Jesse Love, Sheldon Creed, and AJ Allmendinger will all be threats to make this happen. But don’t count out the Hall of Famer, Jimmie Johnson, in his hometown, Corey Day in his rookie campaign, or Huntington Beach native Zane Smith as threats to upset the field in their home state.
13. RFK Racing Finishes 1-2-3 in the Daytona 500
The late, great Greg Biffle spent his entire career with Roush Racing (Now known as RFK Racing). RFK announced in January that they will honor Biffle by running all four of their cars with the font that became synonymous with Biffle.
They’re off to a good start with Ryan Preece winning the Clash at Bowman-Gray Stadium. But finishing 1-2-3 in the Daytona 500 would be a historic and emotional moment for the team and the sport as a whole.
14. Love Prevails on Valentine’s Day
Ok, I’m just having a little fun with this one. For those who haven’t noticed, the O’Reilly Series races on Valentine’s Day this weekend at Daytona. How fun would it be if Jesse Love won on Valentine’s Day?
15. All Three Championships Will Be Decided by Ten Points or Less
NASCAR made the decision to return to the original Chase format, albeit with some tweaks. I think NASCAR will be proven right in their choice and this format will deliver the most exciting race for the title any NASCAR Series has seen in over a decade…three times over.
16. Gio Scelzi Makes a NASCAR or ARCA Start
Alright, I’ll level with you, this is a complete shot in the dark. Gio Scelzi will be driving for Spire Motorsports in High Limit Racing (the Sprint Car Series owned by Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet). Spire fields a full-time Truck Series team and has fielded an ARCA car many times in the past. The most likely place for this very unlikely thing to happen is probably Springfield or DuQuoin, since Scelzi is a dirt racer.
17. Dodge Wins the Truck Series Championship in Their First Year Back in NASCAR
Dodge is making a historic return to NASCAR after more than a decade away. What better way to announce your arrival than to win a Championship? They’ll have four chances. Justin Haley, Daniel Dye, Brendan Queen, and the new kid on the block, Mini Tyrell. For those unfamiliar, Tyrell is a former CARS Tour Race Winner and the winner of RAM’s reality show, “Race for the Seat”.
18. Cleetus McFarland Finishes Top-10 in His Truck Series Debut
This was originally “Cleetus McFarland Will Make His Truck Series Debut”. But just a couple of days ago, it was announced that McFarland will make his debut at Daytona. So, I’ll take it up a notch and predict that Cleetus not only puts forth a very respectable performance, but goes home with a Top-10 as well.
19. Connor Zilisch Will Become the First Rookie to Win Multiple Races Since 2006
*Note: Shane van Gisbergen is not included in this; he was a special case that the sport likely won’t see again for a long time.
Connor Zilisch is arguably the most high-profile rookie the sport has seen since Kyle Larson in 2014. Zilisch, at age 19, has a resume most could only dream of. Including, but not limited to: Rolex 24 at Daytona Class Winner, 12 Hours of Sebring Class Winner, 11 NOAPS Wins, Wins in ARCA, ARCA East, ARCA West, CARS Tour, and plenty more.
For your information, the last rookie to win multiple races was Denny Hamlin, who won twice during his rookie season in 2006. I believe Zilisch will at least match that mark.
20. There Will Be At least Five First Time Winners in the Cup Series
There are first-time winners every year, but I’m predicting at least five this season. Among the names I have pegged as threats to grab their first victory this year are the aforementioned Connor Zilisch, Zane Smith, Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar, and John Hunter Nemechek. Of course, there always seems to be a surprise winner like Josh Berry a year ago or Harrison Burton the year before that, so no one can truly be overlooked.
21. JR Motorsports Wins the Daytona 500 on the 25th Anniversary of Dale Earnhardt Sr’s Passing
JR Motorsports will be attempting to make the Daytona 500 with Justin Allgaier behind the wheel for the second year in a row. The attempt comes a few days shy of the 25th Anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt. Allgaier wheeled the 40 car to a Top 10 a year ago and has the experience necessary to be competitive come Sunday, though, somewhat surprisingly, he has only competed in the Daytona 500 three times, including last year.
22. Shane van Gisbergen Wins on an Oval
Honestly, this feels like less of a bold prediction this year than in years past. But I’m confident that it will happen eventually. SVG showed remarkable improvement on the ovals late last season, ending the season with 3 Top 20s in the final five oval races. Some context is needed, as there were things out of his control during that stretch that hurt his finishes. For example, he was caught up in a late crash in Las Vegas that ended a potential Top 10 run. But the speed is there; now he just needs to put it all together.
23. Brent Crews Leads Joe Gibbs Racing in Wins
Crews is one of the sport’s top prospects. He is also only 17 Years Old, but when he turns 18 on March 30, he will be eligible to compete in the O’Reilly Series full-time. I’m predicting that Crews will lead JGR’s NOAPS program in wins despite his lack of experience in the series. He will have to contend with the team’s other full-time drivers, Taylor Gray, Brandon Jones, and William Sawalich. Two of which are proven winners, and the other is poised to break through eventually.
24. Hendrick Motorsports Wins All Four Crown Jewels
William Byron has won the last two Daytona 500s, and Kyle Larson has won every crown jewel except the Daytona 500. Over its 40+ year history, Hendrick Motorsports has won the sport’s biggest races numerous times. I am predicting that this year, they will win all four Crown Jewels. More specifically; Kyle Larson will complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Daytona 500, William Byron gets redemption for a year ago and wins the Coke 600, Alex Bowman grabs the biggest win of his career in more ways than one in the Brickyard 400, and Chase Elliott FINALLY wins his first Crown Jewel, after a decade in the Cup Series, in the Southern 500.
25. Kaden Honeycutt Leads the Truck Series in Wins
Kaden Honeycutt is the driver who has been given the task of filling the shoes of Corey Heim. Heim had what is inarguably the single greatest season in the history of the Series. But I think Honeycutt will live up to the billing by leading the Series in wins in 2026.
26. Layne Riggs, Taylor Gray, and William Byron Will Be Your 2026 Champions
Riggs and Byron enter their respective seasons, arguably, as the favorites. So, the real bold prediction here is that Taylor Gray will win the O’Reilly Series Championship. Gray ended last season on a high note by grabbing his First Career Win at Martinsville. I think Gray’s momentum continues into this season, and he wins several times and captures his first NASCAR Championship.
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
