NASCAR Next Now: Looking back, forward on 10-year anniversary of Class of 2012

By Staff Report | Published: September 20, 2022 42

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Initially dubbed the 'Next 9,' some of today's top NASCAR stars and personalities got their start in the NASCAR Next program. Ten years after the historic Class of 2012 was unveiled, we invited some of the graduates to a roundtable to talk about the program, its impact and their lives right now. But first, a look at where these drivers were then and are now.

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Kyle Larson

Hometown: Elk Grove, California
2012 age: 19
Current ride: No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
NASCAR Cup Series starts: 288
Cup wins: 18

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Larson began his national series career in 2012, making four Truck Series starts in the No. 4 Chevrolet for owner Steve Turner. He claimed his first national series win a season later at Rockingham Speedway in one of his two starts that year.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

Larson earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series title in 2021, notching more than half his career wins en route to the championship with a dominant 10 trips to Victory Lane.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Larson has also added 13 Xfinity Series wins and two Truck Series victories.

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Chase Elliott

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
2012 age: 16
Current ride: No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
NASCAR Cup Series starts: 250
Cup wins: 17

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Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images

Elliott made his national series debut in 2013 with nine starts in the No. 94 Chevrolet for a Rick Hendrick-owned truck, winning in his sixth-ever start in action across the border at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

Currently the favorite to win the 2022 Cup championship, Elliott grabbed his first title in 2020 with a career-best five win season.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

He was also a member of the NASCAR Next Class of 2013.

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Bubba Wallace

Hometown: Mobile, Alabama
2012 age: 18
Current ride: No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota (Wallace is currently driving the No. 45 in place of injured Kurt Busch)
NASCAR Cup Series starts: 177
Cup wins: 2

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While he ran full time in the Truck Series at the age of 19 in 2013, Wallace made his first national series starts in 2012 in the Xfinity Series, landing three top 10s for Joe Gibbs Racing in four starts.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

He claimed his first Cup Series win -- and first for 23XI Racing -- in October 2021 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Wallace was also a member of the original NASCAR Next Class of 2011.

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Corey LaJoie

Hometown: Concord, North Carolina
2012 age: 20
Current ride: No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
NASCAR Cup Series starts: 193
Cup wins: 0

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Like Wallace -- who LaJoie went to high school with in North Carolina -- LaJoie first got behind the wheel of a national series car in the Xfinity Series in 2013, driving the No. 9 for Richard Petty Motorsports at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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LaJoie hosts the Stacking Pennies podcast alongside Team Penske crewmember Ryan Flores.

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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

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Meg Oliphant | Getty Images

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He was also a member of the original NASCAR Next Class of 2011.

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Daniel Suárez

Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico
2012 age: 20
Current ride: No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
NASCAR Cup Series starts: 208
Cup wins: 1

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After compiling 10 wins across 76 PEAK Mexico Series starts, Suárez debuted in both the Xfinity and Truck Series in 2014 before claiming the 2016 NXS championship.

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Daniel Suárez and Ryan Blaney (with a certain seven-time champion).

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

After five-plus full-time Cup seasons for various teams, Suárez picked up win No. 1 in 2022 at Sonoma Raceway.

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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He was also a member of the original NASCAR Next Class of 2011 and the Class of 2013.

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Ryan Blaney

Hometown: High Point, North Carolina
2012 age: 18
Current ride: No. 12 Team Penske Ford
NASCAR Cup Series starts: 263
Cup wins: 7

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Blaney debuted at the national series level in 2012 in both the Xfinity and Truck Series, winning at Iowa Speedway in the latter in his third career start.

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Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images

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Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

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Alejandro Alvarez | NASCAR Studios

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Blaney is the defending All-Star Race winner, while adding four total Truck Series wins and seven at the NXS level.

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All told, the six Class of 2012 drivers in this photo -- including Elliott's cardboard likeness -- have amassed 1,379 starts at NASCAR's highest level, going to Victory Lane in 45 of those races.

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