NASCAR Regional drivers to watch: Cade Fox, Jayden Harman make strong impressions

With Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, the heat is about to get turned up at short tracks across the United States. Plenty of competitors have already cemented themselves as championship contenders either at their local track or at a national level. For others, the past month has been about capitalizing on opportunities that could one day propel them to the top levels of NASCAR. Below are five drivers to keep an eye on with June right around the corner.

Jayden Harman's career may be in its early days, but he's already acquired plenty of Modified experience at tracks around the Northeast.

The most recent NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event at Seekonk Speedway on May 16 saw Harman make his series debut in the No. 9 for Tommy Wanick. After starting 21st, Harman methodically made his way through the field and finished ninth, ahead of veterans like Matt Hirschman, Justin Bonsignore and Ron Silk. 

During a sold out ARCA Menards Series West event at Colorado National Speedway on May 23, the loudest cheers were for local favorite Cade Fox.

A strong start to the 2026 season has veteran short track competitor A.J. Sanders in an ideal position to earn another NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O'Reilly Auto Parts title.

Sanders' 2026 resumé includes victories at Bowman Gray Stadium, Wake County Speedway, Caraway Speedway and Hickory Motor Speedway. That efficiency is why Sanders currently holds a 70-point lead in the NASCAR Local Racing Series Division IV national standings.

In nine Super Late Model features at Tucson Speedway entering this weekend, Dylan Jones has found his way to Victory Lane in four of them.

Jones' efficiency extends beyond his victories, as he has only recorded one finish worse than second in the last eight Tucson Super Late Model features. Heading into June, Jones finds himself in control of his own destiny at Tucson by boasting a comfortable 39-point advantage.

The driver currently leading the NASCAR Local Racing Series Division V national standings is Steven Watts, who primarily competes in the Pure 4 division at Kingsport Speedway.

Watts has been perfect through all five of Kingsport's Pure 4 features to date, but he also has two wins at Lonesome Pine Raceway in the same division. Currently the points leader at both tracks, Watts will look to maintain his efficiency going into the summer.