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Power Rankings: Hall of Fame cases among active drivers entering 2022
By Pat DeCola | Wednesday, January 19, 2022
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The NASCAR Hall of Fame houses the greatest faces in the sport's history, and with so much talent racing behind the wheel these days, it's likely several current-day drivers will be enshrined down the road. NASCAR.com's Pat DeCola ranks the top 10 active drivers with the best Hall of Fame resumes.
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Honorable mentions: Both Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace have a path to reaching the Hall of Fame, but they each have some work to do.
For Dillon, his racing resume is good — two crown jewel Cup wins (Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600) and a title each in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series — but just three total premier series victories won't be enough. Still just 31, he has plenty of time to hit double-digit wins or round himself into a champion, either of which might just do it. A title would make him the first champion in all three national series.
Wallace, it could be argued, already warrants a placement in the Hall of Fame if he were to walk away today given his overall impact on the sport. Still, some more racing accomplishments wouldn't hurt his case, having just picked up his first win a few months ago. As he enters a second season with a beefed-up 23XI Racing, wins could come in droves for him over the next few years and for all we know he's a champion by the end of the decade. That would certainly make him a lock.
For Dillon, his racing resume is good — two crown jewel Cup wins (Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600) and a title each in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series — but just three total premier series victories won't be enough. Still just 31, he has plenty of time to hit double-digit wins or round himself into a champion, either of which might just do it. A title would make him the first champion in all three national series.
Wallace, it could be argued, already warrants a placement in the Hall of Fame if he were to walk away today given his overall impact on the sport. Still, some more racing accomplishments wouldn't hurt his case, having just picked up his first win a few months ago. As he enters a second season with a beefed-up 23XI Racing, wins could come in droves for him over the next few years and for all we know he's a champion by the end of the decade. That would certainly make him a lock.
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10. Driver: Ryan Newman, currently unsigned
Age: 44
Accolades: 725 Cup starts, 18 wins (two crown jewels), 51 poles; seven NXS wins; one CWTS win
Comment: We'll count Newman as still active since he's been adamant he isn't retired and it feels there's a better chance than not we'll see him in at least one race this year. That said, he's really a borderline candidate that the debate around will be interesting to follow when he becomes eligible. His career spanned two decades and was notable for several reasons (51 poles!) and you can't tell the story of NASCAR without Rocket Man, but a few more wins would certainly bolster his case if they were to happen somehow.
Age: 44
Accolades: 725 Cup starts, 18 wins (two crown jewels), 51 poles; seven NXS wins; one CWTS win
Comment: We'll count Newman as still active since he's been adamant he isn't retired and it feels there's a better chance than not we'll see him in at least one race this year. That said, he's really a borderline candidate that the debate around will be interesting to follow when he becomes eligible. His career spanned two decades and was notable for several reasons (51 poles!) and you can't tell the story of NASCAR without Rocket Man, but a few more wins would certainly bolster his case if they were to happen somehow.
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9. Driver: Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Age: 26
Accolades: 221 Cup starts, 13 wins, 2020 title; five NXS wins, 2014 title; three CWTS wins; four-time NMPA Most Popular Driver
Comment: Elliott, at just 26 years old, already has a resume worthy of consideration that most drivers in the history of NASCAR would love to have. The uber-popular driver obviously has the potential to race for literally the next two decades, however, and he has a great shot to top 50 wins and perhaps be the next Hendrick Motorsports driver to claim four-plus championships.
Age: 26
Accolades: 221 Cup starts, 13 wins, 2020 title; five NXS wins, 2014 title; three CWTS wins; four-time NMPA Most Popular Driver
Comment: Elliott, at just 26 years old, already has a resume worthy of consideration that most drivers in the history of NASCAR would love to have. The uber-popular driver obviously has the potential to race for literally the next two decades, however, and he has a great shot to top 50 wins and perhaps be the next Hendrick Motorsports driver to claim four-plus championships.
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8. Driver: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Age: 29
Accolades: 259 Cup starts, 16 wins (1 crown jewel), 2021 title; 12 NXS wins, two CWTS wins
Comment: If Larson were to retire today, there's a good chance he might not make it — and yet he's probably going to wind up being one of the top vote-getters on this list when eventually waltzes right into the Hall. That's because the reigning champ is probably the most talented driver in the sport at the moment, and those 16 wins could easily be hovering around 50 by the time we reach 2030 ... when Larson still won't have reached age 40. It's clear that many, many more victories are in his immediate and long-term future and with wins tend to come championships.
Age: 29
Accolades: 259 Cup starts, 16 wins (1 crown jewel), 2021 title; 12 NXS wins, two CWTS wins
Comment: If Larson were to retire today, there's a good chance he might not make it — and yet he's probably going to wind up being one of the top vote-getters on this list when eventually waltzes right into the Hall. That's because the reigning champ is probably the most talented driver in the sport at the moment, and those 16 wins could easily be hovering around 50 by the time we reach 2030 ... when Larson still won't have reached age 40. It's clear that many, many more victories are in his immediate and long-term future and with wins tend to come championships.
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7. Driver: Kurt Busch, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Age: 43
Accolades: 756 Cup starts, 33 wins (two crown jewels), 2004 title; five NXS wins; four CWTS wins
Comment: Busch is a really strong candidate already, but he's in perhaps his best opportunity this year to pad his resume further with his first season at 23XI Racing looming ahead. With access to JGR-level data and equipment and taking part in competition briefings with the likes of his brother, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin, Busch could be a sneaky contender for three-plus wins this year. Assuming he doesn't hang it up after the season, 40 wins and a second title aren't out of the equation yet and that would elevate him to a whole new level.
Age: 43
Accolades: 756 Cup starts, 33 wins (two crown jewels), 2004 title; five NXS wins; four CWTS wins
Comment: Busch is a really strong candidate already, but he's in perhaps his best opportunity this year to pad his resume further with his first season at 23XI Racing looming ahead. With access to JGR-level data and equipment and taking part in competition briefings with the likes of his brother, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin, Busch could be a sneaky contender for three-plus wins this year. Assuming he doesn't hang it up after the season, 40 wins and a second title aren't out of the equation yet and that would elevate him to a whole new level.
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6. Driver: Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Age: 31
Accolades: 471 Cup starts, 27 wins (one crown jewel), 2018 title; 30 NXS wins; one CWTS win
Comment: Logano has maybe not even entered his prime yet and already has more Cup wins than Hall of Famers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Buddy Baker, Alan Kulwicki and Terry Labonte — and those are some big names. Fifty-plus wins feels like a certainty for "Sliced Bread," and there's no reason to believe he won't be a fixture in Championship 4 fields for at least the next decade.
Age: 31
Accolades: 471 Cup starts, 27 wins (one crown jewel), 2018 title; 30 NXS wins; one CWTS win
Comment: Logano has maybe not even entered his prime yet and already has more Cup wins than Hall of Famers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Buddy Baker, Alan Kulwicki and Terry Labonte — and those are some big names. Fifty-plus wins feels like a certainty for "Sliced Bread," and there's no reason to believe he won't be a fixture in Championship 4 fields for at least the next decade.
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5. Driver: Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Age: 37
Accolades: 449 Cup starts, 35 wins (three crown jewels), 2012 Cup title; 39 NXS wins, 2010 title; one CWTS win
Comment: Keselowski very likely already has more than enough to warrant induction, but he's going to diversify his portfolio, so to speak, with his foray into team ownership while still driving. It's too early to tell if this expedition will add many, if any, more wins to his collection, but if he's able to find his way back to championship status and return prominence to Roush, he'll enter legend territory.
Age: 37
Accolades: 449 Cup starts, 35 wins (three crown jewels), 2012 Cup title; 39 NXS wins, 2010 title; one CWTS win
Comment: Keselowski very likely already has more than enough to warrant induction, but he's going to diversify his portfolio, so to speak, with his foray into team ownership while still driving. It's too early to tell if this expedition will add many, if any, more wins to his collection, but if he's able to find his way back to championship status and return prominence to Roush, he'll enter legend territory.
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4. Driver: Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Age: 41
Accolades: 585 Cup starts, 31 wins (three crown jewels), 2017 title; 13 NXS wins, two titles; one CWTS win
Comment: Considering he has three-runner-up finishes in the standings the last four years, if a few things had gone slightly differently we could be looking at four-time Cup champ MTJ. He's a shoo-in regardless, but it just shows how consistently excellent he's been for close to a decade now. He'll keep adding wins and competing for titles for at least a few more years, and be a Hall of Famer by the end of the decade.
Age: 41
Accolades: 585 Cup starts, 31 wins (three crown jewels), 2017 title; 13 NXS wins, two titles; one CWTS win
Comment: Considering he has three-runner-up finishes in the standings the last four years, if a few things had gone slightly differently we could be looking at four-time Cup champ MTJ. He's a shoo-in regardless, but it just shows how consistently excellent he's been for close to a decade now. He'll keep adding wins and competing for titles for at least a few more years, and be a Hall of Famer by the end of the decade.
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3. Driver: Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Age: 41
Accolades: 578 Cup starts, 46 wins (six crown jewels); 17 NXS wins; two CWTS wins
Comment: Hamlin truly has had one of the most interesting careers of any driver the past two decades, and he's racked up plenty of big-time stats while doing it. You already know the major knock in his resume, but a title still feels within reach for him before he hangs it all up. Adding in his chops as an owner — along with just the fact that he brought Michael Freaking Jordan into the sport — and he's an absolute lock to be enshrined down the road.
Age: 41
Accolades: 578 Cup starts, 46 wins (six crown jewels); 17 NXS wins; two CWTS wins
Comment: Hamlin truly has had one of the most interesting careers of any driver the past two decades, and he's racked up plenty of big-time stats while doing it. You already know the major knock in his resume, but a title still feels within reach for him before he hangs it all up. Adding in his chops as an owner — along with just the fact that he brought Michael Freaking Jordan into the sport — and he's an absolute lock to be enshrined down the road.
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2. Driver: Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Age: 46
Accolades: 754 Cup starts, 58 wins (eight crown jewels), 2014 Cup title; 47 NXS wins; 14 CWTS wins
Comment: Given the way it started, Harvick's career was going to be in the history books regardless. To his credit, he made the most of it by becoming one of NASCAR's most formidable personalities behind the wheel and the microphone, a perennial fixture in both Victory Lane and the Championship 4. He's a lock, and his speech at his eventual induction will be can't-miss.
Age: 46
Accolades: 754 Cup starts, 58 wins (eight crown jewels), 2014 Cup title; 47 NXS wins; 14 CWTS wins
Comment: Given the way it started, Harvick's career was going to be in the history books regardless. To his credit, he made the most of it by becoming one of NASCAR's most formidable personalities behind the wheel and the microphone, a perennial fixture in both Victory Lane and the Championship 4. He's a lock, and his speech at his eventual induction will be can't-miss.
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1. Driver: Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Age: 36
Accolades: 606 Cup starts, 59 wins (three crown jewels), two Cup titles (2015, '19), 102 NXS wins, 61 CWTS wins
Comment: The all-time winningest driver in national series history? Yeah, he's got a pretty good shot. Busch is the most polarizing figure in the sport since arguably Dale Earnhardt Sr., and like "The Intimidator" he ruffles feathers while also whooping everybody's butt. He could potentially race another decade-plus and really pad his stats if he wanted, but even if he were to retire today he'd warrant unanimous consideration.
Age: 36
Accolades: 606 Cup starts, 59 wins (three crown jewels), two Cup titles (2015, '19), 102 NXS wins, 61 CWTS wins
Comment: The all-time winningest driver in national series history? Yeah, he's got a pretty good shot. Busch is the most polarizing figure in the sport since arguably Dale Earnhardt Sr., and like "The Intimidator" he ruffles feathers while also whooping everybody's butt. He could potentially race another decade-plus and really pad his stats if he wanted, but even if he were to retire today he'd warrant unanimous consideration.
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