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Drivers to Watch
5 DRIVERS TO WATCH IN THE XFINITY SERIES
With several drivers changing teams, including defending champion Daniel Hemric, the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity season may be even more exciting than how 2021 played out.
- JERRY BONKOWSKI
DANIEL HEMRIC
Daniel Hemric couldn’t have written a
better script, earning both his first career Xfinity Series win and Xfinity
Series championship in the 2021 season finale at Phoenix. But 2022 will be a whole new ballgame as
Hemric leaves Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 11 for Kaulig
Racing (which had been announced in September, long before he won the title). He’ll also compete part time in the
NASCAR Cup Series for Kaulig, as well, his first appearance in the series since 2019, his only full-time Cup campaign (for
Richard Childress Racing).
NOAH GRAGSON
Noah Gragson enters his fourth season
in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports in 2022. He’s shown steady progress and improvement in each of those previous campaigns, finishing eighth in 2019, fifth in 2020 and third in 2021, his best Xfinity season yet, with a career-high three wins. Based on that upward climb, could 2022 finally be his year to win the championship? He’ll have a tough battle with Hemric,
A.J. Allmendinger and Justin
Allgaier, but won’t have to worry about Austin Cindric, who has moved up to Cup.
JUSTIN ALLGAIER
VOTED THE NASCAR XFINITY
Series Most Popular Driver for the third consecutive year, Justin Allgaier had another solid season in 2021 with two wins, but missed the championship round, finishing fifth in the standings. Each season he does well, finishing between second and fifth in nine of his 11 full-time Xfinity seasons, but still has yet to win the championship.
A.J. ALLMENDINGER
A.J. ALLMENDINGER WOWED IN
his first full Xfinity Series season, earning five wins, reaching the championship round and finishing fourth in the final standings, the best overall season performance in his NASCAR career. The Kaulig Racing driver is among the early favorites to win the Xfinity Series championship in 2022, and will also run a part-time Cup Series schedule for Kaulig as well.
TY GIBBS
WITH 2021 NASCAR XFINITY
Series champion Daniel Hemric moving on to Kaulig Racing for the upcoming season, 19-year-old Ty Gibbs becomes Hemric’s heir apparent at his grandfather’s team, Joe Gibbs Racing. The younger Gibbs won four of the 18 Xfinity Series races he competed in last season and his talent and promise make him one of the top drivers to watch in 2022.
Can defending NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes repeat, or will two-time runner-up Zane Smith finally capture that elusive title?
- JERRY BONKOWSKI
BEN RHODES
It’s hard to believe Ben Rhodes, who
turns 25 on Feb. 21, will be entering his seventh full-time season – all with ThorSport Racing – in the NASCAR Truck Series. But everything finally came together for the Louisville, Kentucky, native last season as he earned his first championship and enjoyed his most successful season to date with two wins, eight top-five results and 16 top10 finishes. One of Rhodes’ top traits is loyalty. While reports had him moving to the Xfinity Series, he is back with ThorSport Racing once again – and potentially for another championship.
ZANE SMITH
If you can’t change the outcome,
change teams. That’s the case with Zane Smith, who after finishing second in each of the last two seasons for GMS Racing, moves to
Front Row Motorsports – and for what he hopes will finally be his first career Truck Series championship. “I’ve been watching
Zane the past few seasons,”
Front Row owner Bob Jenkins said. “We want to get him that championship in 2022, but also, we want to have Zane with us for a long time. We see a bright future for him.”
MATT CRAFTON
MATT CRAFTON ENTERS HIS
22nd full-time season in the Truck Series, all but one with ThorSport Racing. He turns 46 in June and it’s rumored he’ll retire after 2022. But he still has goals: a fourth championship, makes his 500th start early in the season, and to add to his 15 career wins (but just two in the last five seasons).
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
returns for a second consecutive season with Kyle Busch Motorsports, and for good reason. He earned a career- and series-high five wins and 12 top-five finishes in 2021. He also finished third in the standings and tied with Ben Rhodes and Todd Gilliland for most top10 finishes (16 each), capping his most successful NASCAR season on any level.
HAILIE DEEGAN
AFTER SUCCESS IN THE ARCA
West Series and the ARCA Menards Series between 2018 and 2020, Hailie Deegan had a humbling first season in the Truck Series in 2021, finishing 17th and earning only one top-10 finish. Had it not been for three consecutive late season crashes (Bristol, Las Vegas and Talladega), she may have finished higher. Look for a stronger sophomore season this year.
