Ryan Blaney thinks back to his early days in Cup and smiles at the memory of racing against former champions Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson.
“Mind-blowing,” Blaney said.
“I loved Jeff Gordon growing up. I loved Tony. Those guys, it was really special to get out there and run with.”
When those drivers and others retired, it left a gap in the sport. A popular question was who would take their place.
As the 31-year-old Blaney nears the completion of his first decade of full-time Cup competition, he is a part of a group reshaping the sport.
Call them Generation Now.
NASCAR experienced a significant shift from 2015-22 when seven NASCAR Hall of Famers exited.
Johnson, Gordon, Stewart and Matt Kenseth — who combined for 15 Cup titles — quit running full-time. Others who also quit driving Cup full time during that time included two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards. Kurt Busch, a former Cup champion, was sidelined by injury in 2022 and never raced in the series again.
In their place came a new group — including nine who begin their quest for this season’s championship Sunday at Darlington Raceway (6 p.m. ET on USA Network).
Joining Blaney in the playoffs from the group that began racing in Cup full-time between 2016-22 are Chase Elliott, William Byron, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric.
“I think it’s kind of bizarre that it’s a bunch of young kids and now it’s like, it’s our time,” said Wallace, who won the Brickyard 400 this season.
Wallace’s victory gave Generation Now drivers victories in each of the last four crown jewel races: Chastain won this year’s Coca-Cola 600 in May, Byron won his second consecutive Daytona 500 in February, and Briscoe won last year’s Southern 500.
These drivers are making an impact in others ways. Blaney and Elliott each has a Cup title.
Generation Now drivers also have claimed nine of the 12 spots in the championship race the last three years. Blaney and Byron seek to make their third consecutive championship race appearance. Bell made it in 2022 and ’23. Reddick was in last year’s title race. Elliott and Chastain raced for the crown in 2022.
While Joey Logano won two of the past three Cup titles, the drivers from Generation Now have collected their share of victories.
Since 2022, these nine playoff drivers have combined to win 61 of the 134 races run (45.5%).
“It’s crazy to think about because I remember coming up with all those guys,” Byron said of the group’s rise. “We’re all different ages so … we were not exactly coming through the ranks at the same time, but me and Christopher were, and it’s kind of crazy that we’re crossing paths the way it is now.”
The nine playoff drivers of Generation Now range in age from 27-32 — meaning they should have many years left in the series.
“For the next 15 years, we’re going to be kind of the core group of guys, right?” Briscoe said. “You’re going to have some people come in along the way, but for the most part, that is the group I’m going to race against my entire career. Hopefully, I can be one of those like marquee guys. For me, it’s always important to be one of those people that fans can look up to or fellow race car drivers or young kids.”
Already some in this group are already at least a decade older than 19-year-old Connor Zilisch, who will race full-time next year in Cup.
“Always growing up racing, I was always the young kid racing against adults and stuff,” Reddick said. “I guess I’m getting to 30 – and there are younger guys. Connor is coming up and he is a teenager. The older you get the more you realize those things are in play and going on.
“I think for me it just drives it home more to just remember, as a kid, I was just trying to get Steve Kinser’s autograph, I was trying to meet Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr., always try to keep that in mind at the race track when kids want an autograph or wanting a picture or want to talk to you. That impact you leave on the next generation is super important.”
Briscoe recalls the first time he raced against Kyle Busch in a Truck race. — “Holy smokes, I’m on the race track with Kyle Busch,” he remembers thinking — and the idea that young driver might feel the same way racing against him in the future makes him shake his head.
“It’s still weird to me that I’m even considered to be like one of those people, truthfully,” Briscoe said. “Feel like I’m normal Chase, and I still shouldn’t really be here, truthfully. I don’t know it’s weird that, there is probably some kid out there racing where potentially, I’m their favorite driver and it’s odd.”
While Generation Now excels, there’s always the next group not far behind.
“I was talking to (Kevin) Harvick on his podcast this week,” Blaney said. “I was like, ‘Before too long your boy is gonna be whipping my butt.’
“It’s such a weird out of body thing because … I remember I was a kid holding my dad’s hand talking to Kevin Harvick at driver intros, and I remember (Harvick’s son) Keelan holding his dad’s hand talking to me at driver intros. And now Keelan is really doing great and kicking butt and it’s funny how all of that stuff turns.
“So, yeah, you never know who is gonna come in this sport. That would be pretty neat. I just hope that I stick around long enough for that.”
