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No NASCAR drivers entered the 2021 season under more pressure and with more to prove than Kyle Larson. The 28-year-old star entered the season looking to resurrect one of the most promising careers among NASCAR drivers after his 2020 season went off the rails because of a racial slur used by him. After being fired by Chip Ganassi Racing and suspended by NASCAR, Larson not only had to restore his reputation and improve his image, but he needed to prove he could still win at NASCAR’s highest level.
Larson took a big step in that direction on Sunday when he won his first race for Hendrick Motorsports in dominant fashion at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. While Larson continues to work on repairing his reputation, he quickly fulfilled the huge expectations that followed him to Hendrick Motorsports, which signed the young driver shortly after NASCAR reinstated him.
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Larson, who had six Cup wins in six seasons with Ganassi, not only proved he could win with one of the sport’s elite teams, but he offered hints that he might just be on the verge of a breakout season. This could make him a serious championship contender and one of the sport’s top NASCAR drivers.
Larson was the fourth driver this season to score a signature victory that proved they belonged in the sport’s top NASCAR drivers or cemented their status with an elite team.
Larson and fellow winners Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell and William Byron entered the season on a long list of NASCAR drivers with something to prove.
Here’s a look at seven other NASCAR drivers who need to win or improve their performances to secure their status with the teams and subsequently their futures in NASCAR’s top series.
NASCAR drivers with something to prove
Alex Bowman
NASCAR drivers for Hendrick Motorsports have won two of the four Cup Series races this season, with Byron and Larson scoring back-to-back wins at Homestead and Las Vegas, respectively. Teammate and defending champion Chase Elliott is sure to join them in victory lane soon.
Now Alex Bowman needs to win too.
Bowman has had a solid but unspectacular career among NASCAR drivers so far. After starting his career with under-funded teams, he got his big break when he replaced the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 10 races in 2016. He earned a full-time ride when Earnhardt retired and has made the playoffs in each of his three full-time seasons with Hendrick Motorsports.
Bowman has won just two races in those three seasons, a low number for NASCAR drivers at Hendrick. He came on strong at the end of last season, finishing sixth in the final standings, but he scored just one early-season victory. With his teammates all establishing themselves as race winners at top NASCAR drivers, Bowman needs to step things up and win multiple races this year to secure his future at Hendrick.
Bubba Wallace
Wallace’s story has been well-documented. The only African-American among NASCAR drivers, Wallace drove three seasons for Richard Petty Motorsports, going winless and never finishing higher than 22nd in points.
Now Wallace is driving for a new high-profile team co-owned by NASCAR star Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Though the team is brand new, it has solid funding and a partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing, raising expectations.
While the team still needs time to grow and establish itself, Wallace entered the season under a bright spotlight and under pressure to show what he can do with a competitive team. Though he doesn’t have to win this season, he needs to show consistent progress throughout the year to prove to fans, sponsors, and his team that he can grow into a winner and one of the top NASCAR drivers.
Ryan Newman
With 18 wins in his 18-year career, Newman doesn’t have a lot left to prove among NASCAR drivers. He hasn’t won a race, however, in three seasons and is coming off a frightening crash that nearly took his life in last year’s Daytona 500.
Newman is in his third season with Roush Fenway Racing, and at age 43, there is no telling how many more opportunities he has left. He has run well at times this season but has just one top-10 finish in four races.
Newman is one of the sport’s most aggressive NASCAR drivers and has proven he can steal a win at any moment. He made the playoffs for Roush two years ago, and he likely needs to win and contend for the playoffs again to prolong his successful career.
Tyler Reddick
Reddick entered the Cup series as one of the sport’s hottest young NASCAR drivers, having won back-to-back Xfinity Series championships with two different teams. He had a solid first season with Richard Childress Racing with three top-fives, nine top-10s, and finished 19th in the Cup standings.
Now Reddick needs to take the next step and prove he can beat the top NASCAR drivers. He has already flashed tremendous potential, finishing second to Byron at Homestead.
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A win and playoff spot would secure his future at RCR and boost his status as one of the sport’s top young NASCAR drivers.
Erik Jones
While young NASCAR drivers like Larson, Byron and Bell have already made their mark this season, Jones is another young driver looking to resurrect a once-promising career.
While there are several young rising stars among NASCAR drivers, none of them entered the sport with more hype and fanfare than Jones, a Kyle Busch protege who got his start with Joe Gibbs Racing. Jones won just two races in his first four seasons, however, and missed the playoffs in two of those four years.
Still just 24, Jones is now driving for Richard Petty Motorsports, a struggling and under-funded team that has not won a Cup race since 2014. Jones must re-establish himself as one of the sport's top young NASCAR drivers this season to boost his career and earn another chance with an elite team.
Aric Almirola
Speaking of Richard Petty Motorsports, Almirola was the last driver to win in Petty’s famous No. 43. However, he has just two career wins in nine full seasons at NASCAR’s top level.
Almirola has spent the past three seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing and has made the playoffs each season with the organization that won the 2014 championship with Kevin Harvick. He has won just one race with SHR, however, and has gone winless the last two seasons.
Almirola has gotten off to a dreadful start this year, crashing out of two of the four races and stumbling to 28th in points. He has the talent to turn things around but likely needs to win a race and return to the playoffs to cement his status with SHR.
Matt DiBenedetto
DiBenedetto toiled for five seasons with small, under-funded teams before earning a solid opportunity last year with Wood Brothers Racing. He made the most of it, leading the famed Wood Brothers to the playoffs for just the second time.
The ultimate underdog, DiBenedetto, was under tremendous pressure last season because he had only a one-year contract. He earned another season with the Wood Brothers, a Team Penske affiliate, but entered the season knowing he would be replaced by Austin Cindric, one of the sport's top young NASCAR drivers, next season.
DiBenedetto needs to have a good season to earn another opportunity in the Cup Series, but it has not gone well so far. He finished 28th or worse in the first three races before rebounding with a 16th-place finish last week at Las Vegas. The frustration has already started to mount.
DiBenedetto needs to bounce back in a hurry to give the Wood Brothers Ford another good run to attract the attention of other teams.
