The 2014 NASCAR Next class consists of: Back row, from left, Gray Gaulding, Jesse Little, Ryan Gifford, Ryan Preece, Brandon McReynolds, Austin Hill and Erik Jones; and front row, from left, Dylan Lupton, Kenzie Ruston, Cole Custer, Ben Rhodes and Ruben Garcia Jr.
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

When Chase Elliott took the NASCAR Nationwide Series checkered flag at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month, he joined fellow rising star Kyle Larson in the 2014 win column.

Before their headline-making victories on one of the sport’s biggest stages, though, Elliott and Larson were ‘next’ – the next in a wave of young talent making its way up the NASCAR ladder. Continue reading →