5. Chase Elliot
One rookie driver who was extremely impressive last year was Chase Elliot. Not only was Elliot successfully competing against the top drivers in NASCAR, this young driver was able to make the Chase in his very first year at the premiere level.
Now he will be returning once again in the legendary 24 car and fans are still waiting to see if the young Elliot will be able to win his first race this season.
Elliot was a standout in the Xfinity Series. He won the championship in his rookie year and was easily the top driver in the series when he competed full time.
When he made the full-time jump over to the premiere series, Elliot won the pole for the Daytona 500 but would wreck early during the race.
Has he learned enough from last season to stay out of trouble this year? Will he be able to use his speed to land on the pole again?
Without a doubt Elliot improved over the 2016 season, but as this driver still searches for his first win, fans will be right behind him waiting to see the 24 car back in victory lane and looking to see just how much he’s learned from last year.