NASCAR Buy or Sell: Another First-Time Winner in 2017?

Austin Dillon joined Ricky Stenhouse Jr. as a first-time winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series last weekend. Is their another future star in NASCAR ready to break through for his/her first win in 2017?

Winning in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in not easy. Some drivers go an entire career without ever reaching Victory Lane. Both Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon entered the Cup Series full-time back in 2014. It took them both until this season to earn their first race win at the sport’s top level.

In 2016, NASCAR saw both Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson earn their first victories. 2015 produced zero first-timers. And in 2014, Aric Almirola and A.J. Allmendinger took home their first career Cup Series trophies.

These numbers would suggest that NASCAR may be topped out when it comes to new members entering the winner’s circle for this year. But with so many young stars shining this season, could we see a third driver to earn their stripes in 2017?

May 28, 2017; Concord, NC, USA; Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports /

There will be at least one more first-time NASCAR winner in 2017: BUY

Wouldn’t this be something? As NASCAR’s biggest star goes on his farewell tour, NASCAR could produce five or more newcomers to Victory Lane in two seasons. With a fan base starving for new superstars and solid racing, NASCAR needs as many bright young stars to win races as possible.

There are quite a few kids in the Cup Series right now who are capable of winning races this early in their young careers. Two sophomores have already flirted with winning so far this season. There is also a pair of highly anticipated rookies in the field each week who have shown glimpses of what’s to come.

Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney have already won over many fans with their solid racing and likable personalities. The next step is their first drives into Victory Lane. Can they accomplish that in their strong 2017 campaigns?

Elliott is currently is a deep four-race slump of finishing outside the top 20. But prior to that, he posted six top 10’s which included three top 5’s. Elliot had been top 5 in the standings since week two, but just fell down to 7th after his early wreck in the Coca-Cola 600. He has led 169 laps, good for 8th-best on the season.

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Blaney has also taken the good with the bad. His four bad runs of finishes outside the top 20 in the last five races have been broken up by a 4th place finish at Kansas. He also won his first career pole at Kansas before finishing 4th. Blaney’s four top 10’s include a second top 5 with a 2nd place finish at Daytona to start the season. A dominating performance at Texas saw Blaney lead a race-high 148 laps before ultimately finishing 12th. In total, Blaney has led 233 laps over three races.

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Two rookies to watch are Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. Neither one of these rookies has made quite nearly as much noise as the sophomores, but they are both talented enough to the point where you wouldn’t be surprised to see them break out at any moment. Suarez has three top 10’s while Jones has two, along with two laps led at Kansas.

I believe Elliott is the best bet to become the third driver to win their first race this season. Being a part of Hendrick Motorsports with a top-tier team by his side, he seems to be the most poised to take the next step. However, don’t sleep on Blaney. Wood Brothers’ alliance with Team Penske is a huge factor into Blaney’s rise to becoming one of the top young stars in the sport.

Next: Winner Spotlight on Austin Dillon

Let us know who you think could be the next first-time winner on Twitter @Beyond_The_Flag! If you think you have a hot topic for next week’s edition of Buy or Sell, let me know on Twitter @T_Grasso11 with the topic and include #BuyorSellBTF and your tweet may be featured!

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