Even though Kyle Larson just won his second NASCAR Cup Series title just over one month ago at Phoenix Raceway, it is never too early to start looking ahead to the 2026 season and who might be able to win their first championship.
While the 2025 offseason certainly has some drivers looking for a reset after falling short of expectations, other drivers have positioned themselves as clear threats to win the 2026 title after years of close calls.
Brad Keselowski (2012), Kyle Busch (2015, 2019), Joey Logano (2018, 2022, 2024), Chase Elliott (2020), Larson (2021, 2025) and Ryan Blaney (2023) are the only active Cup Series champions among full-time drivers, but there is no guarantee that any of them will win again 2026; five of the nine most recent championships have been won by first-time champions.
With plenty of time remaining between now and the season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 15, let's take a look at the three drivers who are poised to hoist the Bill France Cup for the first time when the checkered flag waves at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, November 8.
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Why not start with the 2025 runner-up, who was agonizingly close once again to finally winning the title that has eluded him for so long. With a series-high six wins, Hamlin put together one of the best seasons of his career and was under three laps from victory when a caution flew for William Byron.
The subsequent four-tire call from crew chief Chris Gayle, while Larson benefitted from a two-tire call, flipped the script and left Hamlin empty-handed once more.
His ominous comments following the loss drew immediate comparisons to former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards, specifically his abrupt decision to retire from the sport following his crushing 2016 loss.
However, it ironically sounds like the possibility of Hamlin retiring would have been greater had he won the championship, as he has even left the door open for an early exit if he wins the 2026 title. As the sport's all-time winningest driver (60) without a championship, Hamlin is at the top of the list of drivers with title No. 1 in sight.
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Byron had a difficult summer stretch marred by fuel mileage issues, but he repeated as the Daytona 500 champion and claimed the regular season championship for the first time in his career.
With his back against the wall in the round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway, Byron won his way into the title race at Phoenix, only to see his title hopes vanish when his right front tire went down in the closing laps.
Byron has made three consecutive Championship 4 appearances and has won at least three races in each of those three seasons. As the laps led leader (1,330) in 2025, the speed was apparent in the No. 24 Chevrolet.
If the speed carries over to 2026, there is no reason why Byron cannot put the famed No. 24 back on top for the first time since Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon won the last of his four titles in 2001.
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
The exact same fate played out for Bell in 2025, with a second straight near-miss of making the Championship 4. Still, the Norman, Oklahoma native became the first driver to win three straight races in the Next Gen era (since 2022, and his top 10 finish tally (22) was tied for the series lead with Larson's.
His 282 laps led, down substantially from a career-high 1,145 in 2024, were concerning, but his four wins marked the fourth consecutive season he has won multiple races. With two Championship 4 appearances and four straight top five points finishes to his name, all signs point to Bell making another strong run for his first title and potentially ending Joe Gibbs Racing's championship drought, which dates back to Busch's second title in 2019.