Josh Berry became a first-time NASCAR Cup Series winner earlier this season, with his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It has been a common trend since the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022 to see first-time winners.
But the crop of drivers in the Cup Series who haven't won a race yet is full of talented drivers.
Some of those drivers are continuing to climb ever closer to victory lane. With NASCAR set to head to Michigan International Speedway next, here are five drivers who could be next in line.
5 NASCAR drivers most likely to get their first Cup win
1. Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports
It's hard not to think that Michigan native Carson Hocevar could easily be the next driver to score his first Cup Series win. He has had fast cars and has been pushing ever closer to reaching the checkered flag first. He has had a great run over the last month. After winning the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway to reach his first All-Star race and competing with the likes of William Byron, Ross Chastain, and Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Cola 600, a blown engine at Charlotte Motor Speedway didn't slow Hocevar down.
In fact, he matched his career-high with a second place finish this past weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. He is going to be hungry to try to score the win at his home track in Michigan. It isn't a guarantee, but it's clear that Hocevar is on the brink of something special.
2. Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
Since making the jump to RFK Racing before the 2025 season, Ryan Preece is far from his flipping days of the past several years. He has certainly found a home and might be in the right ride. RFK Racing have had speed, and Preece has been arguably the best driver on the team this season.
He has five top 10 finishes this season, including a third place finish at Las Vegas. He has shown speed each and every week. So it's only natural that he be included on this list.
3. John Hunter Nemechek, Legacy Motor Club
He's got a winning pedigree as the son of Joe Nemechek. Not to mention, he has proven, like his dad, that he can get the best out of poor equipment. However, this year, Legacy Motor Club have reached a whole new level that hadn't been seen since they made the move to Toyota. John Hunter Nemechek, like teammate Erik Jones, has quietly, and in some cases loudly, put them team into top 10 contention more often than not.
Nemechek has scored four top 10 finishes this season and has shown speed throughout the season. Despite not winning the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro, Nemechek was able to race his way into the All-Star Race with a second-place finish. He also had a fifth place finish in the Daytona 500. Nemechek may be a bit of a stretch for a win right away, but you never know, especially with the team qualifying better than they have in the past.
4. Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
There was likely a time when Ty Gibbs could have been found at the top of this list. Now he looks further away from a win than any big name Cup Series driver who hasn't won a race. Gibbs has had a ugly start to the 2025 campaign. He has only scored two top 10 finishes, with a best finish of third place at Bristol. Since then, his finishes have all been 15th or worse.
It's certainly tough to see Gibbs going through such a struggle, especially when his teammates have all shown great speed. With Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell both multi-race winners this season, and Chase Briscoe having won three poles, Gibbs could use a boost, and fast, perhaps with a surprise win sometime soon.
5. Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports have seen plenty of changes, but Noah Gragson fits into the team well. He has been a huge boost for the team that no longer features a past Cup Series race winner.
Perhaps Gragson can be the driver who gets them back to victory lane in the near future. He has had three top 10 finishes, including one top five, this season. He finished in fourth place at Talladega. The past couple weeks have been a mixed bag, as he scored a 10th place finish in the Coca-Cola 600, only to crash out at Nashville the following race.
It will be pretty special for all five of these drivers if they are fortunate enough to find victory lane. There are plenty of different styles of tracks coming up on the schedule, so it wouldn't be shocking to see some more first-time winners.