Who Is The Youngest NASCAR Driver?
While the average age of a NASCAR driver is around 30 years old, there are many drivers competing in the sport who are much younger. That naturally raises the question: who is the youngest driver in NASCAR? Keep reading to find out.
Who Is the Youngest NASCAR Driver Currently?
The youngest driver currently racing in the NASCAR Cup Series is Ty Gibbs. He is only 20 years old (as of early 2023). He started his NASCAR career in the Xfinity Series in 2021 but made a move to both the Cup and Xfinity Series in 2022. Gibbs currently has 11 wins, 34 top 10 finishes, and 24 top 5 finishes in his two-year career. In the first full-time Xfinity season of his career, Gibbs managed to win the 2022 Series Championship at the age of 20.
Who Is the Youngest NASCAR Driver of All Time?
The youngest NASCAR driver ever to start an official NASCAR race was Tommie Elliot. The Florida-born youth drove in the Premier Series at the Albany Schenectady Fairgrounds in 1951 at the age of 15. This race was the beginning of a short seven-year career for Elliot, who retired at 22 after finishing 27th in a race at Reading.
Is There an Age Requirement to Be a NASCAR Driver?
NASCAR currently has a minimum age requirement of 18 to compete in the Cup, Xfinity, or Truck Series. These three national series are NASCAR’s top-billed and most-watched series of races, and they also tend to be the fastest and most dangerous. As such, there is an age requirement in place that requires drivers to get experience before they enter into such a high level of motorsport. That being said, there are lower levels of NASCAR, such as the K&N Pro and ARCA series, which mostly feature tracks less than 1.25 miles in length and are open to competitors as young as 15 years old.
Some racers, such as Kaz Grala, started off in the Whelen All-American Series and saw great success as young as 17 years old. Harrison Burton, another young success, started off in the K&N Pro series when he was just 16. While there is an 18-year age requirement to race at NASCAR's highest levels, the shorter and less competitive races are open to younger competitors who can begin their professional careers there.
Who Is the Youngest NASCAR Driver to Win a Cup Series Race?
Joey Logano was the youngest driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to record a win when he emerged victorious, at the age of 19, in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Logano, now known as one of NASCAR'S modern legends, has been racing at a competitive level since he was 14 in the ASA tour series. Joey Logano entered into the Xfinity, Cup, and Truck Series at the age of 18 and currently has 31 Cup wins and 30 Xfinity Series wins.
Who Is the Youngest NASCAR Champion?
Bill Rexford is the youngest driver in NASCAR history to have held the title of NASCAR champion. He won the honor during the 1950 postseason at the age of 23 years old. Jeff Gordon also won the title at an incredibly young age, securing the title at 24 years old in 1995.