Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Matt Tifft, Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland highlight newest NASCAR Next class

NEXT

It’s time for a new NASCAR Next class to be introduced. Which means out with the young and in with the even younger.

On Tuesday, NASCAR announced the latest 11-member class that highlights exceptional rising talent in the world of stock car racing.

This year’s class includes the sons of Jeff Burton and David Gilliland, a driver from Israel and a former contestant on “Survivor.”

Here’s a rundown of the 2016-17 class of NASCAR Next.

Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing) – The 15-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, is the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and NASCAR on NBC analyst Jeff Burton. He has climbed to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, competing full-time in the West series, after setting the record last year as the youngest Division I race winner in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series history.

Collin Cabre (@CollinCabre12) – In his second season driving for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the 22-year-old from Tampa, Florida, captured his first career win last October at Dover International Speedway after making the successful move from racing sprint cars.

Spencer Davis (@SpencerDavis_29) – The 17-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, driver won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award last season in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. Davis has transitioned to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East where he has established himself as a championship contender with top-six finishes in his first seven starts dating back to last season.

Alon Day (@Alon_Day) – One of two international drivers on the list, Day is the first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series driver to earn NASCAR Next recognition. Day, 24, from Ashdod, Israel, completed his first full season in the Whelen Euro Series as championship runner-up. Including the final two rounds of 2015, Day has won four of the last eight Elite 1 races.

Tyler Dippel (@Tyler_Dippel) – An accomplished dirt racer, the 16-year-old from Wallkill, New York, scored his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in March at Mobile International Speedway. Dippel previously competed in the DIRTcar Racing Series in the Northeast, earning the Rookie of the Year title and becoming the youngest race winner in that series.

Todd Gilliland (@ToddGilliland_) – The son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran David Gilliland, the 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, made NASCAR history by winning his first four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts. He became the youngest winner in series history with his victory last fall at Phoenix International Raceway and followed it up with wins in both the K&N Pro Series East and West season openers this year. He also won his first start in the ARCA series at Toledo Speedway.

Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) – The 17-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, finished second in the championship standings last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, collecting the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in the process. Gragson got his start racing in the Legends and Bandolero Divisions at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He earned a pair of K&N Pro Series West wins in 2015 and is again a championship contender, sitting sixth in the point standings. He is seventh in the East standings.

Gary Klutt (@Garyklutt) – The second Canadian to be named to the program and the first full-time driver from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. The 23-year-old from Halton Hills, Ontario, earned his first career pole and win last year at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park en route to being named Rookie of the Year. He finished fifth in series points.

Julia Landauer (@julialandauer) – Landauer, 24, from New York City, got her start racing a variety of cars – from Formula BMW to Ford Focus Midgets to stock cars. Landauer was a contestant on the reality show ‘Survivor’ before graduating from Stanford in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, Technology, and Society. She became the first female to win a Limited Late Model division championship at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia, last year before graduating to the K&N Pro Series West this season. Like Nicole Behar last year, Landauer is the only female driver in the class.

Ty Majeski (@TyMajeski) – The 21-year-old from Seymour, Wisconsin, showcased his ability at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February, collecting three wins and earning the 2016 Super Late Model championship in the 50th Annual World Series of Stock Car Racing. Majeski added a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model track record and victory in the FrostBuster at Wisconsin’s LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in April. Roush Fenway Racing announced Monday it had signed Majeski to a driver development deal.

Matt Tifft (@Matt_Tifft) – A development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, the 19-year-old from Hinckley, Ohio, is driving part-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for JGL Racing as well as JGR, and racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Red Horse Racing. He earned his first career pole in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this month.

Follow @DanielMcFadin