NASCAR is mostly a youth-driven sport. The lower tiers are flooded by fresh driving talents looking to get their big break through the top national series. Veterans like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joe Gibbs play a crucial role in nurturing these rising stars. For example, Sammy Smith is making waves in the Xfinity Series under Dale Jr.’s mentorship, while 17-year-old William Sawalich is impressing everyone with his skills, thanks to Gibbs’ support.

However, not everyone is on board with this influx of young talent. Recently, a harsh critic targeted these promising drivers, sparking outrage within the NASCAR community. The backlash has been swift, reflecting the deep respect and high expectations fans and insiders have for the sport’s next generation.

A multitude of talents appear in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s CARS Tour Series. The ARCA Menards Series is another such example, and Junior’s mentee Sammy Smith proved his talents there with the 2021 championship. This young stud has lingered around the Xfinity Series’ top brass all year, achieving 11 top-tens and 4 top-fives. Similarly, Joe Gibbs has Chandler Smith, ranking third in points in Xfinity, and William Sawalich, a mere teenager who already boasts the 2023 ARCA East championship.

Even in the face of these amazing achievements, a NASCAR fanatic cast a shadow of doubt over these drivers. In a controversial take, this individual bashed Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s and Gibbs’ stars on X: “All these guys thought they would be the next Kyle Larson winning all these ARCA races with no competition. Reality is they all are just mid pack rich kids who will be scrounging for top 10s in Xfinity at best. Sadly they all have endless trucks of money and will waste seats.” 10-time ARCA winner Jesse Love is also in the pictures.

But clearly, there is overwhelming evidence to counter this opinion. For instance, youngster Sawalich staved off some feisty rivals like Lavar Scott and overcame a wreck to achieve his latest ARCA win at Elko Speedway.

Scoring wins in all three ARCA platforms, Sawalich has a bright future. Then Joe Gibbs’ other protege, Chandler Smith, is already an overachiever. The 22-year-old already owns 3 Xfinity wins and 5 Craftsman Truck trophies, besides a packed ARCA resume. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s stud, Sammy Smith, despite having no victories, is a threat in Xfinity much like his run last year. However, money is an important factor in motorsports, but talent is equally crucial.

Honest NASCAR fans side with the true talent and the rising stars

One thing clear about success in NASCAR is that it takes time. For example, Martin Truex Jr. could not carve out a solid Cup career in the initial phase. Yet under Joe Gibbs’ care, he shot to glory from the 2016 season onwards. So one fan shut down the aforementioned Twitter post as they reminded the drivers’ ages. “Chandler is a super consistent and reliable driver who’s putting up wins in xfinity. Sammy is still way younger than we are acting like he is (definitely the weakest of the three) Sawlich isn’t even 18 yet chill.”

William Sawalich’s teenage ventures translated into 14 victories across series even before Gibbs inducted him. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s stud, Sammy Smith, a mere 20-year-old, is upturning expectations with his impressive runs every other weekend.

So another fan harped on their ages and wrote, “The oldest person you mentioned is 22 and might have a cup ride next year, the second oldest is 20, the third is 19 and the fourth isn’t even 18. You are digging your heels in way to early here bud.” One fan simply bashed the Twitter poster about his misinformed take. “It’s always good to hear a rundown from somebody with a vast amount of experience in racing.”

Even the championship-winning contenders like Kyle Larson did not get starstruck success until his Hendrick Motorsports entry in 2020, as one fan agreed. “Heard the “overrated” talk until he got with Hendrick. First year of xfinity he went winless, ran ok. Cup was hot and cold too.” 

Larson started out slow in NASCAR, getting no glory in the Cup for three years. It was only after 2020 that he clinched a whopping 21 Cup wins, so another fan stressed this point. “Larson didn’t win a single race in his first Nationwide season. And honestly seemed a little bit like just a good Cup driver until he said the bad word and went to Hendrick.” Currently, he sits comfortably with the top 5 on the Cup table. No. 2 in the standings with 4 wins, 9 top-5s, and 12 top-10s with a total of 826 laps led this season (2nd to Denny Hamlin with 896).

Clearly, NASCAR fans are throwing their weight behind these upcoming talents. Both Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joe Gibbs are honing their prowess, and they should nod their way into NASCAR’s top level soon.