NASCAR Stock Watch Before Atlanta: Stock Up, Stock Down for 6 Drivers

It’s always important not to overreact to a single race during the 2026 NASCAR season, especially since so much can change depending on the track. However, coming out of the first points race of the season, we can say there are some drivers who are trending in the right direction and others in the wrong direction heading to Atlanta this weekend.

Let’s dive into our NASCAR stock watch after the Daytona 500, highlighting full-time Cup Series drivers whose stock is up or down ahead of the second race of the season.

Stock Up: Zane Smith

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Zane Smith flies under the radar at a time when 19-year-old Connor Zilisch and 23-year-old Carson Hocevar are viewed as the future faces of the NASCAR Cup Series. However, in the Daytona 500, Smith made a name for himself. He earned a Stage 1 victory—the first stage win of his career—and then worked his way up from 15th in Stage 2 to finish sixth behind the likes of Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski. Smith’s 41 points marked one of his highest totals since joining the Cup Series, and he led as many laps in the 500 as Logano and Christopher Bell (nine). We’re not saying Smith is a safe bet to make the playoffs by any means, but beating his career-highs in top 10s (five) and laps led (22) seems doable.

Related: NASCAR Power Rankings after Daytona

Stock Down: Chase Briscoe

NASCAR Stock Watch — Nadia Zomorodian/News-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is certainly not time for Chase Briscoe or the No. 19 team to panic; it is far too early in the season for that. He made the Championship 4 last season in his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing and performed like a top-five driver in the second half of the season. However, Briscoe left Florida with just 2 points after starting second in the Daytona 500 and leading the field in Duel 2. He is already 41 points back of third place in regular-season points, and the new Chase format is unforgiving for top drivers with multiple bad performances. Briscoe will still make the playoffs, but his championship odds took a hit this past Sunday.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Predicts Who Wins the NASCAR Championship

Stock Up: Shane van Gisbergen

We know Shane van Gisbergen finished 30th in the Daytona 500 and walked out of the No. 97 car with only 7 points. However, he did lead three laps and was regularly in the top 10 of the field before he got caught up in the Big One. He was in 12th place when the incident began, and his car sustained enough damage to effectively prevent him from getting back to the front. What matters is that SVG demonstrated he is a lot better at racing on ovals than he was a year ago—good enough to snag top-20 finishes and potentially even a few top-10s and stage points this year. SVG’s stock is very much on the rise.

Related: NASCAR Predictions 2026, Projecting 16 Playoff Drivers

Stock Down: Connor Zilisch

With 20 laps to go in Stage 2, Connor Zilisch found himself leading the field at the Daytona 500. Just as the teenager started earning praise from the broadcast crew, he got into the side of Justin Allgaier twice and his car got looser from there before he lost control. There is no denying that the rookie is one of the best prospects to enter the Cup Series in years, but there are going to be growing pains and he has a ton of learning to do. He will be very competitive on the road courses this year, but struggles on ovals in the Next Gen car will keep him out of the playoffs.

Read More: Denny Hamlin Shares When NASCAR Drivers Should Worry About Points, Standings

Stock Up: Tyler Reddick

After failing to win a single race in 2025, Tyler Reddick kicked off his 2026 campaign with a crown jewel win. While he was not dominant, his last-lap moves to get in front of the field and win the Daytona 500 show what Reddick is capable of and why he was the NASCAR regular-season champion in 2024. After a turbulent season off the track last year, Reddick has his confidence and focus back. More wins are coming this year.

Related: NASCAR Points Standings after Daytona 500

Stock Down: Alex Bowman

The fourth-best driver at Hendrick Motorsports is always going to feel some pressure to perform. Alex Bowman has phenomenal equipment and a great team, but the results in recent seasons—only one win in the last three years—are underwhelming. Unfortunately for Bowman, his 2026 campaign got off to a rough start. The No. 48 car not only failed to lead a single lap in the Daytona 500, but he also only completed 123 laps after his car suffered race-ending damage in a collision during the Big One. With that result, he now ranks 22nd in average finishing position (20.3) over the last 15 races, with as many top-five finishes (one) as the likes of Daniel Suarez, A.J. Allmendinger, and Justin Allgaier.

Related: NASCAR Hot Seat 2026

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