Sprint Cup 2015: Young Stars Who Will Flourish During Upcoming Season

Heading into the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, several drivers are hoping to improve on the previous season. For two sophomores and an experienced rookie, this year has the potential to be one where they emerge as true contenders.

Those three drivers striving for greatness are all from different teams, but each has equally large expectations. Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon and Trevor Bayne are all hoping to become the next Kyle Busch or Joey Logano, but gaining ground this season will be crucial.

Even in a loaded field that includes some of the brightest stars the sport has ever seen, these three young guns have a shot to make serious noise. All three are now locked in with competitive teams and have a wealth of experience at the premier level.

Before the season fires up with the Daytona 500, here's a look at all three and why they will enjoy success this season.

Kyle Larson, Chip Ganassi Racing

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It seems nothing could go wrong for Larson in the last several months. The 22-year-old driver just got finished helping win the Rolex 24 at Daytona with teammate Jamie McMurray. Prior to that win in January, Larson's girlfriend, Katelyn Sweet, gave birth to his first baby boy, Owen, on Dec. 22.

For an encore, Larson guaranteed success this upcoming season.

"We are capable of definitely being a top-10 car each week, winning at least two races, making the Chase and going for the championship," Larson told reporters in late January, via Jeff Owens of Sporting News. "Those are pretty realistic goals. … I would have guaranteed that we would have made it last year, but things just didn’t work out. I would guarantee it, too."

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Mike Hembree of USA Today believes he has a bright future ahead of him:

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His name is bandied about in the grandstands and garage areas as if he might be the next coming of Foyt or Andretti, Petty or Earnhardt.

And he might be.

Kyle Larson is in the birthing years of what many think will be one of the most successful careers in auto racing history. A winner in sprint-car racing at 14 and on an accelerated curve since, Larson carries the unofficial title of Racing's Next Big Thing.

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Larson's strong finish to the 2014 season came when all the pressure was off during the Chase. If he can mirror his six finishes of seventh or better during the final 10 races, Larson will surprise the Sprint Cup field in 2015. Expect just that from Larson.

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

Unlike Larson, Dillon didn't exactly excel down the stretch. However, he did put together several strong performances to start out the season, with his performances at Daytona being the most prominent.

During his opening race in the No. 3 machine, Dillon took the pole and drove to a ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500. Of course, that got overlooked with Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking the win, but no one can overlook his top-five result from July at the same famed track.

Dillon recently spoke about how he plans to improve this season, via Jared Turner of Fox Sports:

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I think I need to challenge myself more on restarts. I need to take advantage of the opportunities. I've got that yellow (rookie) stripe off my back, and I need to let people know that it's not there. At some point, at some time you've got to be aggressive, and that's what this Sprint Cup racing's about. They really pushed me a lot last year to be that way.

It's hard, though, coming into the sport as a rookie with all the things that we brought into it, and making those leaps. But there's a certain point you've got to, and hopefully we make that leap this year and start pushing ourselves more on these restarts and making stuff happen.

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Aggression can be good and bad for a driver. Take the original driver of the No. 3 car, for example. Dale Earnhardt was never a favorite for drivers when he was on their tails, earning him the moniker "The Intimidator" for his driving style. That led him to seven titles over his entire career.

That's not to say Dillon will ever be Earnhardt, but it might be the right move for carrying on the legacy. With a strong start to this season with slightly improved results, Dillon might just be joining Larson in the Chase in 2015.

Trevor Bayne, Roush Fenway Racing

Since shocking the NASCAR world by winning the 2011 Daytona 500, Bayne has somewhat slipped out of the spotlight. Following his departure from the Wood Brothers to join Roush Fenway Racing, he won't be able to hide much longer.

At the time of his first Cup win, Bayne was viewed as a budding star. Only 20 years old and one day after his birthday, it appeared he might be able to resurrect the Wood Brothers. That didn't quite work out as planned, with Bayne leading just five laps the remainder of the 2011 season.

Here's a little breaking news: Bayne is still only 23 years old. On Feb. 19, he'll turn 24 and be the same age as Dillon. Needless to say, he's got a lot of time ahead of him to recapture that success.

Now behind the wheel for RFR, he has a legacy to uphold. Not only does he have to pick up the slack after Carl Edwards departed for Joe Gibbs Racing, but he's also driving the historic No. 6 car formerly driven by Mark Martin. The NASCAR legend won 35 races behind the wheel of the No. 6 machine, something that might come in time for Bayne.

He might not be at the same level of experience or competitiveness as the other two drivers on this list, but Bayne will still show promise this season. After all, he's essentially a lock for Rookie of the Year as one of only two first-year drivers running a full-time schedule.

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