Young drivers set to rule NASCAR

loved home track. And Gordon, a fellow Hoosier, came out of retirement to replace ailing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 car.

Their final lap at Indy will be replayed for years. And the tributes aren’t over.

Stewart will continue to receive accolades as his career winds down, and Gordon will draw attention for what is perhaps his final final race at Pocono Raceway next weekend if Earnhardt is healthy enough to return after that.

Clearly, their time in the spotlight is coming to a close. So who will take over once they’re out of their cars for good?

Look no further than the front of the pack Sunday.

The NASCAR world tends to get caught up in any up-and-coming drivers who show potential. Rookies Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney have enjoyed solid seasons, while youngsters such as Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon continue to improve.

When USA TODAY Sports asked 20-plus drivers this season who would win the championship five years from now, Elliott was the overwhelming pick.

That might be the case. But if so, he’s going to have to beat a driver who is absolutely dominating the series at times — and likely won’t stop anytime soon.

Think about it: Busch is 31. He has a Cup championship and 38 wins — more than nine drivers in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and 11 fewer than Stewart, who is perhaps the greatest talent of his generation.

Busch is in a different generation — one with hard-nosed racers such as Joey Logano (15 wins at age 26) and Brad Keselowski (a Cup title and 21 wins at age 32).

These are the drivers who are set to take over from Gordon and Stewart. These are the drivers who likely will win the bulk of the races and championships over the next decade.

But right now, it’s Busch’s world. Just look at Sunday, when he won his fourth consecutive NASCAR national series race at a track known to be very difficult to master. He made it look easy, and seemingly no one could touch him on restarts despite the field getting several shots at the end of the race.

Logano came closest, sticking to Busch’s door through Turn 1 until a caution came out on a late restart. But the next time, Busch pulled away.

It doesn’t hurt that Busch is driving for the best organization in NASCAR right now. The Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas have only gotten stronger since winning all the big trophies and the championship last year; Sunday marked Toyota’s 10th victory of the season through 20 events.

But Busch is a unique talent with the capability of taking his car to another level, even though fans might get upset that he wins so often and don’t like how he ruffles some feathers along the way.

Wait a second. That sounds like some other drivers we know, doesn’t it?

Yes, Stewart and Gordon made plenty of fans unhappy over the years with their winning ways. The boos they heard in the prime of their careers certainly rival the ones Busch receives now.

But as their driving days wound down, they were respected. Stewart and Gordon received the loudest cheers before Sunday’s race.

The same could happen for Busch someday. Not now, but perhaps in 10 years.

Give him time. He’s not going anywhere.