Just a few years ago, it seemed that NASCAR’s fad of “road course ringers” — drivers from other racing disciplines who would cross over to race the tracks with both left- and right-hand turns — was dead. The days of Boris Said, Ron Fellows and Scott Pruett mixing it up with Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart were over, and no one was here to replace them.
Ever since the series added an influx of road courses to the schedule in 2021, however, the ringer trend has seen a full revival. That has continued this year, with two major names from overseas announcing Cup Series debut plans in recent weeks.