The youth are already brewing a storm in NASCAR. In 2026, all eyes are on some prodigal youngsters, of whom Connor Zilisch is probably at the top. The 19-year-old will start his full-time Cup Series campaign after a phenomenal 10-win Xfinity season. However, he is not the only one, as other younger drivers look like bright prospects for NASCAR’s future. And Mark Martin cannot contain his enthusiasm for them.
Mark Martin heaps praise on young faces
“There’s so much to look forward to in motorsports,” Mark Martin said in a recent episode of the Mark Martin Archive podcast. “I mean, golly, Brexton Bush, you know, Keelan Harvick is unbelievable. He’s a little older than Brexton, but I mean, he can give his dad all he wants, uh, and more sometimes. So, uh, they just had an incredible race out here at Tucson. The kid gave a little bump and run to Kevin, and Kevin gave it back and won the race. It was pretty incredible stuff to watch.”
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Indeed, the past week featured a display of young talent. Keelan Harvick was one of that group, with an aggressive zeal to win the SoundGear 125 race in the CARS Tour West Pro Late Model season. He exchanged blows with none other than his father, 2014 Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick. Although the latter made the winning pass and pulled away by .743 seconds, Keelan’s performance was jaw-dropping. This came after a season of besting his father in five races in 2025.
Then, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch‘s son is also an enigma. The 10-year-old Brexton Busch is getting ready to wheel his first full-sized stock car in the JR Late Model division. Busch won the INEX Bandolero Bandits National Championship with 23 victories and 28 podiums in 2025. In all, Busch has won 150 races, including a Golden Driller in the prestigious Tulsa Shootout that elicited praise from Mark Martin.
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The NASCAR veteran also threw the spotlight on Amelia and Laela Eisenschenk, two talented dirt racers. Their uncle is 10-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz. The two sisters made their World of Otlaws debut in 2025.
“I watch a lot of dirt track stuff, a lot of late model, mostly late model dirt. I don’t hear much of anything about uh, these two sisters. They’re both teenagers,” Mark Martin said. “Well, the older one actually runs pretty good. I mean, the races I’ve seen, she’s run mid pack of the, you know, of the top dudes in the country. It’s hard to even make those races.”
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“And I watched the younger girl run her heat race out here at the Wild West Shootout. And even though she missed the transfer spot in the heat, man, she was passing cars on the top, driving in on the top, and running sideways, you know, all the way around it right on the cushion. It’s just uh it’s pretty amazing.”
Clearly, Mark Martin is starry-eyed about the youth. And he himself harbors a youthful spirit with his tastes.
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Cultivating a rich pastime
Mark Martin’s achievements can hardly be overstated. From winning 96 races across NASCAR’s three series to becoming one of the few drivers above 50 years of age to win a race, Martin has accomplished a lot. And behind this success was a love for music that fueled his pastime. Martin is an avid listener of rap music, and often has it playing in his own shop.
“Artists like Rick James really had an influence on me,” Mark Martin said. “I really liked his style of funk. Prince was one of the greatest artists of all time. I hated love songs, but Al Green made me love a love song. I listened to Al Green when I was 16 years old, along with ZZ Top and Aerosmith.”
Also an immense fan of AC/DC, Mark Martin introduced the Australian rock band to his son with the Highway to Hell album. “I’m kind of all over the place. I’m sure I have some brain damage from the volume of AC/DC that I played, all those years in the late 70s and early 80s.”
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An avid music lover and a legendary NASCAR driver – what can be a better combination? Mark Martin espouses this youthful spirit heartily while uplifting the motorsports youth.