As the regular season for the NASCAR Cup Series continues to wind down, attention begins to shift towards the garage area’s annual game of musical chairs, ‘Silly Season’.
Hendrick Motorsports: No. 48
Alex Bowman has been with Hendrick Motorsports full-time since the 2018 season, and has proven that he is capable of getting to victory lane with eight wins under his belt. However, the recent performance of the No. 48 entry has seen better days, with the most notable being Bowman’s history of health issues–including his most recent battle with vertigo–has but the Tucson, Arizona native under a microscope this contract season.
Despite the hurdles, Bowman stated before the weekend at Chicagoland Speedway that he does not feel his job is up for grabs anytime soon.
“I definitely don’t feel like I’m racing for my job or anything like that by any means,” Bowman said. “I’m just trying to do my best to help (Hendrick Motorsports) be the best it can be right now.”
If the scenario of Bowman leaving does come about, car owner Rick Hendrick currently holds 20-year old prospect Corey Day waiting in the wings. Day races in the O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Series full-time with two wins and sitting third in points.
Richard Childress Racing: No. 33
Following the tragic passing of Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing elected to renumber the team from the No. 8 to the No. 33, with Austin Hill taking over the remainder of the 2026 season.
With Jesse Love out of the mix for the seat to go join the Wood Brothers, bringing Hill up to the Cup Series after being apart of the RCR pipeline and extensive success in the lower series could make sense. Hill so far has captured 16 victories in the second tier division.
Hill isn’t the only name linked to the seat, industry insiders have brought up current Cup Series driver Noah Gragson as a candidate. Gragson not only brings familarity with Chevrolet, but can fit the mold of what the current sponsorship of the seat is looking for with Rebel Bourbon, BetMGM, and Zone Nicotine Pouches appearing on the car every weekend.
Front Row Motorsports: No. 4
While on the topic of Gragson, the 27-year old currently sits under a mulit-year agreement with Front Row Motorsports, though inconsistent results have fueled speculation about his long term future.
If Gragson were to depart for greater pastures, Front Row and team owner Bob Jenkins would need to find a driver to not only pair with Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith, but one that could prioritize sponsorship or strengthing existing partnerships.
Front Row’s Truck Series team currently holds two of Ford’s rising prospects in Layne Riggs, who lead’s the Truck Series points standings, and Chandler Smith, who hold experience across all three touring divisions.
RFK Racing: No. 60
RFK Racing’s third entry stands a unique predicament, mainly from a charter standpoint with the No. 60 Ford Mustang of Ryan Preece. Co-owner and driver of the No. 6 Brad Keselowski has made it clear in previous interviews that the team will have three cars on the grid, charter or not, but preferably the former rather than the ladder.
“As it stands today, there are no charters that I’m aware of that are for sale,” Keselowski said back in May. “If there was, we’d certainly to everyone we could think potentially sell one.”
Preece has told insiders that he plans to return to RFK for next season.
Legacy Motor Club: No. 84
Jimmie Johnson’s ambition of growing Legacy Motor Club into a potential powerhouse is moving at a rapid rate, especially with aquiring a third charter from Rick Ware Racing to run a third car alongside John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
The question now centers on who will take the reigns of the 10th different Toyota entry. In the garage area, all signs point towards Riley Herbst as the favorite. It was announced in late May that Corey Heim would be taking over driving duties of the No. 35 at 23XI Racing for 2027, leaving Herbst searching for a new home.
Beyond his on-track development, Herbst does bring a valuable asset to any team in the form of sponsorship, with Monster Energy being with him at every stop since 2019. The combination of manufacturer familiarity, Cup Series experience and sponsorship backing makes the three-time O’Reilly’s Series winner an attractive fit to land this ride.
Kaulig Racing: OEM Uncertainty
Team owner Matt Kaulig and CEO Chris Rice entered this season without any OEM help at the Cup level. While the two cars of Ty Dillon and AJ Allmendinger run Chevrolet bodies, the focus has now shifted to Kaulig’s Truck team with RAM and Mopar’s return to the sport, and the potential return of Dodge to the NASCAR Cup Series as soon as next season, if the Stellantis brand is able to speed up their process of creating a body, engine combination, and other hurdles along the way, Kaulig Racing would be the first in the pecking order.
While rumors of the move continue to rise by the week, Rice says that the switch isn’t as cut and dry as many are speculating.
“We would love to,” Rice said on Dirty Mo Media’s ‘Door Bumper Clear’. “Engine is the biggest problem right now. I have had people reach out saying ‘I can do an engine’, it’s not that easy.
As far as driver lineup is concerned, Rice confirmed before San Diego that Allmendinger will remain in the No. 16 car for the forseable future.
“But it’s up to him how long he wants to do the full-time racing stuff,” Rice said. “He’s got to give himself a timeline, but at the same time, he’s going to help us like he has over the last seven years build this program.”
For Dillon, his future in the No. 10 isn’t as clear. The 34-year old has spent the last two seasons with the team and has delievered lack luster results with a 33rd points finish and only one top-1o finish in 2025. This year, the finishes have looked virutally the same even without any OEM help. Dillon will have the rest of the season to prove he belongs or if Kaulig will pull the plug.
