NASCAR rumors: Matt Kenseth’s career likely coming to an end
Keeping track of which drivers are joining which teams for the 2018 NASCAR season.
A seismic Silly Season, in which some of NASCAR’s most prominent teams are shuffling their lineups and some big name drivers are on the move, continues to come into focus.
The biggest changes thus far for 2018 has seen Alex Bowman and William Byron replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne, respectively, at Hendrick Motorsports; Erik Jones replacing Matt Kenseth at Joe Gibbs Racing; Ryan Blaney joining an expanding Team Penske; Paul Menard taking Blaney’s spot at Wood Brothers Racing; Aric Almirola shifting from Richard Petty Motorsports to Stewart-Haas Racing; and Darrell Wallace Jr. getting the nod to fill Almirola’s seat at RPM.
But even amidst the numerous changes, the story of free agency is the number of veteran drivers finding it difficult to secure competitive rides. A situation brought about due to a widespread lack of sponsorship that has forced teams to reduce costs to and scale back ballooned budgets.
Kenseth, Danica Patrick, and Kurt Busch are notables who still haven’t solidified their future plans. Kenseth, 45, announced this past weekend he is stepping away after this season and won’t race fulltime in 2018 after he was unable to find a team that would allow him to consistently contend for wins.
Kenseth had hoped to join Hendrick on a short-term deal to fill the vacancy created by Kahne’s release, which would’ve allowed the organization to continue developing Byron in the Xfinity Series for another season. But in a cost-savings move Hendrick opted for the 19-year-old Byron, who is considered by many industry insiders as a “can’t-miss” prospect and doesn’t have the same salary demands as Kenseth.
Current SHR teammates Busch and Patrick also remain free agents. And although Busch is expected to re-sign with SHR --at a reduced salary -- Patrick won’t return to SHR and is unlikely to sign elsewhere unless she can bring sponsorship with her.
Here’s a detailed look at how the free agency landscape is coming together for next season:
Matt Kenseth
With Hendrick choosing to go in a different direction regarding Earnhardt’s successor and Kahne’s replacement, Kenseth came to the harsh reality that he wasn’t going to have the opportunity to sign with a competitive organization as he had hoped.
It’s possible Kenseth could return sometime in 2018 should a quality ride open. It’s just as likely he has just two Cup Series races left before his eventual Hall of Fame career concludes.
Brad Keselowski
After prolonged negotiations, Keselowski and Penske announced a multi-year contract extension on July 25. Exact terms of the deal and the length were not disclosed.
Erik Jones
The 21-year-old is off the market. His departure from Furniture Row Racing initially signaled an opening with a top-notch organization and a potential landing spot for Kenseth or Busch. However, when adequate sponsorship couldn’t be found FRR announced in October it would shutter the No. 77 team for the 2018 season.
Kurt Busch
SHR declined to exercise the option in Busch’s contract, a move predicated by co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas still waiting word on whether Monster Energy continues to serve as an anchor sponsor for Busch’s No. 41 team. All indications are that Busch will return to SHR, but nothing has yet been solidified.
William Byron
After some initial hesitation in the Hendrick camp whether to promote Byron with just one season of Xfinity experience, the team decided he was ready for the jump to Cup. Hendrick announced Wednesday Byron will drive its No. 5 Chevrolet full-time in 2018 with sponsorship from Liberty University and Axalta.
Ryan Blaney
Another promising young driver who’s shifting organizations, and similar to Jones this transaction was expected. Team owner Roger Penske has wanted to bring Blaney in-house for some time and just needed the sponsorship to materialize to add a third full-time car.
With the funding coming together, Blaney was named as driver of the newly created No. 12 team. Penske now has a potent lineup going forward featuring the highly regarded Blaney alongside title contenders Keselowski and Joey Logano.
Danica Patrick
With the results absent and Patrick no longer bringing in substantial sponsorship dollars, signs long pointed toward her and SHR severing their relationship. That decision came in September with Patrick announcing she would not return to the team in 2018.
What Patrick does next is unknown. With a new athletic clothing line launched and a fitness book due out in January, Patrick looking beyond racing becomes a realistic proposition.
Kasey Kahne
A change of scenery and a fresh start was something Kahne needed and he will get that at Leavine Family Racing, a midsize organization that greatly improves itself by signing the 18-time Cup race-winner.
Leavine has shown it can punch above its weight class while employing journeyman drivers. Now, it gets a driver in Kahne, 37, capable of winning at the Cup level and motivated to show he still has many good years left.
Alex Bowman
A lot of factors contributed to Bowman getting the biggest break of his career. Foremost, he did an excellent job as Earnhardt’s fill in a year ago — on the track where he was competitive in several races, and off it where he had great rapport with sponsors and the team. Earnhardt advocating for him publicly also helped convince the team owner to give him a shot.
Now the pressure is on Bowman to prove he’s deserving. If he doesn’t produce, it would cost Hendrick little to reverse course and move in a different direction.
Carl Edwards
NASCAR’s white whale who a lot of upper-echelon teams would love to sign, Edwards has given no indication he’s going to give up the Missouri farm life to return to racing on a full-time basis.
Paul Menard
With backing from his family-owned home improvement chain, Menard isn’t lacking sponsorship. This factored heavily into him landing with the Wood Brothers, where Menards will sponsor the No. 21 Ford in 22 races next season.
Menard departing Richard Childress Racing creates further uncertainty within that organization. The team is considering contracting from three cars to two and has already begun layoffs.
Chris Buescher
The second-year driver was loaned by Roush Fenway Racing to JTG Daugherty Racing this season, and that relationship will continue into 2018.
Aric Almirola
After five years with Richard Petty Motorsports, Aric Almirola’s tenure as driver of the iconic No. 43 car will conclude at the end of the season. Almirola hasn’t revealed his future plans, though every indication has him moving to SHR where he’ll replace Patrick.
Darrell Wallace Jr.
The popular Wallace, 24, gets his long-sought chance at NASCAR’s premier division, as he will replace Almirola as driver of the famous No. 43 car for RPM next season.
The story was updated at 11:30 p.m. ET on Nov. 7, 2017