The NASCAR Silly Season began a lot earlier than it usually does this year. From Spire Motorsports to Joe Gibbs Racing many teams have moved important pieces to set themselves up for the future. The decisions that five drivers have taken in this exciting period have made for most of the talk in stock car racing circles. Here’s an outlook at them as the time of contract exchanges continues to unfold.
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Michael McDowell – The No. 34 driver of Front Row Motorsports announced back in May that he will be driving for Spire Motorsports beginning in 2025. He will be quitting his current team after a long association of seven seasons. Interestingly, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Noah Gragson is set to take his seat next year and drive alongside Todd Gilliland.
Cole Custer – The 2023 Xfinity Series champion is set to make a grand return to the Cup Series next year. He will be driving for the Haas Factory team following the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing. He drove the No. 41 Ford Mustang in the Cup Series in 2020, 2021, and 2022 before he was demoted to the second-tier. Expectations are high of him.
Corey LaJoie – It was announced this past week that the No. 7 driver will no longer be a part of Spire Motorsports in 2025. It was one of the most surprising decisions of the Silly Season considering LaJoie has been an integral part of the team over the last four years. His seat has now become one of the most sought-after ones.
Chase Briscoe – Briscoe was the first driver to find himself a new home after Stewart-Haas Racing announced that it would be shutting down permanently next year. He will be joining Joe Gibbs Racing as the pilot of the No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE. James Small will act as his crew chief and Bass Pro Shops will be his primary sponsor for the majority of the season.
Martin Truex Jr. – The veteran’s decision to finally retire from full-time racing wasn’t a surprise to many. He had been considering the idea for a long time and finally made the call last month. The ongoing season is his 19th outing in the Cup Series and he will be hanging up his boots with at least one top-tier championship. Briscoe is set to replace him in the No. 19 car.
Other drivers who’ve stirred the transfer pot are Josh Berry and Hailie Deegan. Berry will be moving to Wood Brothers Racing next season. AM Racing announced earlier this month that Deegan will be relieved from her seat immediately following her failure to produce good results in the Xfinity Series. She had an average finish of 26.8 in the first 17 races of the season.
