With silly season in full swing, here is a team-by-team look at how their 2025 lineups could look.
As talks are ongoing, these projections/outlooks will change and we’ll keep you updated.
Here’s my outlook as of Aug. 23, including some updates from info learned here at Daytona and following the announcement that Zane Smith will be released from Trackhouse Racing after this year, which makes him an immediate free agent.
Joe Gibbs Racing
11: Denny Hamlin is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
19: Chase Briscoe will replace Martin Truex Jr. next year, the team announced Tuesday. Crew chief James Small will remain with the team.
20: Christopher Bell is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected
54: Ty Gibbs is the grandson of the team owner and is expected to have a ride as long as the team has Joe Gibbs in operation. Whether he would ever change to the No. 18 — the signature and original JGR number — probably would be the biggest question. Joe Gibbs indicated there is nothing imminent as far as a number change.
Hendrick Motorsports
5: Kyle Larson is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
9: Chase Elliott is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
24: William Byron is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
48: Alex Bowman is signed through at least next year. His win on July 7 on the Chicago street course did — at least temporarily — quiet much of the speculation that he could be out of this ride. Even with that win, it seems he can’t afford many hiccups.
23XI Racing
23: Bubba Wallace isn’t signed yet for next year but is expected to return.
45: Tyler Reddick is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
67 (or another number for third car with charter likely acquired from SHR): With the team already having a Monster Energy relationship, adding Riley Herbst and his Monster deal would make sense but Herbst has indicated his future is still not set. Corey Heim is the team’s driver of the future, but he might be a year or two away from being fully Cup ready.
Team Penske
2: Austin Cindric indicated last week that he is signed for next season (it didn’t seem he was on the hot seat anyway). It wasn’t an announcement of anything being recently signed but more of clearing up any confusion from what had been interpreted in some comments following his Gateway win earlier this year.
12: Ryan Blaney is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
22: Joey Logano is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
RFK Racing
6: Brad Keselowski is a co-owner and is expected to be back in this car next year.
17: Chris Buescher is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
60: RFK Racing is in the running to get the Kroger sponsorship for 2025, and if so, could possibly start a third full-time car. Brad Keselowski said on Aug. 23 about being ready to start a third full-time car: “Not today but hopefully soon.” He even left the door open to run a third car unchartered. Kroger has previously been a sponsor of Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece, and had good relationships with both when they drove for JTG Daugherty Racing.
Trackhouse Racing
1: Ross Chastain is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
99: Daniel Suarez has signed a contract extension that will keep him in the seat next year, the team announced Aug. 9.
TBA (charter likely acquired from SHR): With Trackhouse announcing Aug. 23 that Zane Smith had been granted his release, it is likely the team will elevate Shane van Gisbergen (who is driving primarily for Kaulig in the Xfinity Series) to a Cup car next season. Smith is now looking for a ride.
Chase Briscoe reacts to Christopher Bell’s JGR spoiler
Richard Childress Racing
3: Austin Dillon is signed through at least next year. While there is chatter that maybe he could step aside (much like his grandfather Richard Childress did for Dale Earnhardt decades ago), it is far more likely he is back in this car next season.
8: Kyle Busch is signed through at least next year and no changes are expected.
33: The team had flirted with adding a third full-time car for next year but that seems much less likely than in early June.
Haas Factory Team
41: Cole Custer was announced on July 20 as the driver for this team next year. The defending Xfinity Series champion and current series points leader who had spent 2020-2022 in the Cup Series at SHR, was the natural choice for this car with his Xfinity performance and the Haas sponsorship he has carried throughout his career. The team will remain Ford and have an RFK alliance.
Front Row Motorsports
34: Noah Gragson is signed with the team for next year. The team has not announced whether he would be the No. 34 or its third car.
36 (charter acquired from SHR): Zane Smith has been the top candidate for this ride but the longer the process lingers, it does add to the speculation that there are hurdles (sponsorship needed) to get this deal to the finish line. Chandler Smith has been the other likely candidate. Sam Mayer did have conversations with the team but has signed to remain in the Xfinity Series with Haas Factory Team. The car number also is to be determined as Front Row is considering changing its car number lineup).
38: Todd Gilliland is signed through at least next season and no changes are expected.
Todd Gilliland discusses unexpected contract extension with Front Row Motorsports
Spire Motorsports
7: Corey LaJoie was signed through next season but found out July 24 that he will not be driving for Spire. Justin Haley, whose performance at Rick Ware Racing has caught the attention of some big teams, is the favorite to land this ride. The team, whose relationships and partnerships include some crossover with both Hendrick and Trackhouse, has announced that current SHR crew chief Rodney Childers will crew chief the car next year with current crew chief Ryan Sparks concentrating on his role as competition director.Â
71: Michael McDowell (currently driving for Front Row Motorsports) signed with Spire through at least next season and joins the team to replace Zane Smith. McDowell likely will bring crew chief Travis Peterson with him to Spire.
77: Carson Hocevar is signed at least through next season. His performance this year has been strong enough to potentially get a look from other teams, but he is expected to stay at Spire for 2025.
Legacy Motor Club
42: John Hunter Nemechek is signed through at least next season and no changes are expected.
43: Erik Jones, it was announced Aug. 13, signed a contract extension that should keep him in the No. 43 at least through 2026.
JTG Daugherty Racing
47: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is signed at least through next season and no changes are expected.
Rick Ware Racing
15: With multiple drivers (Kaz Grala is the anchor driver), if a driver came with sponsorship, this ride would be a possibility. Ryan Preece does have experience driving for RWR, having run two races with the team in 2022.
51: Justin Haley is signed through at least next year but it appears there are options for him to leave or get out of the contract. He is the favorite to go to the Spire Motorsports No. 7 car. Why make that move? Spire and Hendrick have a close relationship and a strong performance at Spire could put him more in line for a Hendrick (or other Chevrolet) ride. This possibly could end up almost as a swap as soon-to-be former Spire driver Corey LaJoie is a candidate to replace him.
Kaulig Racing
16: AJ Allmendinger will return to Cup full-time in 2025 in the same car he drove during the 2023 season.
31: Daniel Hemric is not signed for next season. This ride likely will come down to sponsorship. The team and Ty Dillon flirted with each other last year before being unable to finish the deal. Dillon has had a handful of starts in Kaulig’s No. 16 car this year and shouldn’t be ruled out for this car in 2025.
Wood Brothers Racing
21: Josh Berry has been announced as the driver of this car for 2025 as the SHR driver will replace Harrison Burton. Burton has some sponsorship that he could bring with him but his 2025 landing spot is unclear with a return to trucks or Xfinity possible.Â
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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