MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA - JUNE 10: Corey LaJoie, driver of the #32 Keen Parts Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on June 10, 2020 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Key figures in 2020-21 Silly Season

By Staff report | Published: 29 Nov, 2020 47

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

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BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - JULY 15: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 BodyArmor Ford, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 15, 2020 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

NASCAR Silly Season doesn't take a holiday. As drivers and teams announce plans for next year, we're keeping tabs on those who are key players. Ryan Blaney (pictured) and Alex Bowman got the action started in the spring with extensions to stay at Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports, respectively.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Corey LaJoie

Current ride: No. 32 Go Fas Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: LaJoie will be driving for Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 Chevrolet for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. The driver spent the past two seasons with Go Fas and has showcased his personality aplenty on MRN's "Sunday Money."

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Raphael Lessard

Current ride: No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: Lessard will shift to GMS Racing in a partial effort of 12 races with his eyes on running a full season if it materializes. The 19-year-old Canadian driver won his first Truck race in 2020 at Talladega.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Ryan Truex

Current ride: Part-time in the No. 40 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: Truex will turn his part-time gig into a full-time ride with Niece Motorsports for the 2021 Camping World Truck Series season, the team announced Nov. 24. He'll stick with the No. 40 entry, too. In nine starts last season, Truex averaged a 20.1 finish and posted a best result of 12th twice -- at Kansas Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His last full-time Truck Series job was in 2017, highlighted by eight top-five finishes.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

John Hunter Nemechek

Current ride: No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Kyle Busch Motorsports signed Nemechek to its No. 4 Toyota in the Camping World Truck Series for 2021, it was announced Nov. 23. It was only a week before that Nemechek informed Front Row he will not be returning to the team for the 2021 Cup Series season. Front Row indicated it will announce its "plans for its NASCAR programs in the future."

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Live Fast Motorsports

The scoop: Matt Tifft and B.J. McLeod are pairing up to form a Cup Series team as the two have purchased a charter from Go Fas Racing owner Archie St. Hilarie’s ownership interest of Circle Sport Racing’s charter with Joe Falk. McLeod will drive the team’s No. 78 Ford, and the organization will have a strategic partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Adam Stevens

Current role: Crew chief for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: The two-time Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, and his two-time title-winning crew chief are splitting up, as Stevens moves to the No. 20 JGR team to aid driver Christopher Bell from atop the pit box.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Ben Beshore

Current role: Crew chief for the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Beshore is moving back to the No. 18 JGR team in the Cup Series, where he used to be an engineer, after two seasons atop the pit box in the Xfinity Series. Beshore will be Kyle Busch's new crew chief.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Jeb Burton

Current ride: Part-time in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: After several part-time rides -- most notably with JRM -- Burton is going to run full time with Kaulig Racing. He takes over the open seat of the No. 10 Chevrolet, vacated by Ross Chastain's move up the ladder to the Cup ranks. Burton fared well in limited JRM duty, so it will be interesting to see how he does in a full-time deal.

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Jamie Squire | Getty Images

Chase Purdy

Current ride: Part-time in NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for GMS Racing.

The scoop: The NASCAR Next alumni will move into a full-time role with GMS in 2021 with the Camping World Truck Series, the team announced Nov. 13. Purdy had seven starts behind the wheel of a truck in 2020, with one top-10 finish.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Harrison Burton

Current ride: No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Fresh off a four-win season and two wins in the final three races, Burton will be back in the Xfinity Series for 2021 in the same ride he piloted in 2020. The series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year had a strong season and should be among the favorites for the title in 2021.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Travis Mack

Current role: Crew chief for the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: After nearly two-and-a-half seasons with driver Michael Annett and JRM, Mack is making the move back to the Cup ranks. He served as a crew chief briefly in 2018 for Kasey Kahne at Leavine Family Racing.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Brett Moffitt

Current ride: No. 02 Our Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series/No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: After two full-time seasons with GMS Racing in the Gander Truck Series, Moffitt will transition to full time in the Xfinity Series with a familiar ride. The 2018 Gander Trucks champion will pilot the No. 02 Chevrolet for Our Motorsports in 2021. In 2020, Moffitt competed in 29 of the 33 Xfinity Series events with the team one top five and seven top-10 finishes.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Daniel Hemric

Current ride: Part-time in the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Hemric will be moving to Joe Gibbs Racing's Xfinity Series program and piloting the No. 18 Toyota, the team announced Nov. 12. Hemric is still searching for his first NASCAR national series win.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Riley Herbst

Current ride: No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: After a full-time season at JGR, Herbst is moving on and his seat will be filled by Daniel Hemric. In 2020, Herbst qualified for the playoffs and finished 12th in the standings.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Michael Annett

Current ride: No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Annett will return to JRM for a fifth season in 2021. He has qualified for the playoffs in three of his previous four seasons with the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned organization. Longtime partner Pilot Flying J is back as a primary sponsor.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Justin Allgaier

Current ride: No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Fresh off making the Championship 4 in the Xfinity Series for the fourth time in five years, JRM announced Nov. 2 that Allgaier will be back in 2021. Longtime partner BRANDT will also return as a primary sponsor.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Austin Hill

Current ride: No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: Hill will be back for a third season with HRE. He has totaled six wins over the past two seasons and just missed making the Championship 4 in those years as well.

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 24: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, and crew chief Michael Wheeler stand in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 24, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Chris Trotman/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Chris Trotman | NASCAR via Getty Images

Mike Wheeler

Current role: Competition director for Leavine Family Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Wheeler will be back atop the box for the 2021 season as the crew chief for Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 23XI Racing team with co-owner Denny Hamlin. Wheeler worked with Hamlin for three years and the pair won five Cup races together.

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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Kyle Larson

Past role: Driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet before he was fired for using a racial slur during an iRacing event in April. At the time, NASCAR also suspended him indefinitely.

The scoop: Hendrick Motorsports signed Larson to a multi-year deal on Oct. 28 to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in the Cup Series starting in 2021. Larson has six Cup Series victories and has qualified for the playoffs four times. His reinstatement to NASCAR goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

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John K. Harrelson

Rudy Fugle

Current role: Crew chief for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: The 28-time winner in Gander Truck Series competition will make the move up to the Cup Series to man the pit box for William Byron's No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Fugle, who earned seven of those wins with Byron, replaces seven-time Cup champion Chad Knaus.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Sheldon Creed

Current ride: No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Series.

The scoop: The 2020 Gander Truck Series champion will be in the Truck ranks in 2021 with GMS, the team announced Oct. 23. His title season produced five wins and he will look to defend his crown.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Tyler Ankrum

Current ride: No. 26 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: Ankrum came over to GMS in 2020 and proceeded to make the playoffs for the second straight season. On Oct. 23, the team announced he will be back for a second season at GMS.

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Jacob Kupferman | NASCAR

Josh Berry

Current ride: JR Motorsports Late Model Program.

The scoop: Fresh off his 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly National Championship, Berry will drive the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series for approximately 12 races in the first half of the 2021 season. The 30-year-old has made seven previous Xfinity Series starts with five coming for JRM.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Erik Jones

Current ride: No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Jones has landed with Richard Petty Motorsports, signing a multiyear deal to drive the team's No. 43 Chevrolet. He'll succeed Bubba Wallace in King Richard Petty's Cup Series entry. The move comes after Joe Gibbs Racing announced Aug. 6 it would part ways Jones after the 2020 season.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Chase Briscoe

Current ride: No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Briscoe will move up to the Cup Series in 2021 taking over the No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, with Clint Bowyer moving into the FOX broadcast booth next year. Briscoe qualified for the Xfinity Series Championship 4 with his playoff win at Kansas Speedway.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Justin Haley

Current ride: No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Haley will be returning to Kaulig for a third season and is fresh off a three-win season while emerging as a title contender in the series. He should be one of the favorites for the Xfinity Series championship in 2021.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Hailie Deegan

Current ride: No. 4 DGR-Crosley Ford in the ARCA Menards Series.

The scoop: Deegan will be making the move up the ladder to run in the Camping World Truck Series with an eye on a full campaign in 2021. She will compete for rookie honors in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Brandon Jones

Current ride: No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 13, JGR announced Jones would be back in the No. 19 Toyota for his fourth season with the team in 2021. He has four wins with the organization.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Zane Smith

Current ride: No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 12, GMS revealed Smith will be returning to the organization for a second season. In his freshman campaign, he's won twice and advanced to the Championship 4 in the series playoffs.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Clint Bowyer

Current ride: No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 8, Bowyer announced he will step aside from full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition to join the FOX NASCAR booth for the 2021 season. To date, he has 10 Cup Series wins in his 16-year career and won the 2008 Xfinity Series title.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Matt DiBenedetto

Current ride: No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 8, Wood Brothers Racing announced DiBenedetto would return to the team for the 2021 season. The 2020 season saw DiBenedetto qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his Cup Series career.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Austin Cindric

Current ride: No. 22 Team Penske Ford in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 8, Team Penske announced Cindric inked a contract extension that will see him drive in the Xfinity Series in 2021 with select Cup Series starts before moving over to the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing team to run Cup in the 2022 season. The 2020 Xfinity champion will look to defend his title in 2021.

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Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images

Daniel Suarez

Current ride: No. 96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 7, Trackhouse Entertainment Group announced the formation of a Cup Series race team, tabbing Suarez to pilot its No. 99 Chevrolet full time starting with the 2021 Daytona 500.

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Alex Bowman

Current ride: No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: On Oct. 6, Hendrick Motorsports announced Alex Bowman will shift to the No. 48 Chevrolet, taking over for seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson as he retires from full-time competition after the 2020 season. The 2021 season will be Bowman's fourth driving for the organization.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Bubba Wallace

Current ride: No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Wallace announced on Sept. 10 he was not returning to Richard Petty Motorsports for the 2021 season. On Sept. 21, Wallace and Denny Hamlin announced the 26-year-old would pilot a car for a team Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan were putting together for 2021 and drive the No. 23 for 23XI Racing. Wallace will finish out 2020 with RPM, his third full-time season with the organization.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Ty Dillon

Current ride: No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: On Sept. 21, Germain Racing announced it had agreed to sell its charter to the Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin team with driver Bubba Wallace. Per the release announcing the sale, Germain will say farewell at the end of the 2020 season. Dillon, the driver of the No. 13 for the past four seasons, is now an option for the open seats around the garage.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Ross Chastain

Current ride: No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Chip Ganassi Racing announced on Sept. 21 that Chastain will take over the No. 42 Chevrolet full-time for 2021 in the Cup Series, replacing Matt Kenseth.

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Nic Antaya | ARCA Racing

Sam Mayer

Current ride: Part-time in NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and running various ARCA series for GMS Racing.

The scoop: Mayer will be moving to JR Motorsports to make his Xfinity Series debut in 2021 with a full-time ride in the series for 2022. He had driven for JRM in the organization's late model program earlier in his development.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Aric Almirola

Current ride: No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Almirola has been a playoff fixture during his three-year tenure at SHR and a preseason crew chief change has helped him reach new heights. Almirola confirmed he had a deal to return in 2021 on Sept. 1.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

William Byron

Current ride: No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Three days after Byron's first career win, Hendrick Motorsports announced it had extended the young driver's contract through the 2022 season. Byron qualified for the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs with his victory in the Aug. 29 regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Noah Gragson

Current ride: No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The scoop: Gragson will be returning to JR Motorsports for the 2021 Xfinity Series season. In 2020, he notched two wins and has turned some heads with his aggressive, take-no-prisoners style of racing.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Christopher Bell

Current ride: No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Joe Gibbs Racing announced Aug. 10 that Christopher Bell would drive the No. 20 Cup Series car in 2021. It was announced earlier that Erik Jones, who currently occupies that seat, would not return to JGR after the 2020 season. Bell will continue to drive for Leavine Family Racing until the end of this season with LFR selling its charter beyond 2020.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Tyler Reddick

Current ride: No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Reddick casually announced he will be staying with Richard Childress Racing in 2021 on a Aug. 7 Zoom call -- the day after Erik Jones’ Joe Gibbs Racing departure became public news. The rookie will return to his No. 8 Chevrolet, which hasn’t made it to Victory Lane in 2020 just yet but did place runner-up to his own teammate, Austin Dillon, at Texas Motor Speedway in July.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

Brad Keselowski

Current ride: No. 2 Team Penske Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Team Penske took Keselowski off the open market by signing him to a contract extension on Aug. 3. The 2012 champ will return to the No. 2 Ford in 2021, putting to rest one of the biggest question marks we had entering Silly Season.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson

Current ride: No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: What is the retiring seven-time champ doing here? Well, he is only retiring from full-time racing in NASCAR. It's not hard to picture him being in the field at say Sonoma Raceway or Watkins Glen International in 2021 and perhaps a few other select events in addition to his potential IndyCar dabbling.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Matt Kenseth

Current ride: No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The scoop: Seemingly out of nowhere, Kenseth returned to take over the reins of the No. 42 when NASCAR returned from its COVID-19 hiatus. The results may not have quite lived up to expectations, and with Ross Chastain in place for 2021, it will be just one season at Ganassi for Kenseth. The veteran indicated in a November interview that his days of full-time driving are over.

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Key figures in 2020-21 Silly Season

Corey LaJoie

Raphael Lessard

Ryan Truex

John Hunter Nemechek

Live Fast Motorsports

Adam Stevens

Ben Beshore

Jeb Burton

Chase Purdy

Harrison Burton

Travis Mack

Brett Moffitt

Daniel Hemric

Riley Herbst

Michael Annett

Justin Allgaier

Austin Hill

Mike Wheeler

Kyle Larson

Rudy Fugle

Sheldon Creed

Tyler Ankrum

Josh Berry

Erik Jones

Chase Briscoe

Justin Haley

Hailie Deegan

Brandon Jones

Zane Smith

Clint Bowyer

Matt DiBenedetto

Austin Cindric

Daniel Suarez

Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace

Ty Dillon

Ross Chastain

Sam Mayer

Aric Almirola

William Byron

Noah Gragson

Christopher Bell

Tyler Reddick

Brad Keselowski

Jimmie Johnson

Matt Kenseth