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Key players in 2021-22 Silly Season
By Staff report | Saturday, July 24, 2021
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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. Former champions Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski are at the center of the action this go-round.
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Brad Keselowski
Current ride: No. 2 Team Penske Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: On July 20, 2021, Roush Fenway Racing announced that Keselowski will drive the No. 6 Ford Mustang , beginning with the 2022 Cup Series season, which includes a minority ownership stake with the organization. Keselowski will leave Team Penske after 12 seasons following the conclusion of the 2021 season.
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Ryan Newman
Current ride: No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: After it was announced that Brad Keselowski will shift to Roush Fenway Racing in 2022 , Newman will not return to the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang following the 2021 season. His future plans have yet to be announced. Roush Fenway Racing team president Steve Newmark indicated a part-time role with the organization was a possibility on their end.
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Austin Cindric
Current ride: No. 22 Team Penske Ford in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The scoop: The reigning Xfinity Series champion actually already had a Cup ride secured for 2022 as it had been announced in 2020 that Cindric would pilot the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in the Cup Series for 2022. With Keselowski now departing Penske at the end of the 2021 season, Cindric is taking over the helm of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford instead where he will be a favorite for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
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Harrison Burton
Current ride: No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The scoop: In the midst of his second full-time Xfinity Series season, Burtonhas been tabbed to take over the iconic No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in the Cup Series beginning next season. Burton made his first-ever Cup Series start at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this year, finishing 20th.
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Matt DiBenedetto
Current ride: No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: DiBenedetto is out of the ride after the 2021 season with Harrison Burton now set to fill his seat. He will likely be a candidate for any seat that might come open moving into 2022 but has recently said he has no plans solidified for next season.
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Kyle Larson
Current ride: No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: Kyle Larson is locked in to staying with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2023 season. His No. 5 Chevrolet will feature majority sponsorship of 35 races a year from HendrickCars.com and they will also have branding for Larson's non-NASCAR events as well. Through 21 races in his first season with Hendrick, he had four wins and was a title contender.
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Noah Gragson
Current ride: No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The scoop: Gragson said during a July 14th media availability that he had "no idea" yet about his 2022 plans. The 2021 Xfinity Series season marks his third year with JR Motorsports.
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Trackhouse Racing Team
The scoop: Trackhouse has purchased the NASCAR operations of Chip Ganassi Racing -- including two charters -- and will take control of those operations at the end of the 2021 season. At the announcement of the purchase, Trackhouse said Daniel Suarez will be back next season but that a second driver was to be determined as the team does plan to field a second car in 2022.
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Chip Ganassi Racing
The scoop: Chip Ganassi Racing announced on June 30 that it has sold its NASCAR operation to Trackhouse Racing Team. Trackhouse will take control of the assets -- including the shop and two charters -- at the end of the 2021 season.
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Kurt Busch
Current ride: No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: The 2004 champion told Corey LaJoie on the July 14th episode of "Stacking Pennies" that 23XI Racing was an option for him in 2022 but that he doesn't have anything lined up yet. He has also said he has talked with Trackhouse about a potential opportunity. With Ganassi's sale to Trackhouse, Busch is definitely in play as a driver on the move.
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Ross Chastain
Current ride: No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: With the sale of Ganassi to Trackhouse, Chastain's future is a bit in flux. Trackhouse has yet to name a second driver so naturally he'll be in the mix for that opening especially as he has put together some solid races this summer.
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Justin Haley
Current ride: No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
The scoop: Haley is moving up to a full-time Cup ride for 2022 as he will be Kaulig Racing’s first full-time Cup driver. He has spent the past three seasons running a full-time car for Kaulig’s Xfinity program and reached the Championship 4 in 2020. He has made a number of Cup starts for Spire Motorsports — including a surprise win in just his third Cup start in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.
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AJ Allmendinger
Current ride: No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
The scoop: Allmendinger has inked a multi-year agreement with Kaulig Racing that will see him compete full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series while running a part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in select events in 2022. The 2021 season marked Allmendinger’s return to full-time NASCAR racing and also has seen him make a handful of Cup starts in Kaulig’s part-time car this year.
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Kaulig Racing
The scoop: Team owner Matt Kaulig has secured two charters for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season . He will field a full-time team with driver Justin Haley and AJ Allmendinger will run a partial schedule. Kaulig has fielded a part-time car in 2021 with Allmendinger and Kaz Grala piloting the ride.
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Alex Bowman
Current ride: No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The scoop: Bowman isn't going anywhere. Following his Dover victory -- his second win of 2021, team owner Rick Hendrick said regarding an extension that "we've already started. It should be done any time. We want Alex there. He wants to be there. It's kind of at this point just a formality." His two-year extension with Hendrick through 2023 was officially announced June 18 .
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GMS Racing
The scoop: The organization announced in June that it anticipates making its NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2022 in what owner Maury Gallagher calls "the next step for the team." In its announcement, GMS indicated that driver and schedule announcements would come at a later date.
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23XI Racing
The scoop: The Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin co-owned organization is in Year 1 with driver Bubba Wallace, but is eyeing a second car for Year 2, according to reports. Kurt Busch admitted in a SiriusXM interview that the organization has called about having him drive for them.
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