Key drivers in 2019 NASCAR Silly Season
By Staff Report | Thursday, November 14, 2019
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
1 of 23
The NASCAR Silly Season is in full swing. As drivers and teams begin to announce plans for next year, we're keeping running tabs on those who are key players over the next few months of action.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
2 of 23
Daniel Hemric
2019 ride: No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
2020 outlook: Hemric will run 21 (of 33) races in the No. 8 Xfinity Series car for JR Motorsports. RCR announced Sept. 17 that it exercised its option to release Hemric at the end of the 2019 season -- his first in the top series.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
3 of 23
Tyler Ankrum
2019 ride: No. 17 DGR-Crosley Racing Toyota, Gander Outdoors Truck Series
2020 outlook: Fresh off a Round of 6 run in the postseason, Ankrum will make the move to GMS Racing to be part of a three-truck full-time effort with Brett Moffitt and Sheldon Creed. Sam Mayer will run a partial schedule for the organization as well.
Chris Trotman | Getty Images
4 of 23
Matt Tifft
2019 ride: No. 36 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
2020 outlook: Tifft and Front Row announced on Nov. 13 that the driver and team mutually agreed to part ways so that Tifft could focus on his health. The 23-year-old was a rookie in Cup competition in 2019 and posted one top 10 (a ninth-place finish in the summer Daytona race).
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
5 of 23
Austin Hill
2019 ride: No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota, Gander Outdoors Truck Series
2020 outlook: Hill will return to the ride he piloted in 2019 with an increased presence from sponsor United Rentals. He is currently in the Round of 6 of the 2019 Gander Trucks playoffs and has three wins on the season.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
6 of 23
Riley Herbst
2019 ride: Part time in Xfinity Series, Gander Outdoors Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series
2020 outlook: After competing part time in the Xfinity Series No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in 2018-19, Herbst has inked a full-time deal to drive the machine in '20 with sponsorship from Monster Energy, ORCA Coolers and Terrible's.
Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
7 of 23
Kurt Busch
2019 ride: No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
2020 outlook: Kurt Busch will return to Chip Ganassi Racing for a multiyear deal to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet with sponsorship from Monster Energy.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
8 of 23
Brandon Jones
2019 ride: No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Xfinity Series
2020 outlook: Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Oct. 31 that Jones will return to JGR for a third season in the organization's Xfinity program. He scored his first series win at Kansas this season.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
9 of 23
Harrison Burton
2019 ride: No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota, Gander Outdoors Truck Series
2020 outlook: Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Oct. 17 that Burton would make the move up to the Xfinity Series after a full-time season in the Gander Truck ranks. The son of 21-time Cup winner Jeff Burton will pilot the No. 20 JGR Toyota. The 19-year-old got his feet wet in the Xfinity Series this season.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
10 of 23
Clint Bowyer
2019 ride: No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: SHR confirmed that Bowyer would be back for 2020 on Oct. 17. The veteran has made the playoffs in two of his three seasons for the Tony Stewart-Gene Haas owned organization and will continue to pilot the No. 14 Ford.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
11 of 23
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2019 ride: No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: JTG Daugherty Racing announced on Oct. 16 that it had signed Stenhouse to a multiyear deal starting with the 2020 Daytona 500. After seven seasons in Cup in the No. 17 Monster Energy Series ride for Roush, Stenhouse will part ways with the team after the 2019 season. He collected two wins for RFR, both in the 2017 season when he also had his best finish of 13th in the standings. Stenhouse also won back-to-back Xfinity Series titles for Roush in 2011 and 2012.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
12 of 23
Ross Chastain
2019 ride: No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series
2020 outlook: Kaulig Racing announced Oct. 15 that Chastain will join the team next year, making the Xfinity Series group a two-car operation. Chastain, who won in a Kaulig Racing car at Daytona in the summer Xfinity Series race, joins Justin Haley and becomes an instant playoff contender.
Daniel Shirey | Getty Images
13 of 23
Aric Almirola
2019 ride: No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: On Oct. 10, Stewart-Haas Racing announced a renewal of its partnership with Smithfield that will see Almirola return to pilot the No. 10 car in 2020. He has made the playoffs in two seasons with SHR.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
14 of 23
Tyler Reddick
2019 ride: No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, NASCAR Xfinity Series
2020 outlook: Reddick will take over the NASCAR Cup Series ride held by rookie Daniel Hemric in 2019. Reddick came to RCR in 2019 to drive full time in the Xfinity Series after winning the championship the year before at JR Motorsports. Reddick has two Cup starts to his credit, both this season for RCR (Daytona, Kansas). He has won 11 races in NASCAR's national series.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
15 of 23
Chris Buescher
2019 ride: No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: Roush Fenway Racing revealed Sept. 25 Buescher will take over the No. 17 Ford in 2020. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s seven-year run in that ride will come to an end after the 2019 season. Buescher won a NASCAR Xfinity Series title with Roush Fenway Racing in 2015 before moving over to the Cup Series first with Front Row Motorsports and then JTG Daugherty Racing, where he has been the past three seasons.
Chris Graythen | Getty Images
16 of 23
Christopher Bell
2019 ride: No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, NASCAR Xfinity Series
2020 outlook: Leavine Family Racing announced on Sept. 24 that Bell was taking over the No. 95 Toyota in 2020. Crew chief Jason Ratcliff is moving up with Bell to the Cup level as well after spending the past two seasons with him in the Xfinity Series. Bell is in the midst of the Xfinity Series Playoffs and has seven wins this season through 27 races.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
17 of 23
Matt DiBenedetto
2019 ride: No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: What a turn of events. DiBenedetto posted on Twitter in early August that Leavine Family Racing would go in a different direction for 2020. It didn't take him long to land elsewhere -- he'll drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford next year.
Sarah Crabill | Getty Images
18 of 23
Paul Menard
2019 ride: 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: Menard and Wood Brothers Racing announced the driver would retire after the 2019 season.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
19 of 23
Erik Jones
2019 ride: No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: Jones' extension with Joe Gibbs Racing was announced on Sept. 6 -- just days after his Darlington win locked Jones into the NASCAR Playoffs for the second straight season.
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
20 of 23
Kurt Busch
2019 ride: No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: When Busch joined Ganassi in the offseason, the team announced it was a one-year deal. Given how competitive the veteran has been, though, he may be in line for an extension.
Brian Lawdermilk | Getty Images
21 of 23
David Ragan
2019 ride: No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: Ragan announced in August he would step down from full-time NASCAR competition at the end of the season, opening a ride at Front Row Motorsports.
Matt Sullivan | Getty Images
22 of 23
Cole Custer
2019 ride: No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, NASCAR Xfinity Series
2020 outlook: Custer exploded for five wins in the first 17 races of the season, and he has come into his own as a top prospect. He's committed to Stewart-Haas Racing, but in which series?
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
23 of 23
Daniel Suarez
2019 ride: No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Monster Energy Series
2020 outlook: Suarez is like his teammates on this list -- if Custer is earmarked for an SHR seat in the Monster Energy Series, a veteran will be odd man out.
