Seven drivers who could replace Kevin Harvick in 2024

Kevin Harvick announced Thursday he will retire from NASCAR Cup Series racing, capped with his 23rd season. That means Stewart-Haas Racing will have to find a new driver for its No. 4 Ford in 2024. Here are seven drivers who could find themselves driving for SHR next year.

Ryan Preece

Preece makes his triumphant return to full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2023 for Stewart-Haas Racing behind the wheel of the team’s No. 41 entry. But as a driver who is already represented by KHI Management – Harvick’s marketing agency company – Preece seems like an easy option to slide into the No. 4 Ford in 2024 if the team sees high-caliber results from the Connecticut native.

Cole Custer

Speaking of the No. 41 car, its former pilot heads to the Xfinity Series in 2023, eager to rekindle some of his prior magic. Custer was victorious at Auto Club Speedway in February 2022 driving an Xfinity car and is a three-year Cup veteran with one series win (Kentucky, 2020). His struggles the last two years in the series were evident, but a rejuvenating season in Xfinity could propel the son of team president Joe Custer right back into the Cup Series – and a premier ride – in 2024.

Ross Chastain

Chastain made his presence known loud and clear in 2022, driving Trackhouse Racing to a Championship 4 berth on the heel of his first two career Cup victories and a stunning trip around the Martinsville SAFER barrier that still resonates months later. But Chastain’s contract with Trackhouse runs through 2023. Realistically, it seems unlikely Trackhouse co-owner Justin Marks would let Chastain slip from his grasp – or that Chastain would depart after such immediate success and belief in the program. That doesn’t mean, however, that SHR wouldn’t want a Chastain-caliber driver upon Harvick’s absence.

Zane Smith

A candidate ready-in-waiting for a full-time opportunity in Cup is Smith, the defending Craftsman Truck Series champion. Already in Ford’s pipeline, Smith represents plenty of potential for the manufacturer’s future. In a surprise debut last spring at Worldwide Technology Raceway at Gateway, Smith filled in for Chris Buescher in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford and finished a respectable 17th place. Smith is a well-liked competitor who is slated for part-time Cup starts with Front Row Motorsports this year. His next step could be a full-time ride in ’24.

Alex Bowman

Bowman, a seven-race winner in the Cup Series, has been associated with Hendrick Motorsports since 2016 and a full-time driver there since 2018. His current contract with Hendrick runs through 2023, meaning Bowman – an avid dirt racer like SHR co-owner Tony Stewart – will become a free agent this season. There’s no indication Hendrick or Ally, Bowman’s current sponsor, won’t renew Bowman’s deal, but the No. 4 Ford makes an intriguing landing spot for a proven race winner.

Riley Herbst

Herbst is firmly planted at Stewart-Haas Racing as he enters his third full-time Xfinity Series campaign in the team’s No. 98 Ford. While his numbers have yet to leap off the stat sheets, Herbst offered the best performance of his career in 2022, scoring eight top fives, 20 top-10 finishes, a 13.0 average finish and a 10th-place ranking in the final standings – all career bests. More improvements – including a first trip to Victory Lane – could bolster a case for the 23-year-old.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse, like Bowman, has his roots in dirt racing – now more specifically as the co-owner of his own sprint car team. The 35-year-old is a two-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series and currently pilots the No. 47 Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing. The two-time Xfinity champ (who is also represented by KHI) did recently sign a multiyear extension with JTG that begins in 2023, but messier contract problems have been solved before (see: Tyler Reddick).