What channel is NASCAR programming on this week? We answer that and provide all the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.
Note: All times are ET.
RELATED: Watch on the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1, FS2 | How to find NBCSN
Friday, January 19
7:30 p.m., Racing Roots, NBCSN
8 p.m., NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, NBCSN
RELATED: Alonso takes first Daytona laps | Pruett to retire following Rolex 24
Last month, Ford Performance announced a unique plan for four of its rising stars in the NASCAR ranks to enhance their road racing skills through participation in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge in 2018.
The same trio of drivers — Chase Briscoe, Austin Cindric and Ty Majeski — who will share the No. 60 Roush Fenway Ford Mustang in the 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series, will be part of a rotating driver lineup in a Multimatic Motorsports-prepared Ford Mustang GT4 in the Continental Tire Challenge. Joining them will be Cole Custer, who will drive the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Mustang in the 2018 Xfinity Series, and all will race under the watchful eye of Canadian road racing Hall of Famer and longtime Ford/Multimatic driver Scott Maxwell.
MORE: Rising NASCAR stars to share No. 60 ride at Roush Fenway
Cindric is no stranger to Mustangs in the Continental Tire Challenge, as he raced in the series in 2015 and earned his first series victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Custer also has a reasonable amount of road racing experience in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It’s a different story entirely, though, for Briscoe and especially Majeski.
“This is only my second time ever on a road course,” Majeski said. “The multi-class thing is a lot different, everything is just a lot different. It’s just a new experience for me. I’m leaning a lot on Scott Maxwell, my teammate, who’s had a ton of experience with this stuff. It’s been a big learning experience, but I think it’s gone pretty well so far. I’m looking forward to the next day and a half and sinking my teeth into it even more.”
With that in mind, what has been the biggest adjustment so far for Majeski?
“Turning right,” he laughs. “It’s something I’ve literally done none of in my entire life. It’s just a whole different set of instincts to get speed out of these cars. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can.”
Also learning as much as he can is Briscoe, although he does have somewhat more road course seat time. He and Majeski are expected to compete in several Continental Tire Challenge rounds this season — certainly more than Cindric and Custer – which is somewhat of a “pinch me” moment for Briscoe.
“I never thought in a million years that I would get to do what I’m doing on the NASCAR side, let alone get an opportunity to come to Daytona for a road course race,” Briscoe said. “Growing up being a sprint car guy, that’s probably the last thing you’d ever think would be a possibility.
“For Ford to decide that they would give me a chance to do it and not only run here, but I think I’m going to run six or seven other races, so it’s going to be really fun. I’m thankful to be in that position with Ford, where I get to do so many different things. As a driver, that’s all you can ask for is to get seat time in different cars and whatnot.”
RELATED: Pruett to retire following Rolex 24 | Allmendinger to run Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso turned his first laps at Daytona International Speedway on Friday during the opening day of the three-day Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona test.
And while the Spaniard has driven on a variety of road racing circuits throughout his storied career, it’s safe to say he hadn’t previously experienced anything like the unique, 3.56-mile Daytona course.
“I did, unfortunately, only three laps this morning, but enough to have a feeling in the car and on the Speedway as well,” said Alonso regarding his maiden DIS laps aboard the No. 23 United Autosports Ligier LM P2 car. “The coolness and the high banking were special. You feel the compression in the body and you feel the visibility change, because when you are in, let’s say, the normal part of the circuit, you have a view in the car that is a little bit longer ahead.
“When you are in the corner with the banking, you see the next 200 meters of the track and only that. I was trying to look where the track was going. It was good fun and a fast feeling.”
While already an established worldwide racing superstar with his F1 titles, Alonso’s popularity among many U.S. race fans soared last May when he contended for the win in his first Indianapolis 500 before a mechanical issue removed him from contention. He was competitive throughout the month of May at Indy and was focused on the singular goal of winning the race, even as he learned a new racing format. He’s taking the same approach at Daytona.
“It’s more or less the same goal as Indianapolis, first of all, to try to learn different driving techniques,” Alonso said. “I’m trying to learn from the specialists of endurance races and try to be a better driver when the 24 hours finish. That’s the first aim. It’s the first time for me in an endurance race, first time in a Prototype car, first time driving at night, the first time driving with GT around, so many new things will come step-by-step.”
RELATED: Pruett’s NASCAR stats | Allmendinger to run Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Scott Pruett walked into the Daytona International Speedway media center and smiled widely as he looked at the Lexus banner hanging behind the podium displaying three cars he had driven in the Rolex 24 and honoring him for a “storied career in racing” that spanned five decades.
Moments later, the 57-year old Pruett smiled again and calmly, thoughtfully, announced his retirement from the sport, revealing he will hang his helmet up after the upcoming Jan. 27-28 Rolex 24 At Daytona – the great sports car endurance race that Pruett has hoisted the overall victory trophy five times in an amazing career that’s spanned five decades.
“As an athlete if you’re fortunate enough to have a long and successful career and lucky enough to come to the end on your terms then you are truly blessed, and I truly am,” Pruett said. “Today, after 50 years of racing, the 2018 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona will be my last race.
“It’s a magical place and I love it and what better way to say goodbye to a sport I love than at this revered place surrounded by my respected peers and diehard fans. So here we go. I’m so excited about the next chapter of my life and getting on with the Rolex 24 here in the next few weeks.”
Early in Pruett’s diverse and celebrated career, it became clear the question wasn’t what this driver might accomplish, but what wouldn’t he achieve.
His is a five-time champion in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with an amazing 60 sports car series wins in addition to claiming victories in the prestigious International Race of Champions (IROC) circuit. He competed in both NASCAR’s premier Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ranks and the IndyCar Series, where he won twice. He even made a pair of starts in the famed Australia SuperCars Series.
When it comes to sports car racing, Pruett is considered a legend already.
And how fitting that his final green flag – teaming with Dominik Farnbacher, Jack Hawksworth and David Heinemeier Hansson in the No. 15 GT Daytona (GTD) class Lexus — will come in the Rolex 24 At Daytona where he is among the great race’s absolute best. His five overall victories ties him for the most all-time with the legendary Hurley Haywood.
Since 2004, Pruett has led an astonishing 5,262 laps in fulltime sportscar competition and in the last 10 years, he’s led 2,010 laps in the Rolex 24 alone.
“Scott Pruett is a legend of sports car racing,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton. “It is a word and a description that is often over-used, but in this instance it is a statement of fact. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to have him represent IMSA for decades.
“His on-track accomplishments and larger than life personality made him the face of American road racing. He became a household name among race fans through his versatility, and while he also enjoyed success in IndyCar and NASCAR, his sports car racing résumé is what made him a hall of famer.
“As we embark upon what many expect to be the biggest season yet for IMSA and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, we will miss having Scott out there battling for race victories. And we will also miss his ‘Hi to the family back home,’ gesture that was his signature element of every TV interview… On behalf of Jim France, Ed Bennett and everybody at IMSA, I offer heartfelt congratulations to Scott on a truly amazing career, and most importantly, thank you, Scott, for all that you’ve done for our sport.”
He is truly one of the most well-rounded competitors in the sport’s history.
Pruett’s first victory in the renowned IROC (International Race of Champions) circuit came as a 28-year old in 1988 on the Riverside, Calif. road course. He bested a healthy version of the sport’s all-time all-stars including sports car’s Chip Robinson, two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., and legends such as Al Holbert, Bobby Rahal, four-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser and NASCAR Hall of Famers Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott and the late Dale Earnhardt.
He won a second IROC event on the Daytona International Speedway high banks during the 1991 Speedweeks – less than a year after he recovered from massive injuries – broken feet, ankles and back — he suffered while testing an IndyCar the previous March. That victory remains one of the brightest moments of his highlight-reel career, Pruett insisted Friday.
“Coming off my bad accident and coming here and beating Bill Elliott in the IROC race, that was huge after breaking my ankles and shattering my knees and breaking my back,” he said. “There was never a moment I didn’t want to get back in a race car, in fact it drove me harder.”
Pruett earned three top-five finishes in 40 starts in the Monster Energy Series, including 28 starts in the 2000 season. His best finish was runner-up, fittingly at the Watkins Glen, New York road course in 2003. He also made a combined 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in six different seasons, winning three pole positions and earning top-five finishes in two Mexico City starts.
Pruett’s two IndyCar victories came in 1995 (Michigan) and 1997 (Queensland, Australia).
When it’s all said and done, having competed in such a wide array of race cars and racing series, Pruett reiterated his truest love remains sports car competition. And therefore it is most fitting that he officially retire after the country’s most celebrated sports car race, the Rolex 24.
“Sports cars,” Pruett replied, when asked to reflect on his favorite form of racing competition. “Overall, people long past when I’m gone, I think will remember me for sports cars. Even though I have achievements in other forms, by far, sports cars are my love.
“More so than anything else I’d like to go out and just have an incredible race in my final 24.
“My wife and I were looking. … My first race was when I was 24 and I believe this is my 24th time doing the 24. … maybe all those wonderful 24s will come together in the coming weeks here at Daytona.”
“I have so many incredible memories here, it just seemed appropriate this was the time and place.”
RELATED: Joey Logano reveals he and wife Brittany are expecting a boy
So far no epic burnout to celebrate the birth of his son, akin to the announcement that Joey and Brittany Logano were expecting a boy, but the joy over his arrival is magnificent.
God gave us a little miracle last night!!! pic.twitter.com/YyPNZy7Ox7
— Joey Logano (@joeylogano) January 5, 2018
Congratulations to the couple on their first child.
Editor’s note: This is the third of three stories on 2018 breakout candidates. Camping World Truck Series breakout candidates can be read here; Xfinity Series breakout candidates can be found here.
Utilizing statistics accrued during the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, we can project future performance and identify five drivers likely to enjoy breakout campaigns in 2018:
Chase Elliott
Though he missed out on chances to win late in the year at Dover, Martinsville and Phoenix, Elliott’s popularity soared. In 2018, his on-track accolades might finally catch up to his burgeoning fan base.
Elliott was a top-5 position defender from both the preferred and non-preferred grooves on restarts. He ranked as the second most efficient passer across all track types, with a plus-3.11 percent surplus passing value trailing only that of Jimmie Johnson (plus-3.78 percent). This netted Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports team 172 positions beyond what was expected from his average running position, which improved along with his speed during the playoffs.
Hendrick teams across the board operated with a speed deficit during the first 26 races, but Elliott’s car ranked as the third fastest in the playoffs, per timing and scoring data supplied to NASCAR.com, up from sixth across all regular season races. Unclear is how teams under the Chevrolet banner will perform with the new Camaro body making its debut in 2018, but Elliott’s team, led by crew chief Alan Gustafson, can hedge with effective pit strategy. Gustafson’s crew retained Elliott’s running position on 67.39 percent of green-flag pit cycles and on 61.11 percent of green-flag stops when running inside the top 5. Both are rates above the series average.
Erik Jones
No, Jones didn’t win a race or qualify into the playoffs despite driving for Furniture Row Racing, but his passing ability on intermediate tracks suggests an immediate future rich in victories. In the 11 races on intermediates, Jones scored an additional 140 positions more than expected from his average running position, an average of 11.2 spots per 400 miles. That was the second highest rate in the Cup Series this season and over 13 positions per race better than the most effective 1.5-mile passer in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, for which he is now a part.
Crew chief Chris Gayle moves with Jones from Furniture Row to JGR and is a year wiser following a rookie foray of his own. His pit strategy output from Year 1 as a Cup Series race-caller needs improving. Gayle defended Jones’s running position on 48.78 percent of green-flag pit cycles (the series average was 63.58) and 16.67 percent of green-flag pit cycles from a top-5 running positions (series average was 40.41) for a 44-position loss despite Jones never earning a single pit road penalty under green all year.
A little natural improvement in 2018 would go a long way for Jones and Gayle.
Clint Bowyer
The perception of Bowyer’s first year at Stewart-Haas Racing was it proved to be underwhelming. He didn’t win and he missed the playoffs. There were, however, things to like about his 2017 campaign and a forthcoming career mile marker that should excite.
Bowyer ranked ninth in Production in Equal Equipment Rating, a measure of a driver’s results independent of his team and car, and eighth in surplus passing value for a Stewart-Haas team that ranked just 15th in average green-flag speed for the entire season. Bowyer and crew chief Mike Bugarewicz created a niche for themselves during the summer; they produced the third-fastest car on 2-mile, non-drafting tracks. Considering most playoff teams deemphasize R&D for races at facilities like Michigan and Pocono, this track type marks an opportunity for Bowyer to win in 2018, locking down an elusive playoff spot.
Additionally, Bowyer soon hits upon a magic moment in a driver’s life. He turns 39 in May, which is the peak age for an average Cup Series driver according to a 2014 Motorsports Analytics study.
Ryan Blaney
Despite Blaney’s win at Pocono and respectable playoff showing, he underachieved as a whole in 2017 considering the gap in his average running whereabouts and tangible race results. He completed 64 percent of his laps inside the top 15—creating an expectation of 23 top-15 finishes—but fell six short of the projection. A chief reason for the disparity is his 2.4-position average loss during the final tenth of each race, the biggest positional drop in the series during that time frame. If he eradicates the late-race drops, he’s poised for some robust stat line improvement.
Blaney established himself as an elite restarter during his final year with Wood Brothers Racing. He ranked as the third best preferred groove restarter, based on his 86.05 percent position rate, and the third best non-preferred groove restarter, protecting his position at a 63.54 percent clip. He netted 47 total positions in restarts from inside the first seven rows.
Aric Almirola
One could argue that regression is on the horizon for Almirola after he overachieved in a season truncated by injury. Based on his 13.8 percent of completed laps inside the top 15, he was expected to score four top-15 results; he actually corralled 10 such finishes. That’d be a difficult trick for any driver to replicate.
Almirola moves from Richard Petty Motorsports to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017, where drivers like Bowyer and Kurt Busch had no problem finishing inside the top 15, doing so 23 and 18 times, respectively. Almirola might not overachieve to the same extent, but it is not necessary. His stat line will swell based on the simple change of scenery.
David Smith is the Founder of MotorsportsAnalytics.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidSmithMA.
RELATED: Jones moves to JGR for 2018 | New looks for 2018
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Menards home improvement stores along with several of their best vendor partners will be the primary sponsor for Brandon Jones for 10 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2018. The No. 19 Menards Toyota Camry will display one partner-specific brand on the hood of the racecar for each of the Menards races.
The Menards partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) follows the recent announcement that Jones will run full-time for JGR in 2018. Menards joins other JGR sponsors of the No. 19 Toyota Camry and Jones who will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
“We are excited to once again sponsor Brandon Jones in the NASCAR Xfinity Series,” stated Jeff Abbott, Menards, Promotions Manager/Spokesperson. “Brandon is a nice young man who has been a great ambassador for Menards, plus he has a really bright future as a race car driver.”
Menards has been involved with NASCAR since 2001 and has supported a wide variety of racing ventures for several years. Currently, Menards is the title sponsor of the ARCA Racing Series as well as sponsoring entries in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck, Xfinity, and Monster Energy Cup Series and in the Verizon Indy Car Series. Menards is a family-owned company that started in 1958 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, which remains Menards headquarters today. Menards has grown to be a highly innovative home improvement industry leader totally dedicated to delivering superior customer service in sparkling, modern, well-stocked stores.
“We’re thrilled to have Menards partner with us and Brandon Jones,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “They’ve been involved in the racing industry for a long time and are a great American success story having grown a small family run business to become a leader in their industry.”
“I am very excited and proud to be a partner with a great sponsor like Menards,” states Brandon Jones. “Having Menards on my No. 19 Toyota Camry and racing for Joe Gibbs Racing is huge for our team and our run for a championship in 2018.”
MORE: @nascarcasm and @steveluvender come up with retirement gift for Dale
The holiday season concluded several days ago, but the greatest gift had yet to be given.
We are pleased to announce that our reader-selected retirement gift for Dale Earnhardt Jr. — a dapper Washington Redskins blazer, initially suggested by Twitter user @_F1yer_ — has reached our best friend Dale, just in time for the playoffs! OK, that was mean, sorry.
You may notice that the blazer fits impeccably, hugging Dale’s frame perfectly, just like his bicycle shorts. You’d be hard pressed to put on more ritz that this. We figured that this jacket can be the start of his broadcast wardrobe, as he prepares to make the move to NASCAR on NBC in 2018. Finally, something on a NASCAR broadcast that is louder than the roar of the engines.
Best gift ever! @steveluvender @nascarcasm https://t.co/aR3wO2NAvy
— Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 4, 2018
We are especially pleased that Amy Earnhardt seems to LOVE the blazer. We can only assume that in the near future, after the birth of their first child, in every family photo, Christmas card picture, etc. Dale will be wearing this versatile blazer. Amy, should you wish for a matching one, please to not hesitate to DM us.
RELATED: Track gifts for Earnhardt Jr.
The opening of said gift was even recorded and posted to the Twitter. WARNING: do not watch without a box of tissues nearby. The waterworks will inevitably turn on. We challenge any lame-ass unboxing video on YouTube to TOP THIS:
Here @DaleJr reads the heartfelt letter from @nascarcasm and @steveluvender and tries on a retirement gift from the #NASCAR.com team — a horrendously awesome @Redskins sport coat. pic.twitter.com/urN5y45wQe
— Mike Davis (@MikeDavis88) January 4, 2018
Our only suggestion — keep this magnificent piece of apparel somewhere safe. First off, Gus could attempt to rip it to shreds. Secondly, Amy may or may not attempt to bury it somewhere on your property, possibly back behind the Old West town, and by the time you realize it’s gone, it will be too late.
So once again, happy retirement. Welcome to the realm of high fashion.
Regards,
@SteveLuvender & @NASCARCASM
RELATED: Byron, Bell celebrated at awards | Start times set for 2018
It’s said that the sequel always has a hard time living up to the original. JR Motorsports is about to test that theory, albeit with one change.
For the 2017 season, JR Motorsports was the class of the NASCAR Xfinity Series placing all four of its drivers – Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, William Byron and Michael Annett – in the playoffs. Sadler, Allgaier and Byron reached the Championship 4 with Byron besting Sadler for the championship.
A fourth runner-up finish in the Xfinity Series standings was particularly “hard to swallow” for Sadler.
“Homestead hurt,” Sadler said at last month’s NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series Awards. “It’ll be good … that we can get refreshed and re-energized and start from scratch as we head into Daytona,”
Allgaier finished third in the standings for the second straight year. The 31-year-old Illinois native scored his first series wins since 2012 with victories at Phoenix and Chicago.
RELATED: Recap Allgaier’s 2017 season
“I was very pleased with where JR Motorsports was at in 2017,” Allgaier said. “Very rarely do you put all the pieces of the puzzle into place that put you in a situation to do what we did. To have 75 percent of the field for the Championship 4 as JR Motorsports competitors is crazy.”
Now, the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-co-owned organization looks to replicate or better that feat, although the team will have a driver change with Byron moving up to Hendrick Motorsports and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Tyler Reddick comes into the fold to fill the seat vacated by the 2017 Xfinity Series champ. Sadler, Allgaier and Annett all return for 2018.
Reddick’s Xfinity experience in 2017 driving the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in a part-time capacity – he won at Kentucky in September and notched poles in his final two starts – should help minimize any potential learning curve.
RELATED: Reddick wins at Kentucky | Reddick to join JRM in 2018
“I think Tyler will incorporate very seamlessly,” Allgaier said. “Tyler’s a great guy but he’s also a great competitor. To win this year at Kentucky for him and to see the success he had with the Chip Ganassi Racing team, I think he’s a great addition. He fits in really well with all of our guys that are there. … He’s somebody I can lean on because we have a lot of the same background and a lot of the same experiences and I think it’s going to be fun.”
Sadler echoed Allgaier’s thoughts, but acknowledged that given his UNC basketball fandom, Reddick’s last name made him think of former Duke basketball standout and current NBA player J.J. Redick.
“He definitely seems to have a good attitude and wants to do it, so I honestly think Tyler’s going to fit in just fine,” Sadler said. “I’ve already talked to him and said, ‘Look, man. If I call you J.J., I’m sorry.’ He’s like, ‘What?’ I’m like, ‘J.J. Redick. When I hear the name Reddick, that’s all I can think about it is J.J. Redick. So look, if we’re in the heat of battle or conversation talking about a race and I say J.J., it’s not a … I’m not cussing you. I’m just thinking, that’s being a Carolina fan. That’s what I think of when I hear Reddick.’ “
RELATED: Driver, crew chief changes for 2018
A list of full-time drivers and their rides in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the 2018 season (This will be updated as drivers are announced for 2018):
*-indicates a change from the 2017 season
| Car No. | Driver | Team | Notable |
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Has made playoffs three straight seasons. |
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Reached Championship 4 for first time in ’17. |
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Scored first win, made playoffs for second year in a row. |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Reached Championship 4 for third time in four seasons. |
| 6 | Trevor Bayne/Matt Kenseth* | Roush Fenway Racing | Kenseth’s return makes this a split for him and Bayne. |
| 9* | Chase Elliott* | Hendrick Motorsports | Strong end to sophomore season; first win is close. |
| 10 | Aric Almirola* | Stewart-Haas Racing | New team could yield big dividends for Florida native. |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Led most laps since ’12; won in every full-time season. |
| 12* | Ryan Blaney* | Team Penske* | Driving third Penske car after breakthrough ’17 season. |
| 13 | Ty Dillon | Germain Racing | New crew chief in Matt Borland for second-year driver. |
| 14 | Clint Bowyer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Big bounce back in ’17, but winless drought at 185 races. |
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Roush Fenway Racing | Two wins at plate tracks a sign of more to come. |
| 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Runner-up had career-best in poles, over 2,000 laps led. |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | Joe Gibbs Racing | Posted eight of 12 top 10s in second half of season. |
| 20 | Erik Jones* | Joe Gibbs Racing | Sunoco Rookie winner steps into Matt Kenseth’s seat. |
| 21 | Paul Menard* | Wood Brothers Racing | Veteran moves from one legendary race team to another. |
| 22 | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Missed postseason for first time with ‘The Captain.’ |
| 24 | William Byron* | Hendrick Motorsports | Rookie’s quick climb continues, eyes Sunoco sweep. |
| 31 | Ryan Newman | Richard Childress Racing | Veteran snapped 127-race winless streak at Phoenix. |
| 32 | Matt DiBenedetto | Go Fas Racing | Social media favorite returns for second year at Go Fas. |
| 34 | Michael McDowell* | Front Row Motorsports | Career-best average finish in first full-time season. |
| 37 | Chris Buescher | JTG Daugherty Racing | Career-best in top 10s, average finish for new team. |
| 38 | David Ragan | Front Row Motorsports | Veteran driver just two starts from 400 in top series. |
| 41 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing | Daytona 500 winner has new crew chief in Billy Scott. |
| 42 | Kyle Larson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Four wins in ’17 a springboard for bigger things in ’18. |
| 43 | Darrell Wallace Jr.* | Richard Petty Motorsports | Rookie steps into ‘The King’s’ ride with Chevrolet. |
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger | JTG Daugherty Racing | Road course ace has made 145 consecutive starts. |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | ‘Seven-Time’ at 83 wins, closing in on Waltrip, Allison. |
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row Racing | Champ eyes repeat after eight-win, 2,253-laps-led season. |
| 88 | Alex Bowman* | Hendrick Motorsports | Young driver fills Dale Jr.’s seat after fill-in success in ’16. |
| 95 | Kasey Kahne* | Leavine Family Racing | Got back to Victory Lane in ’17; takes over for McDowell. |
