With the announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement following the 2017 season, let’s take a look at the top candidates for replacing the legendary driver.
The announcement of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement following the 2017 season sent shock waves through the NASCAR community. A two-time Daytona 500 champion, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and NASCAR’s most popular driver for the past 14 years is stepping away from the sport after the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The support that Earnhardt received from the NASCAR community shouldn’t go unnoticed either, as many drivers and teams tweeted their support for NASCAR’s biggest star.
All of that leaves Hendrick Motorsports at a crossroads. Who will be the next driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the 2018 season?
There will be a ton of driver names floating around as possible candidates and drivers fans think would be a good fit. But how realistic are these drivers? Is Carl Edwards really going to come out of retirement? What about Alex Bowman? He is still under contract with Hendrick Motorsports. What about the list of drivers who are not currently under contract for the 2018 season?
Let’s take a quick look at five drivers to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports.
Alex Bowman
Currently: Hendrick Motorsports, test/simulator driver
Why it will happen: Bowman filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in ten races last season and almost won the race at Phoenix after starting from the pole and leading a race-high 194 laps. Bowman turned down offers during the offseason and decided to stay with Hendrick Motorsports in a substitute and test driver capacity.
Patience could pay off for Bowman and with it, a full-time ride behind the wheel of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. In his ten starts in 2016, Bowman finished inside the top-15 in five of those races and failed to finish just one race. Bowman raced in the Cup Series for BK Racing in 2015 and Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2016, both underfunded teams. The upside is very high for Bowman, who has yet to have a full-time season in competitive equipment.
Why it won’t happen: Bowman does not come with sponsorship already in hand for a race team that has had to find sponsorship for NASCAR’s most popular driver. Bowman has also only raced in top-level equipment for a stretch of ten consecutive races throughout his career in the Cup Series, placing him at a slight disadvantage compared to others.
This may make Bowman more moldable, but does it also mean he has picked up some bad habits while driving under-performing and underfunded cars? A ten-race sample size is too small to make that determination. Despite Bowman performing well, a 36-race schedule is a much more daunting task.
Brad Keselowski
Currently: Team Penske, No. 2 Miller Lite Ford
Why it will happen: Brad Keselowski received his big break in NASCAR driving for the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Chicagoland Speedway in July of 2007. Keselowski would drive for the team in 2008 and 2009, visiting victory lane six times, earning 33 top-five finishes, 48 top-ten finishes and scoring three poles.
We all know what happened next. Keselowski moved to Team Penske beginning with the 2010 season, went on to win the Cup Series championship in 2012 and never looked back. But, Keselowski’s contract with Team Penske is up at the conclusion of the 2017 season. So is Miller Lite’s sponsorship with the team.
Since winning the championship in 2012, Keselowski has yet to finish higher than fifth in the final standings. Keselowski has visited victory lane 22 times with Team Penske, but has yet to score that second championship while he has watched Jimmie Johnson win two more championships himself during that time. This might be a case of ‘if you can’t beat them, join them.’
Why it won’t happen: Keselowski is comfortable at Team Penske and is with a team that allows him to be who is, not who the team wants him to be. Team Penske gives him a competitive race car each weekend. He is the leader of the two-car operation and he has the opportunity to race competitively in the Xfinity Series when he chooses to do so.
The addition of Stewart-Haas Racing to the Ford camp has yet to have a major impact on the performance of the Team Penske Fords and for the time being, it doesn’t look like their winning ways will slow down.
Kyle Larson
Currently: Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 42 Target Chevrolet
Why it will happen: Kyle Larson’s three-year contract with CGR is up at the end of this season. After eight races into the season, he sits atop the point standings. He scored his second career victory and has already led 361 laps compared to the 379 laps that he led throughout the entire 2016 season. Right now, it’s Kyle Larson’s NASCAR.
A move like to Hendrick Motorsports would place Larson in better equipment than he has currently and provide him with more resources at his disposal. Larson is currently competitive on a weekly basis, but how long will that last? Joining Hendrick Motorsports would provide him with a better chance to not just win races more consistently, but win championships too.
Why it won’t happen: Larson is a racer and current team owner Chip Ganassi understands that. Larson has expressed interest in running the Indy 500. Ganassi can turn that dream in to a reality for him. Larson enjoys running at dirt track races when he gets the chance and Ganassi is open to allowing a certain number of races during the season. Rick Hendrick hasn’t been known to allow his drivers to race in a lot of dirt track races while in season.
Larson is currently the number one driver at CGR. At Hendrick Motorsports, Larson would be 2A or 2B depending on the weekend, but would always fall in behind Jimmie Johnson until he retires from racing.
Carl Edwards
Currently: Retired
Why it will happen: This is not to start a rumor at all, just to explore the possibility. Edwards stepped away from top-notch equipment at the end of the 2016 season. Would an open seat in a top-level ride bring Edwards back to racing full-time? A seat with Hendrick Motorsports might just be what he was looking for.
Edwards left Roush Fenway Racing for greener pastures at Joe Gibbs Racing. Did Edwards stay too long at Roush? Some will say he did after losing the championship to Tony Stewart on a tiebreaker in 2011. If Edwards believes he still has something left in the tank, it’s not too late to rejoin the circuit after sitting out a year, and take one more chance before it truly becomes too late.
Why it won’t happen: Edwards has been adamant that he stepped away from NASCAR for no ulterior motive than to retire from the sport. To this point, Edwards has given no pause to think otherwise on his statements from January.
William Byron
Currently: Hendrick Motorsports (Xfinity Series), No. 9 Chevrolet
Why it will happen: After bursting on to the scene in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2016, William Byron turned his magnificent rookie year into a drive with Hendrick Motorsports for the 2017 season. Byron drove for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2016 and scored seven wins, three poles, 11 top-five finishes and 16 top-ten finishes in 23 races. He did everything but win the championship. Pretty impressive for a rookie.
Hendrick Motorsports moved Chase Elliott to the Cup Series after just two seasons in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series. Through five races this season, Byron has one pole, two top-five and five top-ten finishes already. In a sport where young superstars are hard to find, Byron sure looks like one on a continued path of growth. Not to mention, Byron comes with sponsorship from Liberty University already in hand.
Why it won’t happen: The sample size on Byron is very, very small. Just one full-time season in a top NASCAR series is cause for concern. The Cup Series schedule is long, 36 races across different tracks, some of which Byron has yet to race on. The timing just doesn’t make sense for Hendrick Motorsports to run Byron into the Cup Series when they could possibly wait until the end of the 2018 season when Kasey Kahne’s contract is set to expire.