NASCAR: The First Major Domino of Silly Season Has Fallen

By Asher Fair | Jul 20, 2017

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, races during the weather delayed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

With the announcement of Alex Bowman replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the 2018 season, NASCAR’s Silly Season has officially begun.

While the recent announcement of Matt Kenseth being replaced by Erik Jones behind the wheel of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the 2018 season really kicked off NASCAR‘s “Silly Season”, no announcement in regard to next season has been more notable than today’s news that Alex Bowman will be driving in the #88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet currently driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is set to retire from his full-time role following the conclusion of the 2017 season.

The #88 car had more possible candidates to be the driver behind its wheel than any other car did, so the announcement of Alex Bowman getting the ride was the first real major domino to fall this “Silly Season.” Now we know that drivers such as Matt Kenseth, who is without a ride next season, and William Byron, who will be looking to come up to the Cup Series from the Xfinity Series, will have to find other rides if they wish to compete on NASCAR’s top level in 2018.

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We also know that top-tier drivers such as Kyle Larson or Brad Keselowski, who very well may not remain with their current teams beyond the 2017 season, will not be able to land behind the ride desired by many free agents.

Larson and Keselowski, the current drivers of the #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and #2 Team Penske Ford, respectively, will likely remain with their respective teams, but landing in the #88 car is no longer an option if they do decide to move on from their current teams. In turn, leaving their current teams is now less likely with the seat of the #88 car taken.

But what exactly does this mean? The #88 car was the car with the seat most desired among drivers whose futures beyond the conclusion of the 2017 season are unknown. Now pretty much every free agent’s list of potential rides in 2018 has been shortened, and it was the top ride cut off the list before any other notable seat was taken.

In all likelihood, the movement of drivers among teams this offseason will not be as crazy as it could have been. In the 2018 season, the #88 car will be driven by Alex Bowman, the driver that had the best chance to take the seat all along, and he isn’t even a current Cup Series driver.

The current driver of the #88 car, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will no longer be in the Cup Series full-time next season, so effectively nothing changes for other current Cup drivers aside of the fact that this move will limit where they can end up if they do switch teams, which is now less likely with the top ride off the board.

Next: How Silly Will Silly Season Get?

How many drivers do you think will have rides in the 2018 season that are different from the rides they currently have? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow me on Instagram as well as Beyond the Flag on both Instagram and Twitter. Also, don’t forget to follow along with Beyond the Flag for the latest news, opinions, and analysis stemming from a number of different motorsports series. You don’t want to miss any of it.