NASCAR: Richard Petty Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing form an alliance for 2018
By Asher Fair
Richard Petty Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing have formed an alliance for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season following the latter’s switch to Chevrolet.
Following Richard Petty Motorsports’ switch from Ford to Chevrolet as their manufacturer in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, the team have formed an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, another Chevrolet-powered team. They will be moving from their base in Mooresville, North Carolina to Richard Childress Racing’s base in Welcome, North Carolina as a result of the alliance.
Richard Petty Motorsports are set to be a one-car team for the second consecutive season since downsizing from two cars before the 2017 season, and they are set to be the ninth Chevrolet-powered team in the 2018 season, leaving just five Ford-powered teams.
Richard Childress Racing also have a technical alliance with another one-car Chevrolet team, with that team being the one-car Germain Racing team.
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The lone driver for Richard Petty Motorsports in the #43 Chevrolet is set to be rookie Darrell Wallace Jr., who drove in his first four career Cup Series races this past season as Aric Almirola’s replacement while he was injured.
Almirola, who drove the #43 car in each of the last six seasons while it was Ford-powered, is set to replace Danica Patrick at Stewart-Haas Racing in the #10 Ford next season. Patrick will not be returning to the sport as a full-time driver, but she may be back for the Daytona 500.
Two of Richard Childress Racing’s three drivers from 2017 are set to return to the team in the 2018 season. Austin Dillon is set to return as the driver of the #3 Chevrolet, and Ryan Newman is set to return as the driver of the #31 Chevrolet.
Paul Menard, who drove the #27 Chevrolet for the team this past season, is replacing Ryan Blaney at Wood Brothers Racing in the #21 Ford. Blaney is heading to Team Penske to drive the #12 Ford, but he is not replacing anybody. It is unlikely that the #27 Chevrolet will be used in 2018.
Germain Racing’s lone driver is Ty Dillon, who is set to drive the #13 Chevrolet once again next season.
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Will this alliance work out for both Richard Petty Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season? The season is set to begin on Sunday, February 18th with the 60th running of the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, Florida.