NASCAR: 5 possible landing spots for Christopher Bell in 2019
By Asher Fair
Leavine Family Racing
With Furniture Row Racing set to shut down after the 2018 season comes to an end, Joe Gibbs Racing, the team with which they have had a technical alliance since the 2016 season, may try to form a technical alliance with another team. If they don’t, they will be the only Toyota team in the sport with any full-time drivers.
Leavine Family Racing are the team with the highest chance of forming a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing. Kasey Kahne is the full-time driver of their lone car, the #95 Chevrolet, but he is set to retire at the end of the of the season, which would mean that the team would be looking for a driver to replace him behind the wheel of what would become the #95 Toyota
With rumors that Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. is set to replace Daniel Suarez behind the wheel of the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota next year, Suarez is the favorite to sign with Leavine Family Racing to drive the #95 Toyota if Joe Gibbs Racing and Leavine Family Racing form a technical alliance.
However, this is by no means a guarantee, meaning that Bell would certainly be in the mix to land a ride with the team if this technical alliance ends up happening.
But even if Suarez does sign with Leavine Family Racing, there is a chance that they could field two full-time entries much like Furniture Row Racing did last year for the first time by fielding the #77 Toyota for rookie Erik Jones, who has since replaced Matt Kenseth behind the wheel of the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, in addition to the regular #78 Toyota for Truex Jr. This would make Bell a candidate to drive what would be the #59 Toyota given the fact that Leavine Family Racing have run the #59 Chevrolet before.
But assuming Bell does not sign with Leavine Family Racing for next season, for which other teams might he end up driving?