NASCAR: 4 drivers who could sign with Richard Childress Racing for 2019
By Asher Fair
Ryan Newman’s contract with Richard Childress Racing expires at the end of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. Who might the team sign for next year?
Ryan Newman is in his 17th season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, and he is in his fifth season driving for Richard Childress Racing behind the wheel of the #31 Chevrolet. However, with his contract set to expire once the 2018 season comes to an end, his future in the Cup Series is far from certain.
Despite the fact that he came one position away from winning the Cup Series championship in the 2014 season, his first season driving for Richard Childress Racing, he has not had a ton of success since he joined the team. In fact, he didn’t even win a race in the 2014 season despite the fact that he finished in second place in the championship standings.
The only victory earned by the 40-year-old South Bend, Indiana native so far as a Richard Childress Racing driver is his victory in last season’s April race at ISM Raceway, which he won as a result of a bold strategy call that allowed him to lead the race’s final six laps. These six laps were the only six laps that he led throughout the entire race.
Newman did not make the playoffs this season, but he was the first driver below the cut line. He sits in 17th place in the championship standings as the top non-playoff driver with seven top 10 finishes through the first 26 races of the 36-race season.
As a result of the fact that he has never won a race on outright speed as a Richard Childress Racing driver, there is a chance that the team may seek to replace Newman next year.
Which driver will Richard Childress Racing sign to be Austin Dillon’s teammate next season? Here are three possible options for the team.