NASCAR Cup Series: Two full-time rides without confirmed drivers remain for 2019
By Asher Fair
With Corey LaJoie having been confirmed as Go Fas Racing’s full-time driver for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season, two full-time rides without full-time drivers remain for next year.
Corey LaJoie was just confirmed as Go Fas Racing’s full-time driver for the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season. LaJoie is set to replace Matt DiBenedetto behind the wheel of the #32 Ford.
DiBenedetto left Go Fas Racing at the end of the 2018 season. He is set to replace Kasey Kahne, who recently retired, at Leavine Family Racing for the 2019 season. The 27-year-old Grass Valley, California native is set to drive the #95 Toyota, not the #95 Chevrolet, as Leavine Family Racing switched their manufacturer from Chevrolet to Toyota and gave up their technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing in favor of a new one with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Go Fas Racing’s confirmation of the 27-year-old Concord, North Carolina as the driver of the #32 Ford means that there are just two full-time rides without confirmed full-time drivers for the 2019 season.
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There are still more than two rides available for next season, but based on the past, there are likely only two open rides that will end up being taken by one full-time driver each as opposed to multiple part-time drivers each.
The two full-time rides without confirmed full-time drivers for the 2019 season are the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford and the #77 Spire Sports + Entertainment Chevrolet.
The seat of the #41 Ford is open as a result of the fact that Kurt Busch, who drove it in the 2018 season, left the team at the end of the 2018 season and is set to replace Jamie McMurray behind the wheel of the #1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in the 2019 season.
Daniel Suarez, who drove for Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the #19 Toyota this past season but is set to be replaced by former Furniture Row Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. in the 2019 season, is the heavy favorite to replace Busch behind the wheel of the #41 Ford.
The 26-year-old Mexican has been tipped as the replacement for the 40-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native for several months, but he has not yet officially been confirmed as the next driver of the #41 Ford.
The driver situation of the #77 Chevrolet, however, appears to be far less certain than that of the #41 Ford. Spire Sports + Entertainment have never competed in the Cup Series before. In fact, they purchased the charter that Furniture Row Racing used to field Truex Jr. in the #78 Toyota. Furniture Row Racing shut down following the conclusion of the 2018 season.
This charter sale has been reported as the most expensive charter sale in the history of the sport. While there have not been any drivers who have emerged as the top candidates to compete behind the wheel of the #77 Chevrolet in the 2019 season, it is likely that the team will hire only one full-time driver as opposed to multiple part-time drivers. This is, however, subject to change.
On a side note, Rick Ware Racing have yet to confirm who will driver their #51 and #52 entries (manufacturer to be determined), but these two cars will both likely feature multiple drivers driving them throughout the season.
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Will Daniel Suarez be confirmed as Kurt Busch’s replacement behind the wheel of the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford for the 36-race 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season? If so, when will he be confirmed? If not, who will replace Busch next year? Who will drive the #77 Spire Sports + Entertainment Chevrolet in 2019?
The answers to these questions should be revealed in the very near future considering the fact that the 2019 season is scheduled to get underway in less than two months with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.