NASCAR Cup Series: What is Stewart-Haas Racing’s next move?

Two of Stewart-Haas Racing’s four seats are open for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. With the 2019 season winding down, what is the team’s next move?

Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola have both been confirmed for their seventh and third seasons at Stewart-Haas Racing in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, respectively, leaving two of the team’s four seats open.

Stewart-Haas Racing have not not altered their driver lineup from one year to the next since between the 2015 and 2016 seasons when they retained Harvick, team co-owner Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Danica Patrick.

As a result, there have been rumors that they may look to promote prodigy Cole Custer from their Xfinity Series team to their Cup Series team next year, either as the replacement for Clint Bowyer behind the wheel of the #14 Ford or Daniel Suarez behind the wheel of the #41 Ford.

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There have also been rumors that perhaps the team will retain the same four-driver lineup for the first time in the last four years and form a technical alliance with Go Fas Racing to field an entry for Custer.

Now Bowyer has been tipped to return to the team, although nothing has been confirmed. If confirmed, this would still leave Suarez’s #41 Ford open, and it would keep a technical alliance with Go Fas Racing possible.

So what is the team’s next move with just five races remaining in the 36-race 2019 season?

Naturally, their most likely next move is confirming that Bowyer is set to return to the team for the fourth consecutive season next year considering the fact that he has been tipped to return. But beyond that, there are several options.

They could very well confirm that Suarez is set to return as well. Suarez has reportedly been in talks with the team about a contract extension, and it is believed that ARRIS would continue to serve as one of his co-primary sponsors if an extension is reached.

If this happens, their next move would either be to announce a technical alliance with Go Fas Racing and confirm Custer as the driver of the #32 Ford, which is currently driven by Corey LaJoie, or announce that Custer is set to return to the Xfinity Series.

A return to the Xfinity Series would mark Custer’s fourth season as the driver of the #00 Ford, presumably as the heavy championship favorite with the other two members of the “Big 3”, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick, set to be promoted to the Cup Series with the Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated Leavine Family Racing and Richard Childress Racing, respectively.

But if they don’t confirm that Suarez is set to return for a second season with the team next year, the obvious move would be to confirm Custer as the driver of the #41 Ford, making a technical alliance with Go Fas Racing unnecessary for 2020 unless the opt to effectively demote Suarez to the #32 Ford.

With Clint Bowyer slated to return to Stewart-Haas Racing in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season (and even if he doesn’t), what is the team’s next move? There are still quite a few possibilities.