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NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 open seats for 2021

By Asher Fair

FORT WORTH, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 03: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 McDonald's Chevrolet, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 03, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 03: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 McDonald's Chevrolet, leads Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 03, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 21: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 21: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Aric Almirola has driven the #10 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing since replacing the now retired Danica Patrick ahead of the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. He was confirmed for the 2020 season after he and Smithfield, his primary sponsor since 2012, reached a one-year contract extension with the four-car Ford team.

After a successful first season with the four-car Ford team that included a victory at Talladega Superspeedway, a round of 8 appearance in the playoffs and a career-high — by far — fifth place finish in the championship standings, however, Almirola took a step back in 2019.

Stewart-Haas Racing as a whole weren’t nearly as prolific in 2019 as they were in 2018, but Kevin Harvick still managed to qualify for the Championship 4 for the fifth time in six years and the third year in a row with four victories, all in the second half of the season.

Almirola, meanwhile, went winless. In fact, he recorded only six top 10 finishes in the final 29 races of the season, and he was eliminated from the playoffs after the round of 16 before ending up in 14th place in the championship standings.

If he doesn’t get back on the right track in 2020, it’s not too far-fetched to think that the 35-year-old Fort Walton Beach, Florida native could be on his way out.

Stewart-Haas Racing have altered their driver lineup in some way for four consecutive seasons, having not maintained the same four drivers from one year to the next since from the 2015 season to the 2016 season.

With Chase Briscoe contending for the 2020 Xfinity Series championship, he could very well follow in Cole Custer’s footsteps and end up at NASCAR’s highest level in 2021 after Custer was promoted from Stewart-Haas Racing’s Xfinity Series team to their Cup Series team ahead of the 2020 season as Daniel Suarez’s replacement.

And in the midst of a youth movement, he could very well replace Almirola.

Corey LaJoie also can’t be ignored as a potential future Stewart-Haas Racing driver. He is set to drive for Go Fas Racing for a second consecutive season in 2020, and Go Fas Racing formed a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing for next year.

Don’t forget about Kyle Larson, either, given the fact that Tony Stewart wanted him for the 2017 season.

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