NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 pending free agents for 2021
By Asher Fair
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series free agent class is one of the most loaded in quite some time. Who are the top five pending free agents in this class?
There are a few differences in the NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup from the 2019 season to the 2020 season, but among the top-tier teams, there is really only one big change.
The lineups of Hendrick Motorsports (four drivers), Joe Gibbs Racing (four drivers), Team Penske (three drivers) and Chip Ganassi Racing (two drivers) are all the same.
However, Stewart-Haas Racing, for the fourth consecutive season, made a change. Cole Custer is the replacement for Daniel Suarez behind the wheel of the #41 Ford at the four-car Ford team.
Elsewhere throughout the field, Chris Buescher moved from JTG Daugherty Racing to Roush Fenway Racing to replace Ricky Stenhouse Jr. behind the wheel of the #17 Ford and Stenhouse replaced Buescher behind the wheel of the #37 Chevrolet.
Additionally, Christopher Bell moved from the Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series team to the Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated Leavine Family Racing to replace Matt DiBenedetto behind the wheel of the #95 Toyota while DiBenedetto replaced the retiring Paul Menard at Wood Brothers Racing behind the wheel of the #21 Ford.
But on paper, this may not even come close to measuring up to what the changes from the 2020 season to the 2021 season could be, as the free agent class after the upcoming year is absolutely loaded.
Following Team Penske’s confirmation of Ryan Blaney on another multi-year deal, here are the top five pending free agents in this stacked class.