NASCAR: 5 replacement candidates for Kyle Larson

A rotation

Let’s be 100% clear here: Ross Chastain is the most likely replacement candidate for Kyle Larson, in 2020 and potentially on a long-term deal in 2021. But the fact that this is the case for 2020 could lead to Chip Ganassi Racing to think outside of the box for the remainder of the season and utilize a driver rotation for several reasons.

First of all, Chastain has been subbing for the injured Ryan Newman at Roush Fenway Racing ever since Newman was sidelined following his nasty accident coming to the checkered flag at the Daytona 500 in mid-February. There is still no timetable on Newman’s return.

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Secondly, there is no guarantee that Chastain would compete for a championship behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet despite the fact that he would be eligible to do so since he has competed in each of the first four races of the season already. This is the case because of the fact that he is currently competing for points in the Xfinity Series.

And he is doing a solid job too, minus the fact that Kaulig Racing had to buy him a car after he failed to qualify for the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. He now sits in fifth place in the championship standings.

Would he really declare for points in a new series for the second consecutive season? He switched from Xfinity Series points to Truck Series points after 12 Xfinity Series races and eight Truck Series races last season. How would his sponsors at Kaulig Racing, particularly Nutrien Ag Solutions, respond to that?

And how would Kaulig Racing respond, especially after what they did for him at Daytona?

With Chastain, there is no guarantee that the #42 Chevrolet would even compete for the championship. This could prompt Chip Ganassi Racing to run multiple drivers to assess where things stand regarding a potential full-time offer for 2021. The #42 Chevrolet has a charter, so it is guaranteed an entry in every race already.

Chastain would certainly still be one of those drivers. Given Daniel Hemric’s schedule, he could fill in from time to time as well, and Jamie McMurray could also take advantage of the opportunity to return and compete in a few more Cup Series races.

As for A.J. Allmendinger, he could compete part-time like he has been doing in the Xfinity Series since losing his full-time Cup Series ride. There are probably several other drivers who could factor in as well.

Who will replace Kyle Larson behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet throughout the rest of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season? Who will Chip Ganassi Racing name his long-term replacement?