NASCAR team may not return in 2020 season

By Asher Fair | Jul 23, 2020

Landon Cassill, Shepherd Ventures Racing, NASCAR, Xfinity Series (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

NASCAR eliminated practice and qualifying sessions for the remainder of the 2020 season. As a result, Xfinity Series team Shepherd Racing Ventures may not return.

One of many changes implemented by NASCAR since the sport returned to action following the 10-week hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic is the elimination of practice and qualifying sessions.

In the two-plus month since the sport returned to action in mid-May, there has only been practice for the inaugural Xfinity Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in early July, and there has only been qualifying for the first of two Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in late May.

NASCAR recently confirmed that practice sessions and qualifying sessions are officially a thing of the past in terms of the 2020 season. In light of that announcement, we may not see Shepherd Racing Ventures back in the Xfinity Series this year.

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While the initial tweet indicating their departure has been deleted and the account which sent it was not an official team account, the move makes sense and is seen as all but inevitable, as this announcement could be bad news for a number of the smaller and more underfunded teams.

Shepherd Racing Ventures have already not competed in a race since the first race back from the hiatus at Darlington Raceway on Thursday, May 21. That race was the fifth race of the season, and it was the fourth in which the team competed. Landon Cassill drove for the team in all four races. A total of 11 races have been contested since then.

The team had naturally wanted to return to competition at some point during the remainder of the season, but they had not specified a return date due to the fact that there was no set return date for practice and qualifying. Given their position in the sport and NASCAR’s new starting lineup rules, they effectively need practice and qualifying in order to be able to compete.

A return is certainly still possible, but at this point, it would be nothing shy of a pleasant surprise to have them back in 2020.

Cassill made his debut for the team behind the wheel of the #89 Chevrolet in the 2018 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and he competed in 10 more races for the organization last year.

He earned the “start and park” team’s first finish since October of 2013 in the season finale with a 15th place finish at the same venue. This race was the first race in which they attempted to go the full distance in over six years.

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Between finishes for the team, team owner Morgan Shepherd drove for the team in 102 races and failed to qualify for 39 others. He also withdrew from one race. Cassill’s 15th place finish came in his 11th start behind the wheel of the #89 Chevrolet.

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