NASCAR: 10 drivers who won’t be back with their 2020 teams
By Asher Fair
Drivers moving on after 2020: Bubba Wallace
Bubba Wallace made the decision that his third full season behind the wheel of the #43 Chevrolet with Richard Petty Motorsports would be his final season with the team.
In each of his three full seasons with the team following his four-race stint as the substitute for Aric Almirola in 2017, he recorded one top five finish. In the 2018 season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, he finished in a career-high second place, and in 2019, he finished in third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
He finished in fifth place at Daytona International Speedway in 2020, but his season as a whole was by far his best.
He recorded five top 10 finishes in 2020 after recording a combined four in 2018 and 2019, and he finished in 22nd place in the championship standings, six positions better than he finished in 2018 and 2019, with an average finish of 21.1, 2.8 positions better than his career-high mark of 23.9 from 2019.
Now he is set to move on and compete for a team expecting to be far more competitive, even if it doesn’t happen right away.
Wallace is set to drive for 23XI Racing, the new team started by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. They are set to run the #23 Toyota and have a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing after Leavine Family Racing, which had a technical alliance with the four-car Toyota powerhouse in 2019 and 2020, were forced to shut down after the 2020 season.
23XI Racing bought their charter from Germain Racing, which won’t be back in 2021. Ty Dillon competed for Germain Racing and therefore also won’t be back with his 2020 team this year. He does not have a full-time ride elsewhere, however.