NASCAR: The top free agent is off the market for 2022
By Asher Fair
With Hendrick Motorsports solidifying their driver lineup for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, the top free agent is now off the market.
Ahead of the inaugural Ally 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway this past Sunday, Hendrick Motorsports confirmed the driver of the Ally-sponsored #48 Chevrolet through the duration of Ally’s current full-time primary sponsorship deal.
Alex Bowman, who moved from the #88 Chevrolet to the #48 Chevrolet after seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson retired, is set to continue driving the #48 Chevrolet through the 2023 season. Ally signed through the 2023 season back in October 2019.
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The 28-year-old Tucson, Arizona native re-signing with Rick Hendrick’s team was long seen as a formality, and for good reason. And now, from late last week, the worst kept secret of silly season is official.
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Bowman is one of seven drivers who has won at least one race in each of the last three seasons, and he has won a career-high two races so far this season. He won at Richmond Raceway in April and Dover International Speedway in May.
He earned his first career victory in June 2019 at Chicagoland Speedway, and he earned his second in March 2020 at Auto Club Speedway. After two consecutive round of 12 appearances in 2018 and 2019, his first two full seasons with the team, he advanced to the round of 8 for the first time last year and finished in a career-high sixth place in the championship standings.
But even with Bowman now officially under contract through 2023, there is still quite a bit of uncertainty elsewhere throughout the garage.
None of that remaining uncertainty is at Hendrick Motorsports, which, like Joe Gibbs Racing, now have all four of their drivers under contract through next year.
Perhaps the next worst kept secret of the year relates to Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, the driver of the #2 Ford who signed only a one-year extension last season. He has been rumored to move to Roush Fenway Racing to become not only the driver of the #6 Ford but a team co-owner.
That move would create some uncertainty about the future of the #6 Ford’s current driver, Ryan Newman. His contract also expires at the end of the year.
Additionally, Matt DiBenedetto does not have a deal to compete next year. The current driver of the #21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing is set to be replaced by Austin Cindric, but if Cindric ends up replacing Keselowski, perhaps DiBenedetto will stay put. DiBenedetto could also potentially replace Keselowski; Wood Brothers Racing and Team Penske have a technical alliance.
Two other pending free agents to watch will be Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kurt Busch and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola. Busch has confirmed that he has several options for next year and has been contacted by multiple teams, including 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing Team. Will he be on the move?
Almirola hasn’t been the subject of much silly season discussion, but given the fact that Stewart-Haas Racing have changed their driver lineup after each of the last five seasons, that may very well change.
If their lineup is to change for a sixth straight year, he would likely be the driver on the way out, given the fact that Kevin Harvick is signed through 2023 and they aren’t going to be parting ways with Cole Custer or Chase Briscoe after this year.
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With Bowman’s re-signing out of the way, what will be the next silly season domino to fall as the 2021 season progresses? There is still quite a bit to sort out.