NASCAR: The key information still missing from the 2022 lineup

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup is coming together, but there is still quite a bit that has not yet been confirmed.

This year’s NASCAR Cup Series silly season has been a crazy one, from charter sales to teams coming to the series full-time to expansions and more, and it’s not quite done yet.

Many of the big-name drivers who entered the seasons without deals to compete next year have now secured those deals.

Among those drivers are Alex Bowman, who signed an extension with Hendrick Motorsports, Kurt Busch, who is set to move from Chip Ganassi Racing to 23XI Racing in a second car, and Brad Keselowski, who is set to move from Team Penske to Roush Fenway Racing and not only remain a full-time driver but become a team co-owner.

But there are still quite a few things we don’t yet know about next year’s lineup.

First of all, there are questions as to whether Busch’s car at 23XI Racing will be a chartered car or a non-chartered car. 23XI Racing had been discussing expansion since even before they made their debut back in February, but despite confirming Busch as their second driver, there is no word yet on whether or not they will purchase a charter for that second car.

JTG Daugherty Racing currently run one chartered car and another non-chartered car full-time, which could be in 23XI Racing’s future if they do not secure a second charter.

Speaking of JTG Daugherty Racing, they are set to downsize for 2022, eliminating the non-chartered entry. But who will drive their chartered entry? Will they bring back Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for a third season? And what does the future hold for Ryan Preece?

There have been talks of Front Row Motorsports potentially selling 23XI Racing one of their two charters and downsizing for next year as well. So what does the future hold for them? Where will Michael McDowell and Anthony Alfredo end up in 2022?

A recent report stated that StarCom Racing sold their charter to Spire Motorsports, which have already sold two of their current three charters to Kaulig Racing for next year.

Will Spire Motorsports run two cars full-time like they do this year, or will they lease this second charter like they are doing with one of their current three?

Speaking of Kaulig Racing, who will share time with A.J. Allmendinger in their second car alongside full-time driver Justin Haley?

The remaining unknowns also include Rick Ware Racing, Live Fast Motorsports and GMS Racing. None of these teams have any confirmed drivers for next year.

There are always rumors about Rick Ware Racing and whether or not they will sell one of their charters, and 2022 is no different. As for GMS Racing, how many races will they run in their first Cup Series season, and who will be behind the wheel?

So while many of the big confirmations about next year’s driver lineup have already been made, there is still quite a bit to be determined before February rolls around.