NASCAR: There are still two Cup Series seats open

NASCAR still has two Cup Series seats that have vacancies for multiple races throughout the remainder of the 2022 season.

There are 32 drivers competing full-time throughout the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, leaving four of the 36 chartered entries which are shared by multiple drivers over the course of the 36-race schedule.

However, after 12 races, there are still only two of those four entries which have fully confirmed driver lineups for the remainder of the season.

Those two entries are the #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet and the #77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. The #16 Chevrolet has been driven by Daniel Hemric, A.J. Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson so far this year, with Hemric and Allmendinger driving it in five races and Gragson driving it in two.

Hemric is set to drive it in three more races while Allmendinger is set to drive it in nine more and Gragson is set to drive it in 12 more.

The #77 Chevrolet, meanwhile, has been driven by Landon Cassill, Josh Bilicki, and Justin Allgaier. Cassill has driven it in five races, Bilicki has driven it in six, and Allgaier has driven it in one.

Cassill is set to drive it in six more races this year, though some of those races have not yet been determined, and Bilicki is set to drive it in 18 more, though again, some of those races have not been determined.

The two entries that still have vacancies throughout the season are the #15 Rick Ware Racing Ford and the #78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford.

The #15 Ford has been driven by five drivers so far this year: David Ragan, Garrett Smithley, Joey Hand, J.J. Yeley, and Ryan Preece. But those five drivers have only been confirmed for eight of the 24 remaining races on this year’s schedule, leaving the seat open for 16 events.

The #78 Ford has been driven by three drivers so far this year: B.J. McLeod, Andy Lally, and Josh Williams.

It is believed, though not confirmed, that McLeod will continue to drive the car regularly in the oval races, just as he did last year (aside from the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway).

But this only takes care of 19 of the remaining 24 races on the schedule. There have been no further confirmations as to who will drive the car in the five remaining road course races.

While neither one of these cars is a threat to win and a top 25 finish for either one is considered a quality effort, it will be interesting to see which drivers will land the opportunity to compete in one of them later this year. Will more drivers be making their Cup Series debuts? Will more drivers from other notable racing series have the chance to compete against NASCAR’s best? The door is certainly open.