NASCAR: 3 drivers who could become the next driver-owners
By Randy Smith
With Jimmie Johnson returning to the NASCAR Cup Series, now as a driver-owner, there are a few drivers who stand out as candidates to make a similar move.
Jimmie Johnson set the NASCAR world on fire when he announced his return to the Cup Series for 2023, now as a driver-owner for Petty GMS Motorsports. While it is unclear his exact stake in the ownership of the organization, Johnson is the latest of several driver-owners in the sport.
Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski recently become driver-owners in the Cup Series, and both earned wins as owners this season, but in two different scenarios. Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, still competes for Joe Gibbs Racing, while Keselowski bought into Roush Fenway Racing (now RFK Racing) and competes for the team, much like Johnson’s situation.
It seems that the next round of drivers investing in the sport long-term is upon us. With the moves paying off thus far, here are three drivers who could become the sport’s next driver-owners.
Possible future NASCAR driver-owners: No. 3 – Kyle Busch
While Kyle Busch may have left a 15-year relationship with Toyota, including 13 years as a team owner with the OEM, he was still able to retain his Truck Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM).
The organization has also fielded Xfinity Series teams in the past and currently fields a car in the ARCA Menards Series. A move to the Cup Series may be untimely right this second, but the idea is worth entertaining.
KBM are set to field two trucks in 2023 while forming a technical alliance with Rev Racing amid a switch Chevrolet.
Last year, Busch talked down on the possibility of KBM joining the Cup Series, but he noted Toyota’s budget allowance and a newly formed partnership with Hamlin as a reason. He added that if the finances worked, the team could make the move.
While Busch is on a multi-year contract with Richard Childress Racing, if and/or when KBM can make the move to the Cup Series, it’s hard to imagine Busch not piloting his own car.