NASCAR Cup Series silly season was unusually quiet this past year leading into the 2026 season. Just two teams made full-time driver changes, and only one full-time driver from 2025 did not return to the series at all in 2026.
The series was due for a bit of a doozy in 2027, and although there hasn't been a ton of action, there have already been more changes for next year announced that there were all of last year for 2026.
One thing the series lacked following the 2025 campaign was a retirement. So far this year, Jimmie Johnson has announced that he plans to return for the 2027 Daytona 500 and retire from Cup Series competition for good afterward, although he recently admitted that future Craftsman Truck Series opportunities do remain in play.
But he hasn't run full-time since 2020; he competed in the Daytona 500 and in the inaugural race on Naval Base Coronado and has no other races on his schedule for 2026.
Which other drivers could hang it up after this year? Here are a few more.
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Even with a contract that's set to run through 2027, Denny Hamlin literally confirmed that he would have begged Joe Gibbs to let him retire had he won the 2025 championship, which he absolutely should have (and would have) if not for a late caution with just under three laps remaining in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
It proves that NASCAR's oldest full-time driver has been thinking about "going out on top", and it's why there might well be very little chance he returns in 2027 if he does win it all in 2026.
The big question: in attempt number 21, at the age of 45, will 2026 finally be the year he pulls it off? He is currently the clear favorite, and it's been that way for quite some time.
The bigger question: if he does pull it off, would he actually stop competing?
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing
When Brad Keselowski made the move to Roush Fenway Racing (now RFK Racing) from Team Penske, it was clear he had his eyes on the long-term future; not being able to have any ownership stake in Roger Penske's team was one of the primary reasons he left to join RFK Racing, just over one year removed from a runner-up finish in the championship.
Keselowski is still capable of running well from time to time; he quietly nearly won the 2025 season finale, losing the lead in the final corner on the final lap.
But with just one win in four-plus years and a potentially deep pool of free agents still available for 2027, could that eye on the future lead to a new driver in the No. 6 Ford after five years for the driver who turned February? And will his offseason injury affect anything?
RFK Racing are already set to lose a charter, since they were leasing Rick Ware Racing charters in 2025 and 2026 to run their third car, and while they have confirmed plans to run their third car as an open entry for Ryan Preece next year, that almost seems like one of those plans that comes with the benefit of built-in flexibility if the boss decides it's time to shift to full-time ownership duties. Could RFK simply downsize to two cars?
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
Michael McDowell is one of NASCAR's all-time greatest rags-to-riches stories, going from start-and-park regular to Daytona 500 champion. He also secured a win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in its final year on the Cup Series schedule in 2023.
His first year with Spire Motorsports was solid after leaving Front Row Motorsports, but his only top five finishes were on road courses. This is a team that is aiming to compete with the giants of the sport, and they have the resources to continue to push toward that goal, as they've shown this year with both Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez winning a race and sitting solidly in the playoff mix.
But McDowell is 20th, 76 points below the cut line and potentially facing elimination as early as next weekend. They have also never not made at least one driver change each season after entering the series in 2019. With McDowell set to be 42 years old come 2027, could 2026 be it for him?
Dark horse: J.J. Yeley, NY Racing Team
J.J. Yeley only competes part-time for NY Racing Team, so he's listed here as a dark horse fourth candidate, but his 2024 return, which has carried over into 2025 and 2026, was actually a bit of a surprise after he indicated that he was looking toward landing a competitive Xfinity Series ride rather than a part-time ride with a, respectfully, backmarker Cup team.
2026 is a big year for Yeley, as he's set to turn 50 years old in October. He opened the year with another Daytona 500 DNQ, making him 0-for-5 since his most recent start in the "Great American Race" in 2015, and after three starts, nothing else has been confirmed for his schedule with NY Racing Team yet. He has just one top 10 finish since 2013, and he finished no higher than 30th in 10 starts in 2025.
He did finish 21st at Michigan International Speedway in June, one spot off the team's all-time best result, but if he concludes the year with just three starts, it will mark his lowest Cup Series start tally since 2017.
Add us as a preferred source on Google