One year after there were just two changes to the NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup during silly season, it has already been confirmed that at least three cars will not be driven by the same drivers next year.
The latest confirmation is that Josh Berry will not be back behind the wheel of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford for what would have been his third season with the team. His replacement hasn't yet been announced.
Riley Herbst was already announced to be leaving 23XI Racing, with Corey Heim set to replace him behind the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota, while Richard Childress Racing were forced to deal with the tragic passing of two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, who was supposed to announce a contract extension with the team in early June.
Austin Hill is set to drive the No. 8-turned-No. 33 Chevrolet for the rest of 2026, with the team's plans for 2027 remain undetermined.
What else might change in next year's driver lineup? Here are five more drivers whose seats could be at risk.
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
RFK Racing's strength this season had been consistency, but only until lately. Lately, that consistency has been exposed as just that: consistency. Ryan Preece had been consistent, but not consistently good, and he's fallen completely out of the playoff picture after a handful of poor results, as merely racking up top 18 finishes simply isn't good enough.
RFK Racing know they're in line to lose a charter after the 2026 season, since they cannot lease Rick Ware Racing's second charter again in 2027; it has been sold to Legacy Motor Club. They are committed to running three cars full-time, but given their upside, is Preece, whose top finish of the year is eighth, really their best option?
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
While teammates Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar are both race winners this season, and both find themselves inside the top nine in the point standings, the former doing so after many had effectively written him off following his Trackhouse Racing departure, Michael McDowell sits below the playoff cut line in 20th.
For a team seemingly in win-now mode, after having not won a race since 2019, don't be surprised if they seek an upgrade.
Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports
Noah Gragson is another driver who has struggled in comparison to his teammates, and that was the case a year ago as well, when he joined Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith at Front Row Motorsports.
With Layne Riggs waiting in the wings as the Craftsman Truck Series points leader, and arguably as the top overall driver in the Ford talent development pipeline at the moment, the No. 4 Ford could very well change hands before long.
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is the ride everybody has their eyes on, as Alex Bowman has gone nearly two years without a victory for the second time since 2022 alone.
Even in a "down" year for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman has still been well off the pace of his teammates, who have each won at least three races since the 2025 season began. Even had he not missed four races in March due to vertigo, his points per race average would only be good enough for 30th in the series.
Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing
Ty Dillon hasn't spent more than two seasons with the same team since his stint with Germain Racing from 2017 to 2020, and it's possible that his Kaulig Racing stay won't be extended into a third year either.
He has historically struggled to match the pace and the results of his teammates, and that has been the case in both 2025 and 2026 against A.J. Allmendinger, who sits 10 positions ahead of him in the standings after ending 2025 seven spots better. Dillon hasn't finished better than 12th all year.
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