NASCAR: 2 seats still need drivers as 2024 season approaches

There hasn't been a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver confirmation for the 2024 season for several months, and the count remains at 34.

Two of the 36 charter teams still have not solidified their driver lineups for the 2024 season, but it is likely that the full-time driver count will remain at 34.

Of the two remaining vacant charter cars, one does have a confirmed driver, but only for a single race. Which two teams still have seats to fill?

Kaulig Racing

A.J. Allmendinger drove the No. 16 Chevrolet full-time during the 2023 season after several drivers, including Allmendinger, shared it in 2022. But he is set to move back to the Xfinity Series full-time in 2024.

Having said that, Matt Kaulig's team appear to be going back to their 2022 approach by running one car for a full-time driver (No. 31 Chevrolet for Daniel Hemric) and one for a number of drivers.

While Ty Dillon had widely been tipped to replace Allmendinger, the team confirmed Allmendinger as the driver of the No. 16 Chevrolet for the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

The team have not confirmed a driver for the No. 16 Chevrolet for any of the other 35 races on the 36-race schedule.

Rick Ware Racing

It is not yet known whether former Kaulig Racing driver Justin Haley will drive the No. 15 Ford or the No. 51 Ford during the 2024 season. Either way, the team still have a second seat to fill after NASCAR opted against repossessing one of their two charters, something they very well could have done due to the team's continued bottom three finishes in the owner standings.

Rick Ware Racing have historically run at least one shared entry, and given the fact that Haley is set to compete full-time, the team's second car will likely be shared.

However, that is not a guarantee. Up until his arrest and suspension in April 2023, Cody Ware had been competing full-time for his father's team. Is there a chance that Rick Ware Racing will move forward with two full-time drivers in 2024? It's possible, but there is also a chance that Ware won't compete for the team at all.

Unlike Kaulig Racing's No. 16 Chevrolet, there have not been any driver confirmations -- for any of the 36 races on the schedule -- for the No. 15 Ford/No. 51 Ford.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, February 18 with the 66th annual Daytona 500. Fox is set to provide live coverage of the "Great American Race" beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss it!