NASCAR: 3 possible replacements for Michael McDowell in 2025
By Randy Smith
No. 2 - Harrison Burton
Another driver in the Ford camp who could possibly be ousted from his current NASCAR Cup Series ride is Harrison Burton. The son of Jeff Burton has been with Wood Brothers Racing behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford since 2022.
Burton is currently in 33rd place in the point standings after finishing in 27th in 2022 and 31st in 2023. With the team possibly looking to move on from the 23-year-old, a change of scenery could be beneficial. While possibly moving back down to the Xfinity Series or Truck Series could be an option, staying in the Cup Series could work as well.
If the latter is an option, Front Row Motorsports would make sense. Todd Gilliland is set to continue competing for Bob Jenkins' team after signing a contract extension, giving the team the opportunity to build around two young drivers who were once teammates in the Truck Series.
Gilliland has been in the Front Row Motorsports camp since 2020, and he joined their Cup Series program the same year Burton joined Wood Brothers Racing. If the team aim to go younger in 2025, these two could take the reins.
Additionally, Burton brings sponsorship from DEX Imaging, a company that has stuck with him since his Xfinity Series days at Joe Gibbs Racing. With future sponsorship of the No. 34 Ford unclear, the added funds from DEX Imaging could create an easy-in for the Huntersville, North Carolina native.
Love's Travel Stop will likely stay on board with the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team, but additional funding from a sponsor that has been tied to Burton for quite some time certainly wouldn't hurt and could make it an easy sell for him to land a new Cup Series ride in 2025.