Before the month of May concluded, 23XI Racing made the long-awaited announcement that development driver Corey Heim, who currently runs part time in the team's fourth non-charted (open) car, is set to replace Riley Herbst behind the wheel of the No. 35 Toyota full-time for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.
It was a move that many fans were hoping would have happened for the 2026 season, given Heim's 12-win championship-winning Craftsman Truck Series season in 2025. Some had even hoped that Heim would get the seat over Herbst in 2025.
That move is the first major move of silly season, following a relatively calm offseason which saw just two driver changes across the 36 chartered teams. With Herbst out, would could be next?
Here are several strong possibilities.
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports
The No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is the one that everybody now has their eyes on, with longtime primary sponsor Ally Financial signed through 2028 but Alex Bowman still being the only Hendrick driver without a contract beyond 2026.
Even without missing four races due to vertigo, Bowman's points per race average is only good for 28th of the 35 full-time drivers. For as much as Hendrick Motorsports has "struggled", the other three drivers are all still in the top 12. All of those drivers have also won at least three races each since the 2025 season started. Bowman hasn't won since July 2024.
Ty Dillon, Kaulig Racing
Ty Dillon has been consistently outperformed by his teammates whenever he's had one throughout his journeyman Cup Series career, and that has certainly been true since the start of the 2025 season alongside A.J. Allmendinger. He has just one top 10 finish 51 starts, with none in his 33 most recent.
His only major achievement, which actually might be too generous of a word here, is his second place finish in NASCAR's latest gimmick, the "In-Season Challenge", simply due to favorable matchups and lackluster results in the tournament bracket.
Austin Hill, Richard Childress Racing
Austin Hill is facing the unenviable task of stepping in for the late Kyle Busch, and he is set to drive the No. 8-turned-No. 33 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2026 season. Richard Childress himself confirmed this news when he announced that the initial goal was to announce an extension for Busch at Michigan International Speedway.
Beyond that, Richard Childress Racing's plans are unknown, but the early commitment to Hill for the remainder of the 2026 season, rather than a constantly changing lineup involving Hill and O'Reilly Auto Parts Series teammate Jesse Love, should allow the team the ability to take a longer look at potential teammates for Austin Dillon in 2027. Maybe Hill is the answer, and maybe he isn't.
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
Ryan Preece's season epitomizes the fact that consistency only matters if it involves being consistently good. Preece had been inside the provisional 16-driver playoff picture all year until a handful of bad results resulted in him plummeting down to 19th in points.
Why? Because his "consistency" was in the form of top 20 finishes. He was consistently running in the teens, with only two top 10 finishes to his name, and nothing higher than eighth. He was consistently avoiding wrecks, until he wasn't.
While Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski haven't won this year either, both have recorded multiple top five finishes. RFK Racing's untapped potential might never be tapped with Preece in the No. 60 Ford.
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
Even since earning his first career Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2025, Josh Berry really hasn't been a factor. This year alone, he hasn't finished higher than ninth and is 30th in points.
It's no secret that Ford has struggled, and Team Penske, the team with which Wood Brothers Racing have a technical alliance, has struggled especially. But given the fact that Berry was one of just two drivers who qualified for the 2025 playoffs but would not have actually done so under the new format, that ongoing limited upside could force a change behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford.
Harrison Burton is the only driver to last more than two seasons in the iconic Wood Brothers car since Ricky Rudd more than two decades ago. It wouldn't be surprising if Berry doesn't join that list.
Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports
While nobody specifically expects Front Row Motorsports to be consistently competing for wins or playoff spots, Noah Gragson hasn't been able to keep up with teammates Zane Smith and Todd Gilliland this year, and the same was true a year ago.
For as much potential as he showed during his Xfinity Series days, that simply hasn't translated at the Cup level, and with Truck Series points leader Layne Riggs waiting in the wings, the No. 4 Ford could change hands in 2027.
Michael McDowell, Spire Motorsports
Relative to teammates Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez, who have both won a race this year for a Spire Motorsports team that had previously won just one race (2019), Michael McDowell has struggled.
Even with a runner-up finish at Watkins Glen International, he's 20th in the point standings. While his veteran presence has unquestionably helped to move this team forward since his 2025 arrival, this is an organization with win-now upside that may look to maximize on that with a lineup change.
Dark horse: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to let Father Time catch up to him before he retires. If he manages to win the 2026 Cup Series championship, it's hard to imagine him doing another full season in 2027, unless he was merely saying that to generate attention.
Given how the 2025 season ended, the 2026 championship would be the ultimate prize with which to walk into the sunset and turn his full focus to his and Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing team, where his next goal would be to become a champion as an owner.
It would allow him to go out on his terms, and it would allow him to do so on top. Isn't that exactly what he's wanted all along?
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