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The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off (weather permitting) this weekend with the exhibition Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
And take a good look at the starting lineup because it’s quite possible the lineup in 2027 could look quite different.
While only two drivers in 2026 have new Cup rides (rookie Connor Zilisch in at Trackhouse, replacing Daniel Suarez, who has replaced Justin Haley at Spire Motorsports), there could be many more changes in the next offseason.
In a survey of driver agents, there are more than 20 drivers who aren’t signed for 2027. A handful of drivers, including Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski (who will be replaced by Corey LaJoie for the Clash as he recovers from a broken leg) will likely be back in their rides.
Kyle Larson is one driver who will likely be back in his same ride in 2027.
But there are several drivers with questions — including 2025 playoff drivers Tyler Reddick, Alex Bowman and Austin Cindric, as well as Kyle Busch. Only two organizations — Trackhouse and Joe Gibbs Racing — appear relatively stable, barring something unforeseen.
Reddick could be the biggest key, as the youngest driver who has proven himself (he won the 2024 regular-season title) but also didn’t have the 2025 he wanted. The 30-year-old said he isn’t sweating having a free-agent year.
“I just work as hard as I can,” Reddick told me Thursday at the FOX Sports production day. “I try and leave every last ounce of myself out there on the racetrack every single week.
“As long as I stay committed to being myself, being who I am and driving to my limit and continuing to find ways to improve, I’m not worried about it.”
For Bowman, he is used to people talking about his driver status for the last two years, despite having a contract with Hendrick Motorsports through this year. So does he feel more pressure now that his contract is actually up?
“I don’t think so,” Bowman said. “It’s kind of par for the course, right? I just look at the situation that I’m given and try to maximize it and do the best job I can with what I have to work with.
“So, obviously, I’m doing the best I can to try to go win races for Mr. Hendrick.”
Alex Bowman explained that he doesn’t feel any added pressure during this pivotal 2026 season.
As for Busch, the two-time Cup champion, he said drivers will likely know by the end of May whether their current situation is the one they want to continue with.
“It’s going to take a little bit of time before you get a sense of where you’re at,” Busch said. “I’ve always kind of said, once you get to the Coke 600, that’s sort of like where you’ll fall in the season and where your points are and where you kind of stack up. You can go about one or two places higher or lower than where you’re at currently.
“I would say that would be a good time to start judging.”
For the drivers, winning is obviously important. And whether the money offered could sway a driver like Reddick to leave a place like 23XI Racing is certainly going to be a storyline.
“More so than anything, I’m a race-car driver, and I show up with the intent to compete for wins every single week,” Reddick said. “So that’s what’s really important to me.”
Tyler Reddick explained that competing for wins “every single week” is what’s most important to him this season.
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Different storylines to look at in 2026:
— The brand new Chase format begins this yr, which is a 10-race mini-season to find out the champion. There will likely be 16 drivers, primarily based on regular-season level standings, who qualify for the Chase with their factors reset just for the beginning of the Chase. There will likely be 2,100 for the regular-season champion, all the way down to 2,000 for the sixteenth driver. A win is now value 55 factors as an alternative of 40 factors.
— Brad Keselowski’s restoration from the damaged leg he suffered in December. He expects to have the ability to race the Daytona 500, with a check scheduled for subsequent week in Charlotte.
— Connor Zilisch’s rookie season. After a 10-win yr in Xfinity (now the O’Reilly Sequence), the 19-year-old Zilisch will compete in his first full Cup season for Trackhouse.
— There’s one new venue and one “return” venue in 2026. Drivers will compete on the streets and tarmacs of the Naval Base Coronado throughout from San Diego. They may also go to Chicagoland Speedway, which final performed host to a race in 2019.
— Whether or not the game has healed after the brutal 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports lawsuit towards NASCAR. Through the trial, textual content messages have been made public, in addition to workforce and NASCAR financials, that will likely be scrutinized.
AN EARLY START
A number of NASCAR and INDYCAR drivers received their 2026 asphalt racing season began early at Daytona within the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The 24-hour, sports-car race offers them the chance for loads of laps, in addition to a possibility to work with a number of different drivers. Automobiles had three or 4 drivers apiece and a few groups subject two automobiles.
“I hope [St. Pete] just isn’t going to be as robust bodily and demanding as this,” four-time INDYCAR champion Alex Palou mentioned concerning the preparation for the INDYCAR opener Mar. 1. “So many laps, simply pushing my driving towards my teammates and towards opponents. That’s what we needed.”
Zilisch, who received in his class two years in the past and competed for the primary time within the high class, was a part of the workforce that completed second.
“The automobiles are actually numerous enjoyable to drive,” Zilisch mentioned. “They’re robust on chilly tires. It’s important to get them as much as temp fairly fast. The restarts are difficult as properly.”
Connor Zilisch waves to followers on the Rolex 24 at Daytona Worldwide Speedway on Jan. 25, 2026.
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INDYCAR driver Will Energy, who competed for the primary time at Daytona, mentioned it was a fantastic expertise.
“On one hand, it was a tremendous expertise and I felt for the entire workforce to get so shut,” Energy mentioned. “It was nonetheless superior to be on the rostrum. It’s superb. I positively wish to do it once more. I actually, actually prefer it.”
Penske driver Scott McLaughlin didn’t drive for Penske. Penske fields Porsches in sports activities automobiles and received the race for the third consecutive yr. However McLaughlin was main in his division earlier than a gearbox seal got here aside.
“This will get you within the race mode of passing automobiles and restarts and chilly tires,” McLaughlin mentioned. “It’s massive. It’s a fantastic begin to my yr.”
IN THE NEWS
— Denny Hamlin confirmed that 23XI Racing has signed the revised constitution settlement that resulted from the settlement of the 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports lawsuit towards NASCAR. Now that the phrases have been agreed to by the suing events, the remainder of the groups now have the paperwork to signal the revised deal. They’ve a minimum of one other week to signal.
— Stewart Friesen had a profitable check at Charlotte and is about to return for the truck opener at Daytona. Friesen broke his proper leg and pelvis in a dust modified crash in July. Friesen advised me: “No marathons but, and no ballet in my future. I am ok to do what I must do within the race automotive, and I used to be fairly nervous about all that. … It was a very long time on crutches after which transitioned to a cane for a few weeks. However I began leaving that round the home and dropping its place, so I simply received to type of push by way of it and maintain constructing muscle. I nonetheless have some methods to go however I am feeling actually good.”
SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Bubba Wallace on the drums for the Kurt Busch Corridor of Fame celebration.
THEY SAID IT
“My first-ever race in something, … it was my dwarf automotive with my dad in 1994. By September of 2000, I am in Cup. That is how briskly all the pieces went. That is why I wasn’t prepared for the large time.” New NASCAR Corridor of Fame inductee Kurt Busch on his profession.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The winter storm that has blasted by way of the Southeast might be a priority for the Conflict this weekend at Bowman Grey.
Temperatures all week will likely be beneath freezing till elements of the weekend, when it might fluctuate above and beneath freezing. That isn’t essentially a fantastic factor due to the potential for melting and re-freezing.
With the potential for temperatures dropping into the kids, there might be some concern about tires and brakes however there is no such thing as a minimal temperature required for the automobiles to race.
As massive of a priority might be whether or not the roads are match to journey, even 4-5 days after the storm in an space that solely often offers with extreme ice and snow.
In Inside The Storage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way in which solely he can.
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