The END of Stewart-Haas? | Predicting NASCAR Silly Season Moves

I don't do this every year but I figured with all the wild rumors and speculation out there we could have some fun with our Silly Season predictions this time around I've had some hits in the past like I correctly predicted Noah Gregson getting to the cup series when he did but I've also gone out on a limb a few different times and had the branch break underneath me like what the heck was I talking about 3 years ago and why did I think Justin Haley would go to chipkin Ay racing in 2021 who let this guy cook I'm going to do my best to back up each one of my predictions with actual realworld evidence let me know in the comment section below if you agree or disagree with any of my theories let's start with what we already know Spire Motorsports has set their lineup Cory lejoy will drive the seven Michael McDow joins the team will drive the 71 and Carson hos ofar returns to the 77 we also know where Ricky Stenhouse will be he signed a multi-year extension with JT doy racing there are some questions around ownership sponsorship but it appears Stenhouse will stay in the 47 for the time being yeah I can't comment on exactly what's uh you know going on um you know with with sponsorship stuff but you know the race team is is working very hard on that my first bold prediction perhaps is that Joe Gibbs Racing brings back all four drivers next year that's right I do not think Martin CHX Jr will retire I think he pushes that off for at least one more year he's just too damn good he's second in the regular season standings he's still at or very near the tippy top of his game Hamlin returns to the 11 I think TRX is still in the 19 for at least one more year Bell in the 20 and of course Ty Gibbs in the 54 if TRX does in fact retire that's going to shake things up I think Chandler Smith is next in line he's been very good in the exfinity series this season there's a reason perhaps he came crawling back to Toyota after that weird one year away at colag he sees a path to the cup series if it's not next year it could be the year after moving on I think Richard CHR racing brings back the same two drivers Austin Dylan in the three Kyle bus in the eight Kyle Bush has said he has a contract he will be back in that car next season Austin Dylan is more of a question mark If Austin Dylan continues to struggle this year and then struggles again in 2025 I believe his cup series career will come to an end I think he'll move upstairs into a a leadership role within Richard children's racing he'll follow in the footsteps of his grandfather his father if Austin Dylan can't figure things out with Justin Alexander this time around I think he'll be kicked upstairs after next season to make room for either Austin Hill or maybe Jesse love or you know will assess at that time for now Dylan Kyle Bush I think they keep their rides for another season hendrik Motorsports therefore drivers are set no changes there it'll still be Larsson Elliot Byron Bowman no change same with Team Pensky legano blay are the two most recent Champions they're not going anywhere and Austin syri will get at least one more year his father Tim syri of course is an important Pensky Motorsports executive he's 20th in points this year that's a slight Improvement I think sticking with Ford I think RFK looks the same next year Brad keslowski in the six of course Chris busher in the 17 keslowski confirmed busher has a multi-year contract so he is not going anywhere I think RFK would like to add a third car a third Charter but I don't think the timing is Right Rick wear racing will stay largely the same as well Justin Haley has been very imp impressive in that 51 and I think the 15 will continue to be sort of a rotating group of drivers you'll see Cody wear the boss's son in that car sum you'll also see drivers who bring funding maybe even Cas grala who's had a few decent performances this year as well all right now that we've established a Bas line let's discuss the key players of this year's Silly Season so much of Silly Season hinges on Stewart hos racing Bob hawas has reported that shr has sent prospective buyers information on what charters cost what's for sale reporter Matt Weaver stated that some of shr's buildings and racing operations are even for sale then just last week shr driver Chase Brisco said if shr is still around next year suggesting this team's future is even more uncertain than we all initially realized I've heard through the great fine and this is just a rumor that everything is for sale at Stuart hos they might keep their Infinity Series team around where they Supply cars to Ryan SE they're an important asset to Ford but the future of their Cup Series program looks bleak Tony Stewart Jean hos are basically Mia Joe kuster is running the show over there I believe he will still be involved in NASCAR in some way shape or form but I'm not so certain Stuart hos racing sticks around reporter Adam Stern believes their Charters could sell for 20 to $30 million a piece at that price it's safe to say there are three or four teams that are very very interested I'm buying the Doomsday scenario for the sake of this video I'm going to keep things quite simple steuart hos racing sells they are gone no more Cup Series team after this year four charters on the Move here's how I think that would go front row Motorsports we'll buy two of them front row Motorsports general manager Jerry freeze said recently that they'd like to get to three charters I think they end up with four and effectively replace Stuart hos racing as Ford's new key partner Cup Series organization I also think front row will move into at least part of Stuart hos Racing's campus they'll need that extra space I think Ford will help supplement the cost I think that's the transition if there's any merger this free agency I think it's between steuart hos and front row so to speak that's where Cole kuster to the 34 comes into play he's a Cup Series winner defending experity Series champion he gets another shot in the cup series Noah Gregson has revitalized his career he brings some sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops and other loyal Partners I think he gets the 36 I just made up the 35 car it's been a while but how about Josh Barry experienced racer doesn't bring a ton of funding but let's hypothetically say he and Rodney chers are some sort of package deal we know Rodney chers is a huge Josh Barry cheerleader and that's the kind of established Championship crew chief that could come over and and build front row Motorsports into a contender I'll give Josh Barry a seat and then Todd Gillan of course stays in the 38 car they love him over there that's my first big bold prediction front row buys two charters they effectively become the new Stewart house racing and pick up many of their young drivers who may otherwise not have seats that means two other Charters are still for sale I think track house gets one of them track house is in an odd scenario right now they only have two seats for four potentially Cup Series ready drivers they have to be aggressive they have to make some moves this year I think they get one charter for zann Smith Zayn is a Truck Series champion I know his rookie year has been a struggle but bring him inh house I think he'll flourish I know Zay Smith is a good driver I know he's better than what he's shown this year I think zaye Smith joins track house the mothership if you will next year I don't think Shane Van gisbergen gets a full-time cup seat next year I think they make him wait one more year he's been good in Xfinity he's 15th in points in a callic racing car couple of top 10 should have had another top five at Kota but got penalized he's more than capable on the road courses but NASCAR is so much more than road courses I still think Shane Van gisbergen only 34 years old oh he just turned 35 happy belated birthday Shane still mid-30s I don't think they need to rush him to cup just just yet I was talking to Brenan P Infinity Series driver who races door Todo with Shane Van gisbergen almost every single week and for what it's worth he doesn't think Shane is quite ready to make that jump fulltime he's doing a fantastic job just he needs it's just hard experience it's cup is real hard everybody it's real difficult so um it's a different ball game I think track house needs to focus on improving their team's overall performance before they consider doubling in size next year I think they get one charter it goes to Zay Smith the fourth and final steart hos racing Charter ends up with Toyota 2311 racing specifically Bubba Wallace in the 23 reick in the 45 and Corey Heim goes full-time cup next year Cory Heim was so impressive in his two starts for legacy this year that mobile one is putting him in a 2311 car at Nashville next month I see that as foreshadowing I think Cory Heim will get the nod next season I know Denny Hamlin Curtis p the whole team at 2311 seemed to be disillusioned with NASCAR leadership and their proposed new Charter agreement but if shr is truly selling all four charters for 20 to $30 million I think at that price this is too good of an opportunity for them to pass up on they just opened up AirSpeed new shop I know they're not calling it a shop but that's what it is and it can hold more than two full-time teams I think 2311 buys a third Charter and my prediction is Cory Heim passes up Chandler Smith if you will and goes full-time Cup racing next year that's just a feeling I've got which means Legacy motor club does not make any major moves they bring John Hunter nemek and Eric Jones back this is still a new Toyota team trying to get their feet underneath them they've run better than they did last year but they are still struggling mightily compared to their Toyota teammates Legacy motor club runs it back and I think Calla gracing holds on to their two charters I think if the price was right they would be happy to sell but with Stuart hos racing putting everything on the market driving the price of Charters down I think Matt Colligan Chris Rice will wait for at least a year they'll run it back they'll bring AJ alinger back to race the road courses as well as a few other drivers who can pay the most and the 31 will likely be driven by Daniel hemrich for another year I think callig racing is going to hold off for a better deal they do not make any major moves this season they look ahead to 2025 2026 Chris Rice did say last week on Sirius that they are not merging with track house so I'm going to take him at his word we're not merging we're not doing anything like that we we are very close to track house and and we will be close to track house for a while but we also close to RCR there are two Stewart hos racing drivers and One race team I have not yet mentioned I think Chase Brisco ends up with the Wood Brothers Harrison Burton has struggled the past three seasons y'all forget but before Harrison got there Wood Brothers made a deep playoff run with Ryan blay Matt deetto made the playoffs in that car during the pandemic season this is a playoff team technically a fourth Pensky car Ford likes Chase Brisco he's been Stuart hass's best driver this season I think he brings some sponsorship from High Point at least he's a good dude Everyone likes him I think Chase Brisco ends up in the 21 and will still be able to contend for a playoff spot that unfortunately leaves Ryan PR Harrison Burton the odd men out could see them both going back to Xfinity we know what Ryan priest is capable of on the modified tour he just hasn't been able to figure it out in cup unfortunately I don't see a seat for him next year those are some of the major moves I could see happening this silly season I would hate to see Stuart hos completely dissolve their Cup Series program but if they do it's an opportunity for front row it's an opportunity potentially for track house 2311 Legacy maybe RFK we will have to wait and see let me know down in the comments section below if you agree or disagree with any of my theories which ones can you pick apart leave a comment I'd love to hear it thank you so much for tuning in following along hope you had as much fun with this as I did I know it's all a bit overwhelming but hopefully together we can make sense of the madness this free agency I will see you all again soon have a wonderful rest of your day [Music]

Channel: Eric Estepp

Views: 67,714

Keywords:

Id: nhpmuPwP_YM

Length: 12min 40sec (760 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2024