Easter Sunday’s offering NASCAR Cup Collection drivers with per week off to chill out and switch their focus to the rest of the season. Whereas the very best NASCAR drivers are centered on positioning for The Chase, a number of might discover themselves beneath actual strain to carry out or else they’ll be listening to loads of chatter about probably being changed.
Let’s dive into our newest NASCAR scorching seat, taking a look at 5 drivers who could possibly be at risk of dropping their Cup Collection seat in 2027 forward of NASCAR foolish season.
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Alex Bowman, No. 48 Automotive, Hendrick Motorsports
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At this level, the one factor we wish to see is Alex Bowman be wholesome. Vertigo has sidelined him for a majority of the season and there nonetheless isn’t a timeline for his return. Sadly for him, medical points have been a prevailing theme of his Cup Collection profession. This was a prove-it yr for the motive force of the No. 48 automobile along with his contract set to run out and, sadly, well being points reared their ugly head once more in 2026. It now appears like a matter of who Hendrick Motorsports replaces Bowman with in 2027, not in the event that they do.
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Noah Gragson, No. 4 Automotive, Entrance Row Motorsports
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By way of seven races this season, Noah Gragson sits twenty ninth in factors (93). He’s 74 factors again of the sixteenth and closing spot in The Chase and contemplating his common ending place this season is simply with single-digit factors accrued in 4 consecutive races, making the 10-race chase is extremely inconceivable. It’s not like Entrance Row Motorsports is printing cash as a enterprise; proprietor Bob Jenkins admitted through the authorized battle versus NASCAR that he typically loses cash on this enjoyable enterprise. With that mentioned, FRM did get financial damages from the settlement and it now has three full-time charters. The cash ought to be there to switch Gragson with somebody who can both provide higher upside long-term or end larger persistently.
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Riley Herbst, No. 35 Automotive, 23XI Racing
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We’ll begin with the excellent news for Riley Herbst. The 27-year-old is performing higher this season than he did in his first yr as a full-time Cup Collection driver. He’s additionally demonstrated that he is usually a good teammate and with the sturdy ties he brings to Monster Power plus the deep pockets his household has, there shall be Cup groups all in favour of him. That’s nice, as a result of 23XI Racing shall be changing him with Corey Heim because the full-time driver for the No. 35 automobile subsequent season.
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 47 Automotive, HYAK Motorsports
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has some marketability and that definitely carries some worth. Nevertheless, the veteran driver additionally ranks thirtieth within the Cup Collection in factors proper now, behind the likes of Austin Dillon, Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson, and Riley Herbst. Stenhouse has completed twenty fifth or worse in 5 of seven races this yr, with 4 top-10s throughout his final 44 Cup Collection races, and he ranks thirty fifth in common ending place (24.8) over the past 36 races. In truth, Hyak Motorsports might determine its most suitable choice is to promote its constitution to a different workforce and reap the rewards of the brand new prices for a everlasting full-time seat. If that occurs, Stenhouse would possibly have to spend his age-39 season racing within the O’Reilly Auto Elements Collection.
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Kyle Busch, No. 8 Automotive, Richard Childress Racing
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Of all of the drivers we’re placing on the NASCAR scorching seat, Kyle Busch is clearly the one who would discover one other trip the simplest. He at present ranks ninth on the , and his success as of late operating just a few Truck Collection races demonstrates he nonetheless has one thing left within the tank. With that mentioned, it’s fairly evident the No. 8 workforce and Richard Childress Racing are simply as fed up with Busch as the long run Corridor of Famer is with them. Jesse Love will most likely be driving the No. 8 automobile, whereas Busch will get yet one more likelihood to show he’s nonetheless able to successful within the Cup Collection. This victory drought and his points with the Subsequent Gen automobile counsel Busch could be an even bigger drawback than some will acknowledge.
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