Will Kyle Larson remain in the No. 42 in 2021?(Photo: Getty Images)
Coming into the 2020 season it was known that one of the most prolific classes of free agents in the recent history of the NASCAR Cup Series would be in the process of either renegotiating with their current teams or ironing out deals with new teams as the season played out. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent postponements of races at least through the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway(if not even further) has almost certainly created some uncertainty among the ride seekers and the ride givers.
The likes of Kyle Larson, Clint Bowyer, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones and Matt DiBenedetto are among those who are working on contracts that will expire at the end of the 2020 season. Most of these drivers would have been closely watched by team owners up to this point in the season had the racing continued as planned with everyone jockeying for position going forward. Now, with everything on hold, some doubt has no likely crept into the mix.
Keep in mind that Ryan Blaney removed his name from the free agent pool earlier this year by re-signing with Team Penske.
Larson is considered to be the hottest commodity among this batch of remaining free agents. The talented 27-year-old driver has six Cup Series wins in the record books for Chip Ganassi Racing and would be considered quite a catch for just about any team looking to add to their lineup.
The holders of the contracts would have liked to be well into the process of deciding who they want to pursue by now. However, with no on-track product to watch there may be some question marks regarding some of the other drivers in question.
An example of this could be with drivers such as Bowman, Jones and DiBenedetto.
At the start of the season, Bowman looked like he might be ready to assume a place near the top of the NASCAR driver hierarchy. A win at Auto Club Speedway along with other solid runs placed the 27-year-old driver fourth in the Cup Series standings and has secured him a place in the NASCAR Playoffs. Teams such as his current Hendrick Motorsports outfit as well as others would probably like to be seeing a greater sample size as the year progressed to determine exactly how much this driver might be worth to them. Now, they are not getting to view that sample and the time for considering deals will be greatly compressed once racing resumes.
Will Erik Jones be able to retain his seat at JGR?(Photo: Getty Images)
Jones, who came to the Cup Series as a highly touted commodity, has won two races in his two seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing but has not finished higher than 15th in the final standings. To show that his team is not completely sold on his ability to win more races and championships in the future, he was only given a one-year contract extension at the end of last season. Further, his 2020 campaign had not started off particularly well with only one top-10 finish in four starts and a ranking of 21st in the standings. Had the season played out, JGR would likely have already made their decision regarding Jones’ fate with their company.
DiBenedetto became somewhat of the darling of NASCAR in 2019 as he seemingly got the most out of his Leavine Family Racing ride. That, in turn, earned him a one-year deal with Wood Brothers Racing when Paul Menard stepped away from the sport. With one top-5 finish, the 28-year-old held the ninth position in the standings when the shutdown took hold. More races to this point would have given a more complete picture for the No. 21 operation or any other team that might have wanted to bid for his services for 2021 and beyond.
Each of these young drivers has shown enough to car owners to get them in their current rides. But are they worthy of big, multi-year contracts?
With racing not taking place, that question is more difficult to answer.
Veteran pilots such as Keselowski and Bowyer are more known entities to the teams who may be looking to fill a seat.
Keselowski has 30 wins and a Cup Series championship on his resumé and at the age of 36 he almost certainly has several competitive years left in him. He would probably come with a higher price tag than most of the younger drivers but a short term deal of one, two, or even three years with his current Team Penske or some other organization might seem a safer investment than one of the younger, but less proven, racers who look to be available.
Might team owners view a free agent such as Clint Bowyer as a safe pick?(Photo: Getty Images)
Bowyer has scored 10 career Cup Series wins over the course of his career and finished second to Keselowski in the final standings back in 2012. And more, the personable 40-year-old is known to be very good with sponsors and is a favorite at appearances with fans. He may not have the win totals of some others his age but he does have marketability. Again, in these uncertain times, this may be the safer option for Stewart-Haas Racing should they decide to keep him for another year or for one of the other teams who will have an opening.
With so many unknowns in NASCAR as well as in the country and the world right now, decision makers in all walks of life will probably be looking as options that provide the greatest amount of certainty as we all move into an unprecedented future.
Rather than throwing out high dollar, long-term contracts to drivers who have not had a chance to fully prove themselves in 2020, NASCAR team owners, like everyone else, may very well be looking at the safest options until the world’s health and economy are standing on more solid ground.
Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association
Respond to this piece on Twitter –> @RichardAllenIDR
or on Facebook –> InsideCircleTrack/Facebook