It seems that the NASCAR Silly Season gets started a little earlier each year. Like Christmas sales in the summer, the dates keep creeping earlier each season.
With the season less than a third along, the Silly Season rumours have already begun with Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, Carson Hocevar, and Ryan Blaney having singed long term contract extensions and secured their spots for the foreseeable future.
Kyle Larson drives the number five car for Hendrick Motorsports.
Tyler Reddick drives the number 45 car for 23XI Racing.
Carson Hocevar drives the number 77 for Spire Motorsports.
Ryan Blaney drives the number 12 for Team Penske.
The two biggest questions in the NASCAR paddock is the fates of Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch; both of which are in the final years of their contracts.
Driving the number 48 car, Bowman has just two race wins since 2022 and missed four races this season while dealing with vertigo issues.
On the other hand, Kyle Busch brought a winning record of over 200 races – across all three series – to RCR and the number eight car but has not won a Cup Series race in 104 races.
And there is the reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Jesse Love who currently drives the number two car in that series for RCR. Love has expressed his desire to drive in the Cup Series.
With possibilities for open spots limited, the Silly Season pyramid depends on where Bowman and Busch land for the next season. And there are plenty of O’Reilly and Craftsman Truck Series drivers looking to make their mark in “the big leagues” of Cup Series racing.