ROCKINGHAM – With less than a month until NASCAR rolls into Daytona, Fla., some drivers are preparing for more than just a new season. Some have switched to a new ride, a new number, a new team, and for some, a new life as they will either be retiring or be without a ride for the 2018 season.
Rockingham Speedway Pit Stop Challenge: Who won the last NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway? (Hint: Current driver in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.)Â
Let’s start with those who will not be returning to the new season. The biggest retirement yet in NASCAR is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Now, there’s no need to explain who he is. Earnhardt will be giving up his No. 88 Chevrolet to 24-year old Alex Bowman.
This is not the first time Bowman has driven this car. When Earnhardt was out of action back in 2016, Bowman was filling in and he showed good results during that time, winning the poll award and competing for wins.Â
Another big name who will be stepping away in the 2018 season is veteran Matt Kenseth. After losing his ride after the 2017 season, Kenseth has not had any success in finding a new one.
Kenseth, who won the final NASCAR Cup Series at Rockingham Speedway in 2004, will be replaced at Joe Gibbs Racing by 21-year old Erik Jones, who drove the No. 77 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing in 2017. Jones will now step into the No. 20 Toyota.
Danica Patrick is among those who will not have a full-time ride in 2018, and will be leaving NASCAR. However, she will race in the 2018 Daytona 500 next month and she’ll get to do it in bittersweet fashion.
Patrick will race in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet. Patrick started her NASCAR career driving in a No. 7 GoDaddy Chevy, though this time it will be under a different team. Premium Motorsports, a satellite team under Richard Childress Racing, has agreed to put Patrick in their car for one race.
After Daytona, fans will get to see her back in open wheel racing, running in the Indy 500 in May. After that, Patrick’s future is unknown for auto racing. So who gets the No. 10 car for Stewart-Haas Racing? That will be former Richard Petty Motorsport driver, Aric Almirola.
So to recap so far, because this is a huge list of driver changes:
Earnhardt Jr.: retiring from No. 88 and Hendrick Motorsports
Bowman: Leaving Xfinity Series, going to No. 88 and Hendrick Motorsports
Kenseth: Leaving No. 20 and Joe Gibbs Racing, no ride for 2018
Jones: Leaving No. 77 and Furniture Row Racing, going to No. 20 and Joe Gibbs Racing
Patrick: Leaving No. 10 and Stewart-Haas Racing, going to No. 7 and Premium Motorsports for one race
Almirola: Leaving No. 43 and Richard Petty Motorsports, going to  No. 10 and Stewart-Haas Racing
So with a vacant spot in RPM, who does the King of NASCAR select to be his next driver? It will be 24-year-old Darrell Wallace, Jr.
Wallace went all year in 2017 without a full-time ride in the Xfinity Series, but when he gets behind the wheel, it’s a wonder why he didn’t have one. Wallace will not only be driving for Petty, but will be doing it behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro. This is the Camaro’s debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Now if there is one team that will see a huge shakeup, it is Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick will lose two drivers. Already mentioned was Bowman filling the shoes of the 88 car, joining him will be William Byron who will be driving the No. 24 car.
Yes, you read that correctly. Chase Elliott will no longer be driving the No. 24 car, but he will stay in the Hendrick team. He will now be in the No. 9, returning to his original number from his days in Xfinity and the Camping World Truck Series. This number is also the one that his father, Bill Elliott, drove and made famous.
Leaving Hendrick for another ride, however, is Kasey Kahne, a former winner at Rockingham Speedway in the inaugural Camping World Truck Series race in 2011 and runner up in the 2004 Cup Series race. Kahne will leave the No. 5 for the No. 95 ride at Leavine Family Racing. The No. 5, made famous by drivers such as Terry Labonte, will no longer be on the track.
While Hendrick Motorsports sorts its new changes, Team Penske will be welcoming a new(ish) driver to its team. Ryan Blaney, who got Wood Brothers Racing their 99th win at Pocono Raceway in 2017, will be driving the No. 12.
Blaney isn’t new to his teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, as Team Penske has worked with Blaney and Wood Brothers to get to this position. Still, it will be interesting to see how Team Penske fares with adding a third car to their team since 2010.
Taking over the historic No. 21 car at Wood Brothers will be Paul Menard who will be leaving Richard Childress Racing’s No. 27. With the new acquisition, Wood Brothers will also get the Menard’s brand for sponsorship, a huge deal.
And that is it. Let’s recap the latter changes:
Wallace, Jr.: Leaving Xfinity Series, going to No. 43 and Richard Petty Motorsports
Byron: Leaving Xfinity Series, going to No. 24 and Hendrick Motorsports
Elliott: Leaving No. 24 and Hendrick Motorsports, going to No. 9 and Hendrick Motorsports
Blaney: Leaving No. 21 and Wood Brothers, going to No. 12 and Team Penske
Menard: Leaving No. 27 and Richard Childress Racing, going to No. 21 and Wood Brothers
Fast Fact: Six drivers raced in the final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. (Blaney, Bowman, Byron, Elliott, Jones and Wallace Jr.)
Rockingham Speedway Pit Stop Challenge Answer: Kyle Larson, who edged out Joey Logano.
Â
