While top teams such as Team Penske, Hendrick Motorsports, and Joe Gibbs Racing remain unchanged, there’s still plenty to talk about throughout the 2024 field.
Stewart-Haas Racing replaces outgoing veterans
The entire organization went winless in 2023 and at season’s end, SHR lost tis two most experienced drivers. 2014 Cup champion Kevin Harvick is stepping out of the driver’s seat and into the booth this year. Aric Almirola will now compete part-time with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The team already has two young drivers in Chase Briscoe and Josh Berry, but have added two more for 2024. Josh Berry joins the lineup, replacing Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Ford Mustang. Berry has just 12 Cup starts, including a stint last year where he subbed for an injured Chase Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He finished as high as second at Richmond Raceway. His career includes five Xfinity wins, and tremendous success in Late Model cars.
Photo by: Stewart-Haas Racing
Almirola’s No. 10 Ford Mustang will be taken over by Noah Gragson, who struggled through a tumultuous 2023 season at Legacy Motor Club. His rookie campaign ended abruptly when he was suspended after liking a meme that mocked the murder of George Floyd. Since then, Gragson has successfully completed sensitivity training and will return in 2024, now with SHR. A championship runner-up in the Truck Series in 2018 and the Xfinity Series in 2022, Gragson has 15 wins between the lower two divisions. Although he has yet to complete a full season at the Cup level, he has 39 total starts with a best finish of fifth.
Spire Motorsports adds two rookie drivers
Berry is only 1/3rd of the story when looking at the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series rookie class. The rapidly-expanding Spire Motorsports will add two rookies to its lineup, who will compete alongside teammate Corey LaJoie.
The No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro, which was driven by Ty Dillon, will now be piloted by Carson Hocevar. The 20-year-old will be the youngest full-time driver on the grid. Although he’s faced criticism for several on-track incidents, most notably in the Truck Series title-decider while battling for the championship, Hocevar has been fairly impressive in only a handful of Cup starts. He made nine appearances in the premier division last year, finishing as high as eleventh at Bristol while driving for Legacy Motor Club.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Motorsport.com – NASCAR – Stories…