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The Remaining Pieces of the Puzzle in the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season

Published 09/22/2020, 2:16 AM EDT

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The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season is steadily reaching its conclusion. Soon, all eyes will be turning towards the 2021 season. A number of seats have already been confirmed, with Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain as the latest to announce their 2021 plans.

Wallace and Denny Hamlin made a major revelation as Wallace will drive for a team Hamlin will jointly own with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

However, there are still many more places to pick from and time is slowly running out. Obviously, one of the most coveted seats is the #48 seat at Hendrick Motorsports as Jimmie Johnson is set to retire from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the current season.

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However, it does beg the question of how many seats are still up for grabs and when will this game of musical chairs end?

How many seats are vacant in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series grid?

Going in chronological order, Clint Bowyer’s #14 car has an undecided future, as his contract with Stewart-Haas Racing is expiring soon. And following the sale of the Germain Racing, Ty Dillon is also out of a contract now.

Earlier this month, the #21 car opened up as a potential option for new drivers. However, current seat-holder, Matt DiBenedetto revealed that his team has an option to pick up his contract for next year.

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The Go Fas Racing #32 car is also actively searching for a 2021 driver, with Corey LaJoie not returning to the outfit.

Even Richard Petty Motorsports is trying to woo some drivers for the #43 car. Especially since Bubba Wallace is not returning for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. With Jimmie Johnson retiring, his iconic #48 car still needs a pilot. So the Hendrick Motorsports team will be keen to find a successor.

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With the Leavine Family Racing team leaving, Spire Motorsports purchased the assets. So, LFR’s #95 will be added to Spire’s roster as a two-car operation in 2021. Finally, Gaunt Brothers Racing needs a driver after #96 driver Daniel Suarez chose to part ways at the end of the season.

All You Need to Know as Bubba Wallace Joins the New Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin NASCAR Team

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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