Parker Kligerman’s sudden retirement announcement leaves another Xfinity Series entry open for 2025. Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Racing No. 48 is a top ride in the Xfinity Series with support from Richard Childress Racing, so what are the team’s options for the No. 48 in 2025?
Big Machine Racing has one major benefit that other teams lack. Scott Borchetta is a record executive and founder of Big Machine Records Big, Machine Distillery, and Big Machine Vodka, which creates a sponsorship ecosystem for the team.
This sponsorship, along with the team’s competitive history, means that BMR can hire almost any driver it wants. This opportunity is due to sponsorship playing a significant role in the free agent process. This driver could even flip from a prior commitment or loyalty. Some of these drivers could be:
Brennan Poole is one of those drivers you don’t forget in NASCAR. Whether it’s the personality or the look, Poole seems like the type of driver any team would like to keep around.
Fortunately for Poole, Chip Ganassi thought so in 2016, bringing on the six-time ARCA winner to the team’s Xfinity Series program. After two seasons, however, CGR and Poole parted ways.
This departure resulted in a nasty lawsuit involving Poole’s longtime sponsor, DC Solar, with Poole claiming that CGR conspired to take the sponsor from him. His loss of sponsorship may have been for the best. Poole avoided the legal drama between DC Solar, the FBI, and CGR that followed his departure.
Brennan has run part-time and full-time for several teams in the three National Series. Perhaps now that a fully funded car is open, the 33-year-old could get one more shot with BMR.
Ty Majeski’s story is partly the same as Poole’s. However, Majeski has unexpectedly recovered from the loss of big team support.
A standout late-model racer, Ty Majeski once looked like a prime option for Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing in the late 2010s. However, the shuttering of RFR’s Xfinity Series program left the 22-year-old out of a job after 2018.
Majeski’s fellow class of Ford Developmental drivers have achieved great things, with Austin Cindric winning a Daytona 500 and Chase Briscoe, a multi-time winner in the Cup Series.
Like these drivers, Majeski refused to lose, building a stellar resume after 2018. He won three ARCA races in 2019 and had a standout career with Mike Curb and ThorSport.
While Majeski has support from Road Ranger, he is already getting sponsorship from Borchetta’s rival record executive, Mike Curb, and Curb Records. If Majeski were to jump, it would be poetic. However, Majeski and Curb seem to have a solid relationship.
Corey Heim’s future is a major question on many NASCAR fans’ minds as of late.
Heim is a longtime member of TRD but can’t get the much-needed support from TRD or Joe Gibbs Racing to enter the Xfinity Series. Furthermore, the Truck Series Championship favorite appears to have tension with Toyota’s premier team.
While Legacy MC supports him as their official reserve driver, that doesn’t mean he will have a Cup or even Xfinity Series ride in the near future. This lack of love seems to be why some fans want Heim to move on from Toyota.
While he has sponsorship from Safelite, the brand is tied more to TRD than Heim. This arrangement means he might have to find funding to move up without TRD.
If BMR wanted to take the young hotshot driver route, the 21-year-old phenom feels like a realistic shot. Any burden of sponsorship would be lifted from Heim in the fully funded car, meaning he could race without the worry of losing funding.
Ryan Truex is a fan favorite in the Xfinity Series despite running a part-time schedule.
Truex, the young brother of Cup Series Champion Martin Truex Jr., has had a relative journeyman career throughout all three National Series. His latest break, however, has appeared to be his biggest yet.
JGR, his brother’s Cup Series team, brought Ryan on as a part-time driver of the No. 18 Xfinity Series ride in 2022. After that first season, that arrangement felt like more of a favor. However, moving to the No. 19 part-time in 2023, Truex won his first race and went on to win two more this season.
It now appears that sponsorship is the only thing holding the 32-year-old back from a full-time ride. The loss of former sponsor Marquis after 2021 has not helped, with Toyota itself sponsoring his part-time runs at JGR.
BMR feels like the type of team that is more interested in competing than having a young driver come and go from their program. It would be great PR to bring Truex onto the full-funded ride next season.
Carson Kvapil feels like the opposite side of Truex’s same coin.
The second-generation driver made his name with the JR Motorsports Late Model program on the short tracks of the East Coast. The two-time CARS Late Model Stock Champion got his big break this year when JRM put him in their part-time “all-star car.”
Kvapil, in his first Xfinity Series start, finished fourth. His most impressive appearance came in a race where he finished second to Ryan Truex. Carson led 14 laps at Dover this spring and looked like a winner. However, a late restart resulted in the runner-up position.
His strong suit has been his racing. Unfortunately, he is struggling with qualifying. Nevertheless, Kvapil has three races in which he improved his qualifying spot by more than 15 positions, resulting in an average starting spot of 20.1 and an average finish of 11.5.
Of course, sponsorship is Kvapil’s Achilles heel, but BMR’s position could be the chance Kvapil needs. While it would hurt JRM in the short term, Dale Jr himself has shown he cares more about his guys getting a full-time ride rather than keeping them in-house.
JRM’s first Late Model driver, Josh Berry, took a similar route, switching to Ford this season upon his first real opportunity to jump to the Cup Series. Could BMR be Kvapil’s career-changing opportunity to prove himself?
Chevrolet, specifically in the RCR/ECR camp of which BMR is a member, has several options, both known and unknown, for an easy transition for Borchetta’s team. These names include:
Corey Lajoie’s free agent saga has been quiet for the most part. His understandable yet surprising departure from Spire Motorsports resulted in a media storm over whether or not Lajoie would even race next season.
Of course, Lajoie has some prospects for next year. An eight-year veteran of the Cup Series, Lajoie seemingly could not get over the hump of winning at NASCAR’s top level.
The Xfinity Series looks promising for Lajoie. What may be surprising to some is that he has yet to run full-time in the Xfinity Series in his career and has only entered 22 Xfinity Series races.
The team’s connection to Chevy, if the brand were to hold onto Lajoie, is pushing the idea of Lajoie in the No. 48. However, the much-needed sponsorship for Lajoie could come in the form of Borchetta’s Big Machine Vodka products.
However, many rumors point the finger at Rick Ware Racing having an interest in the veteran for 2025. Furthermore, Lajoie’s age and skill, while similar to Kligerman’s, may be a detraction from BMR’s interest.
Nick Sanchez and REV Racing have had a solid season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. After a consistent 2023 campaign, the team improved all around statistically and won two races.
With drivers like Corey Heim and Christian Eckes putting up ARCA numbers in the Truck Series, a championship may not be in play for Sanchez this season. However, title or not, it may be time for Sanchez to take the next step.
Longtime sponsor Gainbridge benefits the young Chevrolet driver. But Sanchez may find it more beneficial to leverage his support for a team like JR Motorsports.
Furthermore, REV Racing and Spire Motorsports’ technical relationship could keep Sanchez in the Spire, JRM, and Hendrick Motorsports side of Chevrolet rather than the RCR/ECR camp.
Tyler Ankrum is a rather interesting case. The 23-year-old and sponsor LiUNA! has seemingly been around the Truck Series forever.
Ankrum won early on in his Truck Series career but has remained rather inconsistent since that win in 2019. The past five seasons saw Ankrum driving for two manufacturers and five different teams.
With Christian Eckes headed to Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 next season, it may be time for McAnally Hilgemann Racing to refresh entirely with young racers. If Chevrolet values Ankrum, a ride with BMR could be the next step.
This move to the RCR/ECR camp is similar to former McAnnaly driver Eckes and Derek Kraus going to Kaulig. Regardless, Ankrum’s numbers could make him less of an attractive option compared to other Chevrolet drivers.
Speaking of the RCR/ECR camp, Daniel Hemric has been part of that group on and off for some time now.
This season, in the No. 31 Cup Series entry, Hemric has failed to perform at the same level as past drivers at Kaulig Racing, resulting in 30th in points. Fortunately, Hemric’s Xfinity Series resume is a different story.
While he has only won one race in his career, it couldn’t have been at a better time. Hemric won his first race and clinched a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship at Phoenix in 2021.
Hemric would be an easy replacement for fellow veteran Kligerman. Longtime sponsor Poppy Bank has seemingly slowed on sponsoring Hemric, who could benefit from Big Machine Vodka’s sponsorship.
You can’t talk about RCR/ECR without mentioning Ty Dillon. Richard Childress’ grandsons have not been the prospects many hoped they would be. However, they race well in the lower levels of NASCAR’s lower National Series.
Dillon has been a journeyman since the closure of Germain Racing, including starts at Spire Motorsports, Gaunt Brothers Racing, and Legacy Motor Club. Ty, the youngest of the Dillons, currently races full-time for Rackley W.A.R. in the Truck Series.
Dillon’s current losing streak dates back to his lone Xfinity Series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014. However, a consistent, solid ride like BMR’s No. 48 could spark a winning intuition in Dillon.
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