What’s Happening?

Like any other sport, Free Agency is a key part of NASCAR. However, driver-free agency is not covered like in the MLB or the NBA; some drivers announce shocking moves almost out of nowhere. Based on public knowledge, here’s the current contract status of every full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.

• NASCAR teams often do not make the terms of a contract public. Methods for finding any source of information on a contract can come from the driver or owners, insiders, and press releases.
• For several drivers, there will be little to no information on their contract length. Teams will occasionally use vague terms to express the length of a contract.
• Teams often use terms like “Multi-year Deal/Extension” or “Long-term Deal/Extension.” Importantly, these terms confirm the contract is not one year, suggesting it could be a two-year or longer contract.
• Just because a driver is under contract does not mean they are safe. For example, Noah Gragson and Chase Briscoe had years left on their Stewart-Haas Racing contracts prior to the teams closure last season.

Drivers With No Released Contractual Status:

• No. 6 – Brad Keselowski – RFK Racing
• No. 41 – Cole Custer –  Haas Factory Team – No Clear Information
• No. 51 – Cody Ware – Rick Ware Racing – Son of Owner; No Clear Information
• No. 60 – Ryan Preece – RFK Racing

Single Car Teams

HYAK Motorsports

• No. 47 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – “Multi-Year Contract Extension”; Signed in 2024

What once was JTG-Daughtery Racing is now HYAK Motorsports. With a cycled ownership group and new branding, two things will stay the same: the car number and the driver. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. signed an extension with the team in May 2024. As the team’s winningest driver, this contract should carry HYAK comfortably into its new era.

Wood Brothers Racing

• No. 21 – Josh Berry – “Multi-Year Agreement”; Signed in 2024

Josh Berry is one of many drivers recovering from Stewart-Haas Racing’s closure. He is heading to Wood Brothers Racing as a veteran racer but is a sophomore in the Cup Series. A fresh driver with a championship history makes sense for the team, and that is reflected in his long-term deal signed in July 2024.

Two Car Teams

Kaulig Racing

• No. 10 – Ty Dillon – One-Year Deal?; Signed in 2024
• No. 16 – A.J. Allmendinger – No clear contract info from 2025, will be back in 2026

Kaulig Racing is revamped and revitalized in 2024 with a new yet familiar lineup. Both drivers have little to no information on their contracts; with their age and young prospects at Kaulig, these contracts could be just long enough to get Kaulig’s next generation to Cup. However, team president Chris Rice confirmed to The Sporting News that Allmendinger will be back for 2026.

Legacy Motor Club

• No. 42 – John Hunter Nemechek – No Clear Information
• No. 43 – Erik Jones – “Multi-Year Contract Extension”; Signed in 2024

Despite a difficult 2024, Legacy Motor Club is sticking with its lineup for 2025. There are no details about how long John Hunter Nemechek’s initial deal with the team is, but he could be on the hot seat if he struggles in 2025. Erik Jones will be at LMC for more years after he signed his extension with the team in August 2024.

Richard Childress Racing

• No. 3 – Austin Dillon – “Recently signed a multi-year contract extension.” – Signed in 2024, according to Jordan Bianchi of the Athletic – Will be back for 2026, according to Childress.
• No. 8 – Kyle Busch – Contract Extension Through 2026; Signed in 2025

Richard Childress Racing will line up its roster for at least one more season. On May 24, RCR announced they had re-signed Busch for at least one more season. In that same press release, RCR stated that Dillon will remain in the No. 3 spot for 2026 as well.

Three Car Teams

Front Row Motorsports

• No. 4 – Noah Gragson – “Multi-Year Agreement”; Signed in 2024
• No. 34 – Todd Gilliland – “Multi-Year Contract Extension”; Signed in 2024
• No. 38 – Zane Smith – “Multi-Year Agreement”; Signed in 2024, Announced 2025

The new look Front Row Motorsports looks locked in for the long-term future. They first signed SHR free agent Noah Gragson, then extended their long-time driver Todd Gilliland. To cap off a season, they signed the former Truck Series champion to drive the No. 38 this season, returning the driver to the team that developed him.

Team Penske

• No. 2 – Austin Cindric – “Contract Extension”; Signed in 2023
• No. 12 – Ryan Blaney – “Long-Term Contract Extension”; Signed in 2022
• No. 22 – Joey Logano – “Long-Term Contract Extension”; Signed in 2022

Both of Team Penske’s anchors, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, appear to be comfortable with the team for the foreseeable future. However, Austin Cindric’s status is unknown. The former Daytona 500 champion has struggled since his 2022 debut; now, his father, Tim Cindric, is no longer overseeing Team Penske’s day-to-day operations, raising questions about his future with the team.

RFK Racing

• No. 6 – Brad Keselowski – Team Owner: Likely some form of contract, but no clear information.
• No. 17 – Chris Buescher – Signed an extension in early 2024; the terms are unknown, his original deal was set to expire at the end of the 2024 Season.
• No. 60 – Ryan Preece – No Clear Information

RFK Racing has locked down Chris Buescher for at least one more year; the details of his extension are relatively unknown. Likewise, their new driver, Ryan Preece, is under similar circumstances as all references to his time with the team refer to just the 2025 season. Team owner Brad Keselowski, while he has some form of contract with the team, will likely not be going anywhere anytime soon.

Spire Motorsports

• No. 7 – Justin Haley – “Multi-Year Contract”; Signed in 2024
• No. 71 – Michael McDowell – “Multi-Year Contract”; Signed in 2024
• No. 77 – Carson Hocevar -“Multi-Year Contract”; Signed in 2023

Spire Motorsports now has a veteran, sophomore, and experienced driver in its lineup. Carson Hocevar, the reigning Rookie of the Year, is in the second year of his “Multi-Year Contract.” The team is bringing in both Justin Haley and Michael McDowell on a “Multi-Year Contract” as well. This appears to be their roster of the future, and these contracts reflect that.

Trackhouse Racing

• No. 1 – Ross Chastain – “Multi-Year Driver Agreement”; Signed in 2023
• No. 88 – Shane Van Gisbergen – No Clear Information
• No. 99 – Daniel Suarez – Contract Extension Through 2025; Signed in 2024

Though Trackhouse Racing has Ross Chastain locked in on a long-term deal signed in 2023, don’t expect him to leave anytime soon. According to a May 30 report from Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Chastain has “multiple years” left on his current deal. However, his long-time teammate, Daniel Suarez, who was on a contract year in 2024, is back on a one-year extension. Finally, the team’s new talent, Shane van Gisbergen, reportedly has more than one year on his current contract.

23XI Racing

• No. 23 – Bubba Wallace – “Multi-Year Renewal”; Signed in 2024
• No. 35 – Riley Herbst – No Clear Information
• No. 45 – Tyler Reddick – No Clear Information

23XI Racing has a lineup that looks locked in for the future. Tyler Reddick is still on his controversial deal he signed while still racing for Richard Childress, and the team recently signed Riley Herbst. Furthermore, the team’s original driver, Bubba Wallace, is locked in long-term on a long-term renewal following a contract year in 2024. Despite a lack of clarity on the length of Reddick and Herbst’s contracts, a May 30 report from Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic confirmed that all three will be back for 2026.

Four Car Teams

Hendrick Motorsports

• No. 5 – Kyle Larson – Contract Extension Through 2026; Signed in 2022
• No. 9 – Chase Elliott – Contract Extension Through 2027; Signed in 2022
• No. 24 – William Byron – Contract Extension Through 2029; Signed in 2025
• No. 48 – Alex Bowman – Contract Extension Through 2028; Signed in 2023

Hendrick Motorsports drivers will fall off their contracts one year after another—Byron, then Larson, then Elliott, and finally Bowman. However, these drivers have multiple wins, championships, and a Daytona 500. This seems to be a long-term lineup for HMS, and likely, most, if not all, will return. However, HMS has signed a young prospect in Corey Day, who will one day hopefully race for HMS at the top level, implying at least one of these drivers will leave.

Update – May 23: In May, HMS announced that they had extended Byron’s current Contract through 2029. This means Kyle Larson is now the next driver on a contract year in 2026, followed by Elliott, then Bowman, and now Byron.

Joe Gibbs Racing

• No. 11 – Denny Hamlin – Contract Extension Through 2025; Signed in 2023
• No. 19 – Chase Briscoe – “Multi-Year Deal”; Signed in 2024
• No. 20 – Christopher Bell – “Longterm Extension”; Signed in 2022
• No. 54 – Ty Gibbs – No Clear Information

Joe Gibbs Racing has their ducks in a row for the future. Their three returning drivers, including Gibbs’s grandson Ty, will likely be back for 2026. Denny Hamlin, who struggled with sponsorship during the offseason. Hamlin is in the final year of a “Multi-Year Contract Extension” signed in late 2023. The last piece is new signee Chase Briscoe, who is on a multi-year deal, securing his long-term future with the team.

This list will be updated as extensions, confirmed departures, and signings happen during the season.