Menu
NASCAR Silly Season is always full of surprises, no matter how much of a grasp people claim to have on it. This Silly Season has been no exception, and today, we look at the most unexpected Silly Season moves of 2024 so far.
Michael McDowell has been a stalwart at Front Row Motorsports, and he was with the team as they worked their way up to a “Tier One” Ford team. While he had always signed one-year contracts with the team throughout his years there, many expected McDowell would be back in 2025, and he may end his career there. Enter Spire Motorsports.
In the spring, McDowell announced he would leave Front Row, and a subsequent announcement revealed that he would drive the No. 71 car for Spire Motorsports starting in 2025. We all knew the No. 71 car would probably open up at the end of 2025, but McDowell was never seen as a serious candidate until he was announced.
At the beginning of the season, everyone seemingly knew that Stewart-Haas Racing would undergo some major changes. With a drop in performance and their Ford contract running out, a change in manufacturer and downsizing was on the table. However, SHR went with the nuclear option instead, shutting down at the end of the season.
Three of the team’s charters are set to be sold, and three of the four drivers have found Cup Series rides for 2025. Team co-owner Gene Haas will still remain in NASCAR with the Haas Factory Team, formed from the ashes of SHR. The new team will field one Cup Series car for Cole Custer and two Xfinity Series cars.
Hailie Deegan struggled throughout 2024, and expectations were not that high to begin with. However, who expected her to be dropped from her ride halfway through the season? This is a rare practice for race teams, even though, oddly enough, a similar thing happened in the Truck Series that we will get to later.
Either way, Deegan’s future is uncertain. However, her marketability and sponsorship should help her find something, and her past performance in the regional touring series shows that there is genuine talent here. Haas Factory Team President Joe Custer said at Indianapolis that the team has talked with Deegan, but we will see if that materializes into anything.
Corey LaJoie signed a multi-year contract with Spire before the 2024 season. While he’s struggled so far this season, most expected him to return in 2025 to finish his contract, but things changed during the Olympic break. LaJoie and Spire Motorsports announced that Spire would cut LaJoie loose following the season.
This move happened quite late in the game, making LaJoie’s future as uncertain as any driver. No one knows where he could end up, and the Spire No. 7 car opening reopens many Silly Season questions.
Faction46 was one of two full-time Truck Series teams to start up in 2024, but the team lasted roughly half a season. After three DNFs and only one top-20 finish in the first 12 races, the team replaced driver Thad Moffitt with Dawson Cram for Nashville. While Cram finished 20th at Nashville, Faction46 quietly faded away in the ensuing off-week as Moffitt reemerged in the No. 46 car with Young’s Motorsports.
The team existed largely thanks to an alliance with Niece Motorsports, which has also struggled in 2024. A race team shutting down after only a half-season is never good, but it does happen. While we don’t know exactly what happened to Faction46, it seems they’re done with NASCAR.
What do you think about all this? Let us know on Discord or X what your take is, and don’t forget you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and even YouTube.
