Live Fast Motorsports is another race team that has yet to announce their plans for 2024. Currently, the team uses a combination of drivers including B.J. McLeod, Josh Bilicki, Sheldon Creed, and Anthony Alfredo. However, whoever is chosen to drive the car in 2024, if they have anyone at all, would be massively important for the race team.
First off, why would the team choose not to field a car for 2024? Second, if they choose to field a car, who could drive it?
1. Why Would They Not Field a Car in 2024?
Adam Stern dropped a rather interesting note saying that Live Fast declined to comment on selling their charter for 2024. This could mean nothing, but it could mean everything. The big question is why would Live Fast look to sell its charter for the 2024 season.
Live Fast currently sits in 36th in the owner’s points. That is last amongst chartered teams and 69 points behind the Rick Ware Racing #51 car in 35th. In 2022, Live Fast also finished 36th, last amongst chartered teams, 39 points behind the Rick Ware Racing #51 car.
This puts the Live Fast Charter in danger when looking at the minimum performance standard for charters according to NASCAR.com.
Charter teams are held to a minimum performance standard. If a Charter team finishes in the bottom three of the owner standings among all 36 Charter teams for three consecutive years, NASCAR has a right to remove the charter.
NASCAR.com
It does not explicitly say that NASCAR will or will not remove a charter, but it does say NASCAR can choose to do so. It is not unprecedented for race teams to sell charters one year prior to potentially having it revoked. StarCom Racing sold its charter to 23XI Racing prior to the 2022 season, and StarCom finished last amongst chartered teams in owner points in 2023.
As a result, there could be some tough conversations going on at Live Fast Motorsports about whether or not it is viable to continue competing in NASCAR. Is it better to keep going and potentially lose the charter for free or at a significant discount, or is it better to sell now at a higher price? If they do choose to risk it and run a car in 2024, who can drive it?
2. Sheldon Creed
Sheldon Creed was not a driver who seemed to be in serious consideration for any Cup Series rides in 2024, but his start at Kansas Speedway last weekend raised a few eyebrows. He kept his nose clean all day long, and he finished 29th two laps down. He even beat two chartered entries on the same lap as him in A.J. Allmendinger and Austin Cindric.
Creed also brought his Whelen sponsorship with him for that race. He could be a candidate to drive for the team in 2024, and keeping up runs like that where he keeps the car in one piece week after week will pay huge dividends for Live Fast in races to come. He may not want to make the jump from a race-winning level RCR operation in the Xfinity Series, but the opportunity to go Cup may be too good to pass up.
3. Ty Dillon
The where for Ty Dillon in 2024 is uncertain with Spire Motorsports not yet announcing who will drive the #77 car in 2024. If he leaves, Live Fast could think it is worthwhile to nab him up. Yes, Dillon has struggled this season, but, he is a veteran Cup Series driver.
Of his five DNFs this season, three of them were either mechanical or engine failures, so he generally keeps the car in one piece. That’s also been true of his career as between 2014 and 2020, Dillon had only had 12 DNFs in 166 races. He does not wreck a lot of equipment, and he also brings some sponsorship with him which could bring some funding to the race team.
4. Noah Gragson
Noah Gragson coming to Live Fast may not be what he wants to do, but if he really wants to go Cup racing, this could be his only option. It would be an interesting opportunity for Live Fast to have a driver like Gragson who was a star in the Xfinity Series come to race for them. The question, aside from whether or not Gragson would come over a winning Xfinity ride, is sponsorship.
Given Gragson’s suspension, will companies be as willing to represent him as they were before? They may or may not be, but that can determine which doors open or close to Gragson as silly season rolls on. He will find a ride somewhere, but is Live Fast the right fit?
5. Multiple Drivers
It’s entirely possible that Live Fast could continue to go the route of multiple drivers. It makes some sense as Live Fast is still a team trying to fully find its footing in the Cup Series. Instead of placing all of their eggs into one driver’s basket, they can allow different drivers to take different races based on their skillset including some of the drivers on this list.
Live Fast is a race team in need of some good results, and it takes time to build a race team. As they develop as a race team, it will be interesting to see when that line is where they move to just having one driver. Next year may be the year to do it, but maybe it is not.
The options for Live Fast are some interesting ones, and their future may be one of the most interesting in the NASCAR Cup Series. It may be a while before they become one of the up-and-coming teams in the Cup Series, but, maybe next year they sign a driver that can move that needle forward.