Johnson, McMurray among those bidding farewells as season ends
The 2018 NASCAR season is over, and with it, the careers, sponsorships, and alignments of many major names in NASCAR. Let’s run down the changes ahead in what was a tumultuous and transitional year in the sport.
Jimmie Johnson: Saying goodbye to Lowe’s, which had been his sponsor for his entire seven-championship Cup career, as well as Chad Knaus, who’d been his crew chief over that same stretch. Johnson would love to win that eighth Cup to put himself ahead of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. But after his first winless season of his full-time career, that’s looking harder by the year.
“In my Cup career, that is probably the most difficult year that I have had,” Johnson said after the race. “As far as having a fully funded high-quality ride … ’18 was by far the toughest … Just glad to finish with a respectable result today, but we’ve got a lot of work to do as a company.”
Jamie McMurray: Out of a seat at Chip Ganassi Racing, though he’s been invited to drive the Daytona 500 next year. Beyond that, McMurray’s plans are up in the air, though he’s been offered a leadership position in the Ganassi organization.
Kurt Busch: Almost certainly leaving Stewart-Haas Racing after winning the Daytona 500 and making a run at another championship. He could be headed to Ganassi to take over McMurray’s seat, but he’ll almost surely still be in the Cup series.
Daniel Suarez: Bounced from his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing after two winless seasons; he’ll surrender his seat to Martin Truex Jr. He could end up at Stewart-Haas, taking Busch’s seat.
Matt Kenseth: Forced out at Gibbs last year to make room for Erik Jones, Kenseth finished up at Homestead Sunday after running a part-time schedule for Roush Fenway Racing, and his on-track career appears complete.
Kasey Kahne: Announced that 2018 would be his last season, and then missed the final 11 races of his Cup career because of illness. Matt DiBenedetto will take over Kahne’s seat in the Leavine Family Racing No. 95.
A.J. Allmendinger: No longer driving for JTG Daugherty Racing, which will turn to Ryan Preece. No word yet on Allmendinger’s future plans.
Furniture Row Racing: Folding up shop just one year after turning out the Cup champion in Truex, even though FRR came within one place of repeating as champion. The fact that a team can come this close to historic success and still shut down is a depressing commentary on the sport.
The 2019 Daytona 500 is only three months away, but when it arrives, it’ll feature a NASCAR vastly different than the one that ended this season. The sport is undergoing seismic transformation right now, and some familiar names are ending up on the outside looking in.
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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.
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