It seems like RCR has already gotten the third charter, but they are not going to announce it until they get everything set up, i.e., the driver, sponsor, team, and number.
Because on Racehub (R.I.P.) when they were talking about SHR charters, Andy Petree was hinting towards it without fully saying it.
I think you are correct that Kaulig is selling a charter. Not sure about RWR... they are running well these days with their RFK alliance. I could see them wanting to stay at two cars and maybe try to find a full time driver for the 15.
TBF, his words were " We don't have TWO charters for sale" , with emphasis on TWO. Read into that what you will, but I feel the wording was intentional.
I stopped watching it when it went away from the track and into the green screen studio. Some shows should be done in a studio, like Race Hub or NBC’s NASCAR America (which had the coolest studio of all). The old Truck Series Setup and Race Day shows from the track were the best.
If I may, I think Amazon should revive the old Inside Cup show that was on Speed. Three drivers (one from each make) and a host talk about the weekend’s races and other notable things. I’d recommend Blaney, Byron and either Hamlin or Bell for the show with the backups being Logano and Larson.
I don't blame you. RaceDay was at its peak when it was John Roberts, Kenny Wallace, and Jimmy Spencer on stage before the race. The crowds were ELECTRIC, especially with Kenny there to play to the crowds and hype them up.
If your aspiration is to be a cup driver, it's very hard to turn down a cup offer. Joey Logano said on the Dale Jr Download when he got booted from Gibbs, he could have went down to Xfinity but then you may never come back up.
Gragson was just in Xfinity 2 years ago and won a ton of races. He may feel there's no point in going back down
Cole Custer has had by all accounts a rather legendary Xfinity career both before and after getting a Cup ride.
And he’s still out here floating without a guaranteed cup ride. And without a guaranteed Xfinity one either since the whole team is shutting down.
There has also been a rumor floating around that Joe Custer might acquire one of the four SHR charters and start a single car Cup team as a satellite to RFK.
I could be wrong but imagine the pay at a mid tier cup team is better than a good Xfinity ride.
Not even to mention the fact that you’re kind of doomed dropping back to Xfinity. Not saying it’s impossible by any means but it’s tough.
Idk I feel like RCR is still in position to get back into that tier 2 still if they add a guy like Gragson. KFB has had speed some weeks for sure and gotten screwed or screwed himself other weeks. I don't think Austin Dillon is very good tbh
I like Gragson and he's gone a long way in proving himself in the SHR 10.
But what the fuck is he going to do in an RCR ride that Kyle fucking Busch can't?
I also don't think the Gen 7 suits Kyle's driving style either. Same with Chase Elliott. They both drive off the right rear and this car requires driving off the right front.
Yeah, I believe he is trying to drive the car off the rear, which is doable, but it's a razor edge. We've seen Kyle Larson do the same thing a few times like Gateway and Texas.
I think the lack of practice hurts too A driver that knows how to setup a car benefits from practice I also miss Friday practices and Saturday Happy Hour 🏁🏁
He did, indeed. Which is odd because he was a sprint car driver. He likely adapted to the car. It seems some drivers have no problem adapting to different cars (Gordon, Larson, Hamlin), and others struggle to adapt (Chase, Jimmie, Busch).
Chase has almost become like a modern Terry Labonte in that he doesn't have the flashiness or wins of his peers (Earnhardt, Gordon, even Rusty or Mark Martin) but will consistently bring home a decent day and could win another championship as a result. But I agree that unless something changes he is unlikely to develop into a 50- or 60-race winner like it looked like a couple years ago.
Elliott leads Cup in avg finish this year, led Cup in average finish in 2022, and despite the turmoil of 2023 was 5th in average finish.
He’ll get more than 30 but it’s because he’s only 28 (3 years younger than Larson for example). But yeah he’s settling into a 1-2 win a season kinda guy.
I think that was true of Chase Elliott at one time but I think he's figured it out now. He has been running very well this year. Kyle Busch is still working on it though.
Can someone more knowledgeable than me please explain the difference in driving style between driving off the right rear vs. driving off the right front?
Driving off the right front lends to a tight race car, driving off the right rear means you make more speed when your car is loose, using subtle throttle control to keep balance; it’s a razors edge and requires side force to execute, which the gen 7 lacks
It’s mostly setup; most try for the perfect balance, but if you have to choose, one driver will pick one style over the other depending on what they’re comfortable with
It will wear out the rear tires more driving loose for sure. On the flip side, driving off the right front will burn the front tires quickly. Great examples of drivers that drove a loose car include Jimmie Johnson. He excelled in the high HP cars. Jeff Gordon commented several times that he couldn't drive Jimmie's setups because they were so loose. Jimmie struggled once they went to the low HP package.
How you lift off the throttle, easing into and off the brake, wheel inputs, and modulate the throttle thru center corner and exit is how you can manage your tire wear; it’ll leave more front tire later in the run to drive off the front to buy more time
Driving off the front right means you are carrying speed into the corner and using more steering wheel, loading the weight and heat into the front right, usually wearing it out more on an oval.
Right rear usually means a more “slow in fast out” approach; less wheel input, more throttle pushing out of the corner, with the speed and weight over the back right portion of the car. Usually saving tires. This can be a setup thing, but it’s mostly a driving style that changes to suit the needs of the car in the moment.
Leaning on the right front in a corner usually means the car is tight, or the driver is over driving it
Honestly I hope Kyle Busch leaves rcr next year. He has quite a few options for next year. The crazy idea I think will happen is berry get the 8 for rcr and gragson gets the third spot at rcr too then Kyle Busch takes the third spot at trackhouse. I think he'd be great at trackhouse and it would be a way better option than zane Smith and let's SVG learn more down in xfinity too.
Aggressively below average? Dude has multiple records in Xfinity and is one of two people to win 4 races in a row in Xfinity. Him being in mid-tier equipment doesn’t negate that. He’s regularly outperformed his equipment this year along with his teammate in the 14.
Yeah he seems like more of a rich yachting kid who wears Bass Pro shit ironically. But if they and Black Rifle support his “politics,” more power to him I guess.
That came off as me knocking Noah. I’m not. But from what Jr has said about him and his relationship with Johnny Morris, that’s just not how he grew up. And that’s okay.
If KFB leaves RCR and they decide to add a 3rd charter, that would be the most unlikable driver lineup of all time.
Austin Dillon, Gragson, and Austin Hill is something nightmares would be made of.
I think he will be a lot more liked when he’s actually in RC’s shoes, and more importantly, out of the 3. A lot of fans hate that he’s seen as the successor to Dale and that he’s been given as long of a leash as he has because he’s RC’s grandson.
The turning point for me was when he was helping bring KFB over. He was very self aware and put the team ahead of his own car, basically conceding any chance of getting the number one equipment.
I think first impressions just mean a lot, and society as a whole is more stubborn than ever. People have their beliefs and refuse to come off of them, so if AD rubbed them the wrong way at first, that sentiment is likely to stay with those people til they die.
To be honest his time in the Xfinity series wasn't very noteworthy, even his title was probably the weakest championship run this century. Maybe if he had a couple more years in Xfinity he'd be better but idk.
He got handed the championship by an insanely long and unfair caution at the end of that race that prevented Hornish from making up enough spots to win the championship on fresh tires.
It's not at all actually. 2 1/2 years in xfinity and he only has 2 non-restrictor plate wins. It's a huge leap to cup.
Meanwhile you have guys who won left and right across multiple disciplines(Gibbs, Briscoe, Cindric, Gragson, Nemecheck) who are very average. Hill is not as good as any of these guys and has shown as much in his limited cup opportunities.
Martin Truex Jr retires, Bass Pro moves to RCR with Noah Gragson in the 8 car, and Kyle Busch (with either Randall Burnett or Rodney Childers as crew chief) rejoins JGR with full-season Kroger sponsorship.
Seems impossible but I’d like to see it happen.
JGR could not afford KB which is why he left 2 years ago.Would Kroger step up to that level of $$ for KB vs what they pay now for Stenhouse. If Kroger and their brand partners left JTG Daughtry they would fold putting another charter on the market which would lower the prices and might not even get bought.
*inhales copium*
Though about the crew chiefs, I feel like Rodney will stick with Berry. As for Randall, I think he will stick with RCR for Austin Hill in this scenario, lots of people thought he was going to go with Reddick to 23XI but he didn’t so I feel like he wants to stay with RCR. That being said I’d still love to see him go with Kyle, sure he’s no Adam Stevens but he still works well with him and is probably the best option for Kyle.
Third charter makes sense regardless of KFB. Jesse Love will almost assuredly be looking for a ride in a few years and they gotta figure out what to do with Austin Hill at some point too. I think Gragson is a good fit for RCR culture wise and could keep Bass Pro Shops funding around when Dillon inevitably walks away.
It’s probably a no brainer to add a third charter. Now you’ll have a third stream of income. Makes sense over just paying out KFB. Honestly, I would love to just see RCR be really competitive
It's a shame because he was doing really well with SHR. I got the feeling Tony wanted to kind of take him under his wing (well, as much as he can given his limited amount of actually being at the track these days)
Yeah if they lose KFB or finally promote Austin Dillon to management, they’d definitely promote Austin Hill. They’ll definitely need Austin Hill’s charisma and likability with this lineup.
I’m not a huge fan of Gragson but if this happens RCR will be his third team in cup and we will still have no clue how good he actually is because RCR sucks too. I’m starting to feel bad for him and Briscoe. Both were big prospects and probably could compete regularly with top tier rides but might never get to prove that.
They did a lazy, bullshit Sunny D “throwback” to the AOL 30 with Harvick that I guess was supposed to have the same designs/lines as what would have been his Cup debut car… but it just looked like a regular Sunny D car because the colors and logos were the same.
Just going to play this out:
If Truex retired, Bass Pro could move to Gragson/RCR. That's a solid full season sponsor that will pay good money.
Letting Kyle Busch out his contract saves you millions in driver salary. My guess is Kyle is still around a $8-10 million deal at RCR. If that's the case, you can likely replace him with Austin Hill at well below $2 million. Between the Bass Pro money and the money saved by not paying Kyle's salary, you're able to acquire a 3rd charter for $20-25 million. Jesse Love to replace Austin Dillion in say 3 years.
Now for Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing, a reunion makes sense. JGR doesn't seem to want Heim, and nobody else at Toyota is even close to cup ready. Kyle Busch comes back in and has a new appreciation for your equipment. He's probably at a discount from the money he wanted previously, and JGR has an investor now as well as new people heading up their sponsorship department that weren't there when Kyle left.
Got to agree. I think it’s Kyle fans hoping for a way out when in reality it’s Kyle that has taken himself out of contention in over half the races the 8 really has speed. RCR sucks at short tracks but when Randall hits it right they could be a top 5 car anywhere else. Randall has also yet to make a bad strategy call in Kyle’s whole RCR tenure (other than maybe Dover 2023).
If he does go I pray Randall goes with. 2015-2019 Kyle is never coming back but those two with a team like 23XI I think could win 1-2 per year on pace alone and be a consistent Round of 8 threat
Yeah people saying RCR is on SHR level, but KFB was inches from winning Atlanta and has been on the shit the of luck whether it's self inflicted or not a number of times this year in races where he was running well. He should probably be in the top ten in points if it weren't for random fuck ups
He made plenty of self-deprecating remarks when he was at JGR too.
That said, I'm sure KFB would love to be in a Hendrick ride or back at JGR right now - but the real question is - does he have any better options than RCR?
I'm not so sure the answer is yes.
It’d be a shame if he went there, the two cars they currently have are hot garbage. I think the combo of Gragson/Blickensderfer at SHR could’ve been something decent if the team kept going.
This is the only way Busch can be successfully long term at RCR...they need another driver collecting data to feed the organization and they're clearing not getting enough with Dillon's performance
It seems like RCR has already gotten the third charter, but they are not going to announce it until they get everything set up, i.e., the driver, sponsor, team, and number. Because on Racehub (R.I.P.) when they were talking about SHR charters, Andy Petree was hinting towards it without fully saying it.
He also said there are other charters in play so it might not be an shr charter
6 charters total. My guess is kaulig and rwr are downsizing to only 1 car but we’ll find out for sure soon
The rwr one i dont believe honestly. If anything it will get bought by rfk quietly without even going on the market if it were even for sale
If one of them isnt rwr who do you think then
Part of me thinks JTG may want out. Being a one car team is an uphill battle against lesser funded multiple car teams.
I guess we'll find out soon i hope. The curiosity is interesting
I think you are correct that Kaulig is selling a charter. Not sure about RWR... they are running well these days with their RFK alliance. I could see them wanting to stay at two cars and maybe try to find a full time driver for the 15.
Chris Rice just said on DBC no charters are for sale, if anything they might buy
They should focus on having a full time driver in the 16 first.
TBF, his words were " We don't have TWO charters for sale" , with emphasis on TWO. Read into that what you will, but I feel the wording was intentional.
RaceHub is dead, not Raceday.
Compared with its former glory Raceday might as well be dead at this point
They're both dead.
Has that been confirmed? I think the studio portion of RaceDay will be gone but I could see it continuing with more of an at-track presence.
I was being a little sarcastic with it, but there’s nothing regarding the future of it. We’ll see regarding 2025 when Fox sends out a press release.
I stopped watching it when it went away from the track and into the green screen studio. Some shows should be done in a studio, like Race Hub or NBC’s NASCAR America (which had the coolest studio of all). The old Truck Series Setup and Race Day shows from the track were the best. If I may, I think Amazon should revive the old Inside Cup show that was on Speed. Three drivers (one from each make) and a host talk about the weekend’s races and other notable things. I’d recommend Blaney, Byron and either Hamlin or Bell for the show with the backups being Logano and Larson.
I don't blame you. RaceDay was at its peak when it was John Roberts, Kenny Wallace, and Jimmy Spencer on stage before the race. The crowds were ELECTRIC, especially with Kenny there to play to the crowds and hype them up.
Herman is always sumpin'. )
Oops... fixed that
am i the only one who thinks RCR isn’t the place to go for a 3rd car when the #1 guy is struggling
What's better? A cup ride or potentially not having a cup car
I’d take a competitive Xfinity ride over a mid-tier Cup ride tbh. Winning is more fun than running 12th-25th
If your aspiration is to be a cup driver, it's very hard to turn down a cup offer. Joey Logano said on the Dale Jr Download when he got booted from Gibbs, he could have went down to Xfinity but then you may never come back up. Gragson was just in Xfinity 2 years ago and won a ton of races. He may feel there's no point in going back down
Cole Custer has had by all accounts a rather legendary Xfinity career both before and after getting a Cup ride. And he’s still out here floating without a guaranteed cup ride. And without a guaranteed Xfinity one either since the whole team is shutting down.
From rumors, people who work for SHR are going to keep the Xfinity team going (probably under the watch of Cole's dad) in some capacity.
There has also been a rumor floating around that Joe Custer might acquire one of the four SHR charters and start a single car Cup team as a satellite to RFK.
Now *this* is the juicy stuff right here.
I could be wrong but imagine the pay at a mid tier cup team is better than a good Xfinity ride. Not even to mention the fact that you’re kind of doomed dropping back to Xfinity. Not saying it’s impossible by any means but it’s tough.
If Noah gets a salary it is a very small one because his family and BPS are basically bankrolling any ride he gets into.
Money is a wonderful compensation for the joy of finishing 17th.
Idk I feel like RCR is still in position to get back into that tier 2 still if they add a guy like Gragson. KFB has had speed some weeks for sure and gotten screwed or screwed himself other weeks. I don't think Austin Dillon is very good tbh
I like Gragson and he's gone a long way in proving himself in the SHR 10. But what the fuck is he going to do in an RCR ride that Kyle fucking Busch can't?
The higher-paying job is in Cup. And once you go down to Xfinity, good chance you are passed by.
I'd take the cup money
He probably doesn't really have other options.
I just want to know if you're calling the 3 or 8 the lead car. Lol
The only place Austin is #1 is Richard’s heart
I'm not even sure about that.
*You're dead to me, now*
Wasn't sure if RC was deluded enough to actually rate the shop that way too
I also don't think the Gen 7 suits Kyle's driving style either. Same with Chase Elliott. They both drive off the right rear and this car requires driving off the right front.
All of Kyle’s solo spins are pretty good evidence of this
Yeah, I believe he is trying to drive the car off the rear, which is doable, but it's a razor edge. We've seen Kyle Larson do the same thing a few times like Gateway and Texas.
I think the lack of practice hurts too A driver that knows how to setup a car benefits from practice I also miss Friday practices and Saturday Happy Hour 🏁🏁
Didnt Gordon drive off the right front? Wonder how well he could do in these cars.
He did, indeed. Which is odd because he was a sprint car driver. He likely adapted to the car. It seems some drivers have no problem adapting to different cars (Gordon, Larson, Hamlin), and others struggle to adapt (Chase, Jimmie, Busch).
Chase has almost become like a modern Terry Labonte in that he doesn't have the flashiness or wins of his peers (Earnhardt, Gordon, even Rusty or Mark Martin) but will consistently bring home a decent day and could win another championship as a result. But I agree that unless something changes he is unlikely to develop into a 50- or 60-race winner like it looked like a couple years ago. Elliott leads Cup in avg finish this year, led Cup in average finish in 2022, and despite the turmoil of 2023 was 5th in average finish.
I think he'll probably end up with 30 to 35 wins.
He’ll get more than 30 but it’s because he’s only 28 (3 years younger than Larson for example). But yeah he’s settling into a 1-2 win a season kinda guy.
He has the best average finish of any active cup driver
I just saw on Twitter today, that statistically Chase Elliott is the most consistent driver in this NextGen car.
I think that was true of Chase Elliott at one time but I think he's figured it out now. He has been running very well this year. Kyle Busch is still working on it though.
Can someone more knowledgeable than me please explain the difference in driving style between driving off the right rear vs. driving off the right front?
Driving off the right front lends to a tight race car, driving off the right rear means you make more speed when your car is loose, using subtle throttle control to keep balance; it’s a razors edge and requires side force to execute, which the gen 7 lacks
Is it in the setup? Braking points in a turn? How can a driver choose to drive off the right rear vs the right front
It’s mostly setup; most try for the perfect balance, but if you have to choose, one driver will pick one style over the other depending on what they’re comfortable with
Thank you so much! Wouldn't driving off the right rear lead to more tire wear?
It will wear out the rear tires more driving loose for sure. On the flip side, driving off the right front will burn the front tires quickly. Great examples of drivers that drove a loose car include Jimmie Johnson. He excelled in the high HP cars. Jeff Gordon commented several times that he couldn't drive Jimmie's setups because they were so loose. Jimmie struggled once they went to the low HP package.
How you lift off the throttle, easing into and off the brake, wheel inputs, and modulate the throttle thru center corner and exit is how you can manage your tire wear; it’ll leave more front tire later in the run to drive off the front to buy more time
Driving off the front right means you are carrying speed into the corner and using more steering wheel, loading the weight and heat into the front right, usually wearing it out more on an oval. Right rear usually means a more “slow in fast out” approach; less wheel input, more throttle pushing out of the corner, with the speed and weight over the back right portion of the car. Usually saving tires. This can be a setup thing, but it’s mostly a driving style that changes to suit the needs of the car in the moment. Leaning on the right front in a corner usually means the car is tight, or the driver is over driving it
This is not ideal.
Honestly I hope Kyle Busch leaves rcr next year. He has quite a few options for next year. The crazy idea I think will happen is berry get the 8 for rcr and gragson gets the third spot at rcr too then Kyle Busch takes the third spot at trackhouse. I think he'd be great at trackhouse and it would be a way better option than zane Smith and let's SVG learn more down in xfinity too.
Would love to see Noah in a Bass Pro 33 car and back in a Chevrolet!
33 would be sweet to see fulltime
Kerry Earnhardt throwback incoming
Associate sponsor REALTREE and I'm sold
give me 29
Noah is the RCR type to a T. Makes sense.
Aggressively below average but not horrific?
Aggressively below average? Dude has multiple records in Xfinity and is one of two people to win 4 races in a row in Xfinity. Him being in mid-tier equipment doesn’t negate that. He’s regularly outperformed his equipment this year along with his teammate in the 14.
RCR is definitely a below average cup team. Op said that he fits RCR perfectly, so that's why I questioned it.
More the gun shooting, tobacco chewing, bass fishing, (wanna be) tough guy type.
He's somehow like the middle of the Venn Diagram between Austin and Kyle. Crazed Vegas energy, but also dudebro fishing vibes.
Honestly perfect description lol
The "we're a family" culture that is actually toxic
I’d be shocked if he ever went hunting by choice before he got to JRM
Yeah he seems like more of a rich yachting kid who wears Bass Pro shit ironically. But if they and Black Rifle support his “politics,” more power to him I guess.
That came off as me knocking Noah. I’m not. But from what Jr has said about him and his relationship with Johnny Morris, that’s just not how he grew up. And that’s okay.
And somewhat punchable
Noah grew on me. I'd like to see this happen.
He's grown on me since he joined SHR, but I don't pull for RCR guys. So that would suck.
Same. I like Noah a lot but I can't bring myself to cheer for him if he's driving for RCR.
Makes sense. Noah Gragson fits RCR's culture and Bass Pro Shops has been longtime backers of both
If KFB leaves RCR and they decide to add a 3rd charter, that would be the most unlikable driver lineup of all time. Austin Dillon, Gragson, and Austin Hill is something nightmares would be made of.
Austin Dillon surprisingly being the most likeable
Nah Gragson is the most likeable of that group, all star vote supports that
It does seem like he’s chilled out a bit, I think his turbulent 2023 forced him to find a bit more balance
I like Dillon, and think he's overly hated on this sub.
I think he will be a lot more liked when he’s actually in RC’s shoes, and more importantly, out of the 3. A lot of fans hate that he’s seen as the successor to Dale and that he’s been given as long of a leash as he has because he’s RC’s grandson. The turning point for me was when he was helping bring KFB over. He was very self aware and put the team ahead of his own car, basically conceding any chance of getting the number one equipment. I think first impressions just mean a lot, and society as a whole is more stubborn than ever. People have their beliefs and refuse to come off of them, so if AD rubbed them the wrong way at first, that sentiment is likely to stay with those people til they die.
He's an okay guy, but he's overstayed his welcome in the Cup Series in a lot of people's mind.
To be honest his time in the Xfinity series wasn't very noteworthy, even his title was probably the weakest championship run this century. Maybe if he had a couple more years in Xfinity he'd be better but idk.
He got handed the championship by an insanely long and unfair caution at the end of that race that prevented Hornish from making up enough spots to win the championship on fresh tires.
I 100% believe this Hornish was robbed.
Agreed.
And by overstayed, you mean got a cup ride to begin with. /s
Oh god I just threw up at the thought of that
I would have a new team to root against moreso than Hendrick if that happened
Austin Hill isn't going to make it in cup very long unless he has a lot of financial backing. He's just not that good.
Lmfao, you can hate him as much as you want but to say he's not that good is olympic level mental gymnastics
It's not at all actually. 2 1/2 years in xfinity and he only has 2 non-restrictor plate wins. It's a huge leap to cup. Meanwhile you have guys who won left and right across multiple disciplines(Gibbs, Briscoe, Cindric, Gragson, Nemecheck) who are very average. Hill is not as good as any of these guys and has shown as much in his limited cup opportunities.
He does with united rentals
Martin Truex Jr retires, Bass Pro moves to RCR with Noah Gragson in the 8 car, and Kyle Busch (with either Randall Burnett or Rodney Childers as crew chief) rejoins JGR with full-season Kroger sponsorship. Seems impossible but I’d like to see it happen.
JGR could not afford KB which is why he left 2 years ago.Would Kroger step up to that level of $$ for KB vs what they pay now for Stenhouse. If Kroger and their brand partners left JTG Daughtry they would fold putting another charter on the market which would lower the prices and might not even get bought.
*inhales copium* Though about the crew chiefs, I feel like Rodney will stick with Berry. As for Randall, I think he will stick with RCR for Austin Hill in this scenario, lots of people thought he was going to go with Reddick to 23XI but he didn’t so I feel like he wants to stay with RCR. That being said I’d still love to see him go with Kyle, sure he’s no Adam Stevens but he still works well with him and is probably the best option for Kyle.
KFB to 23XI
To be fair, Bass Pro Shops is already at RCR
A third baby won’t save the marriage, Richard
Underrated comment
I would love this. Fade AD into a management role over time and let Noah run the 29 or 31 and when AD retires, slot Jesse Love or Hill in
Third charter makes sense regardless of KFB. Jesse Love will almost assuredly be looking for a ride in a few years and they gotta figure out what to do with Austin Hill at some point too. I think Gragson is a good fit for RCR culture wise and could keep Bass Pro Shops funding around when Dillon inevitably walks away.
It’s probably a no brainer to add a third charter. Now you’ll have a third stream of income. Makes sense over just paying out KFB. Honestly, I would love to just see RCR be really competitive
They would absolutely promote Hill if Kyle left.
Makes sense, RCR is the SHR of the Chevy camp.
Which is so sad, RCR used to be a powerhouse
No. Dale was a powerhouse.
Yup. RCR needs an elite driver to compete for wins. Dale Sr and Harv carried that place for 30 years. Kyle did the same last year.
Just like Harvick was the powerhouse for SHR. I think Gragson can be quite good
Especially if he takes Drew Blickensderfer with him.
What Ron said.
I just want Noah to be in a stable ride 😔
Same. I thought for sure he had found his home at SHR. That thought aged like milk.
Me too, perhaps as an Uber driver.
>stable ride He'll be running in the Kentucky Derby next year... 🤣 OK, I'll see myself out.
Same. But not RCR. This sucks....
It's a shame because he was doing really well with SHR. I got the feeling Tony wanted to kind of take him under his wing (well, as much as he can given his limited amount of actually being at the track these days)
[удалено]
If KFB leaves, that would leave RCR in a tough spot because all they would have is Noah and AD unless Austin hill gets promoted from xfinity
Yeah if they lose KFB or finally promote Austin Dillon to management, they’d definitely promote Austin Hill. They’ll definitely need Austin Hill’s charisma and likability with this lineup.
How about Josh berry takes Kyle's place in the 8 for rcr.
I’m not a huge fan of Gragson but if this happens RCR will be his third team in cup and we will still have no clue how good he actually is because RCR sucks too. I’m starting to feel bad for him and Briscoe. Both were big prospects and probably could compete regularly with top tier rides but might never get to prove that.
There are only 36 of these rides, and drivers in top tier rides just don't leave.
So....MTJ needs to shit or get off the pot ?
I'm not the world's biggest Kyle Busch fan but he hasn't done enough to deserve Austin Dillon and Noah Gragson as teammates.
Gragson drove his trucks for a year though. If Kyle can put up with him once, I'm sure he can put up with him again.
Remember the time Noah won, puked at the start finish line and Kyle was there rubbing his back. Good times.
I wouldn’t hate it, I like Noah, but however, I figured Big Country would be their next cup driver
Has any driver ever started their first three seasons with three different teams?
Lateral move tbh
Idk, Gragson and FRM would be dumb not to get a deal done.
They can barely compete with 2 cars.
Its a business decision to lock in the charter now while there are 4 (maybe 6?) of them available and cheap
Was hoping for Front Row. They have a better chance of running upfront than RCR has right now.
Bring back the 30 car
The AOL #30 always stuck out to me. Surprised a throwback hasn't been done yet.
[Well, technically...](https://www.jayski.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2023/5/4/Kevin-Harvick-Darlington-throwback.jpg) (*hides*)
They did a lazy, bullshit Sunny D “throwback” to the AOL 30 with Harvick that I guess was supposed to have the same designs/lines as what would have been his Cup debut car… but it just looked like a regular Sunny D car because the colors and logos were the same.
why would they want to let KB out of his contract?
They don’t but he wants to leave. Just seems silly to spend $20mil+ to add to that garage at the moment.
Just going to play this out: If Truex retired, Bass Pro could move to Gragson/RCR. That's a solid full season sponsor that will pay good money. Letting Kyle Busch out his contract saves you millions in driver salary. My guess is Kyle is still around a $8-10 million deal at RCR. If that's the case, you can likely replace him with Austin Hill at well below $2 million. Between the Bass Pro money and the money saved by not paying Kyle's salary, you're able to acquire a 3rd charter for $20-25 million. Jesse Love to replace Austin Dillion in say 3 years. Now for Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing, a reunion makes sense. JGR doesn't seem to want Heim, and nobody else at Toyota is even close to cup ready. Kyle Busch comes back in and has a new appreciation for your equipment. He's probably at a discount from the money he wanted previously, and JGR has an investor now as well as new people heading up their sponsorship department that weren't there when Kyle left.
If you somehow can speak this into existence that would be superb!
Our boy would have to retire first, though. :(
I know but man…what a way to end a career if KFB did end up back at JGR. Especially if he was successful during that run.
Dear god please, I dont want to see him waste the last few years of his career in a dead end ride running last every week
This makes a lot of sense
Does Kyle Busch really want to leave RCR?
Honestly that part just seems like fan fiction. Like Harvick to the 5 type stuff just trying to be willed into existence
HEY IT HAPPENED!!!
Got to agree. I think it’s Kyle fans hoping for a way out when in reality it’s Kyle that has taken himself out of contention in over half the races the 8 really has speed. RCR sucks at short tracks but when Randall hits it right they could be a top 5 car anywhere else. Randall has also yet to make a bad strategy call in Kyle’s whole RCR tenure (other than maybe Dover 2023). If he does go I pray Randall goes with. 2015-2019 Kyle is never coming back but those two with a team like 23XI I think could win 1-2 per year on pace alone and be a consistent Round of 8 threat
Yeah people saying RCR is on SHR level, but KFB was inches from winning Atlanta and has been on the shit the of luck whether it's self inflicted or not a number of times this year in races where he was running well. He should probably be in the top ten in points if it weren't for random fuck ups
Probably yeah. He basically talked bad about RCR in the stenhouse fight “I’m running just as bad as you are”
He made plenty of self-deprecating remarks when he was at JGR too. That said, I'm sure KFB would love to be in a Hendrick ride or back at JGR right now - but the real question is - does he have any better options than RCR? I'm not so sure the answer is yes.
If that was indicative of anything you’d think AJ Allmendinger was suicidal
Sometimes you need to take the opportunity when it's available.
If they ever want to add one then it’s likely never going to be cheaper than it is today
With Jr saying he would be open to a partnership in a team I would love to see that be with RCR Go help right the ship that his dad helped create
RC has too much family involved to add Jr unless he buys in
That's probably the last thing Richard Childress wants.
NOOOOOOOOOO
I just want Roush to add a 3rd car man
I have been a Noah doubter but he would kick ass in the 19. He’s fast right now in dogshit cars
It’d be a shame if he went there, the two cars they currently have are hot garbage. I think the combo of Gragson/Blickensderfer at SHR could’ve been something decent if the team kept going.
The last time RCR had 3 cars didn't go so well, IDK why they'd want to do it again when currently 2 cars isn't doing so well
Noah deserves a sponsor like this tbh.
So what number does RCR go with? I'd assume the #33. Or if Kaulig gives up the #31. Perhaps Noah has a personal preference?
#38 with an absolutely cursed mashup of their two fonts
I think Kaulig guns for the 10 or 14 and RCR uses the 31 again.
This is the only way Busch can be successfully long term at RCR...they need another driver collecting data to feed the organization and they're clearing not getting enough with Dillon's performance
Gragson would be crazy to go to a team that is a train wreck that crashed into a dumpster fire.
Unfortunately he doesn't really have a choice if no other teams are hiring, but I would think he'd be a top candidate for the 34
Every fiber in my brain is telling me RCR isn't going to purchase a 3rd charter and that Noah will be in the 8 car next year.
Think about the timeline of Gragson and Hillbilly as teammates. I’d put money on Gragson if it came down to it
Probably lateral move compared to where he's at
Uuuuuugh I really don't want Gragson at RCR. I don't know where else he should go but damn
I’m worried Noah in that environment will morph back into the old Noah. But if he leapfrogs Austin Hill then that’s awesome.
Oh Noah, first LMC and now RCR....will you ever learn?
[удалено]
Noah should probably piss off Truex every chance he gets in that case lmao
I always underestimate Noah's ability to fall upwards
Good for Noah
Please put him in the 29
Genuinely curious, has Busch actually said he's looking to leave RCR already?
No...it was a rumor started by Lee Spencer.
Please Denny, buy out KFB, hire Burnett or Childers, and bring KFB back to Toyota and being competitive. Save us
This is where I hope JRM comes out of nowhere with a charter and brings in MTJ with BPS and Auto Owners.
No come on man why
Is Hill ever going to get promoted by RCR? His only shot was a third charter and if that goes to Gragson, by the time a spot opens he'll be mid-30s
Rcr is not running good enough for a 3rd car. They can't even get one car to run good now.
This is what I thought would happen. Gragson, Busch, Dillon is not a bad lineup at all