SILLY SEASON 2018

Fordracing7

Fordracing7

2018 Pick em Champion
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It's ok bring I'll probably get some hate for starting this thread in June but Silly season looks to be heating up....

Possible free agents

1 Mcmurray....predict stays
2 Keselowski hope he stays HMS only option
5 Kahne things could change here
10 Almirola/Stenhouse/Buescher/defunct some many options doubt Danica though.
12 Blaney if they expand
13 open if if Menard leaves RCR
17 Stenhouse or Buescher
20 Kenseth or Jones
21 Blaney or bubba so many variables
27 Ty or Paul
43 Aric????
77 Jones or matt???
88 Bowman??? BK???/ Blaney???

Obviously it's early but some of us love Silly Season so let it begin.
 
Fordracing7 said:
It's ok bring I'll probably get some hate for starting this thread in June but Silly season looks to be heating up....

Possible free agents

1 Mcmurray....predict stays
2 Keselowski hope he stays HMS only option
5 Kahne things could change here
10 Almirola/Stenhouse/Buescher/defunct some many options doubt Danica though.
12 Blaney if they expand
13 open if if Menard leaves RCR
17 Stenhouse or Buescher
20 Kenseth or Jones
21 Blaney or bubba so many variables
27 Ty or Paul
43 Aric????
77 Jones or matt???
88 Bowman??? BK???/ Blaney???

Obviously it's early but some of us love Silly Season so let it begin.
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I'm starting to believe this could be Danica's last year. Maybe SHR leases the charter to a team in 2018 and then Custer moves up in 2019 in the 00.
 
I feel like if Menard leaves, I see no reason Kahne couldn't be an option for the 27 ride at RCR if he gets bought out by Hendrick (Hendricks for those who prefer plural version) A team of Dillon, Newman and Kahne with Ty as the satellite car would be a good start for Richard.
 
AuzGrams said:
I'm starting to believe this could be Danica's last year. Maybe SHR leases the charter to a team in 2018 and then Custer moves up in 2019 in the 00.
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Ditto. I see Danica driving through 2018 at the latest. Maybe Menard takes her place? He and Stewart were frequent tandem drafting partners at Daytona & Dega when that style of racing existed, so they have some sort of relationship.

And the more I think about it, the more I believe Menard will be the hot free agent due to all teams seeming to have sponsor troubles. Never thought Mr. Sideburns would ever be the hot ticket in NASCAR.
 
Feel like this will be Menards last year at RCR and Ty replaces him. Could see Menard going to Penske with a 3rd car.

Bowman will probably be at HMS either in the 5 or 88(25).

Could see Khane leaving HMS, which might be a good thing for him. Maybe the 16 or 44 if Roush or Petty choose to run them next year.

Buscher is another possibility in the 16

Might be a shake up at JGR with Kenseth and Jones. Dont see Kenseth in the 77 though if that happens.

Could very well be Danica's last year and that 10 car could be a landing spot for Kenseth or Khane.

The 77 could be a guy like Khane or Menard. Don't see a young driver this time around if Jones moves to the 20.

Filling the 5 car is tough though if Bowman goes to the 88(25). McMurray doesn't seem like a fit but might be their best choice if he leaves Chip. Drivers like Edwards, Kenseth, and Patrick could all be a possibility here I think.

I dont know things could get real silly but its fun to speculate.
 
aunty dive said:
David Stremme's mother to the 5.

She's vastly under-rated.
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I watched Lou and Cindy Stremme many a time at the local short tracks and Cindy would probably give the 5 or the 10 a good ride.
 
Dont think we'll see alot of rookies next year either. Would like to see Bubba move up to cup. Needs to get out of the Ford camp though. No room there right now.
 
Fordracing7 said:
It's ok bring I'll probably get some hate for starting this thread in June but Silly season looks to be heating up....

Possible free agents

1 Mcmurray....predict stays
2 Keselowski hope he stays HMS only option
5 Kahne things could change here
10 Almirola/Stenhouse/Buescher/defunct some many options doubt Danica though.
12 Blaney if they expand
13 open if if Menard leaves RCR
17 Stenhouse or Buescher
20 Kenseth or Jones
21 Blaney or bubba so many variables
27 Ty or Paul
43 Aric????
77 Jones or matt???
88 Bowman??? BK???/ Blaney???

Obviously it's early but some of us love Silly Season so let it begin.
Click to expand...

I don't think anything will change with the 1 or 2 car. I think the 5 gets a place holder or runs as partial schedule for a rookie, the 10 team goes poof and not much else changing other than John Menard buying Paul a ride at another team.
 
Only sure thing is the 88 team retired. I doubt there will be very much movement from any teams for 2018. Maybe Danica is gone and as someone said they lease the charter for a year.
At JGR, it would be a good move for Matt to take the 77 ride. The 78 team out runs the JGR teams.
 
There (their for our special friends) will be changes.

Makes stuff excitin' - just like an enhancement.
 
“…….SHR has run into challenges securing primary sponsorship.”

So confusing.

So many times the Patrick faithful have reminded us she is the most marketable driver in the show. Those in the position to know. The article must be in error.
 
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Simple Fan said:
If Matt leaves JGR he wont be signing with an affiliate of them. Just doesn't make sense no matter if the 78 has run better so far.
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If Matt wants to keep racing for JGR this may be his only option. I doubt Toyota will let a young up and comer go to keep someone who could retire at any time.
HMS made that mistake keeping MM for another year and lost a better driver.
 
My predictions.
No changes at JGR or FRR. Jones signs another 1 year contract and waits until Kenseth decides to retire.
No changes at CGR. There is no way Chip will let Larson go anywhere. They will pay him whatever he wants and I think he genuinely enjoys working with McMurray which also means McMurray signs another 3 year contract (probably at a lower price) but he retires in 2 years. I also wouldn't be surprised if CGR built a 3rd team for 2018 and a 4th team in 2019 at which point they are the primary Dodge team.
Bowman to the 88, Kahne re-signs for a year in the 5. JJ retires in 2 years.
Penske stays the same except they add the 27 team to the roster. Menard races at Penske for a year and then retires.
RCR moves Ty into a 3rd car that Menard moves out of.
RPM folds in 2018 only to return as a Dodge team in 2019 with 2 cars.
Daugherty starts a 3rd team in 2018, and a fourth team in 2019 becoming the 2nd big chevy team.

NASCAR only fields 35 teams next year.
 
Snappy D said:
No surprise to anyone I'm sure: http://www.espn.com/jayski/cup/2017/story/_/id/19531408/patrick-future-shr-uncertain-2017-season
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I think she'll be gone at the end of this year. Based on some interviews I've heard with her, I think she's frustrated with her results and is not very happy doing what she's doing right now because of it. It'd be kind of a shame to see her go, but hopefully she'll remain in motorsports in some capacity, such as a return to Indy Car perhaps.
 
Wow.....

With Gordon 'n ole Smoke already gone 'n if Earnhardt, Junior 'n Patrick aren't there in '18, NASCAR will cease to exist.

The one true racer left won't be able to carry the load on his own.
 
:(

she has eluded to these concerns in other interviews.. "Im not helping anyone out there running midpack". she wants to do well.
I pray that this is not going to happen.
 
Who to put in that car would be quite the pickle.

Maybe Biffle. Maybe Bubba Wallace gets a shot. Custer isn't ready.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
Who to put in that car would be quite the pickle.

Maybe Biffle. Maybe Bubba Wallace gets a shot. Custer isn't ready.
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Biffle is old, washed up and rusty from not having run races so put your money on a young, active driver.

There are many to choose from these days.
 
I also hope she stays until the end of her contract. Considering the sponsorship difficulty all teams seen to have maybe SHR goes to just 3 teams? Dunno
 
R Clarence said:
Who brings a sponsor's money with 'em?

That's how Patrick secured the ride.
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I don't know that there's anyone in Xfinity right now that can bring that kind of solid sponsor money while also being a desirable talent. Not sure if they'd factor in manufacturer ties on top of that also but that's another thing to consider.
 
I think the safe bet is SHR runs 3 teams as Gene Haas is essentially running the 14 and 41 on his own dime already. As far as the 10 team goes it gets worse on the performance side each year and the top 10 yesterday was just blind luck and obviously not indicative of performance. It seems like SHR understands that Patrick is no longer the goose that laid the golden egg and if the girl can't make the cash register sing it ain't worth having her around. Let hope the next woman to enter the series is competent and improve as her time in the series goes on instead of the Danica Patrick dog and pony show.
 
My bet is there is a ton of shakeup next season. There are so many rumors flying around that even if half of them have merit, this will be an extremely silly season. Bubba to the 43 was one of the ones I heard last weekend in Charlotte. I kinda smiled at that one...but...sure enough...
 
Allenbaba said:
My bet is there is a ton of shakeup next season. There are so many rumors flying around that even if half of them have merit, this will be an extremely silly season. Bubba to the 43 was one of the ones I heard last weekend in Charlotte. I kinda smiled at that one...but...sure enough...
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It seems as though the situation could be a game of musical chairs with the possibility of 1 or 2 teams going away and/or possibly part time. SHR is lacking sponsors and it sounds like HMS and JGR may be in the same boat even though there is a lot of time yet.

Do you get the sense that it is mainly the dollars required that is making sponsors sit on their hands or does the poor demographic and dwindling interest in the series impact things as well?
 
Allenbaba said:
My bet is there is a ton of shakeup next season. There are so many rumors flying around that even if half of them have merit, this will be an extremely silly season. Bubba to the 43 was one of the ones I heard last weekend in Charlotte. I kinda smiled at that one...but...sure enough...
Click to expand...

Any good juicy ones you can share that'll get the heads talking on here?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Allenbaba said:
My bet is there is a ton of shakeup next season. There are so many rumors flying around that even if half of them have merit, this will be an extremely silly season. Bubba to the 43 was one of the ones I heard last weekend in Charlotte. I kinda smiled at that one...but...sure enough...
Click to expand...

Have you heard much about Brad and Blaney?
 
Fordracing7 said:
Have you heard much about Brad and Blaney?
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It sure would be odd if either one of those guys got away from Ford and Penske. I haven't heard about sponsor issues with those guys although it would be a real coup if Toyota could get either one of them. I am sure HMS would be interested in Blaney but since they could have had BKez right from the get go I don't think they would bite on him.
 
"Many believe the move may be only temporary, as Hendrick himself declared in August. "Wherever he goes, he'll always be close enough for me to get him and bring him back." The owner told ESPN, "I've said all along I want him to have the best opportunity, and we have several options, but the one thing I told him is, 'Look, if you decide to do something different, I want you to have the best opportunity, and whoever you go to drive for just tell them don't get pissed off when I come after you.' "

Wouldn't worry about it. There's no room at the inn.

Ole Rick is an honorable man.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
I think the safe bet is SHR runs 3 teams as Gene Haas is essentially running the 14 and 41 on his own dime already. As far as the 10 team goes it gets worse on the performance side each year and the top 10 yesterday was just blind luck and obviously not indicative of performance. It seems like SHR understands that Patrick is no longer the goose that laid the golden egg and if the girl can't make the cash register sing it ain't worth having her around. Let hope the next woman to enter the series is competent and improve as her time in the series goes on instead of the Danica Patrick dog and pony show.
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This. I think SHR runs only Harvick, Bowyer and Busch if Danica leaves. Haas can only sponsor so many of his own cars I would think
 
Biggreen695 said:
Any good juicy ones you can share that'll get the heads talking on here?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I guess they're all juicy. But it's funny how many people contradict each other, so some aren't even worth mentioning. For example, I've heard from three pretty reliable sources three completely different predictions about Aric Almirola & Smithfield. One thinks both will end up at JTG (3rd car), one thinks both will end up at SHR (the 10), one thinks both will be at HMS (the 5). These are people who are normally plugged in. So... two of them, and possibly all of them will be wrong. (Though what I do find interesting is that, obviously, they all seem to think Aric & Smithfield won't be at the 43...so that's something to keep an eye on.)

What have I heard....well...I've heard Danica is done, I've heard the 10 is closing, I've heard the 77 is done and EJ is going to the 20, I've heard Kenseth to the 5 (I know that's a fun joke, but honestly there's a bit of smoke there) I've heard Roush is closing, I've heard RPM is closing, I've heard Bubba to the 43 for the foreseeable future (today's announcement makes me wonder...) I've heard Bowman to the 88, I've heard Carl to the 88 (no joke, good source too), I've always heard Menard to Penske, now I've heard Menard to HMS (my money is still on Penske), I've heard Target is leaving, I've heard Subway is leaving, I've heard Ty to the 31, I've heard Carl to the 1, I've heard Newman to the 1, I've heard Clint to HMS, I've heard Monster is leaving the 41, I've heard Mobil is leaving SHR, I know I'm forgetting a dozen more. Honestly, if you gave me a stack of money and told me to bet on some of these, I'd have no clue where to put it. One thing I do know...and I know this for a fact...there is a lot of uncertainty. Teams aren't even sure about their future plans yet.

To answer a previous question, I'd be shocked if Brad or Blaney move anywhere. Same with Joey. I'm pretty sure Harvick, Kyle, Denny, Austin, Truex, Jimmie, Chase, will remain the same. I'd bet on Kurt and Clint and Larson staying put, but not with the same certainty as the previous list (I'd still bet on it though). I haven't a clue about anything with any real substance. I just get this feeling like someone is going to pick up the snow globe and give it a big shake.
 
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