[alstott9adams]

Kasey Kahne to the 95!!!!!!!!!

[dunnere]

Kasey Kahne to the 95!!!!!!!!!

Well, I didn't see that coming. Interesting move, and I guess an upgrade from Michael McDowell. Let's see if the Leavine Team can get a couple top tens in 2018 and consistently live in the top 15-20.

[spazmatastic]

Certainly didn't see that coming. I didn't think Leavine would ever get rid of McDowell. Kahne is definitely an upgrade.

[spazmatastic]

It's finally official. Furniture Row Racing announced earlier this week that they will NOT field the #77 car in 2018. The sponsor (5-Hour Energy) also announced it wasn't sponsoring a car for Furniture Row in 2018. This was pretty much expected after JGR said that Erik Jones would run the #20 for them in 2018.
I'm betting that "5-Hour Energy" will still be a sponsor in 2018 though. Possibly for SHR (they've sponsored Bowyer before) OR for RPM. Petty needs a sponsor bad and that could work out well for both companies, especially if Bubba Wallace really does get the #43 car.
I'm really just posting this to bump the thread, but also for anyone who hasn't read/heard that news yet.

[spazmatastic]

Another "finally official" bit of news. Bubba Wallace will drive the #43 car for Petty Motorsports in 2018.

[dunnere]

I do believe that Smithfield will be on the SHR 10 car in 2018, to be driven by...Aric Almirola.

In my opinion, you go from bad to worse if you do that... I don't see how that is even close to being better, but I think that announcement is coming soon...

Kenseth and Kahne are not going to be with SHR in 2018. Kahne will be out of the MESC series completel...Kenseth I'm still not sure about.

Almirola, Smithfield, #10 car is a done deal....

[spazmatastic]

Matt Kenseth has officially said that he will "step away from NASCAR for the 2018 season". He might try to return in 2019, but will not race in 2018 unless called upon to fill in for or replace someone.

[dunnere]

Matt Kenseth has officially said that he will "step away from NASCAR for the 2018 season". He might try to return in 2019, but will not race in 2018 unless called upon to fill in for or replace someone.

I just read this this morning...well, how about that?

So, no word yet on Kurt Busch, which I'm surprised by, but with winning this pole in Texas and with Furniture Row not running the 77 car in 2018, it certainly feels to me like the 41 will be piloted by Busch in 2018 for SHR...

---

By the way, this post started in July with the Kenseth news and speculation...it finally came full circle...ha.

[spazmatastic]

Danica is DONE, kinda. She will not race full-time anymore. She will race in the Daytona 500 and Indy 500 in 2018 though. I wonder who she'll drive for in those races!

[dunnere]

Danica is cool...that was a good press conference. But she needs to be done, she is not competitive in NASCAR, although I don't get why she doesn't try to run Xfinity...it's where she should have been for a couple of years....