34 Cup Series, 27 Xfinity Series, and 26 Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR drivers have a full-time seat for the 2024 racing season.
Other drivers have multi-race deals to compete on a part-time basis in their respected NASCAR Series. These numbers are as of Saturday, February 24th. Sponsorship, breach of contract, and other factors can impact the longevity of rides between driver and team. However, these plans are intended to be set in stone when ink meets paper.
This is what makes “silly season” an exciting time of year. Fans guess who will fill the seats of those with expiring contracts or upcoming retirement. Teams and drivers, meanwhile, feel the pressure of solidifying a deal with the goal of forward progression. Silly season for NASCAR begins around August and can last up to the weeks preceding the Daytona 500. It rarely happens earlier, like Austin Cindric’s confirmed Cup Series ride over 16 months before the first points-paying race.
Part-time opportunities or one-offs may sneak their way into the plan throughout the year. Some, unfortunately, do not have or will not get a pen to use. Whether full-time, long-term or a limited schedule, everyone hopes to get their chance amongst the best racers in the world.
The following list includes NASCAR drivers who have a lesser or vacant schedule from the 2023 season. ARCA competitors were also included. In alphabetical order, here are some of the top drivers without a full-time NASCAR seat in 2024.
Trevor Bayne
No plans have been announced for 2011 Daytona 500 Champion Trevor Bayne. In 2022 and 2023, the fan-favorite competed part-time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Through his twelve starts, Bayne had two poles with five Top 5’s and eight Top 10s. The performances were impressive as he had not started in the Series since 2016. Priorities for the year have likely shifted to his new role at Legacy Motor Club and his continued duties working with Fox Sports.
Josh Bilicki
Josh Bilicki’s Cup Series tenure has disappeared over the last three years. A full-time seat with Rick Ware Racing in 2021 was followed by a manufacturer switch to part-time rides with Spire Motorsports in 2022 and Live Fast Motorsports last season. With B.J. McLeod selling his charter, this has left Bilicki without a Cup seat. He did start in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway with DGM Racing and will likely start in more throughout 2024. For now, his time in Cup looks to be gone.
Jade Buford
Well-versed driver Jade Buford has been absent from the Xfinity Series for nearly a year. His last starts came in the 2023 Daytona opener and the April Talladega Superspeedway race for Big Machine Racing. Buford raced nearly the whole 2021 season and nine times for the team last year, but the focus has been on Parker Kligerman’s full-time seat. Although he will likely continue in Trans Am and GT competition, nothing is known about his NASCAR plans this year.
Matt DiBenedetto
The biggest name without a ride in 2024 comes with Matt DiBenedetto. He raced in the Cup Series from 2015 to 2021 before losing his seat after two years with Wood Brothers Racing. A late deal saw his switch to Rackley WAR’s Truck Series program in 2022. DiBenedetto would capture the team’s first win at Talladega and a Playoff bid the following year. However, he was surprisingly released from the team with three races left in the season. Rumors circulated as to possible opportunities this year, but a full-time or part-time spot never materialized.
Jon Garrett
Jon Garrett made his dream a reality. Alongside veteran Andy Hillenburg, the two formed a partnership in the ARCA Menards Series. Garrett made three starts for Fast Track Racing in 2022 and followed it with his first-ever full-time schedule. Driving for his Veer Motorsports team, he claimed four Top 10s with a career-best of 7th at Salem Speedway and a final points finish of 5th. On January 30th, Garrett announced he would not be competing in the Daytona ARCA opener due to a “lack of funding and other resources.” Races are intended for later this year, but it will come on a lesser basis.
Gray Gaulding
A few years ago, it looked as though Gray Gaulding was a top prospect on the rise. Following his tenure in the formerly-titled K&N Series, the Virginia native raced for various teams in Trucks and Cup before impressing with consistency in his full-time 2019 Xfinity Series season with SS-Green Light Racing. Last season, it was announced that he would return to the team for the full Series schedule. However, this would not come to fruition racing only once at Daytona in the final 22 races. Nothing has been shared as to his plans in 2024.
Colby Howard
22-year-old Colby Howard has many years left to further his craft behind the wheel. His first two NASCAR seasons came on a part-time basis with JD Motorsports in the 2020 and 2021 Xfinity Series lineup. 2022 and 2023 saw full-time Truck Series tenures with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing and CR7 Motorsports, respectively. Howard will race with TRICON Garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 24th, but there are no other confirmations for the remainder of the season.
Alex Labbe
Alex Labbe was one of the lone NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers representing Canada. He competed in the Pinty’s Series from 2012 to 2019 accumulating six victories and the 2017 Championship. Besting out notable drivers like Kevin Lacroix, D.J. Kennington, and Alex Tagliani, Labbe came into Xfinity with quality experience. Three full-time seasons were spent racing at DGM Racing, and since 2022, he has raced part-time with various teams. Labbe finished a best of eleventh three times in 14 starts last season as we have yet to hear news of 2024 plans.
Brett Moffitt
Arguably the best driving talent on this list comes from Brett Moffitt. The Iowa native ran three full-time seasons in Trucks from 2018 to 2020 where he claimed the title in 2018. A win in a one-off last October at Talladega was Moffitt’s 13th Series victory, ranking him 13th all-time. His successes, however, did not match in recent years competing in the Xfinity Series. Since 2020, tenures with Chevy’s Our Motorsport and Ford’s AM Racing saw only three Top 5’s in 114 starts. Although the numbers do not match Moffitt’s abilities, he remains in search of an opportunity this year.
Connor Mosack
Charlotte, North Carolina’s own Connor Mosack was looking to rebuild after a rough go in 2023. The Toyota Racing Development driver made 21 starts for Sam Hunt Racing’s No. 24 and three for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19. Only two Top 10s resulted in the 24 starts with nine DNFs. Mosack did announce a full-time venture driving in the Trans-Am TA2 Series, and he will make a start or more for Niece Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. With a shifted focus, NASCAR opportunities in 2024 have reduced.
Frankie Muniz
Actor-turned-driver Frankie Muniz turned heads in his 2023 ARCA Menards Series season. The rookie had limited stock car experience compared to his competitors, but he performed well with nine Top 10s and a career-best 5th at Michigan International Speedway. Unfortunately, Muniz was not able to resign with the Rette Jones Racing team for 2024 and nothing was announced for the year. Recent images have circulated of a possible buy-in with Joey Gase in Xfinity, as he did start in the Daytona opener with the Ford team. No formal announcement has been made.
Myatt Snider
When the silly season was at large, many thought Myatt Snider would land a spot for the 2024 season. His 2023 part-time Xfinity schedule with Joe Gibbs Racing saw two Top 10s and only one finish outside the Top 15. As of February, nothing has been said about whether he will make any starts this year. Snider finished 9th in the 2018 Trucks and 2021 Xfinity Series seasons. In 2016, he won in his ARCA debut at Toledo Speedway, and in 2021, he took his lone NASCAR victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Richard Childress.
J.J. Yeley
J. J. Yeley has been a traveler in NASCAR since 2004. Today at Atlanta, he made his 800th start NASCAR National Series start joining an elite list of accomplished veterans. The longtime contender has spent his recent years driving for lesser-funded teams. Last year, he mostly drove in the Cup Series for Rick Ware Racing. Yeley nearly raced his way into the 2024 Daytona 500 until getting passed off the final corner by seven-time Champion Jimmie Johnson. The 47-year-old remains a strong contender despite the shrunken seat time ahead.
Are there any drivers we missed? Which drivers could return to racing in 2025? Leave a comment below. Be sure to follow our social media pages on Twitter and Facebook. Stay tuned here at LWOS Motorsports for NASCAR news, results, updates, and more.
