With the signing of Josh Berry to replace Kevin Harvick in 2024 at Stewart-Haas Racing, there seems to be a lack of up and coming drivers in Ford’s current lineup. While there certainly is no shortage of Ford teams in NASCAR’s premier series, digging deeper reveals a different story.
SHR and Ford were able to lure away Josh Berry from an almost guaranteed path to Cup via Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports…shocking considering how long Berry has been associated with JR Motorsports. Where one really has to look is farther down the ladder into the Truck and Xfinity Series, where only a handful of Cup’s powerhouse teams remain.
(courtesy of Jayski & RSS Racing)
In Xfinity, Ford’s presence consists mainly of 6-7 teams, and one part-time entry for SS-Green Light Racing. While Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, Brett Moffitt, and Ryan Sieg have carried the flag for the blue oval….there is not much opportunity for an up and coming driver to get a seat (ex. Hailie Deegan). Currently the chance for a start come from RSS Racing and SS-Green Light, which only have occasional affiliations with Stewart-Haas Racing and Ford itself. Long gone are the days where you would see the likes of RFK and Penske fielding teams, as they concentrate on Cup and the NextGen car.
A note should also be made that, besides the occasional support from Ford and Stewart-Haas, RSS Racing’s three full-time entries are run out of a family-owned team. SS-Green Light Racing’s #08 entry is splitting time between Ford and Chevrolet, while Moffitt and AM Racing are a first-year team, but showing promise.
The situation in the Craftsman Truck Series is even more concerning, as there are only a few teams. Cup team Front Row Motorsports has had a success with Zane Smith in their #38 Fords, while semi-annual Ford team ThorSport Racing currently fields four teams. With Smith likely moving to Cup next year (he has several starts already), and ThorSport’s current group of drivers appearing to be staying in place…who else is left? Kaden Honeycutt and Roper Racing also had some strong runs early in the season before Honeycutt was let go from the #04 team. This leaves Ford with one possibly open seat going into next year, if Front Row decides to continue their team.
(courtesy of Jayski & Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Ford currently is in a situation where there is either no seat time for talents to be grown, no money to support the program, or lack of veteran Cup team support. With the exception of Zane Smith, who is likely locked in with Front Row Motorsports next year (and deservedly so)….who else is waiting in the wings? The next closest prospect is Hailie Deegan, who has had a rough season with ThorSport’s #13 team.
How does the situation get fixed? The early 2000’s may hold the answer with what was known as the ABC program. With this program, talented new comers would have the opportunity to slowly gain seat time in a combination of ARCA, Busch (Xfinity), Truck, and the finally Cup races. Many of today’s current drivers came up through the ranks with this program, including Kyle Larson and Joey Logano. However this, as with everything, all requires funding.
Hailie Deegan also has recently also supported this, saying essentially that while she would like to move to Xfinity instead of wading in the swamp of current Truck Series competition…the money (and seemingly teams) are just not there. Deegan performed well in her Xfinity debut last in 2022, finishing Top 20 in the #07 for SS-Green Light Racing with backing from Pristine Auctions.
Going into 2024, Ford needs to take a serious look at their development program. Luring one of the current Cup teams (RFK…looking at you) into starting a truck or Xfinity team could have an almost immediate impact with a competitive and fresh team. This would also allow Ford to establish footing in two series generally populated by Chevrolets.
