Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had a contract with Roush Fenway Racing through 2021. Didn’t matter. The team announced Wednesday that Stenhouse will be out of the No. 17 car after this season and Chris Buescher will take over the ride.
How can Stenhouse be out of a ride?
While team contracts are private, contracts do include team options, meaning the team has the option to pick up the terms of the deal for a particular year or years, and performance clauses that, if not met, can led to termination or restructuring of the deal.
Missing the playoffs each of the last two seasons didn’t help Stenhouse. And with new teammate Ryan Newman grinding his way to a playoff spot - and possibly a spot in the second round - it was obvious that Roush Fenway Racing officials felt they could do better.
Now Roush Fenway Racing is reunited with Buescher. He drove for the team in the Xfinity Series in select races in 2011 and 2013 and ran the full season in 2014-15, winning the 2015 series title.
Roush Fenway Racing farmed Buescher to Front Row Motorsports in 2016 because Roush didn’t have room for him with its Cup lineup and was not in a position to expand. Buescher then went to JTG Daugherty in 2017 and has been there since.
OPEN RIDES FOR 2020
No. 8: With Richard Childress Racing stating that Daniel Hemric won’t return to the team (announcement made Sept. 17) next season, all that is left to be done is for the official word that Tyler Reddick will move up to take that ride. Childress spoke July 30 about wanting to keep Reddick.
No. 38: Front Row Motorsports must replace David Ragan, who stated Aug. 14 that 2019 would be his final season running a full schedule.
No. 37: JTG Daugherty Racing has an opening here with Chris Buescher moving back to Roush Fenway Racing to take over the No. 17 car next year.
ANNOUNCED CUP RIDES FOR 2020
No. 13: Ty Dillon posted a video Sept. 6 on Instagram refuting rumors that he would retire after this season. He has a contract with Germain Racing through 2020.
No. 17: Chris Buescher will take over the Roush Fenway Racing ride in 2020 after the team announced Sept. 25 that it would part ways with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after this season.
No. 20: Joe Gibbs Racing announced Sept. 6 that it had signed Erik Jones to an extension. It is a one-year extension for the 2020 season.
No. 21: Matt DiBenedetto replaces Paul Menard at Wood Brothers Racing (announcement made Sept. 10). DiBenedetto’s deal is for 2020 only.
No. 95: Christopher Bell moves up to Cup in 2020 and will drive for Leavine Family Racing (announcement made Sept. 24).
AMONG THOSE YET TO ANNOUNCE DEALS FOR 2020
Clint Bowyer -- His contract expires after this season with the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team but Bowyer stated Sept. 20 that he did a commercial shoot with Kevin Harvick for Mobil 1 last week for next season.
Kurt Busch -- His contract expires after this season but all indications are that he’ll return to the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing team with Monster Energy in 2020.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. -- Finds himself without a ride after this season with Roush Fenway Racing announcing that Chris Buescher will replace Stenhouse in the No. 17 car in 2020.
Daniel Suarez -- He has said that both he and the team have an option on his contract for next year. He has remained confident that he will return to Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the No. 41 car.