Silly Season used to wait for the summer heat. Not anymore. The 2027 NASCAR Cup Series grid is already taking shape, and several teams have moved before the garage could catch its breath.
23XI Racing has chosen Corey Heim for the No. 35 Toyota. Wood Brothers Racing has handed its historic No. 21 Ford to Jesse Love. Front Row Motorsports has locked Todd Gilliland into the No. 34 Ford. Those decisions close 3 important seats while pushing Riley Herbst and Josh Berry into an increasingly crowded market.
The next calls carry even more weight. Richard Childress Racing must determine whether Austin Hill becomes its permanent Cup answer after taking over the No. 33 Chevrolet for the rest of 2026. Hendrick Motorsports still has not announced Alex Bowman’s future beyond this season.
The early deals have set the field. Now the biggest teams must decide who gets a chair when the music stops.
Corey Heim Gives 23XI A Proven Winner
23XI did not promote Heim on potential alone. He won a series record 12 Truck races in 2025, then sealed the championship by leading 100 of 161 laps at Phoenix.
His Cup breakthrough came even faster. Heim won at Naval Base Coronado in his 13th Cup start. He chased down Tyler Reddick, attacked when Reddick slipped with 3 laps left, then drove away to a 10.365 second victory.
That race showed why 23XI made the call. Heim stayed calm in traffic, completed the move against an elite road racer and controlled the closing laps once he reached clean air. He already looks comfortable in Cup equipment.
Riley Herbst now becomes part of the wider scramble. His results improved during his 2nd season, but 23XI chose the driver who has already won at NASCAR’s highest level.
Jesse Love Inherits NASCAR’s Heaviest Young Driver Assignment
Love enters the No. 21 as the 2025 champion of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the division formerly known as the Xfinity Series. He will be 22 when the 2027 season begins.
The Wood Brothers are betting on his ceiling. They are also placing him inside a car loaded with history. David Pearson won 43 races for the team. Cale Yarborough, A.J. Foyt, Neil Bonnett and Dale Jarrett also carried the Wood Brothers colors.
Josh Berry delivered the team’s 101st Cup victory at Las Vegas in 2025. He still will not return after 2026. That decision tells Love exactly what the job demands. The No. 21 needs more than development. It needs results.
Love acknowledged both the opportunity and the trust behind it when the move became official, saying, “Thank you to the Wood Brothers, Team Penske, and Ford for their belief in me starting in 2027.” That belief comes with serious expectations.
Love brings a championship and 7 Cup starts. Team Penske provides technical support and access to Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Austin Cindric. The tools are there, but one of NASCAR’s most recognized cars will not allow him much time to settle in.
Todd Gilliland Takes Himself Off the Board
Front Row Motorsports ended one branch of the rumor tree by extending Gilliland in the No. 34 Ford.
The move keeps him with crew chief Chris Lawson and confirms that Front Row sees Gilliland as a central part of its 3-car program. He produced a career best 20.8 average finish and 5 top 10s in 2025. He also came close to winning at Talladega.
Gilliland’s deal matters beyond his own future. It removes a realistic Ford seat from the market. Berry cannot circle the No. 34. Herbst cannot wait for it to open. Other drivers now have one fewer route into a stable Cup program.
Front Row has its answer. Several larger teams do not.
Austin Hill Has the RCR Seat in Front of Him
While 23XI, Wood Brothers and Front Row have put their houses in order, Richard Childress Racing still faces a far more difficult decision.
Kyle Busch died on May 21, 2026, after severe pneumonia and sepsis. Richard Childress later revealed that the team had planned to announce Busch’s return for 2027. His death left RCR grieving one of the sport’s defining drivers while also forcing the organization to rebuild its competitive plan.
The team changed the car number from 8 to 33 and turned to Hill for the rest of the season. That decision gave RCR stability during an extraordinarily difficult period. It also gave Hill the biggest opportunity of his career.
Every start now becomes part of his audition. Hill already understands the organization, its personnel and its race process. Strong performances would give Childress a clear reason to keep the seat inside the building.
Making Hill the full time driver would validate the development program RCR built around him. The alternative is to enter the open market.
Berry would bring Cup winning experience and strong Chevrolet ties. Herbst offers youth, sponsorship strength and 2 full seasons of Cup work.
RCR can take its time, but the choice will move more than 1 driver. It will also reshape the secondary series lineup and close another major Cup opening.
Rick Hendrick Controls the Biggest Domino
No unresolved seat carries more influence than the No. 48 Chevrolet.
Bowman is in the final season of his contract with Hendrick Motorsports. He has won races for the organization and reached the playoffs repeatedly, but Hendrick has not announced its 2027 plan.
Keeping Bowman would shut down the biggest vacancy on the board. Moving on would release a proven Cup winner and create the most attractive opening in Silly Season.
That single choice could redirect several careers. Bowman would instantly become the strongest veteran available. Hendrick could pursue an established driver, target a younger prospect or accelerate an internal plan.
Legacy Motor Club’s confirmed 3rd car offers another landing spot for whoever gets squeezed out. Berry and Herbst are already searching. More names could join them once Hendrick acts.
Heim and Love started the shuffle. Gilliland removed another seat. RCR now holds a major opening. Still, the No. 48 remains the lever that can move the entire garage.
READ MORE: Why NASCAR’s Million Dollar in Season Challenge Proved Its Worth
FAQs
Q1. Who will drive the 23XI Racing No. 35 in 2027?
Corey Heim will take over the No. 35 Toyota after winning the 2025 Truck championship and securing his first Cup victory.
Q2. Who is replacing Josh Berry in the Wood Brothers No. 21?
Jesse Love will drive the No. 21 Ford in 2027 after winning the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship.
Q3. Is Todd Gilliland returning to Front Row Motorsports in 2027?
Yes. Front Row Motorsports extended Gilliland’s contract and will keep him in the No. 34 Ford.
Q4. Who is driving Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33?
Austin Hill is driving the No. 33 for the rest of 2026. RCR has not confirmed its permanent 2027 driver.
Q5. Is Alex Bowman signed with Hendrick Motorsports for 2027?
No 2027 agreement has been announced. Bowman is in the final season of his current contract with Hendrick Motorsports.
