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It is time to roll out another staple of the probable team shuffles for the next season. Legacy Motor Club has already announced that it will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2024. The ball began rolling for NASCAR insiders to discuss other changes that this shift may bring.

Currently, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing also have Toyota cars. But Denny Hamlin‘s agreement with JGR will end in 2023 and the new terms have not been finalised. This certainly leaves the possibility of Hamlin switching to Ford or Chevrolet next year. If that were to happen, 23 XI Racing, co-owned by Hamlin, will not remain with Toyota either.

However, Ford’s inconsistent performance this season has been a cause for concern. The brunt of that criticism falls upon Tony Stewart‘s Stewart-Haas Racing and Joey Logano‘s Team Penske.

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NASCAR insiders think Stewart-Haas Racing and Penske are languishing at Ford

PRN Podcasters J.C. Fickenscher and David Styles agreed Hamlin should stick with Toyota at the moment. In the weekly podcast titled, ‘J.C.’s Garage’, Fickenscher noted that despite winning the last three races, Ford had a less than stellar season.

“I kinda want to see him stay at JGR. He’s been there his whole career. He’s been very successful there. The only thing he really hasn’t done is win a championship. So, for me, I hope they can get a deal worked out.

And I’m like you. I hope we get more Toyotas. I think it makes the field a little bit more competitive. And like I said earlier in the show, we’ve seen Ford win three races in a row. They’ve kinda come back to life, but it hasn’t been the typical teams that you would think of.”

He pointed out the dismal performances of Stewart-Haas Racing and Team Penske, with Tony Stewart’s SHR being absent the entire season. Logano himself hasn’t scratched the top 5 in the latter half of the season.

“I mean Penske they two of their drivers have each won one race and they’ve been kind of radio silent the rest of the year. Stewart-Haas has been pretty much non-existent all year long.”

Watch This Story: “Denny is Certainly Brainstorming”: Amidst the JGR-23XI Racing C0-Owner Fiasco, Dale Earnhardt Jr Hints at a Brewing Contingency Plan in Place

“I mean Kevin Harvick has shown glimpses of life and has ran well and consistently ran well all season but so is the RFK cars and they are only a two-car team and then you have a one car team with Michael McDowell winning a huge Road Course victory and then having an opportunity to win again at Watkins Glen and then turn right around and probably will have a pretty good car at Daytona.”

USA Today via Reuters

With Kevin Harvick retiring at the end of this season, what does this mean for the future of Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing?

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Uncertainties galore for Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing

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The past few years at Stewart-Haas Racing have been far removed from its time with Tony Stewart. Harvick has been the only consistent performer in their line-up and he will no longer be racing from 2024. They have also lost a major sponsor this year. Busch Light is leaving them to join Trackhouse Racing. At this point, they are breathing an enormous sigh of relief with Almirola’s decision to stay with them.

Moreover, speculations about a possible rift between co-owners, Stewart and Haas, are adding fuel to the fire. Further, Stewart’s decision to organize a million-dollar Sprint car race signaled his shifting priorities.

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He acquired Eldora Speedway in 2004, which will become the birthing ground for a first-of-its-kind race. A race of that nature will incur a substantial investment. The team has already been penalized several times this year, including hefty fines. Stewart’s divided focus in these tumultuous circumstances could create more issues for Stewart-Haas Racing. All in all, the team needs to solidify its line-up before 2024. Do you think next year might turn the tables in favor of Tony Stewart and his team?

Read More: Bubba Wallace Insider Delivers News to Tony Stewart That Could Change the Leaving Driver’s Fate