Bell, Buescher on the Move in 2020

As the playoffs continue and the 2019 season winds to a close, silly season is beginning to move fast and furious as teams prepare - and improve - for 2020.

Christopher Bell will be promoted to the No. 95 car
next season (Google Images)

In a move that surprised literally no one, news broke earlier this week that Christopher Bell would be replacing Matt DiBenedetto in the Leavine Family Racing No. 95 Toyota. JGR and Toyota needed a landing spot for Bell, lest they risk losing him to another team with a Monster Energy Cup Series ride open (all four of the current Gibbs cup drivers are filled through next year). As a Gibbs satellite team, LFR was the only logical landing spot for the Xfinity Series title contender.

Yes, fans were more than a bit distraught to see DiBenedetto lose his ride in the No. 95, but he has since landed in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford to replace a retiring Paul Menard.

Rheem, Bell's current Xfinity Series sponsor, will be moving up with him next year. They will join current LFR backer Procore as a primary sponsor on the car in 2020. Likewise, crew chief Jason Ratcliff will join the 24-year-old Norman Okla. native at NASCAR's top level year, along with the rest of his Xfinity crew. Current crew chief Mike Wheeler will move to LFR competition director.

“Since I was young, I wanted to make a career out of racing,” said Bell. “To take this next step and race in the NASCAR Cup Series with the support of LFR, JGR and Toyota is just a dream come true... Having been under the JGR banner these past seasons in the Xfinity Series and with TRD for as long as I can remember, having their continued support as I transition to LFR is extremely comforting and will be a tremendous benefit to me. I can’t wait to close out this season in the Xfinity Series with a strong run, and I’m looking forward to the challenge that awaits in 2020.”

While Bell's talent is expected to significantly elevate the performance of LFR's Toyota, the move also comes with a substantial increase in technical, engineering, and financial support from the JGR mother ship.

“I’ve said from the start, I want this team to be competitive,” said team owner Bob Leavine. “Christopher is one of the most talented drivers we’ve seen come up through NASCAR’s ranks and together, with JGR and Toyota’s support, I’m confident our team will continue to grow, just as it has this past year. We’re certainly happy to continue to progress our relationship with both JGR and TRD as the technical partnership takes the next step forward.”

Stenhouse Jr (L) will be replaced in Jack Roush's No. 17 by
Chris Buescher (R) in 2020 (Google Images)

Now that this news had officially been announced, many felt that this would set other dominoes in motion. Perhaps RCR would tell us that Tyler Reddick is replacing recently ousted Daniel Hemric, or SHR would say where Cole Custer will be driving next year. But then Roush Fenway Racing came out of left field with a story that no one in the industry saw coming.

Late last week, RFR announced that they will be replacing Ricky Stenhouse Jr in the team's No. 17 Ford with 2015 Xfinity Series champion Chris Buescher. Similar to the DiBenedetto to Wood Brothers Racing story from a few weeks ago, this was a very well-kept secret. It even caught the ownership at JTG Daugherty Racing off guard.

“We were in the final strokes of the contract when learning that Chris has gone in a different direction,” said Geschickter said in a statement. “We appreciate all of the efforts from Chris through the past three seasons at JTG Daugherty Racing. When the dust settles, we will begin the process of searching for our next driver to fill the No. 37 seat for the 2020 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.”

While Stenhouse Jr won two Xfinity Series titles for RFR, he has long had a reputation as a hard-charging driver. That has won him quite a few races in NASCAR's top two series, but more often than not, it's also gotten him in trouble. Before his days as a championship contender at the Xfinity level, Stenhouse was parked by Roush for tearing up too many race cars, a move many felt settled him down and contributed to his back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. Signed through 2021, the dirt racer from Olive Branch, Miss. has had some rough luck this year, including spinning leader Martin Truex Jr at Richmond last weekend (a mistake that cost Stenhouse a potential top ten finish). Team principal Jack Roush had a small window to sign Buescher, who was on loan to JTG, and told the media that his reputation for being easier on equipment factored into his decision.

Stenhouse Jr (C) won two Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series
titles for Roush Fenway Racing (Google Images)

“We had so much trouble getting speed out of our cars,” Roush said. “With Ryan (Newman) and with Matt Kenseth’s help last summer we identified some things we should be working on which had not been on our radar and worked on those things. When we put Ryan in the car, he fell right in line with what Kenseth had thought were the priorities and we see Chris falling in the same line.

"I look forward to having cars that are more similar for both drivers that we can develop from race to race by not having so many wrecks. Ryan’s done really well about keeping his car together and Chris has a history of doing the same thing."

Stenhouse Jr said that, while he was blindsided by RFR to release him, he also understands that his cup series results haven't been what anyone expected and that he's looking forward to his final few races in the No. 17 car, as well as seeing what his options are for next season.

“It was fun, a little emotional with the relationship Jack and I have," said Stenhouse. "It’s the only team I’ve ever been at, so I’m looking forward to see what’s next. Like I said, there’s a lot of work to do on that, but, all in all, I’m definitely looking forward to these last eight with the great partners that we have, everybody on the 17 team. I’ve worked with a lot of them since my Nationwide days, so it will be tough, but it will be a fun eight races with them.”

“I still feel like I’ve got unfinished business in this series,” he added.