NASCAR Rumors: Another Driver Emerging as Option to Drive No. 33 Car for Richard Childress Racing in 2027
Sportsnaut · Matt Johnson · 2026-08-18T13:05:37+00:00 · nguồn gốc
The last domino left to fall in NASCAR silly season is the No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing, with the majority of rumors pointing to Austin Hill keeping the full-time ride next season. However, amid Hill’s struggles, it seems another name is now under real consideration.
NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported Monday on Dirty Mo Overdrive that while Hill is still the favorite to be retained by RCR to drive full-time in the Cup Series next year, Wood Brothers Racing driver Josh Berry is also now a candidate for the seat.
Related: Insight Into Potential Richard Childress Racing Plans for 2027
For more than a month, the widespread belief around the garage has been that the No. 33 car is Hill’s to lose given his long-standing relationship with Richard Childress Racing. However, in a season where the team is seemingly poised to go winless in the Cup Series and not come remotely close to making The Chase, the bar for performance might need to be raised.
Hill, who has filled in full-time for RCR’s second chartered car since the tragic passing of Kyle Busch, has the second-worst average finishing position (28.5) among drivers with 10-plus Cup races and he has the sixth-worst average starting position (25.2) among that same group.
Berry, who Wood Brothers Racing already announced will be replaced by Jesse Love next year, is in the middle of a season-best stretch. He’s delivered three consecutive top-10 finishes, giving him four on the season, delivering his best performances at a time when he’s trying to prove he still belongs in the Cup Series.
RCR’s eventual decision will likely have a domino effect. If Berry is picked, Hill will have to remain in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and that would complicate the path for prospect Carson Brown to race full-time at that level. If Richard Childress ultimately remains loyal to Hill, Brown will take his spot in the O’Reilly Series next year and Berry will either have to choose between a full-time OARS ride or potentially exploring if Amazon would want to bring him on next summer as an analyst for its NASCAR race coverage.