Dale Earnhardt Jr. addresses silly season rumors, Stewart-Haas charter sales, Noah Gragson, more

With the Michael McDowell to Spire Motorsports in 2025 news coming out, Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to do a roundup on silly season. The NASCAR free agency and charter talk is just heating up and could get more unpredictable in coming days.

NASCAR is a sport where free agency kinda happens constantly. Right now, there is a lot of talk about charters. McDowell made the first move. There could be even more unforeseen developments between now and the 2025 Daytona 500.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t claim to know any details. He doesn’t have any special knowledge, but he has an interesting theory. And I believe it is more than a theory.

“[Michael McDowell to Spire] has something to do with the Stewart-Haas stuff,” Earnhardt said on the Dale Jr. Download. “You know the Stewart-Haas charters are available or the rumors is that there are maybe one or two of those charters that could come onto the market. I’m only guessing here, I have no insight but I’m just feeling like Front Row – some sort of a Front Row, Stewart-Haas connection happens, and one of the drivers that’s at Stewart-Haas may end up in that 34 car.”

Dale Jr. further explained his silly season theory.

“I feel like one of the current drivers at Stewart-Haas ends up in Michael’s old car and there is some sort of a new organization between Front Row and Stewart-Haas,” Earnhardt said. “Then one or two of those charters that are currently at Stewart-Haas end up getting sold out to someone else like Trackhouse, 23XI, right? I don’t know, everybody keeps saying, ‘Man this silly season is going to get even crazier, going to get even crazier.’ Beyond that, I can only assume that’s it. That’s what they’re talking about.

“Did I see there was a rumor that [Noah] Gragson might be going somewhere? So I guess my question is, if Stewart-Haas has four drivers and they pare down on charters – who goes where, right? What drivers will continue to stay in those two charters and what drivers may be going somewhere else?”

Besides the Front Row and Stewart-Haas rumors, Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t really have any other leads. Silly season is just starting. There will surely be other rumors and eventually, actual moves, made.

“Outside of that, what happens with those [Stewart-Haas] charters, what happens with the 34, is that all linked in some weird way?” he asked. “I don’t really know what else could be on deck in terms of silly season. And when I hear silly season I think of drivers changing rides, right? But I guess now we gotta think about charters too, where charters could be going.”

Michael McDowell helped build Front Row Motorsports into a contender. They are now a Tier 1 team with Ford. Moving to Spire Motorsports, there is likely more money. McDowell also noted a longer-term contract versus the one year deals he had been signing.

While the money is there, is the performance potential? Spire has had flashes of improvement this season. However, I’d argue they have largely underperformed this season. McDowell would help improve that organization, undoubtedly.