What’s Happening?
Every multi-car NASCAR Cup Series team has a clear star and a clear secondary, tertiary, or even quaternary driver. Though these drivers may be far from bad, who is the driver at each of these teams that NASCAR fans might deem the “weak link.”
This list will, of course, only focus on teams fielding two or more full-time drivers in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Season.
The driver selected as the “weakest link” could be, and is likely, far from a “bad driver,” but is still the one fans will likely view as the team’s “other” driver compared to their teammates.
This status can change during the season, as in 2025, many thought Ryan Preece could be a major outlier at RFK Racing, something he proved to be untrue on track.
What’s Happening?
The 2026 NASCAR Season is fast approaching, and teams are setting their lineups for the coming season. This article…
Two Car Teams
Kaulig Racing
Roster:
#10 | Ty Dillon
#16 | A.J. Allmendinger
Kaulig Racing is far from a championship contender in the Cup Series, but when picking between its two drivers, Ty Dillon loses out to A.J. Allmendinger on resume alone.
Now Dillon did have some moments in 2025, such as advancing to the final round of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge tournament. Unfortunately, his year had severe lows, including his run-in with playoff driver William Byron at Las Vegas.
Legacy Motor Club
Roster:
#42 | John Hunter Nemechek
#43 | Erik Jones
LMC had a breakthrough season in 2025 with both John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones setting career highs with LMC in Top Fives or Top Tens.
It’s hard to pick between the two, as they both had similar average finishes and counting stats. Still, Jones’ Cup Series experience, alongside his consistency in 2025, narrowly keeps him in front of JHN after this past season.
Richard Childress Racing
Roster:
#3 | Austin Dillon
#8 | Kyle Busch
Richard Childress Racing may be far from a great spot after another tremulous season, but their lineup, which will remain unaltered for the third year in a row, is pretty cut and dry.
Despite how much both cars struggle throughout the season, and minus the one weekend a year in which Austin Dillon turns into prime Bobby Allison at Richmond, his teammate, future NASCAR Hall of Famer Kyle Busch, is far and away the team’s top driver.
Three Car Teams
23XI Racing
Roster:
#23 | Bubba Wallace
#35 | Riley Herbst
#45 | Tyler Reddick
In 2025, 23XI Racing expanded to three full-time cars. This expansion, combined with Riley Herbst’s limited Cup Series experience, generated a very challenging season for the new No. 35 team.
This past season was an all-around struggle for 23XI Racing, scoring one win just one season after Tyler Reddick took them to the Championship Four. But one team stood out amongst the rest.
Front Row Motorsports
Roster:
#4 | Noah Gragson
#34 | Todd Gilliland
#38 | Zane Smith
Just like 23XI, FRM expanded to three cars in 2025, though this was among other changes, with the team bringing in Zane Smith and Noah Gragson.
Though the team failed to meet lofty goals, including tough outings from all three entries, Noah Gragson had the most difficult year of the three. This included a significant decline from his 2024 average finish of 19.6, which dropped to 25.2 in 2025.
RFK Racing
Roster:
#6 | Brad Keselowski
#17 | Chris Buescher
#60 | Ryan Preece
RFK Racing may have one of the most consistent rosters in all of NASCAR, with their drivers riding around the front of the pack and, usually, finishing out the day strong. But unfortunately, we have to pick a driver, and, after the 2026 season, it’s no surprise that it’s the bossman Brad Keselowski.
After earning his first win since 2021 in 2024, Keselowski reunited with his former Penske Crew Chief, Jeremy Bullins. However, this pairing would not work out, with Keselowski sitting as low as 33rd in points during the early portions of the year.
Spire Motorsports
Roster:
#7 | Daniel Suarez
#71 | Carson Hocevar
#77 | Michael McDowell
Spire Motorsports is once again reshaping its roster in 2026, pushing out Justin Haley after just over a year of competition with the team for another new driver. Unfortunately, that driver, Daniel Suarez, despite his winning history, it looks like Suarez may be the weak link at Spire in 2026.
During his time at Trackhouse Racing, Suarez often found himself the odd man out; now, he finds himself back in that same spot with Spire. His new teammates are coming off competitive seasons with room to grow, while his No. 7 team is once again resetting with a new driver.
Team Penske
Roster:
#2 | Austin Cindric
#12 | Ryan Blaney
#22 | Joey Logano
Team Penske has turned the introduction of NASCAR’s Next Gen car into an era of unprecedented in-house success. But, as with any team, one driver stands out among their teammates as the team’s proverbial weakest link.
For Penske, it seems somewhat obvious that this is Austin Cindric, who, despite success and playoff qualifications, is a step behind his championship-winning teammates. Though he may not be the winningest or most consistent option for the team, Cindric plays his role well at Penske, winning when he can, without getting in the way of Blaney or Logano.
Trackhouse Racing
Roster:
#1 | Ross Chastain
#88 | Connor Zilisch
#97 | Shane van Gisbergen
Trackhouse Racing is the most interesting entry on this list due to the unknowns surrounding their new star rookie.
Ross Chastain is the clear-cut top dog in their three-car stable. But then, there’s Shane van Gisbergen, who wins consistently on road courses but struggles on ovals, and rookie Connor Zilisch, who is a wildcard entering his first full-time Cup Series season.
Instincts say to go with Zilisch as the team’s weak link, though, his experience on ovals could push him slightly past SVG during the 2026 season.
Four Car Teams
Hendrick Motorsports
Roster:
#5 | Kyle Larson
#9 | Chase Elliott
#24 | Willliam Byron
#48 | Alex Bowman
Hendrick Motorsports proved in 2025 that they are the model organization in NASCAR, with all four of their drivers competing for wins throughout the year. Ultimately, all four of their drivers made the playoffs, with one sitting just at the cutline leaving Daytona.
Alex Bowman is Hendrick’s “weak link,” in the eyes of many NASCAR fans, but then again, there’s nothing wrong with his six top fives and 16 top tens, numbers that other drivers on this list would pray for. NASCAR Fans often joke about the “fourth car” at HMS, and if Bowman is that, he may be the best “fourth car” the team has ever had.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Roster:
#11 | Denny Hamlin
#19 | Chase Briscoe
#20 | Christopher Bell
#54 | Ty Gibbs
Joe Gibbs Racing, much like HMS, sent multiple drivers to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, and, again, like HMS, two of those drivers went to the Championship Four. When looking over their roster, the comparisons to HMS only continue, as their weak link is pretty clear-cut.
Ty Gibbs is coming off his third full-time year in the NASCAR Cup Series, and despite high hopes after a 2024 playoff appearance, things didn’t get any easier for the No. 54 in 2025. Of course, it’s hard to blame a guy who has to compete in-house with three of the sport’s ten best drivers, but Gibbs has yet to find the groove to take himself to the next level in NASCAR’s highest division.
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