NASCAR’s Xfinity Series uses the tagline ‘Names Are Made Here’ to promote the future stars of the sport.

What could be seen as a marketing tool just to promote the series, several names have risen to the surface as possibly joining the Cup level in the coming years.

However, unless we get some major shakeups or retirement announcements in the coming months, there seems to be no immediate openings for some of the top drivers in the Xfinity Series.

We will look at three of the hottest drivers in NASCAR’s lower national series and see what options could lie ahead of them. Some will be difficult fits, others may see easier solutions.

Christopher Bell

The 2017 Truck Series Champion and 12-time Xfinity Series race winner has had quite the run over the last couple years.

That success has certainly pleased the boss man, Joe Gibbs, after Christopher Bell announced earlier this week he has signed an extension with the organization through 2020.

The biggest question mark with that extension is this: Does he move up to the Cup Series, or stay in the lower tier?

Bell seems to have proved his worth despite not having any Cup Series starts under his belt, unlike the other three drivers on this list.

The contract extension basically squashes any rumors and hopes of Bell abandoning ship and moving to Stewart-Haas or Chip Ganassi in the Cup Series.

However, at Gibbs’ Cup team, no openings seem immediately available upon first glance. Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. have carried the Toyota banner seemingly on their own the past three years.

That leaves Denny Hamlin in the #11 and Erik Jones in the #20. Hamlin has two wins under his belt already in 2019 after his first winless season since joining the Cup Series full-time in 2006. Meanwhile Jones is currently in his third season with one win at Daytona last summer, and while some may consider his inconsistency enough to drop the Michigan native, Jones has shown enough promise in the 20 car to keep him on.

That leaves Leavine Family Racing and the #95 with Matt DiBenedetto. ‘Guido’ hasn’t shown enough success as the team anticipated in their first year with Toyota support as many had thought. The 95 bunch sits 25th in the standings with the Daytona 500 arguably being their best showing.

If Bell were to move up to Cup in 2020, he will likely replace DiBenedetto or race in a second LFR car as long as the funding’s right.

Prediction: Bell replaces Matt DiBenedetto in the 95 with increased Toyota, JGR support

Cole Custer

Custer just earned his fourth victory of the 2019 season Saturday at Chicago and seems to have hit his stride. The 21-year-old from California nearly won a championship last year at Homestead and has solidified himself as a contender for the title again.

This is where the ‘but’ comes in, and it’s a big one. Where on earth would Custer go at the Cup level in 2020?

Custer hasn’t been quite as “flashy” as Bell or Tyler Reddick in getting to the Xfinity Series. He may not have the championships or as many wins, but the last year-and-a-half plus an impressive effort in a Rick Ware Cup car last fall at Richmond have certainly allowed Custer to show his potential.

Looking at Stewart-Haas Racing, there are two sides of the coin. First, we have Aric Almirola with a career resurgence since the beginning of 2018, and Daniel Suarez who has ran consistent in his first season at SHR. Both have sponsors backing them and don’t seem to be going anywhere.

On the other side we have Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick, two of the veterans of the sport. Harvick is one of the oldest drivers in the garage nearing 20 years at the national level already, while Bowyer has a handful of wins in his 14.5 full Cup seasons.

Harvick obviously has had more success than Bowyer, racking up eight wins in 2018 and a 2014 title compared to Bowyer’s two 2018 wins and no titles. Harvick also has sponsors like Anheiser-Busch, Jimmy John’s, and Hunt Brothers Pizza backing him while Bowyer has Peak a couple times a year.

Bowyer has also voiced his frustration with the new 2019 aero package. I love Bowyer, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he hangs the helmet up in the near future to focus on family and dirt racing, opening a door for Custer to join the Cup Series.

Prediction: Custer stays in Xfinity for 2020, replaces Bowyer in 2021

Tyler Reddick

With three wins in 2019 and a comfortable lead in the point standings, Tyler Reddick is proving to critics his 2018 Xfinity Series championship was no fluke.

Reddick has certainly hit his stride this year after a relatively sub-par – and even mediocre, at times – 2018 season. In addition, Reddick scored his first-career Cup Series top-10 finish at Kansas this year running a limited schedule for Richard Childress Racing.

As for Reddick’s future, I think there’s no question he will be full-time in the Cup Series by 2021 with a good chance of that happening in 2020.

The biggest question for RCR will be sponsorship and whether the team can sustain a third car full-time.

Prediction: Reddick to the Cup Series full-time in 2020 in RCR #31

As 2019 progresses, more headlines and predictions will come out speculating the future of Bell, Custer, and Reddick.

What are your thoughts on where the ‘Xfinity Big Three’ should land next year? Do you agree or disagree with the article? Let us know on Twitter @PushTVRacing and follow for more analysis, videos, and opinions!