Who will replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88?

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s decision to retire from driving at the end of this season opens the door to one of NASCAR’s most coveted rides – the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet.

There is likely to be interest in the Hendrick vacancy across a broad spectrum of drivers, from veterans to relative newcomers eager to ride a rocketship to stardom. As Fox Sports broadcaster Mike Joy put it Tuesday: “Rick Hendrick is likely to get resumes from Greg Biffle to Gray Gaulding.”

If there is a formal – or informal – list of candidates, it will be held close within the confines of Hendrick Motorsports headquarters, but a decision sooner rather than later will boost the team’s chances of securing adequate sponsorship tied to Earnhardt’s replacement.

Some names that will be mentioned:

Alex Bowman

Currently without a regular ride, the 24-year-old Bowman is testing for Hendrick while he awaits his next opportunity. He impressed while sharing driving duties in the No. 88 with Jeff Gordon last season while Earnhardt recovered from concussion issues.

Carl Edwards

The former Joe Gibbs Racing driver elected to move away from driving after almost winning the Cup championship last season. Although he stressed he wanted to concentrate on his family and aspects of life outside racing, Edwards didn’t rule out the possibility of driving again. And he didn't use the word 'retire.'

William Byron

A 19-year-old driver in the fast lane to stardom, Byron impressed team owner Hendrick so much that he was signed to a multi-year contract with the team last season. He scored seven wins in the Camping World Truck Series last year and now is driving full-time in the Xfinity Series in cars fielded by Earnhardt’s team JR Motorsports, which is partially owned by Hendrick.

Kyle Larson

The brightest young driver in the business and the current Cup point leader, Larson broke through with his first win last season and added another this year at Auto Club Speedway. He drives for Chip Ganassi Racing but perhaps could be lured away by bigger numbers.

“The fate of the 88 is in the right person’s hands,” said Steve Letarte, formerly Earnhardt's crew chief at Hendrick Motorsports and now an NBC racing analyst. “Time and time and time again Rick Hendrick has found the right people – from Jimmie Johnson to Jeff Gordon to Terry Labonte in the last years of his career. He has the right group of people around him to make the right decision.”

Letarte said Bowman did a great job filling in for Earnhardt last year. “You couldn’t expect anyone to do better with very little preparation time filling in for the most popular driver,” he said.

Follow Hembree on Twitter @mikehembree

PHOTOS: DALE EARNHARDT JR. THROUGH THE YEARS