By Aaron Bearden
The 2024 Cup Series season is nearly upon us.
While not officially kicking off until the Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, the stars of NASCAR’s top tour will get the year started this weekend in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.
Making up the 36 chartered entrants for the event are 15 organizations. Five have new drivers arriving, while one (Legacy Motor Club) is changing manufacturers. Each hopes to improve on 2023 and contend for the championship in the Next Gen car’s third season.
Before the year gets underway in Los Angeles, here’s a look at the chartered teams and drivers that will make up the full-time Cup Series field.
Team Penske
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Ryan Blaney (Champion)
Joey Logano (12th)
Austin Cindric (24th)
Last Year: Until Blaney’s win in the fall Talladega race, it seemed like it was going to be a quiet year for Team Penske. Cindric suffered a sophomore slump and failed to make the playoffs. Logano’s title defense ended in the Round of 16. Blaney had only won in the Coca-Cola 600. But the No. 12 team caught fire when it counted most, winning in both the Round of 12 (Talladega) and 8 (Martinsville) before locking up the championship with a second-place finish in Phoenix.
This Year: It’s going to be an interesting time for Team Penske. All Ford teams face the challenge of adapting to the new Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Blaney will hope to continue with the form he showed late in 2023. Logano is attempting to bounce back from a disappointing year, while Cindric hopes a reunion with Brian Wilson – the crew chief he won the Xfinity Series title with in 2020 – will help spark improvement in his third Cup season.
Goals:
Blaney: Keep running up front. Blaney faced criticism from his detractors as an undeserving champion after spending most of the year seventh or worse in points. But if he can win races and contend for the regular season title, Blaney will prove he’s the star champion NASCAR hopes he’ll become.
Logano: Win some races. Did you know two of Logano’s past three seasons have been one-win years? That’s underwhelming for a two-time champion that’s won as many as six races in past campaigns. Logano needs to get back to victory lane and score some playoff points in 2024.
Cindric: Return to the playoffs. Cindric would hope to find victory lane in his third season, but even just making his way back into the postseason would help bring the Daytona 500 champ closer in line with his Penske teammates.
Hendrick Motorsports
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Kyle Larson (2nd)
William Byron (3rd)
Chase Elliott (17th)
Alex Bowman (20th)
Last Year: Well… It depends on who you ask. Larson performed as expected from arguably the sport’s best driver and Byron made a big step up, becoming the star Rick Hendrick has long thought he could be. For Bowman and Elliott the year was a write-off, hampered by injuries and a suspension for Elliott that kept them both out of their cars for extended time.
This Year: What needs to be said? Hendrick is arguably NASCAR’s top organization. It has four race-winning, playoff-caliber drivers. If Elliott and Bowman can return to form, each driver should hope to win and make a deep postseason run.
Goals:
Larson: Don’t become distracted. This is a big year for Larson, headlined by an Indianapolis 500 run and the launch of his co-owned High Limit Racing’s national sprint car tour. The Californian needs to make sure these exciting ventures don’t hamper his performance in Cup.
Byron: Keep up the good work. If Byron can replicate the success of his six-win 2023 campaign, he’ll likely be back in the Championship 4 with another chance to win a title.
Elliott: Get back to form. After failing to reach his usual peaks in 2023, Elliott will hope to replicate Truex and Blaney, who went winless in 2022 but found great success last year. There’s little reason to think Elliott can’t become a title contender again.
Bowman: Same thing as Elliott. Bowman’s broken back is a tricky injury for drivers, often impacting their ability to feel inside of the race car. That he struggled afterward is no surprise. With time to recover, Bowman will hope to return to the top-tier form he showed pre-injury last year.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Christopher Bell (4th)
Denny Hamlin (5th)
Martin Truex Jr. (11th)
Ty Gibbs (18th)
Last Year: It was a year of squandered opportunity. Truex was the regular season champion and appeared ready to repeat his 2017 title run, but limped through a sad playoff collapse. Hamlin once again looked like the lead driver entering the final weeks, but suffered a DNF when it counted most in the Round of 8. Bell once again snuck into the Championship 4, but suffered a mechanical failure on the grandest stage. It was a good year overall for JGR and Gibbs was excellent in his rookie campaign, falling just shy of the playoffs in 18th. But the ending left a sour taste.
This Year: Assuming Toyota’s new Cup entry is as strong as the last, there’s no reason JGR can’t go out and contend for a title again. All four drivers are playoff-caliber, the top three have all made the Championship 4 before and each team could rattle off wins at any point. But the company needs to capitalize when the stakes are highest to avoid missed opportunity.
Goals:
Bell: Become dominant. It’s hard to say much about a driver with back-to-back Championship 4 appearances, but Bell has had to win his way in after quiet regular seasons both times. Scoring multiple wins and contending for the regular season title could give the Oklahoman an easier route to Phoenix.
Hamlin: Finish the story. Hamlin’s accomplished everything there is to achieve in NASCAR short of a championship. His shoulder should improve after offseason surgery, but at 43 years old, time is running out. This is the year to get that elusive title.
Truex: Figure out what went wrong. Truex seemed poised for the Championship 4, but the No. 19 team fell apart so badly that he finished 11th, behind the last driver to make the playoffs (Bubba Wallace), in the standings. The 2017 champ could easily win another title, but he can’t have last fall’s meltdown happen again.
Gibbs: Make the playoffs. Gibbs arguably overachieved in his first Cup season. He was a playoff contender up to the final week of the regular season in Daytona. Now he needs to avoid the sophomore slump and make the playoff field in 2024—preferably with a win.
23XI Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Tyler Reddick (6th)
Bubba Wallace (10th)
Possible part-time No. 67 entry
Last Year: A year that started slow ended with noted improvement across the board. After a 2022 season hampered by Kurt Busch’s injury, the No. 45 team found its footing with Reddick and made a deep playoff run with a pair of victories. Wallace failed to win, but made marked improvements to his consistency to make a Round of 12 playoff appearance.
This Year: Now that it’s made the big step into the front of the field, it’s time to nail the little things. The No. 45 team gave away multiple potential victories and Wallace had a costly restart cost him a potential Round of 8-clinching win at Texas. Those little moments make all the difference in the season-ending standings.
Goals:
Reddick: Make the next step. Reddick is among NASCAR’s most promising drivers. His deep playoff run last fall was no fluke. The question entering 2024 is whether the two-time Xfinity Series champ can rise into the Championship 4 and become one of the sport’s true elites.
Wallace: Pair speed and consistency. Wallace had the raw pace to get to victory lane in 2022, but was more consistent in 2023. If he can find the middle ground and pair the two this year, Wallace could rise up to the level of his teammate and become a true title contender.
RFK Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Chris Buescher (7th)
Brad Keselowski (8th)
(Partial) David Ragan/Possibly Others (Stage 60 entry)
Last Year: Welcome to the conversation, RFK. What started with a promising Bristol win in 2022 blossomed into a consistent year-long campaign for RFK in 2023. Both drivers made the playoffs with ease and Buescher made a solid Round of 8 run off the momentum of three regular season wins.
This Year: RFK hopes to keep showing the growth it displayed last season. Buescher has proven himself capable of winning at multiple track types – his 2023 triumphs included a short track (Richmond), two-mile oval (Michigan) and superspeedway (Daytona). Keselowski is a proven former champion. The company is also planning a special part-time No. 60 program that it hopes will make waves like Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91.
Goals:
Buescher: Continue to prosper. The Texan showed his mettle in leading RFK to three wins last year. He’s quiet and unassuming off-track, but Buescher can race with the best of them. Any additional improvement could see him become a championship contender.
Keselowski: It’s time for the boss to get to victory lane. Keselowski was right with Buescher for most of the year in 2023. But his No. 6 team has yet to put the pieces together and get to victory lane. If they have similar pace this season, the 2012 champ could easily fix that this time around.
Trackhouse Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Ross Chastain (9th)
Daniel Suarez (19th)
Possible Project 91 entries
Last Year: After putting both car in the playoffs and famously coming 235 feet short of the championship in 2022, Trackhouse took a step backward. Chastain excelled early but faded as the year went on. Suarez struggled and missed the playoffs. SVG shocked the field and won in his Chicago debut, but afterward there were few things to celebrate. That is, until the season finale, when Chastain held off champion Blaney and scored a statement win.
This Year: Trackhouse continues to grow. It’s signed prospects like SVG, Zane Smith and youngster Connor Zilisch. The company has a MotoGP program and a big sponsor for Chastain in Busch Beer. Now the question is whether all the buzz and growth leads it back up the Cup standings. And as a bonus – could we see any more Project 91 surprises?
Goals:
Chastain: Get back to making headlines. Chastain is at his best when he’s pushing the envelope, finding speed and ruffling feathers to get to victory lane. Just look at the Phoenix finale.
Suarez: Be the franchise driver Trackhouse hired him to be. Suarez was Trackhouse’s first driver and an expected leader of the program. He’s an Xfinity Series champion and Cup race winner, has a new crew chief in Matt Swiderski and full support from the organization. The Mexican star can’t afford another letdown like 2023.
Stewart-Haas Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Ryan Preece (23rd)
Chase Briscoe (30th)
Noah Gragson (33rd – Legacy Motor Club)
Josh Berry (11th – Xfinity Series)
Last Year: It was a dark year for SHR. The company went winless, put only one car in the top-20 in points and had to say goodbye to winless veterans Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola at season’s end. Things got so bad that SHR opted to go for a rebranding and focus on authenticity heading into 2024.
This Year: After the worst year in company history, can SHR rebound in 2024? The organization lost its star driver in Harvick, saw key sponsor partners like Busch Beer leave and will now field a lineup with a combined one Cup win. Can Briscoe regain the playoff promise he showed in 2022? Will Preece find a way to victory lane? Can newcomers Berry and Gragson make an impact in their first year with the company? Time will tell.
Goals:
Preece: Strike when opportunity arises. Preece saw potential wins at the Clash and Martinsville spring race slip away last year. Capitalizing on one of those strong short track runs could make all the difference this year.
Briscoe: Do something, man. Briscoe ended 2022 with such promise after a gritty Round of 8 playoff run. But the No. 14 team struggled in 2023. They’ve got to right the ship this year.
Gragson: Show some of that Xfinity Series pace. Gragson struggled in his rookie campaign, remembered only for getting punched by Chastain and suspended for a major social media mistake that led to his ouster at Legacy Motor Club. The Nevadan showed so much promise at JR Motorsports. Can he find his form in Cup?
Berry: Mesh with his crew chief. Berry struggled in Xfinity last year, but now has one of the best signal callers in NASCAR atop his box in Rodney Childers. If the pairing clicks, Berry could quickly become SHR’s lead driver.
Richard Childress Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Kyle Busch (14th)
Austin Dillon (29th)
Last Year: RCR started off strong. They finished second and third in the Busch Light Clash, led at the 500-mile mark in the Daytona 500 and won the second race of the year with Kyle Busch in Fontana. Busch tallied additional wins at Talladega and WWT Raceway, too. But he faded as the year went on while teammate Dillon suffered an early 60-point penalty and disintegrated from there. It was the worst season of Dillon’s decade-long Cup career.
This Year: With both drivers back for a second season together, RCR hopes the continuity will help it bounce back from a slow end to 2023 and rekindle the success it garnered in the first half of the year.
Goals:
Busch: Keep winning, quit wrecking. Busch’s multiple-win season was a reminder of just how good the two-time champ can be. But he also suffered six DNFs along the way, including a Texas crash that essentially knocked him out of the playoffs in the Round of 12.
Dillon: Hit reset. Dillon can be a good Cup driver. He’s made the playoffs five times in the past eight years. But he had a disastrous, 10-DNF campaign in 2023 after suffering eight DNFs in 2022. He’d never had more than five in a season before that. Dillon needs to keep on track to maximize his opportunities in the Next Gen car.
Front Row Motorsports
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Michael McDowell (15th)
Todd Gilliland (28th)
Last Year: It was the year of McDowell. Once remembered for a vicious Texas qualifying crash and later as a shock Daytona 500 champion, McDowell flipped the switch on his career and showed that he can be a weekly contender in 2023. He made the playoffs on merit, winning without any flukes in Indianapolis and spending almost the entire year in the top-15 in points. Gilliland entered the year on the hot seat, but showed promise with four top-10s and kept his job for another season.
This Year: It’s going to be difficult for Front Row to improve on what McDowell and the No. 34 team did in 2023. But another strong playoff-contending year would show that the organization is here to stay. Meanwhile Gilliland will look to build off his best runs in 2023 and avoid the DNFs and poor results that trapped him deeper in the standings.
Goals:
McDowell: Keep running well. Notch top-fives, top-10s and even wins if they’re within reach. Lead this organization forward and try to close ground on Ford leaders Team Penske and RFK Racing.
Gilliland: Move forward. The promise is there. Gilliland has shown he can put together a good run on his best days. Now it’s time for the 23-year-old to do so consistently and close the gap to McDowell in points. Moving to the top half of the top-20 would go a long way.
JTG-Daugherty Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (16th)
Last Year: When you start the year with a Daytona 500 win, does it really matter what happens for the rest of the season? No. But Stenhouse and co. improved across the board, finishing five spots better on average than they did in 2022. He ended the year last among playoff drivers in 16th, but was a worthy addition to the field after tying his career-best mark in top-10s (nine).
This Year: More of the same, please. JTG-Daugherty Racing finally looked like contenders last season after years of mediocrity. Stenhouse is in his mid-30s, entering the time when many drivers peak. Hopefully this organization can continue to move forward.
Goals:
Stenhouse: Keep finishing races. Stenhouse had just three DNFs in 2023 after suffering nine in 2022. He finished on the lead lap 25 times. Consistency like that gives you a chance to make the most of your speed. That could help this team succeed even if they don’t score another superspeedway win.
Kaulig Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Daniel Hemric (8th – Xfinity Series)
(Partial) AJ Allmendinger (21st)
(Partial) Josh Williams (21st – Xfinity Series)
(Partial) Shane van Gisbergen (2nd – Supercars)
Last Year: Eh. It wasn’t the best. Kaulig hoped to see a big step forward from Justin Haley and snag a playoff spot with Allmendinger. But Haley finished 26th in points and left for Rick Ware Racing, while Allmendinger fell short of the playoffs on points after a winless regular season. He did get to victory lane at the Charlotte Roval, but it wasn’t enough for Kaulig to bring him back full-time for 2024.
This Year: With respect to all involved, things aren’t looking promising. Daniel Hemric is a talented short track driver and an Xfinity Series champion, but has one NASCAR win and didn’t impress last time around at the Cup level. Allmendinger is only part-time. Williams, a scrappy underdog, getting this opportunity is a delight, but it’s hard to know what to expect from him. It could be a down year for Kaulig.
Goals:
Hemric: Give us something to get excited about. Hemric was once among NASCAR’s most promising young stars, but he’s struggled to get to victory lane and lost most of that early buzz. Getting amongst NASCAR’s best drivers and showing his mettle could do a lot to turn around public opinion.
Allmendinger: Now that he’s back to part-time, Allmendinger’s runs are all about trophy hunting. He’ll hope to snag another victory, likely on a road course.
Williams: Make the most of the chance Williams getting runs in Cup and Xfinity with relatively competitive equipment is a major opportunity. With enough success, this could slowly become another Ross Chastain-like moment. Williams has to make these starts count.
Spire Motorsports
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Corey LaJoie (25th)
Carson Hocevar (4th – Truck Series)
Zane Smith (7th – Truck Series)
Last Year: Spire kept stacking pennies and making moves. Subpar substitute run for Hendrick Motorsports aside, LaJoie looked the best he has yet and had the points improvement (up from 31st to 25th) to match it. Teammate Ty Dillon struggled, but Spire made some key off-track moves, bringing on Gainbridge as a major partner, acquiring another charter from Live Fast Motorsports and bringing on a Trackhouse Racing prospect on loan in Smith.
This Year: Spire looks as promising as it ever has. The company has strong partnerships. LaJoie continues to improve. It has two of NASCAR’s most promising young stars for the season in Hocevar and Smith. This could be a big year for Spire if it can supply good cars and give its drivers a chance to shine.
Goals:
LaJoie: Keep moving forward. A trip to victory lane or further climb up the standings would do a lot to establish LaJoie and Spire as contenders.
Hocevar: Stay out of trouble. After months of image rehabilitation in 2023, a nightmare Truck Series finale again sullied him in the eyes of many onlookers. Hocevar can help himself by avoiding major drama in his rookie Cup season.
Smith: Keep learning. This is a loan to Spire from Trackhouse to help Smith keep growing. If he can finish races and maximize his opportunities, he’ll properly take advantage of the chance.
Legacy Motor Club
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Erik Jones (27th)
John Hunter Nemechek (4th – Xfinity Series)
(Partial) Jimmie Johnson (39th)
Last Year: It was a rough year for the new-look operation. The addition of Johnson as an owner-driver seemed promising, but the entire company struggled in its final season with Chevrolet. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel – a May announcement that it would be moving to Toyota in 2024 left hope for the future.
This Year: There could be some growing pains at LMC. Moving to Toyota seems like a positive opportunity on paper, but it could take time to adjust for both the team and manufacturer with the debut of the Toyota Camry XSE. It has a strong lineup in Jones, Nemechek and Johnson, but time will tell if LMC can make an immediate step up or not.
Goals:
Jones: Lead the charge. Whether the team’s ceiling is a victory or top-15s, Jones is a star driver that should be able to set the bar for LMC. Bonus points if he can contend for a win or playoff spot.
Nemechek: Hold pace with Jones. After betting on himself and stepping down to the Truck Series in 2021, Nemechek has clawed his way up the Toyota ladder and into a Cup ride. Now’s the time to prove he deserves it. Keeping up with Jones, a proven Cup winner, would go a long way to doing just that.
Johnson: Finish races. Johnson is a hall of famer. His legacy (pun intended) is set. Getting to the checkered flag and maximizing his starts is all that matters.
Wood Brothers Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Harrison Burton (31st)
Last Year: It was another difficult campaign for Burton. The 23-year-old prospect struggled in his sophomore season, showing little improvement and finishing deep in the standings. A crew chief swap in the middle of the season did little to reinvigorate the team.
This Year: Not much is changing, at least on the surface. Burton is back for a third year and directly on the hot seat. After a midseason crew chief swap with Austin Cindric’s No. 2 team in 2023, the hope is that Burton and veteran crew chief Jeremy Bullins will mesh and find success.
Goals:
Burton: Show improvement. This is a make or break year for the second-generation star. He arrived in Cup after impressing in the Xfinity Series, but has been an afterthought for his first two years. This car should be running better. It’s time to make it happen.
Rick Ware Racing
Drivers (2023 Points Finish):
Justin Haley (26th – Kaulig Racing)
Kaz Grala (17th – Xfinity Series)
Cody Ware (34th)
Last Year:
There wasn’t much to note on track, save for a trio of fun runs from Formula 1 champ Jenson Button and a pair of top-10s from Riley Herbst and J.J. Yeley. Instead it was off-track moves that caught the public eye, both good and bad. On the negative side was the arrest of Cody Ware on assault charges, resulting in a suspension. Those charges were dropped by the Iredell County district attorney’s office in December and Ware’s been reinstated by NASCAR. The team’s big positive is the acquisition of Justin Haley, a promising young driver that could lead the organization forward.
This Year:
All eyes are on Haley as he comes over to the Ford program from Kaulig Racing. Whether he can have a strong impact in the No. 51 could be key to the program’s future. In the sister No. 15 car, Kaz Grala is slated to make 25 starts. Ware expects to run a limited number of races, while others like Riley Herbst could pop in for a race along the way.
Goals:
Haley: Consistency. It’s hard to tell if he’ll have the equipment and opportunity to perform as well as he did at Kaulig Racing, but Haley’s team can do themselves a favor by keeping the car clean and maximizing each race.
Grala: Show us something. This is the best extended opportunity Grala’s had at this level. If he can show promise, it could lead to more opportunities in the future.
Ware: Honestly? Keep a low profile and stay out of trouble. The on track results may not matter much.
(Top photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)
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