(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Aaron Bearden

The 2023 NASCAR season has arrived… Unofficially, anyways.

Competitors in the NASCAR Cup Series will arrive at the Los Angeles War Memorial Coliseum this weekend to contest the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. Ten days after that, they’ll venture to Daytona International Speedway to kick off Speedweeks and start the regular season with the Daytona 500.

Before the field sees the year’s first green flag, here’s a complete look at the full-time drivers that will be competing for the 2023 championship.

Team Penske

Austin Cindric

 

Car No.: 2

Career Wins: 1

Best Points Finish: 12th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 12th

Last Year in Review: Cindric’s rookie campaign started off about as well as one can, with a shocking victory in the Daytona 500 and an automatic lock into the playoffs. The No. 2 team didn’t make their way back to victory lane from there, but Cindric managed five top-fives and nine top-10s to finish a respectable 12th in the standings.

Outlook for 2023: If Cindric can erase some of the rookie mistakes from last year and avoid the dreaded sophomore jinx, there’s no reason he can’t be a playoff contender again in 2023. His best bet to make a trip back to victory lane likely falls on a superspeedway or road course, but Team Penske is capable of giving Cindric an opportunity to contend at any track.

Joey Logano

 

Car No.: 22

Career Wins: 31

Best Points Finish: Two-time champion (2018, 2022)

Points Finish (2022): Champion

Last Year in Review: Logano bookended a strong season with major victories in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and the NASCAR Championship Race, scoring his second Cup title with the latter victory. The road between those two wins wasn’t always perfect, but Logano poured in three other victories, including the inaugural Cup race at WWT Raceway, and proved consistent as others struggled with the Next Gen car.

Outlook for 2023: With two titles and highlight wins from the Daytona 500 to the first Bristol Dirt Race, Logano has already formed a Hall of Fame resume at the age of 32. There’s little reason to believe he won’t be a championship contender again in 2023.

Ryan Blaney

 

Car No.: 12

Career Wins: 7

Best Points Finish: 7th (2019, 2021)

Points Finish (2022): 8th

Last Year in Review: If you could avoid looking at the wins column, Blaney’s 2022 season would be one fit for a title contender – 12 top-fives, 17 top-10s, 636 laps led and a load of stage wins. But Blaney ultimately went officially winless, his lone triumph coming in a controversial All-Star Race after a caution seconds before he took the checkered flag led to overtime after he’d already lowered his window net due to the exhibition’s unique rules. The North Carolinian still made the playoffs and survived to the Round of 8, but mistakes and a lack of a playoff point cushion without any wins led to a Round of 8 exit. .

Outlook for 2023: It’s tricky to make a prediction for Blaney and the No. 12 team, isn’t it? First-year crew chief Jonathan Hassler gave the young star Fords with speed and he was often seen up front. But going winless after a three-win 2021 felt like a step backward for Blaney, particularly when his teammate rode four wins to the series title. Blaney will be eager to find victory lane early and often in his eighth full-time Cup season – including the Daytona 500, where he figures to be among the favorites. Don’t be surprised if this team bounces back in a big way.

Trackhouse Racing

Ross Chastain

 

Car No.: 1

Career Wins: 2

Best Points Finish: 2nd (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 2nd

Last Year in Review: I probably don’t even need to recap Chastain’s season, do I? We’re all still watching his wall-riding madness at Martinsville Speedway from last fall on repeat to this day. Chastain was arguably the biggest breakout star of the 2022 season, making fans and rivals alike with his bold, aggressive style and highlight-worthy moves. Two wins carried the Floridian to the playoffs. Consistency and the Hail Melon lifted his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing squad to the Championship 4. In the end Chastain fell two positions short of a Phoenix victory and title, but his season was still arguably the most memorable of 2022.

Outlook for 2023: The sky’s the limit for Chastain and Trackhouse Racing. Entering a contract year as perhaps the season’s biggest free agent, Chastain will be eager to repeat last year’s success while Trackhouse will surely be keen to lock him down for years to come. There’s a risk that the drivers he angered last year could pay him back in 2023, but Chastain still figures to be a contender as long as his cars have pace.

Daniel Suarez

Car No.: 99

Career Wins: 1

Best Points Finish: 10th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 10th

Last Year in Review: Faith rewarded. Suarez was lifted out of what seemed to be Cup Series purgatory when Trackhouse Racing gave him a contending Cup ride for 2021. That first year didn’t quite bear fruit, but in his second seasons Suarez gave the organization a Sonoma Raceway victory and a solid playoff run. He scored six top-fives, 13 top-10s and led 280 laps for a 10th-place points finish. Only a loss of power steering at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval kept the Mexican star from contending for a spot in the Round of 8.

Outlook for 2023: If there was any negative to Suarez’s breakout year, it was that a few squandered opportunities and the success of his teammate meant that Suarez was often overshadowed at Trackhouse Racing. Now in his third year for the organization – the most he’s ever spent with one group in the premier series – Suarez will aim for a multi-win season to prove that he belongs among the top stars in the series.

Joe Gibbs Racing

Christopher Bell

 

Car No.: 20

Career Wins: 4

Best Points Finish: 3rd (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 3rd

Last Year in Review: After spending his early years running in the background behind veteran stars Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., Bell finally shined brightest in 2022. With consistent speed, relentless effort and one fortuitous caution in Charlotte, Bell drove through the playoffs and straight to the Championship 4 with walk-off wins in both the Rounds of 12 and 8. His No. 20 team fell short of the title in Phoenix, but still gave themselves plenty to build on in 2023.

Outlook for 2023: Last season showed us all that Bell is capable of championship success – something many felt was true but hadn’t been fully displayed. Now that his potential is clear, the onus is on the No. 20 team to repeat 2022’s success and contend for Bell’s first Cup title.

Denny Hamlin

 

Car No.: 11

Career Wins: 48

Best Points Finish: 2nd (2010)

Points Finish (2022): 5th

Last Year in Review: Here’s the thing that’s easy to forget about major moments in sports – someone usually loses out just as much as the star of the moment wins. Such was the case for Hamlin at Martinsville Speedway, as he was unceremoniously ousted from the Championship 4 by Ross Chastain’s legendary Hail Melon move on the last lap of the race. It was almost fitting, given Hamlin’s tumultuous campaign. The Virginian won twice at Richmond and in the Coca-Cola 600. He should have won again at Pocono, but was instead disqualified due to added material on the front fascia of his No. 11 Toyota. Mixed in with those wins? Twelve finishes outside of top-10. Hamlin’s team managed to find consistency and finish in the top-10 in nine of the 10 playoff races, but they failed to find victory lane in the second half of the season and left themselves vulnerable down the stretch. That opened the door for Chastain. The rest is history.

Outlook for 2023: Disappointing conclusion aside, Hamlin still scored multiple wins for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. The 41-year-old has been among NASCAR’s most consistent contenders for the past four years, scoring 17 victories and finishing fifth or better in the standings each season. He’s statistically due to decline soon based on his age, but there’s little reason otherwise to suggest that Hamlin won’t contend for the title again in 2023.

Martin Truex Jr.

 

Car No.: 19

Career Wins: 31

Best Points Finish: 2017 Champion

Points Finish (2022): 17th

Last Year in Review: Few seasons, if any, have been as victimized by the modern playoff format as Truex’s 2022 campaign. His four top-fives, 15 top-10s and 572 laps led were solid, if unspectacular by the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran’s standards. But Truex and the No. 19 team never found a way to victory lane, missing out on multiple opportunities that went awry for various reasons. That ultimately bit Truex when it counted – he entered Daytona sixth in points and finished eighth in the regular season finale, but failed to make the playoffs due to the sheer number of winners on the year. Truex spiraled from there and finished 20th or worst in five of the 10 playoff races.

Outlook for 2023: MTJ has been one of NASCAR’s biggest stars over the past decade, winning 29 times and finishing top-two in points on four occasions in the past eight years. But at 42 years old, he’s also in the twilight of his career. No one is certain when he intends to retire or where his head’s at – Truex and long-term partner Sherry Pollex announced the end of their relationship on Jan. 27. One can only hope Truex can focus on racing and provide more highlights in 2023.

Ty Gibbs

 

Car No.: 54

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: N/A (Rookie)

Points Finish (2022): Xfinity Series Champion

Last Year in Review: Gibbs entered his first full-time Xfinity Series season full of hype and easily made good on it. The grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs succeeded early and often, riding six victories and 15 top-fives to the Championship 4. He caused uproar more than once, particularly when he crashed teammate Brandon Jones for the win in the penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway, knocking Jones out of title contention while Gibbs was already safe on points. But in the end it didn’t matter – Gibbs dominated the season finale to secure the championship at Phoenix. He also made 15 unexpected Cup starts, filling in for the injured Kurt Busch at 23XI Racing.

Outlook for 2023: You never want to put too much pressure on a rookie to succeed in their first year. Gibbs also enters with additional uncertainty over his mental state and focus after tragically losing his father, Coy, just hours after his championship victory. So don’t expect too much from Gibbs as he adapts to his new normal in the Cup Series. That said, the Charlotte native is among the most successful young prospects to ever come to NASCAR’s top tour, so don’t be surprised if he finds himself in contention for wins throughout the season.

 

Hendrick Motorsports

Alex Bowman

 

Car No.: 88

Career Wins: 7

Best Points Finish: 6th (2020)

Points Finish (2022): 16th

Last Year in Review: Last season is a difficult one to grade for Bowman. He won early at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to clinch a playoff spot, but that postseason run was cut short by a concussion that sidelined Bowman for five races. Statistically Bowman took a small step back in 2022, with his worst marks since 2018 in average finish (16.7), top-fives (4) and laps led (137). But it’s impossible to know where he would have shaken out had he been able to make a complete playoff run.

Outlook for 2023: One could be forgiven for expecting the status quo from Bowman and the No. 88 team, but the Arizona native will have a special wild card for 2023: Blake Harris. The young crew chief is replacing the exiting Greg Ives for the year after playing a part in arguably Michael McDowell’s best Cup season in 2022. A former car chief for Furniture Row Racing, Harris has championship pedigree and is considered a strong hire. It’s a good thing, too, because expectations will be high. All of Bowman’s teammates looked like title threats at some point in 2022. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to do the same this year.

Chase Elliott

 

Car No.: 9

Career Wins: 18

Best Points Finish: 2020 Champion

Points Finish (2022): 4th

Last Year in Review: Take away one key race and Elliott’s 2022 season was arguably his best ever. The Georgian matched his career total in wins (five) and was close to prior years in top-fives (12), top-10s (20), poles (3) and average finish (12.5) despite 2022 being filled with increased parity. Elliott took the points lead in the fifth race of the year and easily cruised to the regular season title. But he ended the year with three finishes of 20th or worse in the final five races and, critically, crashed out of contention in the Championship 4 after contact with Ross Chastain. That left the second-generation star fourth in the standings and looking ahead to 2023.

Outlook for 2023: After a letdown championship defense in 2021 that saw him vastly overshadowed by teammate Kyle Larson, Elliott arguably re-established himself as Hendrick Motorsports’ top star in 2022. Given his consistency and ability to win at any track, there’s little reason to think he can’t find more of the same success in 2023.

Kyle Larson

 

Car No.: 5

Career Wins: 19

Best Points Finish: 2021 Champion

Points Finish (2022): 7th

Last Year in Review: There had to be a letdown here, right? Larson had an all-time great season in 2021, scoring 10 wins and his first Cup title in a dominant first year with Hendrick Motorsports. But the Next Gen car provided and shakeup and after early success – a win and runner-up run at Fontana and Las Vegas – Larson went on a 22-race winless streak. That left him vulnerable for the playoffs. A mistake at the Charlotte Roval, untimely caution and fierce rally from Chase Briscoe left him eliminated in the Round of 12. Throw in the messy crash and shoves at the hands of Bubba Wallace and it was a playoff to forget for Larson, albeit with an owner’s Championship 4 appearance and a dominant late win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Outlook for 2023: Kyle Larson couldn’t reach the highs of 2021 last year. He may never again, given how impressive that campaign was. But he’s still one of the most talented drivers in America, driving for one of NASCAR’s best organizations. It’s safe to say Larson could be a championship threat again this year.

William Byron

 

Car No.: 24

Career Wins: 4

Best Points Finish: 6th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 6th

Last Year in Review: Hendrick Motorsports’ youngest star showed promise in 2022. Byron started the year with a pair of DNFs, but earned two wins in three weeks during the spring to become the Next Gen car’s first multi-time winner. Byron couldn’t keep that sustained success over the summer, but the Charlotte native remained a title threat until the penultimate race at Martinsville Speedway, where a seventh-place run wasn’t enough to crack the Championship 4 after he failed to score stage points. Byron ended the year sixth in the standings, his best result to date.

Outlook for 2023: It’s easy to forget this given his five full seasons at the Cup level, but Byron is still only 25 years old. That he’s consistently making the playoffs and notching at least a win each year is a good sign. But as he gets older the expectations rise. Hendrick Motorsports is an organization with two champions that set a high standard of excellence. Byron has shown potential to rise to their level. Perhaps this can be the year he actually does it.

 

Stewart-Haas Racing

Aric Almirola

 

Car No.: 10

Career Wins: 3

Best Points Finish: 5th (2018)

Points Finish (2022): 20th

Last Year in Review: What Almirola thought would be his final year proved to be a disappointing one. Early consistency made the playoffs seem achievable, but a high volume of winners and a string of disappointing late summer runs dropped Almirola into must-win territory for the final races of the regular season. He didn’t win, though. In fact, Almirola didn’t even come close – he scored just one top-10 in the final 17 races of 2023, a stretch that dropped the veteran from 12th to 20th in the year-ending standings.

Outlook for 2023: After initially planning to retire, Almirola is back for 2023. With the return he’ll look to find the form from his first four years with Stewart-Haas Racing, where Almirola made it to the postseason each year. A fifth-place championship run in 2018 showed that Almirola can be a dark horse title contender under the right circumstances. Can he and the No. 10 team find a way to rekindle that year’s magic in 2023?

Chase Briscoe

 

Car No.: 14

Career Wins: 1

Best Points Finish: 9th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 9th

Last Year in Review: After a disappointing rookie year, Briscoe traded the dreaded sophomore slump for a surge in his second Cup season. The Hoosier picked up an early win at Phoenix Raceway to make the playoffs and came close to two more victories in the Bristol Dirt Race and Coca-Cola 600. He unfortunately crashed while trying to chase down the leader in each of those races, raising concerns that he would be mistake-prone in critical situations. But after a subpar summer, Briscoe showed his mettle with a gritty playoff run. Entering as an underdog, Briscoe survived the Round of 16 and narrowly advanced through the Round of 12 over defending champion Kyle Larson to give himself an outside chance at the 2022 title. He led the penultimate race at Martinsville with five laps remaining, but was ultimately knocked out of title contention after falling just short of a Championship 4-clinching victory.

Outlook for 2023: Last year gave Briscoe and the No. 14 team something to build on. Now the time has come to see if they can make good on their potential. Briscoe showed glimpses of stardom in his second season. His team could really use a star, too – with Kevin Harvick retiring, the organization will need a new face to lead the way in 2024. Can Briscoe become the face of the company? Only time will tell.

Kevin Harvick

 

Car No.: 4

Career Wins: 60

Best Points Finish: 2014 Champion

Points Finish (2022): 15th

Last Year in Review: On paper Harvick’s 2022 season was nothing to write home about. He was ousted from the playoffs in the Round of 16 and suffered his worst points finish (15th) since 2009. But the postseason doesn’t tell the full tale of the No. 4 team’s season. Exhaust issues at Darlington and a Kansas crash brought an abrupt end to what seemed to be a year full of potential. After a winless 2021 season. Harvick rattled off back-to-back wins at Michigan and Richmond in the late summer to march into the playoffs full of momentum. He never got much of a chance to show anything from there, but capped off the year with a top-five at Phoenix Raceway to give himself a positive note to end the year on.

Outlook for 2023: It doesn’t matter if he wins or loses, Harvick will be a fan favorite in what he’s announced will be his final Cup Series season. The retiring ace has been the face of Stewart-Haas Racing since his arrival in 2014, scoring 37 wins, five Championship 4 berths and one title. The hope would be that he and crew chief Rodney Childers can strike gold one last time and contend for a title like Jeff Gordon did in his 2015 swan song, but just getting a final chance to enjoy watching Harvick compete will be a treasure this year.

Ryan Preece

 

Car No.: 41

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: 26th (2019)

Points Finish (2022): 18th (Craftsman Truck Series)

Last Year in Review: There wasn’t too much to say for Preece in 2022. He made a decision to bet on himself, taking the risk of joining SHR as a reserve driver for the year. The majority of Preece’s time behind the wheel came in the simulator, though the Connecticut native was offered a combined 15 NASCAR national series starts through various SHR affiliates. One of them, a Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, ended in a victory. Preece also found some success at the short track level, winning an Outlaw Open Modified Series race at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. In the end SHR elected to lift Preece up to Cup full-time in 2023, replacing the struggling Cole Custer.

Outlook for 2023: This is Preece’s golden opportunity. A chance to reinvent his Cup Series career after a subpar stint with JTG-Daugherty Racing in the past. The short track ace has serious support from co-owner Tony Stewart and teammate Kevin Harvick. But this blessing could fade away quickly if Preece fails to perform. It’s up to the 32-year-old to prove his worth and contend for wins in 2023.

 

Richard Childress Racing

Austin Dillon

 

Car No.: 3

Career Wins: 4

Best Points Finish: 11th (2017, 2020, 2022)

Points Finish (2022): 11th

Last Year in Review: The No. 3 team did the same thing it’s done in many of past nine years in. Dillon quietly marched through the regular season, alternating between spots in the back-half of the top-10 in the standings. The group found a way to snag a victory and make the playoffs, taking a dramatic walk-off win in the regular season finale at Daytona. But Dillon was quickly bounced in the opening round of the playoffs. He was arguably outshined by teammate Tyler Reddick for most of the year, but managed to sneak ahead of him in the final standings with an 11th-place championship result.

Outlook for 2023: It feels like we just keep waiting for Dillon and the No. 3 team to make the next step, doesn’t it? The grandson of team owner Richard Childress has been consistently capable of winning and making the playoffs, earning four victories and five postseason appearances in the past seven years. But they’ve yet to truly break out, a shame given that Reddick and the No. 8 team did just that in 2022. That said, RCR has high hopes with Kyle Busch taking over Reddick’s old ride, and Dillon showed small promise with new career highs in top-fives (5) and top-10s (11) last year. Now let’s see if they can rise from the midfield to become genuine championship threats.

Kyle Busch

 

Car No.: 8

Career Wins: 60

Best Points Finish: Two-time champion (2015, 2019)

Points Finish (2022): 13th

Last Year in Review: Last year was a bummer all around for Busch and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team. The Nevadan had a new career-low total of top-fives (8) and only snuck into the playoffs after a wreck between Chase Briscoe and Tyler Reddick allowed him to steal the Bristol Dirt Race on the final lap. Busch still spent most of the regular season in the top-10 in points, but he was rarely a contender and was outshined by teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. Things got even worse when he failed to come to terms for what seemed like a guaranteed contract extension with JGR, leaving the two-time Cup champ to find a new Chevrolet home at Richard Childress Racing after 15 years with Gibbs and Toyota.

Outlook for 2023: This season is likely to go one of two ways for Busch and RCR. Either the pairing will be a big hit and provide a career renaissance for Busch or they’ll flame out and leave both parties worse off than they were before. Expectations are high for this team. Busch is a two-time champion and proven contender despite three atypically-poor seasons. He’s arriving at a team that won three races in 2022 and is believed to be the key to helping them reach the next level. This is a pairing that will want to win multiple races and contend for a title in 2023.

 

Legacy Motor Club

Erik Jones

 

Car No.: 43

Career Wins: 3

Best Points Finish: 15th (2018)

Points Finish (2022): 18th

Last Year in Review: There was a time not long ago when Jones’ career seemed like another case of wasted potential. He’d been outed from JGR in favor of Christopher Bell, finding himself at a middling Petty GMS team that was struggling to make gains. But Jones has found a home in what is now Legacy Motor Club. And while he seemingly can’t contend as often as he did with JGR, the Michigander has proven a valuable hire. Jones didn’t make the playoffs in 2022, but contended for a win at Auto Club Speedway and then went out and took a major victory in the Southern 500. That gave a boost to a season that included three top-fives, 13 top-10s and a respectable 18th-place points finish.

Outlook for 2023: The rebranded Legacy M.C. has seen the arrival of Jimmie Johnson and is poised for a potential breakout in 2023. If that’s going to happen, the key to success is likely Jones. Long considered among the best young talents in the Cup Series, Jones will hope to lead the former Richard Petty Motorsports back into the playoffs in 2023. That may require a win to make happen, but the No. 43 team seems capable of making another trip to victory lane.

Noah Gragson

 

Car No.: 42

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: N/A (Rookie)

Points Finish (2022): 2nd (Xfinity Series)

Last Year in Review: Gragson’s sixth season in NASCAR’s two developmental national series proved to be his best. The Nevadan rolled to a series-high eight victories, leading a stout JR Motorsports lineup and contending for the championship until the bitter end. He fell just a few car lengths short of Gibbs in the Championship 4, but it was still a highlight year save for a messy crash with Sage Karam and spats with Jeb Burton and Gibbs. Gragson also made 18 Cup Series starts, finishing fifth at Daytona in September and impressing before he crashed at Michigan.

Outlook for 2023: Last season’s success made Gragson an easy sell for a Cup Series leap. He’s making the step up with Legacy M.C. and bringing crew chief Luke Lambert with him – a promising move for all parties. That said, as a rookie it’s important to keep expectations low. Gragson also continues to worry with his trend of throwing up during and after races. But there’s potential for this young fan-favorite to find long-term success in the Cup Series. Challenging rival Gibbs for Rookie of the Year honors would be enough for a successful 2023.

 

23XI Racing

Bubba Wallace

 

Car No.: 23

Career Wins: 2

Best Points Finish: 19th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 19th

Last Year in Review: Wallace’s second season with 23XI Racing was arguably his best at the Cup level, with five top-fives, 10 top-10s and 150 laps led. A slow start gave way to consistent top-10 pace as Wallace marched into the late summer and fall. He failed to make the playoffs as a driver, but scored a strong win at Kansas Speedway to help the No. 45 team’s owner playoff run in the fall. That said, the end of the year saw one significant blemish. Wallace was forced to sit out the penultimate race of the year after a nasty crash with Kyle Larson and a series of angry shoves that gave fuel to those that dislike him.

Outlook for 2023: That flash of anger brought a disheartening end to what had been a feel-good year for Wallace. One can only hope he’s learned from it. If he can avoid similar issues in 2023, the pace Wallace showed in the second half of the year would make him an easy playoff contender this season. That should be the minimum expectation for a team that seems prepared for a breakthrough.

Tyler Reddick

 

Car No.: 45

Career Wins: 3

Best Points Finish: 13th (2021)

Points Finish (2022): 14th

Last Year in Review: The 2022 season was a great one for Reddick on-track and a disaster away from it. The Californian showed immediate promise as a contender in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum before a mechanical failure ended his day. He parlayed that into a strong season, with three wins and an easy argument that he should have won even more. That led 23XI Racing to come calling for Reddick’s services in 2024, but the messiness surrounding that move caused hurt feelings and, ultimately, an early exit from Richard Childress Racing at season’s end. Reddick wrapped up the season with a quick playoff exit and quietly faded into the background with three finishes of 23rd or worse to end the year.

Outlook for 2023: Reddick is believed by many to be a star in the making. His ability to get the most out of his equipment and contend for wins has made Reddick a two-time Xfinity Series champion and three-time Cup winner. Now that he’s in a situation with funding and significant support, the expectation is that Reddick will take the next step and become a championship threat. Success may not come immediately, but you’re going to want to keep an eye on the No. 45 team as the season goes on.

 

RFK Racing

Brad Keselowski

 

Car No.: 6

Career Wins: 35

Best Points Finish: 2012 Champion

Points Finish (2022): 24th

Last Year in Review: The 2012 Cup champ’s first campaign at RFK Racing was over before it really began. Keselowski arrived at the former Roush Fenway Racing as an owner/driver last year, leaving Team Penske after 12 seasons. He won a qualifying race at Daytona and nearly triumphed in the Daytona 500, but was penalized 100 points in March for a modification to a single-sourced piece and never recovered. The Michigander went winless from there, missing the playoffs and fading into the background. His final two runs ended in a disqualification at Martinsville Speedway and a fire at Phoenix Raceway, leaving Keselowski 24th in points and winless for the first time since 2010 at season’s end.

Outlook for 2023: As bad as his 2022 sounds statistically, Keselowki has reason for optimism heading into 2023. He didn’t win a points race, but was in contention more than once on the year. Teammate Chris Buescher did triumph at Bristol, showing the organization that it could prevail in a major race if everything aligned. Keselowski will hope to build on that, return to victory lane and mount a playoff push in his second season as a Cup Series co-owner.

Chris Buescher

 

Car No.: 17

Career Wins: 2

Best Points Finish: 16th (2016)

Points Finish (2022): 21st

Last Year in Review: The rebranded RFK Racing’s improvements were a major benefit for Buescher and the No. 17 team, though it might not have been reflected in the standings. Buescher finished 21st in points, his lowest result since 2018. But along the way, the Texan showed legitimate pace. He fell just short of victory at Sonoma Raceway and snagged a win in a Daytona qualifier, but the season’s true highlight came with a September victory in the Bristol Night Race. This was far removed from Buescher’s other fog-shortened Cup win from 2016 – this time around he led a career-high 169 laps and proved himself a worthy winner of one of NASCAR’s biggest races.

Outlook for 2023: Buescher can rise as high as RFK Racing is capable of elevating him. In recent years that could have been a damning statement, but the rebranded Roush squad is showing promise for improvement. A win and playoff berth would be enough to consider 2023 a success. His best bet for that appearance? Perhaps a win on a road course – Buescher had a 6.6 average finish in the final five road course events of 2022.

 

Kaulig Racing

AJ Allmendinger

 

Car No.: 16

Career Wins: 2

Best Points Finish: 13th (2014)

Points Finish (2022): 5th (Xfinity Series)

Last Year in Review: Last year was more of the same for Allmendinger, notching another five-win season in the Xfinity Series while tallying three top-fives and eight top-10s in a partial Cup effort. The Californian didn’t win a Cup race this time around, but came one turn away at Circuit of the Americas and finished second at Watkins Glen International. His only disappointment was failing to make the Championship 4 in the Xfinity Series.

Outlook for 2023: At the age of 41, Allmendinger would seem to be a curious selection for a return to the Cup Series. But the veteran is tailor-made for the modern Cup schedule, where a wealth of road courses (his specialty) and the potential for parity with the Next Gen car could allow Allmendinger to thrive. He’s been a leader since his arrival at Kaulig Racing in 2019 and there’s probable cause to assume the Dinger will be again in 2023. A win or two and a playoff appearance would make for a solid Cup return.

Justin Haley

 

Car No.: 31

Career Wins: 1

Best Points Finish: 22nd (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 22nd

Last Year in Review: Haley’s rookie season was a winless, quiet year. But the Hoosier and his No. 31 Kaulig Racing team showed flashes of potential along the way. Haley started the campaign off with a strong run in the Busch Light Clash before he was taken out by contact with Kyle Larson. He didn’t do anything flashy from there, but mounted a respectable campaign with three top-fives, four top-10s and an 18.4 average finish. That was good enough for 22nd in points, with just three DNFs that meant Haley gained solid experience at every track he visited.

Outlook for 2023: If he can avoid a regression in his sophomore year, Haley could become a dark horse contender to make the playoffs and even put together a postseason charge. The 23-year-old began to assert himself at the front of field more frequently in the playoffs, giving his team something to build on in their second year. The arrival of veteran AJ Allmendinger on a full-time basis could have a trickle-down effect that helps Haley’s team as well.

 

Front Row Motorsports

Michael McDowell

 

Car No.: 34

Career Wins: 1

Best Points Finish: 16th (2021)

Points Finish (2022): 23rd

Last Year in Review: It’s difficult to match a year that brought a Daytona 500 upset and playoff berth. But look beyond that season-opening surprise from 2021 and McDowell arguably had a better season in 2022. The veteran and new crew chief Blake Harris impressed in their lone year together, setting new personal best marks for McDowell in top-10s (12), laps led (67), average start (17.0) and average finish (16.7). FRM would have loved to join the large list of winners in 2022, but the organization’s leader showed more pace than he ever has in the past – though a 100-point penalty for a modified single-source part kept him from getting the points finish to show for it.

Outlook for 2023: This is going to be an interesting year for McDowell with one key question – was 2022’s success down to the driver or crew chief? Harris is off to Alex Bowman’s No. 88 team, leaving McDowell to work with Travis Peterson. If they can repeat last year’s pace, a surprise win or host of strong runs isn’t inconceivable. Otherwise it could be a return to the status quo for the No. 34 team.

Todd Gilliland

 

Car No.: 38

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: 28th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 28th

Last Year in Review: Look, you have to be realistic when grading Gilliland’s year. He was a rookie that skipped the Xfinity Series altogether and rose up with a mid-pack Cup team not known for contending for wins and top-fives. All one could really hope for with Gilliland was a year of consistency and growth. To his credit, he maximized his opportunity to provide that. Gilliland had five DNFs, but three were on unpredictable superspeedways. The rookie managed a top-five at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a pair of top-10s and a respectable 23.2 average finish. That’s something to build on entering 2023.

Outlook for 2023: It’s difficult to gauge just how well Gilliland should perform in his second year. FRM could make steps in either direction and there’s little margin for error in the back half of the field. If Gilliland has any concrete goal for the year, it should be to find himself close to his teammate more frequently at race’s end – McDowell earned more top-10s (12) than Gilliland had top-20s (11) last year.

 

JTG-Daugherty Racing

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

 

Car No.: 47

Career Wins: 2

Best Points Finish: 13th (2017)

Points Finish (2022): 26th

Last Year in Review: Well, that was disappointing. What Stenhouse and JTG-Daugherty Racing hoped would be a fresh start in 2022 turned out to be more of the same. The Mississippian scored the most top-10s (5) of his tenure with the organization, but had a mind-numbing nine DNFs that kept him from being much more than an afterthought on the year. The lone major highlight was a runner-up run at Dover Motor Speedway.

Outlook for 2023: Surely this organization can do better, right? Stenhouse is a strong superspeedway contender and has shown prowess at short tracks – particularly high-banked ovals like Bristol and Dover – in the past. One can only hope he and the No. 47 team can take advantage of a race at one of those facilities to score a win. If recent history proves accurate, that may be Stenhouse’s only route to a playoff appearance.

 

Wood Brothers Racing

Harrison Burton

 

Car No.: 21

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: 27th (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 27th

Last Year in Review: That was all a bit dull, wasn’t it? Burton’s rookie campaign began with a pair of DNFs for crashes that trapped him deep in the standings from the start. What followed was a year that was largely middling, with just two top-10s to show for it. Like Gilliland, the bulk of Burton’s DNFs (4 of 7) came at superspeedways. But Burton also failed to make much of an impression anywhere else. That may not be a big deal – it’s important not to expect too much of rookies – but Wood Brothers Racing has been in contention for wins at least a couple times each year for most of the past few years.

Outlook for 2023: There’s nothing about 2022 to provide any major hopes for the historic No. 21 team in 2023. But Burton is still only 22 years old, with plenty of room to grow. His four-win 2020 run in the Xfinity Series shows that the second-generation star has promise. Hopefully the team meshes and he can show some that potential in his second year at the Cup level.

 

Spire Motorsports

Corey LaJoie

 

Car No.: 7

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: 29th (2019, 2021)

Points Finish (2022): 31st

Last Year in Review: Last year wasn’t a great one for LaJoie and Spire Motorsports, but it had one incredible highlight along the way. The Concord, N.C. native finished the year 31st in points with a lone top-five in the first race at the new drafting-focused Atlanta. But it was in the return to the Georgia track where LaJoie truly made his mark, challenging for the victory up until he crashed in the final lap. If nothing else, that shows that the No. 7 team truly can win if everything goes right.

Outlook for 2023: Can Spire make a step up and bring competitive cars to the track on a consistent basis? If so then LaJoie could have something to build on in 2023. Otherwise it’s difficult to see this group accomplishing much more this time around.

Ty Dillon

 

Car No.: 77

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: 24th (2017, 2019)

Points Finish (2022): 29th

Last Year in Review: Last year saw Ty and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season. Competing in the No. 42 Chevrolet for Petty GMS, Dillon was completely outclassed by teammate Erik Jones. He had just one top-10, suffered nine DNFs and never really seemed like a contender.

Outlook for 2023: Coming off a dreadful 2022 campaign, Dillon is making a move to a program that’s arguably been inferior in Spire Motorsports. Having two full-time drivers could help the organization improve, but there isn’t too much to be excited about with this pairing upon first glance. If there’s a positive, it’s that expectations are low and Dillon is still only 30 years old. There’s time to build if this group can avoid calamity and get off to a solid start.

 

Rick Ware Racing

Cody Ware

 

Car No.: 51

Career Wins: 0

Best Points Finish: 32nd (2022)

Points Finish (2022): 32nd

Last Year in Review: It’s fair to say expectations were low for Ware and Rick Ware Racing in 2022, but the North Carolinian seems to have cleared them. Ware was surprisingly competitive at the Busch Light Clash, nearly making the feature. That didn’t really transfer over to the regular season, but Ware did manage to score his first top-10 at Daytona and tally five top-20s. It was a respectable year for perhaps NASCAR’s weakest full-time program.

Outlook for 2023: More of the same, I guess? The bar is going to stay low for Ware and his No. 51 team until they provide a reason to think otherwise. Bumping his average start up into the 20s (it was 33.1 in 2022) and shifting his average finish up another spot or two from 27.8 would be a good, achievable step toward continual improvement.