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After an eventful 2022 season, NASCAR is one month away from returning. The introduction of the Next Gen cars saw the 2022 season have a staggering 19 different winners, setting the stage for an exciting 2023 season.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series comes with some interesting storylines, including the introduction of new full-time drivers such as Noah Gragson and Ty Gibbs, as well as the return of 7-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and the return of North Wilkesboro Speedway after 27 years. We will also see NASCAR hit the streets of Chicago for its first ever street course race.
With the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Clash at the Coliseum being less than a month away, let’s discuss four early predictions for the 2023 season.
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#4 A. J. Allmendinger will be a dark horse championship contender
After competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the past two years, A. J. Allmendinger returns to the Cup Series full-time. He will drive the #16 car for Kaulig Racing.
In the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger became an all-around better driver and became more than just a 'road course ringer'. In two full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series, Allmendinger racked up 10 victories, along with 35 top 5's and 50 top 10's.
In limited Cup series races over the past couple of years, Allmendinger picked up a victory at the Indy Road Course in 2021 and came close to victories in several other races.
His standout performance was the 2022 Homestead playoff race where he had a spirited battle with Ross Chastain for second place while they were both chasing down Kyle Larson for the win. In 23 Cup starts over the past two years, Allmeindger has one victory, along with 5 top 5's and 11 top 10's.
If Allmendinger can correlate his Xfinity Series success with his successful limited Cup Series success over the past couple of years, there is no reason why he can’t be a dark horse selection for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
#3 Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. will retire at the end of the 2023 NASCAR season
NASCAR has seen several big-name drivers retire over the past handful of years, and 2023 may not be any different.
The two names to watch out for when it comes to retirement talks are Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. While the two drivers are still competitive week in and week out, signs of their imminent retirement are showing.
After a monstrous 2020 season in which he won 9 races, Harvick followed with a winless 2021 campaign and had a quiet 2022 season before picking up back-to-back victories at Michigan and Richmond.
The 47-year-old had previously made comments about how he planned on retiring after the 2021 season. He has also stated that he will know of his future plans when NASCAR hits the track at Daytona next month. Harvick has also made it no secret that he is not a fan of the Next Gen car. With all of these factors in play, 2023 may be the end for Harvick on a full-time basis in NASCAR.
Truex Jr. is harder to read. The driver of the #19 car showed plenty of speed, but missed the playoffs last year and did not pick up a single victory.
His team, Joe Gibbs Racing, has been undergoing major changes in the past couple of years, including the loss of Kyle Busch and the addition of 20-year-old Ty Gibbs. With Denny Hamlin's future being unclear and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) having drivers soon to be ready for Cup racing, Truex Jr.'s time may be coming to an end.
It's also important to note that Truex Jr. may also retire due to personal reasons. With his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex dealing with her own health issues, he may want to focus on things outside of NASCAR going forward.
#2 Both Roush Fenway Keselowski cars make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs
Much like the entire 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, it was a roller-coaster season for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK). It started with the highest of highs, as Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher swept the two Duel Races at Daytona. That was followed by a gut punch with a 100-point penalty to the #6 team, which put Keselowski in a significant hole before the Daytona 500 even took place.
From there, the season went up and down. Keselowski and Buescher showed signs of speed at certain points in the season, but they also didn’t show speed consistently. Both teams ended up missing the playoffs.
However, towards the end of the season, both teams began to show consistent speed. This was highlighted by Buescher winning the Bristol night race, snapping a 222-race winless streak. Keselowski was also in contention for victories at Bristol and Martinsville.
If RFK Racing can continue to show the improved and consistent speed they showed towards the end of the 2022 season, there is a good chance that both teams can make the 2023 playoffs.
#1 Kyle Busch wins the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship
One of the biggest stories of the 2022 NASCAR season was the Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing saga. Many were under the belief that Busch and JGR would come to an agreement on a new contract. When that became increasingly unlikely and he eventually signed with Richard Childress Racing, Busch’s season took a downward spiral.
While Busch did clinch a victory in the Bristol Dirt Race, that was the high point of his season. He was eliminated in the Round of 16 of the playoffs and struggled throughout. This was highlighted in the Martinsville playoff race where he was the slowest car on the track, which led fans to think he quit on the team and they quit on him.
Busch will want to prove doubters wrong that he is on a downward trajectory. While his numbers aren’t as eye-popping as they were a few years ago, Busch is still in the prime of his career and is a proven two-time Cup Series champion. Expect him to use a change of scenery and his winning mentality as the fuel to catapult him to the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
