Top 5 drivers to significantly up their game during the 2023 NASCAR Cup season

With less than 100 days to go for the official points-giving NASCAR season opener at the famed tri-oval with the 2024 Daytona 500, here is a look at what fans can expect next season. Several drivers improved their performances from the 2022 Cup Series season to shine in 2023, with others seemingly failing to keep their momentum or stagnating in what was a hyper-competitive year.

The sport crowned a new champion in the form of Team Penske's Ryan Blaney this year, with teammate and 2022 champion Joey Logano failing to qualify for the final rounds. This gives us an idea of how the tides turned in favor of Blaney, who capitalized on his playoffs chances during the end of the season with clutch performances.

A host of improvements in terms of crash-safety rating and short-track race-ability were also undertaken by NASCAR to the Next Gen Cup car during the course of 2023.

While the usual frontrunners in the form of Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports maintained their form, several drivers from teams such as 23XI Racing and RFK Racing picked up pace.

Top 5 drivers to improve on their prior results during the 2023 NASCAR Cup season

Here is a list of 5 drivers who had the biggest leap in terms of performance in 2023 as compared to the 2022 season:

5. Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

Despite going winless in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Bubba Wallace's performance this year was undeniably his best in his Cup Series career. Managing to maintain a consistent form all throughout the season with huge improvements at road-course racing, Wallace managed to challenge 2-rounds deep into the 2023 playoffs.

He ended the season in P10 on the driver's standings table, with an average finish of 15.9, tying his career best.

4. Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

Despite making the switch from Richard Childress Racing to the Toyota-affiliated 23XI Racing this year, Tyler Reddick managed to win at two events during the year. Despite not topping his 3-win number from 2022, Reddick adapted to a new environment in the sport efficiently and challenged in the Round of 16 in the playoffs for the first time.

He finished the season with an average finishing position of 15.7, up from 17.6 in 2022.

3. Chris Buescher (Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing)

Brad Keselowski's RFK Racing finally showed up to the party in 2023 with Chris Buescher managing to take three wins in 2023 after a winless season in 2021 and just one visit to victory lane in 2022. The Prosper, Texas native also moved into the Round of 8 in the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Buescher rounded out the year with an average finishing position of 12.1, up from 17.9 last year.

2. Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

Despite having won three races during the 2023 season and clinching the ultimate prize, Ryan Blaney failed to reach his career-high of 20 top-10s this year. The #12 Ford Mustang driver did not shine throughout the year, however, he managed to show up during the playoffs, clinching him the championship title.

Blaney managed an average finishing position of 14.1 in 2023, down from 13.6 last year.

1. William Byron

The most improved NASCAR Cup Series driver during the 2023 season has to be Hendrick Motorsports' Wiliam Byron. The #24 Chevy driver managed to triple his wins in 2023 with 6 trips to victory lane, along with his first-ever run in the final 4 round of the playoffs.

Despite not having clinched the ultimate prize in NASCAR, Byron rounded the season off with an average finishing position of 11.0, an excellent increase over 2022's 15.6.