NASCAR treated fans to one of its crazier seasons of all time in 2022.
The introduction of the new Gen-7 car saw 19 different drivers find victory lane, and no one reached 1,000 laps led for the first time in more than 60 years. The season was so unpredictable.
What does 2023 have in store? Here are five predictions.
1. More high-profile retirements
In 2022, Kurt Busch announced he would hang up his helmet from full-time competition after missing the final 16 races with concussion-like symptoms. Don’t be surprised if a few more longtime veterans follow suit.
Former champions Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. are entering the final year of their respective contracts, and there have been questions about both continuing to compete beyond 2023. At least one of them — if not both — will call it a career after this season.
2. The Chicago street course will disappoint
Anyone who frequently watches the IndyCar Series knows that street courses are mainly for the spectacle instead of the racing product. The courses are simply too narrow for exciting action. There’s no reason to believe NASCAR’s new Chicago circuit will be any different.
Expectations could be even lower given the difficulties NASCAR has experienced with other recent ventures, such as the Indianapolis road course and Bristol dirt track. At the very least, NASCAR hopes the race gets good ratings.
3. The surprise driver of the year will be …
After the number of breakout performances in 2022, it’s hard to say who is even left on the grid to qualify as a potential surprise in 2023. However, with a new crew chief, Alex Bowman is a name that seems to be flying under the radar. He is back to health following an injury late last season.
Bowman has won at least once in each of the past four seasons but has been plagued by inconsistency. Look for the No. 48 team to turn heads this season.
4. Tyler Reddick makes an immediate impact at 23XI Racing
23XI Racing made noise last year with two wins, one by Busch and another by Bubba Wallace, but the team’s biggest headline was signing budding superstar Tyler Reddick away from Richard Childress Racing.
Given 23XI’s speed, Reddick should flourish in his new ride. It’s not unreasonable to predict he could be a championship favorite or at the very least the season’s most dominant driver. The talent is there, and now he has the equipment, too.
5. The 2023 Cup Series champion will be …
With NASCAR’s free-for-all playoff format, predicting champions is never easy. It’s even harder when the sport is in as competitive a state as it is now. Nearly a dozen drivers could be in the title race.
Perhaps nobody will be more motivated to capture the crown than Kyle Larson. Larson put together a dominant 2021 campaign in which he won 10 races and his first championship, but he failed to defend it as he was eliminated in the Round of 12 in last season’s playoffs
When Larson’s head is in the game, he’s the best driver on the circuit. This year, he’ll have something to prove again, which could be bad news for the rest of the field.`