It’s February, which means the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is finally upon us. Cars will take to the track later this week at Daytona International Speedway for the 65th running of the Great American Race.
With a wide array of driver and team changes from Silly Season alongside more minor personnel tweaks — or even a few lineups that stayed exactly the same — there’s a lot to discuss as the Cup Series moves into the sophomore season of the Next Gen era.
For 2023, the Frontstretch staff each voted on a top-30 ranking, taking into account each driver’s 2022 season as well as their outlook for 2023.
Below is where we landed. Check Monday’s (Feb. 13) article for positions Nos. 30-21 and check tomorrow (Feb. 15) for the top 10.
20. Austin Cindric
Austin Cindric began his rookie Cup season in 2022 by checking off one of the biggest accomplishments the sport has to offer: winning the Daytona 500. It looked as though the iconic Team Penske No. 2 team would not skip much of a beat transitioning from the Brad Keselowski era.
However, after that noteworthy start, Cindric’s 2022 campaign would fizzle out, with only four top fives and eight top 10s after the 500, driving the same Penske equipment Joey Logano used to win the championship. Cindric would make the playoffs and even advance to the Round of 12, but he only netted one top-10 in the 10 playoff races, a ninth at Talladega Superspeedway.
With the Cup Series competition as fierce as it has ever been, Cindric will likely need to take a step forward in performance to return to the playoffs. He is always one of the top contenders to win at road courses, and there are six of those on the 2023 schedule. Those tracks could be his ticket back to the playoffs. With his crew chief Jeremy Bullins coming back and the championship No. 22 team in the same garage, there’s a good chance that Cindric will find another level in 2023. –Andrew Stoddard
19. Chris Buescher
After a six-year absence, Chris Buescher got back to victory lane in 2022 by winning the Bristol Motor Speedway night race. Buescher’s triumph was the first win in a full-field race for the rebranded RFK Racing team headed by Jack Roush and Keselowski.
Additionally, Buescher also posted career bests in top fives, top 10s, and laps led last year. In a season of transition for his team, Buescher proved to be a great stabilizing force.
For 2023, Buescher and the No. 17 team should be aiming for the…
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