Did You Notice? … We’re nearly a third of the way through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season? Time passes quickly these days, even with a series that has a bloated schedule of 38 races (including its all-star event and the Clash) and only one off weekend during a nine-month period.
Just like last year, the theme of parity under the Next Gen era continues: there have been seven winners in the first eight events. What’s different, at least to some degree, is where the winners are coming from.
WINNERS BY TEAM THROUGH EIGHT RACES
| TEAM | 2022 WINS | 2023 WINS |
| Hendrick Motorsports | 4 | 3 |
| Joe Gibbs Racing | 1 | 1 |
| Team Penske | 1 | 1 |
| Stewart-Haas Racing | 1 | 0 |
| Trackhouse Racing | 1 | 0 |
| JTG Daugherty Racing | 0 | 1 |
| 23XI Racing | 0 | 1 |
| Richard Childress Racing | 0 | 1 |
Already, that means only nine of 16 playoff spots are left available.
Who’s in the best position to grab them? Let’s start with a look at the one team who remains on top early in the year.
Just like in 2022, Hendrick has gotten off to a hot start despite two major penalties assessed by NASCAR: one for hood louvers confiscated from all teams at Phoenix Raceway, then a second given to Alex Bowman and William Byron after officials took their cars to the R&D Center after Richmond Raceway. Conspiracy theorists might say that’s because the point penalties from the louvers were overturned, causing such an uproar that NASCAR has actually changed the appeals process going forward so that no one individual element of a penalty can be removed if the panel believes an actual violation was committed.
Despite all that hot mess drama, HMS has showed better speed than 2022, when all four teams were locked into the playoffs by early May. With Chase Elliott close to returning from a fractured tibia, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them pull a repeat by the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend.
No, don’t even start with the argument Elliott might struggle in his transition back; Josh Berry was just second with the No. 9 at Richmond. He’ll win. The big challenge now for HMS is to keep themselves in overdrive, holding onto their momentum through the playoffs instead of peaking months too early and leading to just one participant in the…
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