With the 2023 season complete, it’s time to review the rookies’ seasons from the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck series.
While the Cup Series had two rookies that competed in the first half of the season, Xfinity and Trucks had four and six drivers, respectively, contending for Rookie of the Year.
A few of them even broke into victory lane, while others comparatively struggled in their freshmen years in their respective series.
Here’s a look at each driver’s performance, as well as a quick glance at what’s to come for them in 2024.
Cup Series
Ty Gibbs (ROTY)
It really wasn’t a contest for Rookie of the Year in Cup, even before Noah Gragson’s suspension. Ty Gibbs had earned six top 10s in the first 22 races, including four straight from Atlanta Motor Speedway in the spring through the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race.
He grabbed his first top five of the season at Pocono Raceway and went on to earn three more by the end of the year. Gibbs also improved his average finish from last year; in 15 races, he finished about 23rd on average. This season, he ended about 18th, earning 10 top 10s to claim ROTY.
As he matures in his driving, Gibbs could continue to grow and learn from his Joe Gibbs Racing cohorts and potentially contend for a win. All three teammates won multiple races in 2023, and there’s no reason why Gibbs, who earned 12 wins in the Xfinity Series, shouldn’t find victory lane next year.
Noah Gragson
Gragson’s season was over right after the July Richmond Raceway event, and it wasn’t looking much better before then.
His best finish in 21 events was 12th at Atlanta — one of two top 20s.
But his team, Legacy Motor Club, had just gone through some changes from the 2022 season. Not only did it change names (previously Petty GMS Motorsports), it also had a new co-owner in Jimmie Johnson.
And teammate Erik Jones also had a down year compared to 2022; he earned just one top five and seven top 10s in 2023, whereas ‘22 saw him win and earn three top fives and 13 top 10s.
If he had any gas left in the tank after Richmond, we’ll never know, as he was granted his release from the car and did not return to NASCAR competition in 2023.
It is not yet known what Gragson will be doing next season, though it’s rumored that he will join Stewart-Haas Racing. After what’s been a less-than-ideal rookie year, Gragson hopes to turn his NASCAR career around and be competitive…
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