End-of-season goodbyes: 2023 edition

At Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, NASCAR will crown its newest champions. Amid the championship weekend buzz, we also bid adieu to some familiar sights, pairings and names. Here's this year's edition of NASCAR's curtain call.

Justin Haley at Kaulig Racing

After five seasons together, including two in the Cup Series, Justin Haley and Kaulig Racing will start their final race together Sunday. Haley is headed to Rick Ware Racing, while Daniel Hemric will return to the Cup Series and drive the No. 31 Kaulig Racing car.

Live Fast Motorsports

Spire Motorsports has purchased the charter for the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports team, meaning Sunday’s race at Phoenix closes a chapter for the organization. The team has competed full-time in the Cup Series since 2021, primarily with team co-owner BJ McLeod behind the wheel. Live Fast's best finish was a seventh-place result in the summer Daytona race in 2022. Spire Motorsports will field a car for Zane Smith in collaboration with Trackhouse Racing in 2024.

Legacy Motor Club as a Chevrolet team

The Jimmie Johnson-led organization is ditching the Chevrolet bowtie -- which he won seven driver championships with -- in favor of Toyota, beginning in 2024. The Nos. 42 and 43 cars will compete as Chevrolets for the final time at Phoenix this Sunday.

Busch at Stewart-Haas Racing

The familiar No. 4 Busch car will ride one last time at Phoenix before the longtime sponsor moves to adorn Ross Chastain's car at Trackhouse Racing in 2024.

Ty Dillon at Spire Motorsports

Ty Dillon will make his final laps as a Spire Motorsports driver this Sunday. His one-year stint in the No. 77 will come to an end, making way for Carson Hocevar in 2024. Dillon's best finish of the year was an 11th-place run in the summer Daytona race.

Rookie stripes for Ty Gibbs

Those telltale stripes on a driver's back bumper that scream "look out, I’m new here" will run for one final time Sunday for Ty Gibbs. Gibbs' rookie campaign boasted 10 top-10 finishes. He'll turn 21 on Saturday.

Kerry Tharp as Darlington Raceway president

In June, Darlington Raceway president Kerry Tharp announced his retirement following the 2023 season. Tharp, who has many years of leadership in the NASCAR world, took over the helm of the legendary race track in 2016.

Choose drone

Following the announcement that the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt configuration won't be used in 2024, it means the "choose drone" -- the drone taking the place of the restart lane-choice marker on a dirt-covered track -- will no longer service restarts on dirt. Until we meet again, old friend.

Kyle Busch Motorsports and GMS Racing (Craftsman Truck Series)

Two prominent fixtures of the Craftsman Truck Series with Cup Series-ties, Kyle Busch Motorsports (sold to Spire Motorsports) and GMS Racing (closing its doors after Legacy move to Toyota), will bid farewell to the circuit this Friday at Phoenix Raceway. Kyle Busch Motorsports, boasting a remarkable 100 race wins, clinched series titles in 2015 and 2017. Meanwhile, GMS Racing's enduring decade-long presence in the Truck Series culminated in championship triumphs in 2016 and 2020.

Aric Almirola at Stewart-Haas Racing

Since 2018, Aric Almirola has dutifully piloted the No. 10 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. His chapter with the team will come to a close Sunday as he announced last week. Almirola hasn't yet revealed what, if any, plans he has for 2024 and beyond, but he proved he can still compete following a runner-up finish at Martinsville last Sunday. The 39-year-old has three Cup Series wins to his name, two of which came with SHR.

Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick, a surefire future Hall of Famer, will take his last drive at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday. At 25, he took the NASCAR world by storm, stepping into the void left by the late Dale Earnhardt in 2001. By his third race, he claimed victory. Over 23 years, Harvick secured 60 Cup Series wins, ranking him 10th all-time. Add to that, 47 Xfinity Series wins with two titles, and 14 Craftsman Truck Series victories. Earning the nickname 'The Closer' for his timely performances in the early 2000s, Harvick is set to see his final checkered flag as a driver this Sunday.