Key players in 2022-23 Silly Season

By Staff Report | Wednesday, September 14, 2022

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NASCAR Silly Season is back and in full force for another campaign, with this year's list of developments shaping up to be one of the most impactful in recent years. Rumors are swirling, questions are being asked, and we are keeping track of the latest developments right here.

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Kyle Busch

Current ride: No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

The scoop: Busch announced on Sept. 13 that he is moving to Richard Childress Racing in 2023 after 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing. Busch will join Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick as full-time drivers. Busch won 56 Cup Series races and two championships (2015, 2019) with JGR after coming over from Hendrick Motorsports.

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Aric Almirola

Current ride: No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

The scoop: After announcing his retirement in January, Almirola decided to reverse course, revealing in August at Daytona that he was indeed returning to drive the No. 10 Ford for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.

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Joey Logano

Current ride: No. 22 Team Penske Ford

The scoop: Team Penske announced on Aug. 24 that it had signed Logano, the 2018 Cup Series champion and a 29-time race winner, to a multi-year contract extension to drive the No. 22 Ford.

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Zane Smith

Current ride: No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford (Truck Series)

The scoop: Smith was thrust into the fire at World Wide Technology Raceway when it was announced he would fill in for Chris Buescher in the No. 17 Cup ride. In his first-ever start at the top level, Smith rolled to an impressive 17th-place finish and sent his stock rising. FRM saw the promise and opted to retain him for the 2023 season, with potential opportunities in Xfinity and Cup.

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Ryan Blaney

Current ride: No. 12 Team Penske Ford

The scoop: Blaney signed a long-term contract extension announced on Aug. 17, keeping the talented young driver in the Penske stable for years to come.

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Bubba Wallace

Current ride: No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

The scoop: 23XI Racing announced Aug. 12 that it had re-signed Wallace to a multiyear extension to continue driving the No. 23 for the foreseeable future.

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Noah Gragson

Current ride: No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet (Xfinity Series)

The scoop: Gragson is off to the Cup Series in 2023 as Petty GMS Motorsports announced on Aug. 10 that the 24-year-old driver will compete full-time for them.

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Erik Jones

Current ride: No. 43 Petty GMS Racing Chevrolet

The scoop: The newly merged team (formerly Richard Petty Motorsports and GMS Racing, separately) locked up Jones for years to come, announcing July 30 that the 26-year-old driver will remain in the No. 43 Chevy. The organization indicated that the contract extension is a multiyear agreement. "I’m really excited to have this deal done and finally be able to talk about it," Jones said.

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Ty Dillon

Current ride: No. 42 Petty GMS Motorsports Chevrolet

The scoop: Dillon took to social media to announce his departure from the organization after the 2022 season. Though this season will go down as his lone year with the No. 42 team, a number of rides opening up still leaves him a prime contender for a Cup Series ride in 2023.

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No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

The scoop: Tyler Reddick's eventual departure before the 2024 season gives RCR ample time to find a suitable replacement for what's shaping up to be a dark-horse championship-contending ride in 2022. This will likely be a heavily sought-after ride, and there are many different directions RCR can go with its driver choice.

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Tyler Reddick

Current ride: No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

The scoop: Reddick revealed the news at Road America and has confirmed he will be back with the organization in 2023, extending his full-time tenure with the Cup team to four seasons. Though team owner Richard Childress has picked up the 2023 option to keep the young driver in the No. 8 Chevrolet, it was announced July 12 that Reddick would join 23XI Racing for a Cup ride in 2024.

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Martin Truex Jr.

Current ride: No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

The scoop: Truex is coming back to Joe Gibbs Racing. After previously expressing uncertainty about his future, the 2017 champion confirmed his return to the No. 19 Toyota in 2023 following practice at Nashville Superspeedway on June 24. The end of the 2022 season will mark his 17th full-time stint at the premier level, with more than 600 starts, a championship and much more on his resume. Truex has won four or more races in five of the last seven years.

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Current ride: No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

The scoop: Stenhouse and JTG Daugherty Racing announced a multi-year contract extension June 24 prior to any Cup Series action at Nashville Superspeedway. At that point, Stenhouse had one top-five and five top-10 finishes through 16 races. JTG Daugherty Racing changed to a one-car operation in 2021.

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Kyle Busch

Current ride: No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

The scoop: After the 2022 season, Busch and long-time partner Mars Wrigley will part ways, bringing an end to the iconic M&M's schemes. Still searching for a new sponsor and contract with JGR, Busch's future with the organization is in a bit of doubt. However, Toyota executive David Wilson said it would be unacceptable to let the two-time Cup Series champion walk.Time will tell if both parties can come to agreement and keep the future Hall of Famer at JGR.

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Ty Gibbs

Current ride: No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Xfinity Series)

The scoop: A legacy and a growing phenom, young Gibbs has quickly set the Xfinity Series on fire with a mix of dazzling performances and controversial antics. Already a legitimate title contender, and some would argue favorite, Gibbs' home in Xfinity might not last very long. If one of the prior JGR seats should become vacant this offseason, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs could get the first look. But will he be ready?

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Daniel Suárez

Current ride: No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

The scoop: Suárez's win at Sonoma Raceway likely ensured a dual playoff appearance in the organization's first year as a multi-car operation. It's no secret that he has bounced around rides in the Cup Series, struggling to find footing with premier organizations at times in the past. But his resurgence at Trackhouse is blossoming into the prime of his career and with a new contract on the horizon, he believes he has finally found a home.

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Trackhouse Racing

New ride: No. 91 PROJECT91 Chevrolet

The scoop: As if co-owning with Pitbull and fielding the first Mexican-born driver to win a Cup Series race isn't enough, Justin Marks' birth of PROJECT91 is taking the organization even further on the international stage. Essentially a part-time ride fielded in events throughout the season, drivers across the globe from many different backgrounds can get a taste of NASCAR — starting with Kimi Raikkonen.

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Ryan Preece

Current ride: Part-time rides in all three national series

The scoop: Like others, Preece is a talented driver who has struggled to find footing in a full-time capacity. However, after showcasing his talent at each of NASCAR's top three levels this season, his patience might finally be a blessing in disguise. If you ask around, Preece is the natural fit to take over the No. 10 after Almirola's departure. Especially given his increased partnership with the team this season. But we have seen him end up as the odd man out before and, as far as we know, all the cards are still on the table.

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Kurt Busch

Current ride: No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

The scoop: Busch's move to Toyota made him only the second driver to wheel a car for each of NASCAR's last four manufacturers (including Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet) -- Kasey Kahne was the first. Along similar lines, there just isn't much more that the 2004 champion and 22-year veteran hasn't accomplished. Though he is signed to a multi-year deal with 23XI, rumors circle around his retirement every year. But the spark found by bringing tremendous value to the young team, and proving he is still capable of winning, just might energize him even more. Provided he is cleared to race again, Busch figures to be a regular force in the field.

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Chase Elliott

Current ride: No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

The scoop: Elliott, 2020 Cup Series champion and serial Most Popular Driver award winner, signed a five-year extension with the organization in February, locking the star in through the 2027 season.

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William Byron

Current ride: No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

The scoop: Following his strongest season yet in 2021 and a blistering start to the 2022 season, Byron inked a three-year deal to keep him behind the wheel of the iconic No. 24.

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Brandon Jones

Current ride: No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

The scoop: Jones announced on Sept. 14 he will drive the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series in 2023. This is the ride that will be vacated by Noah Gragson, who is moving up to Cup with Petty GMS Motorsports. Jones, who started his Xfinity career with Richard Childress Racing, makes a return to Chevrolet after being in the Toyota camp since 2018.

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Stefan Parsons

Current ride: Part-time with Alpha Prime Racing (Xfinity Series)

The scoop: Parsons spent the first eleven races of the season in a part-time role with BJ McLeod Motorsports before making the mid-season shift to Alpha Prime Racing in search of more opportunities. He will still compete in the remaining three contracted races with BJMM at Pocono, the Charlotte ROVAL and Martinsville.

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