The 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season saw a field chock-full of talent be displayed, spanning from the season’s inception at Daytona International Speedway in February to its November culmination at Phoenix Raceway.
If such excitement from a talented 2023 field trickles over, 2024 could be even better.
And deeper.
One of the leaders of the Xfinity cavalcade will be Austin Hill, who returns to the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet after a banner year. 2023 saw the Georgia native tally career-highs in wins (4), top fives (16), top 10s (24), laps led (346) and poles (3) en route to a fifth-place finish in the Xfinity standings, and while the 29-year-old will be a 2024 title frontrunner, the path toward a championship crown will not be without hefty competition.
“There’s a lot of things that have happened in the offseason, obviously a lot of turnover, a lot different drivers going to different teams,” Hill said in a virtual teleconference with the media Tuesday. “Then, you also have some rookies coming in like Jesse (Love), my teammate. So, I think the field is stacked pretty deep, so winning races is gonna be tough each and every week. If you can win a race and go ahead and lock yourself in to know that you’re in the playoffs is gonna be crucial, but we could see a lot of different winners this year.”
To emphasize just how deep the field is, look no further than nine of last season’s 12 Xfinity Series Playoffs drivers returning to the full-time fold in 2024. This competition will have a different flavor to it, too, with three of those nine racing for different manufacturers and teams. Sammy Smith joins JR Motorsports, while Chandler Smith and Sheldon Creed — Hill’s former teammate — set up shop under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner. AJ Allmendinger also returns to Xfinity full-time as driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevy. Then, there’s Shane van Gisbergen, who will race under the Kaulig/Trackhouse moniker on a full-time basis.
Justin Allgaier — whose 4 wins, 15 top fives and 20 top 10s went along with a runner-up result in last year’s title chase — echoed Hill’s sentiment regarding the field’s top-to-bottom length.
“I mean, I say this every year, but I feel like this is the most competitive group of cars that we’ve seen in a long time,” Allgaier said in a virtual teleconference with the media Tuesday. “I mean, I look at drivers switching teams, I look at drivers coming back to the Xfinity series, I look at drivers getting opportunities to come up to the Xfinity series. I look at the drivers that were here last year, I mean, man, I look down the list, and I’m like, you can be first or 20th in points pretty easily. And, you know, I look at the drivers that I feel like are capable of winning races. And I’m like, man, we have 15 or 20 guys, every week that I legitimately feel like have the opportunity to win races.
“I think we’ve got a really, really talented field of drivers that, you know, I want to win races. But man, I mean, honestly, it’s going to be the tallest task we’ve seen in a long time to be able to win races.”
For Hill, the opportunity to build off a strong 2023 — and simultaneously mentor the 19-year-old Love as he progresses through his first full-time Xfinity season — is one worth tackling in full force. And while the 2023 field proved to be deep in its own right, 2024 could provide newer challenges that could make itself apparent within the season’s first handful of contests.
“I think the depth of field is really deep in the Xfinity Series,” Hill said. “I thought it was last year as well in 2023, so I think that it’s gonna be just as deep, maybe even a little deeper this year, you know, with AJ coming back and a few other guys coming in, and who knows what some of the rookies that are coming in, like Jesse, what’s he gonna be able to do. Is he gonna be a contender each and every week on race wins or not? So, I think until we get, I’d say, past the superspeedway races, and we get into Vegas and Phoenix, I think after Phoenix, you’ll kind of see who the players are and how depth of field it is.”
The Xfinity Series opens its season in one week at Daytona on Feb. 17 (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Global television, film star and professional motorsports athlete Frankie Muniz will embrace the next chapter of his professional racing career as he’ll leap to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and attempt to qualify for next Saturday afternoon’s United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway.
Muniz, a NASCAR-owned ARCA Menards Series graduate, is slated to make his Xfinity Series debut aboard the No. 35 Ford Performance Ford Mustang for Joey Gase Motorsports and run a limited Xfinity Series schedule throughout the 33-race season.
“I am very fortunate to have the unwavering support of Ford and Ford Performance through my NASCAR journey, and I am very humbled yet excited to be teamed up with Joey Gase Motorsports to attempt my NASCAR Xfinity Series debut next weekend at Daytona International Speedway,” offered Muniz.
The team also confirmed Friday that the organization has obtained the 25th-place owner points that have been transferred to the No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports team – adding a cushion for Muniz to make his first NASCAR national-series start in the event of inclement weather.
“Joey Gase Motorsports is proud to welcome Frankie to the team,” said Gase, a longtime fixture in the NASCAR garage. “Undoubtedly, he brings a lot of attention to our team and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but throughout the last couple of weeks, I’ve never seen a driver more determined or focused than Frankie.
“He will be an asset to our program this season, and I look forward to joining him as a teammate in our No. 53 National Crime Prevention Council car at Daytona.”
Finishing fourth in ARCA Menards Series points last year in his first full season of stock-car competition, Muniz realizes that jumping to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season will be a huge learning process but insists he is devoted to making the most of his first season in NASCAR’s top-three national series.
Last February, Muniz qualified 16th and finished a competitive 11th in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona. In April, he accelerated his superspeedway craft by delivering a ninth-place result after starting 10th at Talladega Superspeedway.
Fast forward 12 months later, Muniz relies on that experience to aid him toward a productive Xfinity Series debut.
“I know that moving up to Xfinity is a big leap for me, given my limited experience in stock cars,” Muniz said. “I understand the challenges ahead and know it will not always be easy. I want to thank (NASCAR officials) Wayne Auton and Brett Bodine at NASCAR for believing in me and allowing me to compete in the Xfinity Series this season.
“I know that I have an enormous amount to learn, but you won’t find someone more dedicated than I am when it comes to chasing a dream.”
Muniz’s complete 2024 Xfinity Series schedule will be released at a later date.
Editor’s Note: Today’s Team Penske preview concludes NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2024 Cup Series season.
TEAM PENSKE
Manufacturer: Ford Engine: Roush Yates Engines Driver-crew chief pairings: Austin Cindric-Brian Wilson (No. 2), Ryan Blaney-Jonathan Hassler (No. 12), Joey Logano-Paul Wolfe (No. 22)
Team outlook: Team Penske drivers have wrapped up the last two Cup Series championships, with Ryan Blaney’s first title coming on the heels of Joey Logano’s second in 2022. This season, the rest of the Cup garage will be eager to unseat Roger Penske’s organization, which will start the year with the same lineup of key personnel that it had at the end of last season. Blaney will aim to sustain the momentum of the thorough finish to his title campaign, while Logano and Austin Cindric have visions of rebounding after their results tailed off year-over-year in 2023. Team Penske also stands to benefit as one of the groups best equipped to adapt to Ford’s new Mustang Dark Horse body, and a newly-forged technical alliance with Front Row Motorsports – a Ford team on the rise – should only make all parties stronger. All that said, staying on the Cup Series’ top rung has become an increasingly difficult perch to keep, with a tricky playoff system to navigate and the rise in overall parity since the Next Gen stock car’s debut.
AUSTIN CINDRIC, NO. 2 FORD
Experience: Two full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: 24th in final Cup Series standings; 0 wins, 1 top five, 5 top 10s 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 200-1
Outlook: Team Penske and the affiliated Wood Brothers Racing team executed a crew-chief swap before last year’s playoffs in an effort to provide a chemistry boost for both. What the No. 2 team received in the deal was a reunion for Austin Cindric and crew chief Brian Wilson, who together claimed the Xfinity Series championship in 2020. Cindric said their communication and other habits have clicked since their re-pairing for the last 10 races of the year, but the No. 2 team will be under closer scrutiny this season after a subpar 2023. Road-course racing typically has been a strength for the 25-year-old driver, but measurable improvement will need to take place at a variety of tracks to push Cindric back into the top-20 (or better) conversation.
Experience: Eight full seasons plus two partial seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: First in final Cup Series standings; 3 wins, 8 top fives, 18 top 10s 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 15-2
Outlook: Last season will be hard to top for Blaney, who notched the first of his three total wins in a crown-jewel event, collecting a Coca-Cola 600 triumph that snapped a 59-race dry spell. Wins at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway followed when it mattered most, and that pivotal pair of victories in the Cup Series Playoffs helped to secure his title shot. His partnership with crew chief Jonathan Hassler will continue into its third season, but Blaney will have an adjustment to make as veteran spotter Tim Fedewa replaces Josh Williams, who had been in that role since 2015. The Cup Series hasn’t had a repeat champion since Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of five consecutive titles ended in 2010. An encore from Blaney would mean its own slice of history as a first in this playoff format.
Experience: 15 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: 12th in final Cup Series standings; 1 win, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 12-1
Outlook: Logano equaled his top-five and top-10 totals from his title-winning 2022 run last season, but a drop-off in his results was noticeable in other statistical categories – most noticeably in laps led (308, after 784 the previous year) and in wins, down from four in 2022 to just one (Atlanta Motor Speedway in March) last season. Logano’s resulting 12th-place finish in points was his lowest since he missed the 2017 playoff field. He followed that blip with the first of his two Cup Series championships the next season. Logano made a playful jab from the stage at the NASCAR Awards last November, telling teammate Ryan Blaney that 2024 would be “my turn” to claim the title laurels. The remark was made at least partially in jest to laughs from the Nashville crowd, but the all-business undertones suggest a high level of motivation for Logano and the No. 22 team this season.
BOLD PREDICTION: All three Team Penske drivers reach the Cup Series Playoffs, and two advance to the Round of 8. Making this sort of preseason forecast shouldn’t be a singular stretch for either Blaney or Logano but will require a performance jump for Cindric as he enters his third season at the Cup level. That task will likely start in his wheelhouse at road courses, where Cindric scored five of his 13 career Xfinity Series wins, but he will need to build from there at other venues.
Carson Hocevar heads to Daytona for his first attempt at the Daytona 500 (Feb. 19, 4 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) as one of three Cup Series rookies who will compete full-time in the 2024 season. The magnitude and weight of the upcoming Speedweeks and season are not lost on the driver of the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet as he embarks on all the new challenges he will face.
“I haven’t really thought about (Daytona) yet,” Hocevar said in a virtual teleconference with the media Wednesday. “The bigger thing for me is just being in this field, even having a Cup car, period, let alone racing in the Daytona 500. It all just seems so big. I’m just enjoying it. It’s how I was able to go into last year and not be so nervous. I thought it was a win just to be in the field, let alone focusing on performance or expectations.”
Hocevar made nine Cup Series starts in 2023, with his first coming with his now full-time home — Spire Motorsports — when he filled the seat in the No. 7 as Corey LaJoie stepped in for Chase Elliott at World Wide Technology Raceway. Hocevar turned heads that day, racing his way inside the top 15 before a brake issue ended his race early. Hocevar’s best finish of the year came in the No. 42 for Legacy Motor Club at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he finished 11th.
When it comes to racing full-time at NASCAR’s highest level, Hocevar wants to manage expectations for himself and his No. 77 group.
“The goal on our whiteboard is definitely win Rookie of the Year,” Hocevar said. “Spire has two shots at it, but the No. 77 team definitely wants to be that one to get it. We just kind of have the top 20 in mind, really. Whether it is top 20 in points this year or next year, that is sort of my benchmark, at least. I just want to focus on being above a top 20 average in finish or points, which would be a huge gain from last year.
“I don’t really have, you know, ‘I wanna get this many top fives’ or ‘I wanna win the race.’ I don’t have a top-10 goal; I don’t have anything like that. You know, it’s just top 20 in points, then I can look at the end of the year and see if we could’ve gotten to that goal. If we do hit that goal, then we just erase it and move on to the next one.”
When it comes to the aforementioned Rookie of the Year battle, Hocevar will be taking on the new driver of the No. 4 for Stewart-Haas Racing, Josh Berry, but it also comes with some friendly competition between himself and teammate and driver of the No. 71, Zane Smith — a pairing that Hocevar is more apt to take advantage of than speak down on.
“There’s not any trash talk yet,” Hocevar chuckled. “If anything, we’re both putting more pressure our Truck Series guys to perform, you know, I was able to win some races and race in the Championship 4, and (Zane) obviously won a championship and made many Championship 4 appearances. So, we’re more harder on Rajah (Caruth) and (Chase) Purdy, which is fun.
“It’s super cool, you know, I think we’re both benefiting from being with each other, right? We’re both experiencing this for the first time, we’ve both raced against each other. We would laugh about it all the time when we raced trucks, I knew his deal was signed before the public knew, so we would laugh about it all the time. We trash-talked each other more last year because we were competing in the trucks. This year, I think we’re both leaning on each other to be like, ‘Hey, you’re experiencing this too, right?’ I think it has been really beneficial on both ends.”
When it’s all said and done and the dust settles on his rookie campaign, all Hocevar really hopes for at the end of the 2024 Cup Series season is consistency and to get the field talking about the No. 77 team on a more regular basis.
“I plan on racing people pretty hard, but at the same time I know there is that fine line to balance,” Hocevar said. “Luckily, I’ve ran anywhere from fifth to 35th last year. So, I think everyone will kinda know what to expect and have to race the No. 77 a little bit more than they did last year.”
Throughout the 2024 NASCAR season, Ken Martin, director of historical content for the sanctioning body, will offer his suggestions on which historical races fans should watch from the NASCAR Classics library in preparation for each upcoming race weekend.
Martin has worked for NASCAR exclusively since 2008 but has been involved with the sport since 1982, overseeing various projects. He worked in the broadcast booth for hundreds of races, assisting the broadcast team with different tasks. This includes calculating the “points as they run” for the historic 1992 finale — the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The following suggestions are Ken’s picks to watch before the 2024 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
This is the oldest footage of a narrated, documentary-style edited race in the NASCAR Classics archive.
Fifty-five drivers arrived at Daytona Beach to kick off the 1951 season, just the third campaign in NASCAR history.
From Lee Petty to Curtis Turner … to Tim Flock, Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Fireball Roberts, the field was full of Hall-of-Fame-caliber drivers looking to capture the victory. When the checkered flag finally waved, it was Marshall Teague — a former Daytona Beach gas station mechanic — out in front.
Teague, who was named NASCAR’s first treasurer at its first organizational meeting in 1947, had previous success at the track, too. He was credited with leading the first lap during the first race on the course in 1948.
He was victorious while driving his “Fabulous” Hudson Hornet, the first driver to ever win a race in a Hudson. Teague’s early-season triumph led to a streak of momentum for the driver as he went on to win four of the next nine races he entered.
A 26-year-old Richard Petty captured his first of an eventual record-setting seven Daytona 500 victories in 1964.
Petty surprised many with his dominant effort as he led 184 of the race’s 200 laps en route to Victory Lane. It was his 29th career victory, with most of his previous wins coming on short tracks.
His Hemi-powered No. 43 Plymouth’s dominance in the event also started a horsepower war. It was the first race for the new engine and drivers with a Hemi under their hood combined to lead 198 of the race’s 200 laps.
Plymouth’s also captured the first three finishing positions as Jimmy Pardue came home second, while Goldsmith was third.
The victory came during Petty’s first championship season, finally prevailing after previously finishing second in points three times previously.
You can watch these three races and hundreds more by visiting NASCAR Classics.
BOSTON (Feb. 9, 2024) – ’47, a privately held premium sports lifestyle brand, is excited to announce a new licensing affiliation with NASCAR, the No. 1 form of motorsports in the U.S. The two iconic entities have teamed up for an ongoing partnership to deliver best-in-class products bearing some of the most famous intellectual property in motorsports. NASCAR joins the likes of MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and major colleges and universities, to comprise one of the most dynamic rosters of licensed sports apparel and headwear.
“Our partnership will bring premium quality and designs to the passionate NASCAR community,” states Dominic Farrell, president of ’47. “We believe ’47’s heritage of creating best-in-class headwear and apparel is a perfect match for the high expectations of the NASCAR fan.”
“’47 is a brand that resonates with NASCAR fans and whose reach extends well beyond our world, making them a perfect partner to add to the NASCAR fan experience,” said Megan Malayter, managing director of licensing and consumer products at NASCAR. “Their iconic silhouettes, such as the Clean Up, are the ‘go-to’ styles for many and we’re thrilled to expand their NASCAR offerings through this deal.”
’47
Throughout 2024, ’47 plans to create a series of fan engagement moments at several key races, beginning with the DAYTONA 500®, and support the partnership by utilizing content creators, influencers, and celebrities. This NASCAR licensing partnership indicates continued growth for ’47 especially as the brand expands globally and keeps up the momentum with brand collaborations, and new executive hires.
The licensing deal includes premium ’47 headwear and apparel for NASCAR Team Properties, a collectivized licensing trust, and its beneficiary members including NASCAR, NASCAR-owned tracks such as Daytona International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, and more; as well as teams including Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Team Penske, Trackhouse, 23XI Racing, and other fan favorites.
’47’s premium NASCAR apparel and headwear is available for purchase now on 47Brand.com. It will also be available trackside at the DAYTONA 500®. For more information, please visit 47Brand.com.
The NASCAR Cup Series regular season gets underway with the 66th running of the DAYTONA 500®, the Great American Race, on Sunday, February 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Florence Motor Speedway’s IceBreaker is quickly becoming one of Late Model Stock Car racing’s biggest events, having grown exponentially since it was first held at the now-defunct Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2016.
Steve Zacharias, the owner of Florence Motor Speedway, said the creation of the IceBreaker stemmed from the desire to make Myrtle Beach Speedway a year-round facility rather than a track that only operated during the summer months.
“When I first got to Myrtle Beach, Brian Vause, the general manager at Florence now, him and I were trying to grow Myrtle Beach Speedway,” Zacharias said. “We were looking at other events, monster trucks, fairs, car shows. What are things that would make a race track like Myrtle Beach viable throughout the entire season?
“We sat down and brainstormed and looked, at that time nine years ago, the schedule to make sure it didn’t conflict with anything. We figured with Daytona starting to gear up around that time, it might work out to have another race to open the season with.”
The idea turned out better than Zacharias ever could have hoped. The inaugural race drew 22 entrants and was won by Tommy Lemons Jr.
The field included top stars from across the region like future NASCAR Xfinity Series winner Myatt Snider, three-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion Lee Pulliam, Brenden Queen, Deac McCaskill, Chase Purdy and Anthony Alfredo, among others.
“It started off gangbusters. Everybody was into it, and it showed that it had some strength, and we just kind of built on it from there,” Zacharias said. “We just kept trying to grow it, no different than anything we do. Just trying to make it better every single year.”
Even with the closure of Myrtle Beach Speedway in 2020 and the relocation of the event to Florence the next year, the event has only continued to grow in prestige.
“The support from Myrtle Beach Speedway to carry it over and make it a success at Florence, that’s just a credit to the racers and the race fans that helped us continue the legacy of the IceBreaker,” Zacharias said.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 3 Mom N’ Pops Chevrolet, in action during the eighth annual IceBreaker at South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo: Jaylynn Nash/NASCAR)
The 2024 edition of the event has already received more than 31 entries, topping the field of 29 that entered one year ago.
Among the entries are NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., reigning NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National champion Connor Hall, defending event winner Doug Barnes Jr., South Carolina 400 victor Kade Brown and Florence Motor Speedway track champion Matt Cox.
“I had one of the drivers from the (South Carolina) 400, he signed up as he was leaving the 400,” Zacharias said. “He said, ‘I want to be the first on the list. Put me down.’ Everyone considers it one of the big races of the season, so the IceBreaker is now on everyone’s calendar as a big race.”
One of the most notable entrants the last few years is Earnhardt, who spent the early years of his career racing at Florence before he made it to the NASCAR Cup Series. He’s competed in events at Florence four times in the last few years, including the 2023 edition of the IceBreaker.
Having the support of someone like Earnhardt, a staunch supporter of short-track racing in general, has helped the Zacharias continue to grow events like the IceBreaker and the South Carolina 400 into regional crown jewels for Late Model Stock Car competitors hoping to make a name for themselves.
“He has been just an amazing person to work with,” Zacharias said. “Anyone that would listen to me I would talk about how great he is and how into short-track racing he is. It’s an honor just to have a conversation with him, but for him to be spearheading and standing behind all of us right now, we should all be honored that he is keeping us going and making sure that short-track racing is going to be successful.”
Zacharias shares Earnhardt’s love for short-track racing, which is a big reason he purchased Florence following the closure of Myrtle Beach.
Being able to kick off the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series season in the Southeast with an event like the IceBreaker not only helps short-track racing, but it also shows just how dedicated the racers and the fans are as they help breathe new life into local racing.
“We always try to make events as good as they can be for everyone involved,” Zachrias said. “For the success of short-track racing and survival of short-track racing, it takes all of us. It takes the race track, it takes the racer to support it, it takes the fans to support it.
“To have marquee events like this, to start the season off and get the word out about us and what we’re capable of doing and to say we’ve got two of the premier races in the Southeast at one race track at Florence is again a credit to the racers and the fans for making it that way.”
Editor’s Note: Today’s Hendrick Motorsports preview continues NASCAR.com’s countdown of team previews for the 2024 Cup Series season.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Engine: Hendrick Motorsports Driver-crew chief pairings: Kyle Larson-Cliff Daniels (No. 5), Chase Elliott-Alan Gustafson (No. 9), William Byron-Rudy Fugle (No. 24), Alex Bowman-Blake Harris (No. 48)
Team outlook: Half of the storied organization’s drivers entered Phoenix with a shot at winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship. The other duo ended the year without winning a race or making the playoffs. William Byron and the No. 24 team will attempt to prove 2023 was no fluke; Kyle Larson sets sights on a monster year; and 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman eye significant improvement after their respective seasons were shortened due to injuries.
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CHEVROLET
Experience: 10 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: Second in final standings; 4 wins, 15 top fives, 18 top 10s, 2 poles 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 11-2
Outlook: Kyle Larson’s charge back to the Championship 4 in 2023 signified the No. 5 is just as strong as ever. The 2021 champion is due for a whirlwind year in 2024, with plans to complete the Indianapolis 500-Coca-Cola 600 double on Memorial Day Weekend. Those IndyCar plans shouldn’t slow down one of racing’s most versatile figures after a four-win campaign in 2023. With 23 career Cup wins, Larson appears every bit the title threat he was three years ago.
Experience: Eight full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: 17th in final standings; 0 wins, 7 top fives, 15 top 10s 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 17-2
Outlook: Elliott is primed to get back to his winning ways in 2024. Last year was marked by seven absences — six due to injury, one due to suspension — and marked his first winless season since 2017, snapping a five-year streak of victories in the Cup Series and a seven-year streak of playoff appearances. Elliott, the 2020 Cup champion, ended his season with confidence in the No. 9 team’s performance and eyes a steadier campaign ahead.
Experience: Six full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: Third in final standings; 6 wins, 15 top fives, 21 top 10s, 4 poles 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 11-2
Outlook: William Byron’s breakout season in 2023 feels like a precursor for even more success to come. Byron led the NASCAR Cup Series with six wins last year, charging into the Championship 4 and winning the pole for the title race at Phoenix Raceway before ultimately finishing third in points. The 26-year-old enters the year tied with Larson as 11-2 favorites to win the 2024 title. Perhaps it is indeed the 24 in ’24.
Experience: Eight full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series 2023 stats: 20th in final standings; 0 wins, 4 top fives, 10 top 10s, 1 pole 2024 championship odds (DraftKings): 35-1
Outlook: Like Elliott, Alex Bowman is looking to rebound from an unsteady 2023. Although his numbers were similar to his 2022 campaign — four top fives in both years with 12 top 10s in 2022 as opposed to 10 in 2023 — Bowman missed three races due to a back injury suffered while racing a sprint car last spring. Last season marked Bowman’s first winless campaign since 2018 and only season at Hendrick Motorsports without a playoff appearance. The No. 48 team is looking to return to Victory Lane soon and more frequently.
BOUNCE-BACK CANDIDATES: Perhaps this reads as low-hanging fruit, but expect Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman both to return to the playoffs in their scheduled returns to full-time seasons. Neither driver had missed the playoffs in Hendrick equipment prior to their 2023 injuries, and their respective abilities behind the wheel, combined with the team’s top-shelf resources, provide a clear pathway to Victory Lane returns.
