NASCAR
2018 champions Tyler Reddick and Brett Moffitt were among those being honored at the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series Awards in Charlotte. The Championship 4 drivers from each series were in attendance at the year-ending ceremony, and TSJ101NASCAR was able to get exclusive content from each competitor.
Johnny Sauter
Setting career highs in wins, top 5s, and laps led, 2018 was one of Johnny Sauter’s best seasons to date. However, arguably his worst race of the year came in the championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. At the end of this race, he would be 4th in the final championship standings. “To have Homestead unfold the way it did was very very tough. The 2 weeks after it just sucked. When you have a season like we did, you want to capitalize on it, and we didn’t. All in all, it was a great year, but without the championship there is a void.”
The 2016 Truck Series Champion and his GMS Racing team will return for the 2019 season. Sauter, now 40 years old, is a senior member of not only GMS, but also the Truck Series. With a season of domination like his in 2018, expect another fantastic run for the 21 in 2019.
Justin Haley
The youngest of the Truck Series Championship 4, Justin Haley had a year to remember for the 2018 season. He scored his first 3 wins, and survived the Playoffs to make it to Homestead. “I think our results this year surpassed all of our preseason expectations. I wanted to get a win, and then after the win, we just kept clicking off. Not only did we get wins and compete in the final 4, we also ran really well. We had a good top 5 and top 10 streak going too. I was really proud of what the 24 team and everyone at GMS could do with what we had.”
The young driver from Indiana will call a new team and series home for 2019. Haley will move into Xfinity competition. He will take over the 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, competing for Rookie of the Year honors. With how much growth and success Haley had in 2018, the sky truly is the limit for this young driver in the Xfinity Series.
Noah Gragson
Considered by many to be the preseason championship favorite, Noah Gragson used consistency to make it to the championship race. His 2018 season would only have a single trip to victory lane, at Kansas in the spring. However, 2018 was still a successful year to the Las Vegas native, who finished 2nd in the championship. “Short of not winning the title, I think 2018 was still a great year. With myself personally, I just kept improving throughout the entire year. That’s what my main focus was for the year, just ‘how could I better myself?’ Progressing through the year, I felt like I did that and succeeded with my personal goals. I kept having to remind myself don’t measure yourself off of somebody else’s ruler.”
Like several other young racers, Noah Gragson will make a big jump this offseason. The 20 year old will leave Kyle Busch Motorsports and the Truck Series for JR Motorsports. He is replacing Elliott Sadler in the Xfinity Series. In 2018, Gragson made 3 Xfinity starts that saw finishes of 2nd, 4th, and 7th. He will be joining the organization that won the past 2 championships. Gragson will be another fast young driver in a top level ride for next season. We will see how the 1 team fares next year, as their new driver yearns for success.
Brett Moffitt
The Cinderella story, the little team that could, David taking on Goliath; all underdogs similar to Brett Moffitt and the 16 Hattori Racing team’s 2018 championship effort. Earlier this week, it was announced that Moffitt would not be returning to this team. This news comes in spite of 6 wins and the championship this season. “Does the championship make me a hot commodity for other teams? I would say maybe. I’m still waiting on a job offer, so I don’t know. I’d like to think it helps. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t solve all of the issues. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
As of this article’s publication, Brett Moffitt is still without a ride in any series for 2019. Moffitt’s resume is more than adequate for a quality ride in any of NASCAR’s 3 national series. The Iowa native is a former Cup Series Rookie of the Year, has 7 Truck Series wins, and is now a champion. This championship came with a team that wasn’t even planning to compete in every race this season. Even with all of his accomplishments, Moffitt still has not been offered any opportunities to race next year. With Daytona being 10 weeks away, Brett needs to find a team as soon as possible. Stay tuned for any updates regarding Brett Moffitt’s free agency.
Christopher Bell
A historic rookie season in the Xfinity Series had very few low points for Christopher Bell. 7 wins, 20 top 10s, 5 poles, and 5112 laps led make upbarguably the best Xfinity rookie season ever. While Bell didn’t capitalize at Homestead, he was quick to recognize the dominant season he had at Joe Gibbs Racing. “2018 was one of the best years I’ve had in my life. Really ’17 and ’18 both were. To be able to win so many races is what I pride myself over, being a winner. I just have to get a little bit better at Homestead.”
Unlike many of the drivers at the banquet, Christopher Bell is not making any offseason moves. Bell will return to the JGR 20 car in the Xfinity Series for a second year. Bell was the most consistent and winningest driver of 2018. With another year of experience, Bell may be the title favorite for 2019. Expect multiple wins and another Homestead appearance out of the Oklahoma driver next season.
Daniel Hemric
In his second straight appearance in the Xfinity Series Championship 4, Daniel Hemric was hoping to become a first-time winner. Although he leaves the Xfinity Series with 0 wins, Hemric has lots of confidence heading into his rookie year for the Cup Series. “I think expectations for a rookie season can really dampen you or give you something to strive for. A lot of people have their own value of what expectations mean. For me, I just know that I give it everything I’ve got every week. I have faith in the cards falling the right way and everything working out for us. There’s a lot of opportunity with the package change too. Chevrolet has done lots of research and work ahead of next season. I know 1 thing for sure, it’s a good thing to have my name on top of a Cup car next year.”
If not for a few minor issues, Daniel Hemric could have scored 2 or 3 wins throughout the 2018 season. Moving on up into the Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, Hemric is 1 of 4 rookie drivers so far. The 31 team has been a fringe Playoff team for the past few seasons. While Hemric duplicating Ryan Newman’s numbers is a stretch, he still is seen by many as the ROTY favorite. It will certainly be an interesting battle between him and Ryan Preece for this award next season.
Cole Custer
The man who dominated the Homestead race in 2017, Cole Custer was looking to repeat his success as a title contender this time around. Custer was in the unique position last year of winning Homestead, yet not being a Championship 4 driver. This year, Homestead was more intense for him. “Compared to last year, there was more stress and pressure at Homestead. Really I just tried to block it all out. Honestly, I was more prepared this year than I was last year. You just have to figure out a way to block it all out and I think we did. We also ran good, so it wasn’t too much different.”
Despite some silly season rumors of him moving into the Cup Series next year, Cole Custer will stay in the 00 Xfinity Series Ford at Stewart-Haas Racing. With 2 years of experience under his belt, Custer is just one of the many strong drivers who will make up the 2019 Xfinity Series season. With his strength on 1.5 mile tracks, expect him to put up another fight in the Playoffs.
Tyler Reddick
Perhaps the least likely of the Xfinity Championship 4 to win the title, Tyler Reddick and the JR Motorsports 9 team put on an amazing performance at Homestead. Even with this success, Tyler will not be at JRM in 2019. Instead, he will move over to Richard Childress Racing’s Xfinity team. With the championship however, Reddick’s future at RCR could have a few more open doors. “I think as this year has come to a close, and the thoughts of next year are beginning to become more and more present, I would say winning the Xfinity Series championship would definitely be a huge help in making it to the Cup Series. It definitely makes it easier to acquire other sponsors and participating in such an effort.”
Tyler Reddick’s move over to RCR as the defending Xfinity Series champion is a unique move. This transition should put him in a great position to repeat. The dirt racer from northern California truly stunned the racing world in both of his wins in 2018, so look out for him to continue his winning ways in 2019.
Every year, the championship-celebrating banquet marks the end of a long and grueling season of racing. For 2 teams, it’s a moment to reflect on the ultimate accomplishment. But for everyone else, it’s a night of remembering how close they were to the big stage. The ‘what ifs’ constantly remind each other driver of their loss. In just a few short months, these teams will be on track again in Daytona. They will be chasing more wins and championships in 2019. Stay tuned to TSJ101NASCAR for all of your offseason news ahead of Daytona Speedweeks. February will be here before we know it.
