NASCAR
Four First-Time Winners in 2022 Xfinity, Truck Series Seasons
Across both the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series in 2022, a quartet of drivers earned their maiden triumph. Three of these first wins came on superspeedways, with one coming in the season-opening Daytona Speedweek. Where can all of these drivers ascend to in 2023 now as proven winners? Let’s take a look back at each of their first career wins.
Austin Hill
2022 started off perfect for Austin Hill. As an Xfinity Series rookie with Richard Childress Racing, Hill was expected to win early and often. RCR hired Hill after he put up three winning years in the Truck Series. That is exactly what he did from the outset of the year, taking the first victory at Daytona in the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner 300. This victory came after a scary last-lap crash that saw Myatt Snider go airborne into the catchfence. The race-ending caution flew just after Hill edged ahead of AJ Allmendinger for the win.
Hill’s winning ways were not done at Daytona, as the Georgia native also took victory at his home track in July. The 21 paced the field for the final 63 laps in Atlanta, as nobody could pass Hill late. With two wins, Hill was the sixth seed for the 2022 Playoffs. Hill was the dominant car in the fall Talladega race, but came up short there. Driver 21 will eye retribution at the Alabama track that’s been very kind to RCR over the years.
While he did not find victory lane again, Hill did secure Rookie of the Year honors. Amazingly, Hill was the only Xfinity Series driver to record a first career win in 2022. Finishing sixth in the final standings, the 21 will return for 2023 and be seen as a strong title threat.
Corey Heim
In the March Atlanta race weekend, another Georgia driver took a Peach State win. The Truck Series race saw 19-year-old Corey Heim pick up the victory in only career start number five. Heim’s win was a bit controversial at the time, as he made a last-lap pass over Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate and championship contender Chandler Smith. Smith was none too happy with being hung out to dry by Heim and their other teammate John Hunter Nemechek. Regardless, it was all smiles in the No. 51 camp.
Heim would see victory lane again at Gateway in June. Ironically enough, this win came thanks to a push from Chandler Smith. In just nine career starts, Heim would record two Truck Series triumphs.
With KBM no longer a Toyota team, Heim moves on to the reorganized TRICON Garage for 2023. Now piloting the No. 11, Heim has to be seen as a championship favorite. Expect the Toyota young gun to be a contender all season long, competing in his first full-time season.
Ty Majeski
Skipping ahead to September, the next Truck Series first-time winner took a Championship 4 berth. After being painfully close to checkered flags all season long, Ty Majeski finally put everything together at Bristol. Being the Round of 8 opener for the Trucks, this win meant the 66 was going to Phoenix to fight for the title.
It was of little shock to see Majeski win at Bristol, being the short track ace he is in late models. What was surprising was to see the Thorsport truck win again just two races later at Homestead. On paper Majeski appeared to be going to Phoenix with all momentum possible, thanks to two of the last three wins. However, this did not translate into on-track luck in the finale. The 66 spun from third place late, having to settle with a 20th-place result.
This Thorsport team returns for another shot at the championship in 2023. If consistency delivered Majeski to the Round of 8 and clutch wins put him in the Championship 4, then more wins appear to be on the horizon for this Wisconsin driver.
Matt DiBenedetto
Sandwiched between Majeski’s two Round of 8 wins was Talladega, seeing a very popular first-time Truck Series winner. As Trucks went sliding everywhere coming to the checkers, a caution flew just before the leaders took the flag. When the field was frozen, the No. 25 of Matt DiBenedetto was ahead by a bumper. Though DiBenedetto was not first to the line, he still earned his first NASCAR win at Talladega. Shockingly, this was the first lap ever led in Truck Series competition by DiBenedetto, as the underdog Rackley WAR team took their first victory.
DiBenedetto has endured many heartbreaks throughout his career. That has all culminated in him becoming a NASCAR winner on one of racing’s biggest stages. A few of those painstakingly close defeats came at the Alabama track, so it is fitting his first win came here. If this little team upset once as winners, then they easily can again in 2023.
2022 for both the Xfinity and Truck Series was a weekly guessing game of who would win, with plenty of surprises. The Xfinity Series is bound to look very different in 2023, with the three winningest drivers all moving onto Cup. Likewise in the Trucks, Craftsman returns as title sponsor and plenty of young talent look for their first wins in the new year.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Sean Gardner and Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
