NASCAR
2022 Cup Series Winners Who Did Not See Victory Lane in 2023
In terms of NASCAR Cup Series parity, 2022 was a very odd outlier of a season. 19 different drivers went to victory lane, including five first-time winners. 10 of these drivers in total were not 2023 winners for one reason or another. Let’s take a look at this group of drivers who have not won in over a year, see their 2023 seasons in review, and chances for them to find victory lane again.
Austin Cindric-71 races
Last win: 2022 Daytona 500 (2/20)
Best 2023 Finish: 4th
Sophomore slumps are a reality in NASCAR, and nobody has better encapsulated that recently than Austin Cindric. The 2020 Xfinity Series champion and 2021 runner-up started 2022 in the best way possible, by winning the Daytona 500. In only career start number eight, Cindric was a Cup Series winner. While he did not return to victory lane at all in 2022, he did have eight more top-10s and finish 12th in points a season ago.
2023 was a noticeable step back for Cindric and the Penske 2 crew. Only one top-five and five top-10s reveal a team that was buried mid-pack for most of the season. Cindric’s lone breakout run came at Talladega in October. He was already an afterthought at this time as a non-Playoff driver.
On the strength of back-to-back Cup titles, Penske cars enter 2024 going for an unprecedented three-peat. Cindric has more than proven his merit on superspeedways and road courses alike; he should have ample opportunities to take another checkered flag.
Chase Briscoe-68 races
Last win: 2022 Phoenix spring (3/13)
Best 2023 Finish: 4th (Twice)
Three weeks after Cindric’s Daytona 500 triumph, another Ford driver broke through for their maiden Cup win at Phoenix. Chase Briscoe returned winning heritage to the Stewart-Haas No. 14. Briscoe converted this into a Round of 8 appearance and was within a few laps of winning the fall Martinsville race.
2023 was a much different story for all of SHR. The Ford powerhouse went winless for the first time in their organization’s history. Briscoe’s team was also hit with a massive penalty after a counterfeit part was found at Charlotte in May. This setback took Briscoe out of any running for pointing his way into the Playoffs. The 14 eventually finished 30th in the standings, with eight top-10s.
The 14’s best result of 2023 came at both Talladega pre-penalty and Martinsville in the fall. SHR is perhaps the group most desperately hoping 2024 and the new Ford Mustang body get here soon. Following three lackluster seasons for this team, a new racecar outline may just deliver better results in 2024.
Alex Bowman-61 races*
Last win: 2022 Las Vegas spring (3/06)
Best 2023 Finish: 3rd (Twice)
Ever since his early 2022 breakthrough win at Las Vegas, injuries have largely defined the past nearly two years for Alex Bowman. The Hendrick No. 48 driver missed five of the last six races in 2022 with concussion-like symptoms. A broken back from a sprint car flip in April also sidelined him for three weeks this year.
Despite leading the championship points before his latest injury, Bowman was unable to find consistent speed or performance upon returning. Two third-place results defined the 48 coming into form early on, with a best post-recovery finish of fifth. Using this offseason to further recuperate his body, Bowman should be ready to contend for many wins again alongside his teammates in 2024.
Kurt Busch-7 races*
Last win: 2022 Kansas spring (5/15)
Did not race in 2023
Another driver sidelined by injuries did not turn a single lap in 2023. Kurt Busch was not one of the 2023 winners, but he never had any opportunity to chase another checkered flag. Only a few weeks after winning Kansas last year, Busch’s NASCAR career came to an abrupt end with a Pocono qualifying crash. The 23XI Racing veteran has been out of the car ever since. The past champion has been trying to rehab a myriad of concussion-like symptoms. He emotionally announced in August 2023 that he was officially retired.
Fallout from Busch’s crash sent safety improvements with the Next Gen car into high gear. Across the entirety of 2023, thankfully no driver had to miss races from a crash injury. This improved safety record is a direct testament to NASCAR’s quick response from Busch’s debilitating incident.
Daniel Suarez-55 races
Last win: 2022 Sonoma (6/12)
Best 2023 Finish: 2nd
The last new winner from 2022 on this list, Daniel Suarez finally conquered the Cup Series at Sonoma. The year and a half since has been a largely uphill battle for the flagship Trackhouse No. 99 Chevrolet though. Their best 2023 finish was second in July’s rain-shortened Atlanta race. Missing a second Playoff run, Suarez would place 19th in points with three top-fives and 10 top-10s.
Suarez’s downturn mirrors a similar return to Earth year for teammate Ross Chastain. While Chastain did win twice, he was noticeably less consistent and slower on a weekly basis. In Trackhouse fashion, Chastain disrupted Phoenix Championship weekend by sneaking in as the finale winner though. Taking a trophy into the offseason, team owner Justin Marks said all of Trackhouse will work diligently to get both cars back in regular contention.
Kevin Harvick-48 races
Last win: 2022 Richmond summer (8/14)
Best 2023 Finish: 2nd
The 4EVER retirement tour for Kevin Harvick did not go out in winning style, but a few victories were snatched away. Harvick held a large lead in the closing laps at Phoenix in the spring, only for a late caution and two-tire calls to beat him out. Harvick’s lone runner-up result came at Darlington in May, where he was in position to win again in September. A pit road error under caution sealed the 4’s fate however.
Kevin Harvick rides off into the proverbial sunset going winless across his last 48 NASCAR Cup Series starts. His final two victories came in back-to-back weeks at Michigan and Richmond in August 2022. This late summer rally put the 2022 Playoffs on their head, securing a berth for team 4. Harvick now moves into a broadcaster role with Fox Sports for 2024. Meanwhile the 4 team will regroup around hotshot late model veteran Josh Berry.
Austin Dillon-45 races
Last win: 2022 Daytona summer (8/28)
Best 2023 Finish: 3rd
Despite starting off strong with a Clash runner-up, pushing his teammate to the Daytona 500 lead, and a California top-10, 2023 fell far short of expectations for Austin Dillon. A lone top-five on Bristol Dirt and seven top-10s characterize the 3 team’s worst Cup season yet. This team was also deflated after a hefty penalty for an illegal part found after Martinsville in April. They never recovered from this and ended 2023 a dismal 29th in points.
Another offseason with Kyle Busch in house at Richard Childress Racing should only raise all ships, including the 3 car. While a miracle win like the 2022 Daytona summer race may not fall out of the sky again, this team is capable of contending on speed. They must have all of the right pieces and circumstances in place though, which did show through on a few instances this season. A win and subsequent sixth Playoff appearance is not out of the cards for Dillon in 2024.
Erik Jones-44 races
Last win: 2022 Southern 500 (9/04)
Best 2023 Finish: 3rd
Perhaps the biggest question mark on this list surrounds Legacy Motor Club in 2024. After Erik Jones’ mammoth Southern 500 win at Darlington in 2022, the newly rebranded team struggled mightily. 2023’s second half saw a big resurgence from both LMC cars though. Jones was able to grab P3 in the Kansas Playoff race, flexing team 43’s muscles on an intermediate oval.
Where doubts lay among this team though is with a manufacturer switch to Toyota. It is yet to be seen how Jones or John Hunter Nemechek will fare in a new situation for 2024. A win by either team may be feasible by the end of this transition season.
Bubba Wallace-43 races
Last win: 2022 Kansas fall (9/11)
Best 2023 Finish: 3rd
Even without a win, 2023 was the best season yet for Bubba Wallace. Year three with 23XI Racing saw the No. 23 Toyota make the Playoffs for the first time. Seemingly with everything but an elusive victory, Wallace wound up 10th in points, a new career-best.
Wallace has gone just over a full year since his last win, the 2022 fall Kansas race. The most recent trip to Texas was Wallace’s best showing of the year. That day the No. 23 started on pole, led a race-high 111 laps, and ultimately finished third. Coming off such a momentum-building year, Wallace should be seen as a regular winning threat in 2024.
Chase Elliott-40 races
Last win: 2022 Talladega fall (10/02)
Best 2023 Finish: 2nd (Twice)
By far the biggest shakeup from 2022 winners to 2023 was seen with Chase Elliott. A season ago, the Hendrick 9 team won a series-best five times, took the Regular Season title, and a Championship 4 berth. This year however, missing races and injury recovery only saw Elliott muster up a few second-place finishes.
Much like aforementioned teammate Alex Bowman, 2023 got off to a hot start for Elliott. He was runner-up in race two from Auto Club. This would be the week prior to a snowboarding injury that kept him sidelined for six weeks however. Elliott also had to sit out Gateway after being suspended for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin at Charlotte. Alas, with seven fewer races than most of his competitors, Elliott was shut out of victory lane. Elliott had been among the winner’s club every year since 2017. 2023 was also the first year of Elliott’s career he failed to make the Playoffs, and his first time finishing outside of the top-10 in points.
2023 was a 10-win season for Hendrick Motorsports. Those winners however only came in the form of the 5 and 24 teams. Both Elliott and Bowman will have pressure to perform early in 2024, as each top-tier driver rides a long losing drought. The 9 team returning to victory lane should come in a matter of time though. A team of this caliber cannot be kept down for long. An offseason’s worth of resetting and going back to the drawing board may guide this team to title contention again.
2022’s whopping winner’s club of 19 was not replicated in 2023, with that total dropping to 15 drivers. This left some of the sport’s biggest names and best teams out of victory lane in a very cutthroat Playoff battle. Hendrick, Stewart-Haas, Trackhouse, RCR, Penske, and 23XI Racing all had cars go 0-36 this season. Almost half of 2022’s Playoff contenders enter 2024 riding a long losing skid. When the new year arrives, it will be very intriguing to see if any of these drivers can become a breakout star again by winning.
Written by Peter Stratta
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