NASCAR
Drivers Who Earned a Best Cup Series Championship Result in 2023
Of the 32 full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers in 2023, 10 of them earned a career-best finish in the final points standings. This list includes half of the Round of 8 Playoff drivers, highlighted by the eventual champion. Each driver on this list can make the claim that 2023 was their career year. 2024 should see all of these drivers likewise aim even higher. The following drivers are each hungry in their quest for wins and the Bill France Cup.
Ryan Blaney – First
This list of championship best drivers is rightly punctuated by the driver holding the 2023 Bill France Cup. An incredible six-week stretch to close out the Playoffs ended with Ryan Blaney being crowned Cup Series champion. This streak saw the Penske No. 12 Ford find victory lane twice and finish second twice.
Blaney’s previous best championship result was seventh, coming in two of the last four years. 2024 is now uncharted territory for Blaney as defending champion. Can he possibly repeat his incredible closing run?
William Byron – Third
Seen by many as 2023’s breakout star was William Byron. The Hendrick No. 24 Chevrolet returned to weekly prominence and frontrunning status not seen since Jeff Gordon. Byron took the big leap from regular winner to championship favorite, collecting six wins and his first Championship 4 berth. Byron’s highly-touted ability promoted since his rookie year in 2018 finally came to fruition in 2023.
Ultimately finishing third at Phoenix netted Byron a championship runner-up, besting his sixth-place showing in 2022. Byron will certainly be favored to make another deep Playoff run in the coming year. Team 24 will attempt to win it all in 2024.
Tyler Reddick – Sixth
Part of a renewed 23XI Racing No. 45 team, Tyler Reddick experienced his best season yet in 2023. While his win total dipped from 2022’s trifecta, he came to life during the postseason with five top-10s. Reddick had not previously made it past the Round of 16. This year the Toyota newcomer made it all the way to the Elite Eight.
Sixth is a big stepping stone for the still-young team at 23XI, with Reddick giving them two tide-turning victories. Reddick remains a threat on seemingly every road course imaginable, with his early victory coming in COTA domination. Reddick’s postseason was also highlighted by a Kansas triumph. This marked the third win across four races at this track for the No. 45. A lack of Playoff points and a poor Martinsville showing is what kept the 45 out of Phoenix. A few more regular season victories in 2024 could lead this team to another long championship run.
Chris Buescher – Seventh
By all measures, Chris Buescher had a career-best season in 2023. The RFK Racing No. 17’s march to seventh in points was punctuated by three late-summer trips to victory lane. A Playoff berth and an outside shot at the Cup soon became their new reality. Buescher survived past two rounds of elimination, coming within one race of the Championship 4.
The 17 was voted by the fans as 2023’s Most Improved Driver of the season. Few if any had a hat-trick of wins on the Texan’s bingo card. After finding success on a short track, an intermediate, and a superspeedway, Buescher is poised for much greater highs in 2024. RFK Racing definitely shifted their expectations after Buescher’s incredible summer surge. If this performance returns in 2024, perhaps a title finale appearance is in the cards.
Bubba Wallace – 10th
Even without a victory for the first time in two years, 2023 still saw improvements for Bubba Wallace. The flagship team at 23XI Racing made their maiden Playoffs, ending up 10th in points. Wallace himself classified this season as a letdown by going 0-36. A top-10 points run is nothing to overlook though. 23XI Racing earning two of these positions is a big milestone for the third-year organization. Wallace must be able to secure a regular season win and accumulate Playoff points. By achieving these goals, he could be a serious Round of 8 threat or more in the future.
Michael McDowell – 15th
The last Playoff driver on this list, Michael McDowell converted a second postseason showing to a career-best points finish. A clutch win on the Indy Road Course in August put Playoffs in his front view. The Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford wound up 15th in the final standings.
Eight top-10s and a win with a new crew chief (Travis Petersen) are both notable accomplishments. This pairing in their second year together will be looking to be more consistent. Team 34 will be envisioning a step forward into the second postseason round.
Ty Gibbs – 18th
Coming into 2023 with much anticipation from his Xfinity Series championship, Ty Gibbs had a quietly strong rookie campaign. The 21-year-old earned 10 top-10s, including a run of four-straight in the spring. Sprinkled in were four top-fives as well, including a career-best finish of fourth on the Charlotte Roval.
Gibbs’ path to the title a season ago was marred with seemingly weekly controversy and negative attention. That narrative was largely silenced this year. A much more refined and respectful driver was on display in the No. 54 Toyota. Gibbs was satisfied with how his rookie year learning curve turned out, despite narrowly missing the Playoffs.
After coming within striking distance of the postseason, the Playoffs are goal number one for Gibbs in 2024. The Monster Energy colors will likely be a winning threat on more than one occasion. Momentum and maturity both seem to be trending upward for Gibbs.
Ryan Preece – 23rd
Year one in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Ford quite literally had highs and lows for Ryan Preece. This team started out 2023 strong, leading laps late in the Busch Light Clash. Preece’s next prime showing would be at Martinsville, starting on pole and pacing the field for 135 laps.
Preece’s 2023 will likely live on in infamy, however, for his violent flipping crash at Daytona in August. Preece was thankfully healthy enough to race the next week, but not as a Playoff contender. Finishing 23rd in the championship does beat Preece’s previous best result (26th). Stewart-Haas and Ryan Preece alike may find renewed high performance in 2024. They are one of the teams most eager for the debut of the new Mustang Dark Horse body style.
Corey Lajoie – 25th
Spire Motorsports and Corey Lajoie doubled down on their top-10s for 2023, picking up three across all drafting tracks. Lajoie improved his best Cup Series result to fourth in the spring Atlanta race. This result would be equaled at Talladega in the fall. The No. 7 was also in the running for a top-16 berth to start off the year. Finishing 25th in the standings is a big leap forward for this team.
Even with high anticipation, Lajoie’s one substitution start in the Hendrick No. 9 did not go as planned. The fill-in role ended with a bleak 21st-place run at Gateway. Lajoie does enter 2024 with a pair of rookie teammates, who may challenge him for top dog status within Spire. The veteran presence amongst this expanding team is an entirely new role for Lajoie. It will be interesting to see if he can take the next step into a regular top-10 threat.
Todd Gilliland- 28th (Tied)
The sophomore slump was seemingly nonexistent for Todd Gilliland, having a 2023 season eerily reminiscent of his rookie campaign. Gilliland ended up at the exact same spot in the final points (28th), but with twice the amount of top-10s (four).
There is one stark difference between 2022 and 2023 for Gilliland. In 2023, the third-generation star had to share the No. 38 Ford with Zane Smith. For five races, Gilliland was forced to compete in a Rick Ware Racing entry. Gilliland’s high point in their car was 23rd on the Charlotte Roval.
Gilliland did ink a contact extension with Front Row Motorsports, keeping him in the 38 for the entirety of 2024. Thanks to FRM believing in Gilliland over Smith, the 38 could be right alongside Michael McDowell in finding more consistency in 2024.
In 2023, six Playoff drivers achieved their best championship results ever. In comparison, a record of eight postseason drivers accomplished this feat last season. However, this variability among title threats demonstrates the continued parity with the Next Gen car in its second year. No one team has mastered this car to a consistently dominant level. Several organizations rather ebb and flow up front over the course of a season. Can this trend continue in 2024? Will we see more new drivers rise up into championship contention?
Written by Peter Stratta
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