NASCAR: The biggest announcement we are all still waiting for

With the year 2022 underway and the NASCAR season scheduled to begin next month, we are all still waiting on one big announcement.

We are nearly two months into the NASCAR offseason, and the announcement that most fans have been looking for since months before the 2021 season ended in early November at Phoenix Raceway still hasn’t come.

It has been practically a foregone conclusion that Ty Gibbs, who made his Xfinity Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing at the Daytona International Speedway road course last February and drove the “star car” part-time throughout the year, will be promoted to full-time driver.

In 18 starts throughout the 33-race season, Gibbs earned four victories, including one in his series debut.

Let’s also not forget that the 19-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native didn’t just compete in the Xfinity Series in 2021; he also won the ARCA Menards Series championship with 10 wins in 20 starts last year, and he went four for four in his ARCA Menards Series East starts and two for two in his ARCA Menards Series West starts.

Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing’s three full-time Xfinity Series drivers combined for just one win in 99 series starts.

That lone win did happen to be the season-ending and championship-clinching victory for Daniel Hemric. But Hemric is set to vacate the #18 Toyota and replace the Cup Series-bound Justin Haley at Kaulig Racing behind the wheel of the #11 Chevrolet.

Meanwhile, Harrison Burton is set to vacate the #20 Toyota and move up to the Cup Series as the replacement for Matt DiBenedetto behind the wheel of the #21 Ford at Wood Brothers Racing.

Brandon Jones is set to continue driving the #19 Toyota for a fifth season.

Joe Gibbs Racing have confirmed that they will be downsizing from four cars to three for the 2022 season. With plans to continue running the “star car”, this means that there is still one full-time seat to fill alongside Jones.

Gibbs is a literal shoo-in for that car. Yet still we wait for an official announcement from his grandfather’s team.

In fact, despite this lack of a confirmation, Interstate Batteries have already signed on to serve as the primary sponsor of Gibbs for three races.

But there is one thing we still don’t know: car number. What number will Gibbs use for his full-time entry, and what number will be used for the “star car”, which could see a whole new set of drivers in 2022 with Gibbs as a full-time driver and Kyle Busch having retired from Xfinity Series competition?

The 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, February 19 with the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. 300 at Daytona International Speedway. This race is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET.