NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 free agents for 2023
By Asher Fair
Top NASCAR Cup Series free agents for 2023: No. 1 – Kyle Busch
The ultimate focal point of NASCAR Cup Series silly season is still without a deal to compete in the 2023 season, and that is none other than two-time series champion Kyle Busch.
Busch, the only active multi-time Cup Series champion and the winningest active driver (60 wins), entered the 2022 season without a deal to compete in 2023. Ordinarily, an extension would be seen as a formality for a driver of his caliber.
But the 37-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native and Joe Gibbs Racing were shocked to find out that M&M’s had made the decision that they would not be returning to the #18 Toyota in 2023.
Naturally, with sponsorship playing such a crucial role in deciding who gets the chance to compete on Sundays, this announcement has had huge ramifications — even for the sport’s most successful active driver.
Busch stated in April that it could very well be “goodbye” from Joe Gibbs Racing if significant sponsorship isn’t found for the #18 team for 2023, and he all but shut the door on competing elsewhere.
Despite the “Busch to Stewart-Haas Racing?” and “Busch to Trackhouse?” headlines that ensued, it was an admission that made sense, considering the fact that there are no other Toyota seats open and Busch owns a Toyota team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, in the Truck Series. Getting him to switch over his trucks to a new manufacturer would be no small — or cheap — task.
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There have been several promising developments relating to sponsorship for Busch and the #18 team for the 2023 season, and Joe Gibbs has even said that he doesn’t want to rush grandson Ty Gibbs to the Cup Series. But until a deal is signed, Busch remains the sport’s top pending free agent.