Following two confirmations earlier in the offseason, there are still three teams with open seats for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Joe Gibbs Racing made the long-awaited announcement that reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs is set to be promoted to the organization’s Cup Series team as the replacement for the Richard Childress Racing-bound Kyle Busch, albeit behind a renumbered #54 Toyota instead of Busch’s #18 Toyota.
Stewart-Haas Racing followed that up by confirming a driver change of their own, announcing that reserve driver Ryan Preece is set to replace Cole Custer behind the wheel of the #41 Ford next year, with Custer dropping back down to the Xfinity Series to join Riley Herbst following three seasons at the Cup level.
Both Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing have completely solidified their four-car lineups for the 2023 season, meaning that there are just three teams that need to fill seats for next year.
Interestingly enough, these three teams have not confirmed anybody whatsoever. All of their seats, five in total, remain open. Here are those three teams.
NASCAR teams that still need drivers: No. 1 – Front Row Motorsports
No changes are expected at Front Row Motorsports in 2023, with Michael McDowell likely returning for a sixth season behind the wheel of the #34 Ford and Todd Gilliland likely coming back for a second season behind the wheel of the #38 Ford. Nevertheless, no confirmations have been made, which isn’t unusual for the Bob Jenkins-owned team at this point in the year.
Truck Series driver Zane Smith had been discussed as a possible replacement for either driver, but he is instead set to run select Cup Series races, including the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, in a third entry. He is also set to continue competing full-time in the Truck Series in an attempt to defend his 2022 championship.
NASCAR teams that still need drivers: No. 2 – Rick Ware Racing
Like Front Row Motorsports, Rick Ware Racing have two seats open for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. They ran two cars, the #15 Ford and the #51 Ford, during the 2022 season after downsizing from four following the 2021 season.
Like Spire Motorsports and Kaulig Racing, they ran one car for a full-time driver and another car for a rotation of drivers this past year. Cody Ware, son of team owner Rick Ware, drove the #51 Ford full-time, while J.J. Yeley, Garrett Smithley, Joey Hand, David Ragan, Ryan Preece, and Parker Kligerman split time behind the wheel of the #15 Ford.
While Spire Motorsports and Kaulig Racing have both opted for two full-time drivers in the 2023 season, however, it is unlikely that Rick Ware Racing will change to this approach next year.
Cody Ware is expected to return for another season, though the future is less certain for the team’s other entry, especially after the #15 team finished in the bottom three among the 36 charter teams in the owner standings for the second consecutive season. Another finish outside the top 33 in 2023 would give NASCAR the ability to repossess its charter.
Will Rick Ware Racing continue to field two full-time entries in 2023, or will they part ways with one of their two charters? It certainly seems like they will keep two cars, especially after forming a new technical alliance with RFK Racing.
NASCAR teams that still need drivers: No. 3 – Live Fast Motorsports
Live Fast Motorsports is another team that regularly comes up when it comes to potential charters being on the move, as the #78 team finished in 36th (last) place among the charter teams in the 2022 owner standings.
There is little reason to believe that the B.J. McLeod and Matt Tifft-owned team will be able to jump three spots in 2023, though the fact that the 2022 season was only their first finish outside of the top 33 could play to their advantage. They placed 31st in their first season back in 2021.
McLeod has been the primary driver of the #78 Ford since the team joined the Cup Series last year, driving the car in all oval races except for the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway.
In 2022, that meant McLeod competed in 29 of 36 races on the schedule. Josh Williams drove the car in the dirt race, and Williams, Kyle Tilley, Andy Lally, and Scott Heckert all spent time behind the wheel for the six road course races, with Williams and Tilley running two each and Lally and Hecker running one each.
Who will ultimately get the call to drive these five cars at these three teams during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season? The big question marks appear to surround Rick Ware Racing and Live Fast Motorsports, the teams that occupied 34th, 35th, and 36th in the 2022 owner standings.