NASCAR silly season could get even crazier in 2023

NASCAR Cup Series silly season got crazy at times in 2022 for the 2023 season, but it could get even crazier when it comes to next year.

There were a number of unexpected confirmations for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season during 2022 silly season.

These moves included but were not limited to Tyler Reddick signing with 23XI Racing for 2024, only to move to the team a year early with Kurt Busch’s retirement, Kyle Busch signing with Richard Childress Racing as Reddick’s replacement, ending a 15-year run with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, and Jimmie Johnson returning to NASCAR as a driver-owner with Petty GMS Motorsports.

Let’s also not forget Aric Almirola changing his mind and deciding to return to Stewart-Haas Racing, despite having announced his retirement, and Ryan Preece, who had been rumored as his replacement, getting a shot with the team anyway, replacing Cole Custer.

But could next year’s silly season be even wilder?

Considering the contract status of a number of top drivers, it very well could be.

Kevin Harvick, who has admitted that the initial plan for him was to retire after the 2021 season, is in the final year of his Stewart-Haas Racing contract, and many believe that he will call it a career, vacating the No. 4 Ford. He has been mentioned as a possible third member of the Fox Sports broadcast booth in 2024.

And while Almirola signed a multi-year extension when he decided not to retire after the 2022 season, that deal reportedly contains an option which would allow him to step away after the 2023 season, a scenario which could leave Stewart-Haas Racing need to fill the No. 10 Ford as well.

Uncertainty abounds at Joe Gibbs Racing as well. Early in the 2022 season, Martin Truex Jr. hinted that he could retire after the season, but he decided to return for another year in 2023. Will he make a similar decision for 2024, or will the 2023 season be his last, leaving the No. 19 Toyota without a confirmed driver?

Then there is Denny Hamlin, who most recently signed a multi-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing before the 2021 season.

Hamlin’s situation has been compared to that of Kyle Busch, in that nobody thinks change is possible, yet sponsorship could prove that perception inaccurate when it’s all said and done.

What does his future hold if FedEx doesn’t re-sign with the No. 11 team? Will he move to 23XI Racing, the team he co-owns with Michael Jordan? Could Joe Gibbs Racing need to fill two seats in 2024?

There are a few other big question marks about some of the younger drivers as well. Alex Bowman is the only Hendrick Motorsports not under contract through at least 2025, and his deal is up after 2023. Will Ally renew their deal with the No 48 team, and will Bowman continue to be the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet?

Daniel Suarez signed a new deal to return to the No. 99 Chevrolet at Trackhouse Racing Team for the 2023 season, but it was only a one-year deal. What does he need to do to solidify a long-term future with the Justin Marks and Pitbull-owned team?

With NASCAR contract terms not always publicized, there are sure to be other interesting developments throughout the 2023 season, including some which nobody would have anticipated.