NASCAR: All 36 cars now have drivers for 2023
By Asher Fair
All 36 chartered entries now have at least one confirmed driver for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, including the two that won’t be driven by full-time drivers.
Rick Ware Racing confirmed that Riley Herbst is set to pilot the No. 15 Ford in the superspeedway races on the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway later this month.
This is an announcement that many saw coming after a Reddit post indicated that Ware’s plans were for the Stewart-Haas Racing Xfinity Series driver to run a partial Cup Series schedule for the first time in his career.
With the formal confirmation of the 23-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native’s deal, all 36 chartered entries have at least one driver confirmed for the 36-race season.
Of the 36 chartered entries, 34 are set to be driven by full-time drivers, including Rick Ware Racing’s other car. Cody Ware is set to drive the No. 51 Ford full-time for the second consecutive season.
Two cars that weren’t driven by full-time drivers last year are set to be driven by full-time drivers this year. Those two cars are the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by A.J. Allmendinger, and the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, which is set to be driven by Ty Dillon.
Aside from the No. 15 Ford, there is just one chartered car set to be shared by multiple drivers throughout the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
That car is the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet. Team co-owner B.J. McLeod drove the car, then a Ford, in all of the oval races, except for the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway, in the team’s first two seasons in the sport. McLeod and Josh Bilicki have been confirmed for select races in 2023.
Given the races in which Bilicki is set to compete behind the wheel of the No. 78 Chevrolet, McLeod’s schedule looks as though it will be slightly different in 2023, but a full schedule hasn’t been announced.
There are still several dozen races throughout the 2023 season for which the No. 15 Ford and the No. 78 Chevrolet do not have drivers, but now all 36 chartered entries have at least one confirmed driver.
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The 65th annual Daytona 500 is set to be broadcast live on Fox from Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 19 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.