NASCAR: Full-time driver changes for the 2023 season

Several changes were made to the full-time NASCAR Cup Series lineup for the 2023 season. Here’s a look at the differences from 2022 to 2023.

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to get underway in just under one week with the 65th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

But before the official season-opening Great American Race on Sunday, February 19, action got underway two Sundays ago with the annual Busch Light Clash preseason exhibition race at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

There are 33 drivers who are set to compete on a full-time basis throughout the 2023 season after 32 drivers competed full-time during the 2022 season, though five of those 32 drivers missed times during the year.

But there was far more than just one changes in the driver lineup from the 2022 season to the 2023 season, as just 26 of the 33 full-time drivers in the 2023 lineup competed full-time with the same teams last year.

Here is a brief look at all the changes to the full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup for the upcoming 36-race campaign.

NOTE: (R) means rookie.

Front Row Motorsports

No. 38 Ford

• IN: Zane Smith (R, part-time)
• OUT: Nobody, but Todd Gilliland no longer set to drive full-time

Joe Gibbs Racing

No. 54 Toyota

• IN: Ty Gibbs (R)
• OUT: Car has been renumbered from No. 18

No. 18 Toyota

• IN: Car has been renumbered to No. 54
• OUT: Kyle Busch

Kaulig Racing

No. 16 Chevrolet

• IN: A.J. Allmendinger
• OUT: Car was driven by multiple part-time drivers (A.J. Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, and Daniel Hemric

Legacy Motor Club (formerly Petty GMS Motorsports)

No. 42 Chevrolet

• IN: Noah Gragson (R)
• OUT: Ty Dillon

Richard Childress Racing

No. 8 Chevrolet

• IN: Kyle Busch
• OUT: Tyler Reddick

Spire Motorsports

No. 77 Chevrolet

• IN: Ty Dillon
• OUT: Car was driven by multiple part-time drivers (Landon Cassill, Josh Bilicki, Mike Rockenfeller, and Justin Allgaier)

Stewart-Haas Racing

No. 41 Ford

• IN: Ryan Preece
• OUT: Cole Custer

23XI Racing, Toyota

No. 45 Toyota

• IN: Tyler Reddick
• OUT: Kurt Busch

Fox is set to broadcast the 65th annual Daytona 500 live from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 19. If you have not yet begun your free trial of FuboTV, do so now!