Ryan Blaney won the championship at Phoenix while the season brought a wet weather package, a wall-riding ban and the All-Star Race's return to North Wilkesboro.
The 2023 season, the 75th campaign of the top division in America, closed with Ryan Blaney of Team Penske winning the title at Phoenix. Its rule changes included a wet weather package, a wall-riding ban and new penalties and road course rules.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series marked the 75th year of top-level stock car racing in America and the 52nd of the modern Cup era. It opened in Los Angeles with the Busch Light Clash and closed at Phoenix Raceway on November 5, when Ryan Blaney of Team Penske took the title. The year also brought a wet weather package, a ban on wall-riding and an All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro.
Who won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship?
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney took the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship after finishing second in the final race at Phoenix Raceway. Ross Chastain won that race after leading 157 laps, and Blaney's runner-up finish was enough to take the crown.
Blaney's title came after a season in which Martin Truex Jr. of Joe Gibbs Racing had already secured the regular-season championship at Daytona. The playoff rounds then decided the title, and Blaney was the last driver left at the top of the table.
Chevrolet claimed its 42nd Manufacturers' Championship before the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. Kevin Harvick, who had announced his retirement in January, finished seventh in his final race at Phoenix.
A title decided at Phoenix, a wet weather package for short tracks and a wall-riding ban that changed how drivers used the walls.
What rule changes came in 2023?
The 2023 rule changes covered weather, safety and penalties. A wet weather package for short tracks added wipers and rain tyres, NASCAR reinforced the rear of the Next Gen car, and the rule tying playoff entry to a top-30 standing was removed.
The wet weather kit paired a wiper blade with flaps behind the wheels, tail lights and rain tyres. It was confirmed on January 31, 2023, with packages set for the Coliseum, Martinsville, New Hampshire, North Wilkesboro, Richmond, the Chicago Street Course and Phoenix Raceway.
NASCAR also outlawed wall-riding, the move Ross Chastain had used during the 2022 Xfinity 500. The ban was enforced through rules that already existed. Loose wheel penalties were cut to a two-lap penalty and a two-race suspension for crew members, rather than a four-race suspension for the crew chief.
How did road course and playoff rules change?
Stage break cautions were dropped at road course races, although stage points still counted on set laps. The Charlotte ROVAL playoff race was an exception, and it kept stage-end cautions after only one caution had flown at each of the previous two road course events.
The choose cone rule, first used in 2020, was extended to plate, superspeedway and dirt races. Road courses were added to that group in a March 9, 2023 announcement, so the rule applied across the schedule.
What schedule changes shaped the 2023 season?
The calendar added the Chicago Street Course, moved the All-Star Race to North Wilkesboro and shortened two races to cut their running times. The Texas event was reduced to 400 miles, and the Atlanta race was shortened from 500 miles.
The All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro was the first Cup race on that track since 1996. The Busch Light Clash returned to the Coliseum for a second year, and Auto Club Speedway's 2-mile layout hosted its final season before the track was reconfigured as a short track.
How did the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro unfold?
The Open at North Wilkesboro was won by Josh Berry, who held off Ty Gibbs, while Gibbs and Noah Gragson advanced through the fan vote. Daniel Suarez started the All-Star Race from pole, and Stenhouse spun early, after contact with Jones.
Kyle Larson dominated the main event, holding off Bubba Wallace to take the $1 million first prize. It was his third All-Star win, and his third in five years, a run that marked him as one of the most consistent performers in the exhibition event.
What were the key races of the 2023 season?
The season opened with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning the Daytona 500 in overtime. Kyle Busch won the Pala Casino 400 for Richard Childress Racing, his first win with the team. William Byron then won at Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Texas and The Glen, and the Glen win was his fifth of the season.
Kyle Busch won the GEICO 500 at Talladega, his first win at the track since 2008. Martin Truex Jr. snapped a 54-race winless streak at Dover, and Denny Hamlin drew level with Tony Stewart on the all-time list at Kansas, a race that also gave Joe Gibbs Racing its 400th win.
Ross Chastain won the Ally 400 at Nashville, while Shane van Gisbergen took the Chicago Street Course race on his NASCAR debut. Van Gisbergen was the first driver to win on debut since Johnny Rutherford in 1963, a result that drew wide attention from the series.
Race winners at a glance
| Race | Track | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
| Las Vegas | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | William Byron |
| Phoenix | Phoenix Raceway | William Byron |
| Talladega | Talladega Superspeedway | Kyle Busch |
| Dover | Dover Motor Speedway | Martin Truex Jr. |
| Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Ryan Blaney |
| Chicago Street Course | Chicago Street Course | Shane van Gisbergen |
| Pocono | Pocono Raceway | Denny Hamlin |
| Darlington | Darlington Raceway | Kyle Larson |
| Homestead | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Christopher Bell |
| Phoenix (finale) | Phoenix Raceway | Ross Chastain |
Which drivers earned surprise or long-awaited wins?
Several drivers earned their first or long-awaited wins in 2023, including Tyler Reddick with 23XI Racing, Michael McDowell at the Brickyard and Chris Buescher, who won three times in five races. Each result shaped the playoff picture in a different way and kept the season's storylines moving.
Reddick's first win came at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The race went to overtime, and he pulled away on the third restart to take the victory for his new team.
McDowell's Brickyard win came at the Verizon 200, where he held off Chase Elliott to score his second career victory.
Buescher's three wins came at Richmond, at Michigan and at Daytona. The Daytona race ended with him and Brad Keselowski finishing first and second for the same team, and the Richmond win locked Buescher into the playoffs.
How did the Hendrick and Joe Gibbs teams fare?
Hendrick Motorsports had a productive year, with William Byron winning five races and taking the 300th Cup victory for the company at Texas. Penalties after the Phoenix race hit the Hendrick teams hard, with a 100-point loss and 10 playoff points at stake.
Those penalties followed a fine of $100,000 for illegally modifying hood louvers before practice. Denny Hamlin was fined $50,000 and lost 25 points after deliberately wrecking Chastain on the final restart.
Joe Gibbs Racing had a strong run of its own, and the organisation had a busy and productive season. Kyle Busch won at Talladega, and Hamlin matched Tony Stewart's career win total at Kansas. That Kansas win also gave the team its 400th victory.
What happened at the Chicago Street Course?
The Chicago Street Course race was one of the most eventful of the year, and it gave Shane van Gisbergen his NASCAR debut win. Erik Jones locked his brakes on the first lap and collided with Brad Keselowski, who slid into Noah Gragson; all three ended up in the tyre barriers.
Several cars were caught out on the restarts, and Christopher Bell and Austin Dillon were both involved in collisions with the walls. The race went to overtime, and van Gisbergen held off Justin Haley on the final restart to take the win.
How did the 2023 playoff rounds unfold?
The playoff rounds produced some of the year's most dramatic results. At Darlington, Kyle Larson won the race after the track lights failed to come on at dusk, while Denny Hamlin, who had swept the stages, was hurt by a loose wheel.
At Kansas, Tyler Reddick went three-wide to pass Joey Logano and Erik Jones for the win, after Martin Truex Jr. had suffered a broken suspension early in the race.
At Bristol, Christopher Bell took his third straight pole, and the race turned when Corey LaJoie spun into Joey Logano. That put Logano out of contention and dashed his bid to repeat as champion, while Denny Hamlin took the win.
At Talladega, Ryan Blaney edged Kevin Harvick to the line. Post-race inspection later found a problem with Harvick's car, and he was disqualified and classed last.
How did the Championship Race at Phoenix unfold?
The finale at Phoenix was decided by Ross Chastain's late win, with Ryan Blaney finishing second and clinching the title. Chastain led 157 laps on his way to the win, and that second place was all Blaney needed for the title.
William Byron started from pole and led every lap of the first stage. On lap 109, Christopher Bell hit the wall hard after a brake rotor failure, which ended his title bid early in the race.
Kyle Busch spun on lap 276, which created a late restart, and Chris Buescher won the second stage. On lap 292, Blaney passed Kyle Larson for second place, which moved him into the lead of the championship standings.
Harvick finished seventh in his final full-time race, closing out a long career at the front of the sport. The championship went to Blaney, and Team Penske added the title to a season built on consistent finishes.
How did the regular season finish?
The regular season ended at Daytona in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, where Martin Truex Jr. won the first stage and clinched the regular-season championship. Bubba Wallace took the final playoff place, beating Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman to it.
The race was dramatic in its closing laps. On the final lap of stage two, Ty Gibbs lost control of the lead after Christopher Bell pushed him at turn four, which caused a multi-car crash. Brad Keselowski won the stage.
Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski drove past Kevin Harvick in overtime to finish first and second. That result gave Buescher his third win in five races and carried the year's surprises into the playoffs.
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}