The 2023 season is starting to take shape. There are now only 3 teams who have not accounted for their drivers for next year. The NASCAR Cup season looks like it is hotting up and we already can’t wait for next season to begin. But who is in line to star, and who is likely to miss out? We discuss all in the following article:
Who is retaining and returning to their seats?
In what was not a surprise to us, Justin Haley is returning to the Number 31 Chevrolet, whilst A.J. Allmendinger is looking like he is set to become the full-time of the Number 16 Chevrolet. Interestingly, Corey LaJoie has been announced as returning to his Number 7 Chevrolet, and Ty Dillon is set to become the full-time driver of the Number 77 Chevrolet. Some big moves happening in NASCAR!
Who’s driving for Front Row Motorsports?
So basically, this just means there are now three teams where we don’t know who will be racing for them. Although in some cases, this isn’t a surprise. Front Row Motorsports are well known for not announcing their line-ups for the upcoming season until late in the year. For some reason, they like to keep their cards close to their chests.
However, what we do know is that the team has not gone a single season without making a driver change since way back when in 2004! So, does this mean that a change is on the horizon and that is why they haven’t announced their driver line-up yet? Not necessarily. In fact, this season is set to be the announcement that bucks that trend. Todd Gilliland and the classy Michael McDowell are actually both expected to return to Front Row Motorsports next year.
It is a tactical switch for the team to go away from what they know and stick with consistency. Only time will tell to see if this is the right decision. The reason this rumor and expectation has surfaced is thanks to Zane Smith’s decision to sign a new multi-year contract with a Truck Series program. That is what many pundits were speculating would be the change for Front Row.
Have there been any changes for Live Fast Motorsports?
Live Fast Motorsports only have one car so changes are few and far between. They’ve not long been in NASCAR racing in fact, only entering in 2021. Last year they retained their driver team as they believed they had found a formula that worked. In what may be a surprise to non-NASCAR followers, the team’s co-owner was actually one of their drivers. Yes, team co-owner B.J. McLeod made waves on the circuit when he drove all of the oval races in the Number 78 Ford. However, he did skip the first race and of course the road course races.
Whilst this may sound harsh, there is not much expected of the team anyway and the owners do seem to be in it for the fun of it. Matt Tifft and McLeod enjoy having a team in NASCAR and don’t seem to want to splash the cash on expert drivers. It won’t be a surprise to see McLeod reveling behind the wheel next year as they fight it out near the back of the pack. But what is a sport if it is not for having fun? It’s the same with gambling, as long as you do it right, it is always a bit of fun!
Speaking of gambling, if you do fancy your chances against the machines or see yourself as a bit of a Speedway extraordinaire, it’s always worth looking around at online casinos and seeing which sites would suit you best. Live Fast Motorsports may not be the worst team in the pack as we go on to discuss, but they wouldn’t be someone that punters will be rushing to place money on.
Rick Ware Racing – Where is the lineup?
Even the most casual of NASCAR fans have likely heard of Rick Ware Racing. Partly because they had four cars in the season at one point, so everybody had heard of them, but also because they used to have quite a good line-up. The owner, Rick Ware, often reserves a seat for Cody, his son, whilst the rest tend to be rotated between a team of drivers. Again, they seem to be in it for the fun of it but also to be competitive.
However, now the team is struggling and is at risk of having its charter repossessed by NASCAR. This is likely to happen if a team finished outside the top 33 three seasons in a row, so Rick Ware Racing needs to get clicking. They are the only team at risk of having their charter repossessed as they have finished outside the top 33 two years in a row. There will be plenty of bets placed on them to fall foul of the requirements this year and the team will be at risk. Nobody likes to see someone profit from the company from someone else’s failure, but if you were to put a sports bet on, then this looks like a good one for 2023.
Where to watch NASCAR?
You can actually watch NASCAR all around the world. In the UK it is available on Sky Premier Sports and also Virgin Media. viewers can take out a subscription directly with Premier Sports to watch the race on its website via the inbuilt TV player or through applications that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. If you’ve never been that invested in Motor Racing or want something different from the monotonous Formula One championships which see the same people and teams win every time, then NASCAR is definitely a sport you should take up watching.
