Getty Riley Herbst's future remains a question early in the offseason.
The majority of the Cup Series field is set for the 2023 season, other than four entries. The Xfinity Series, for comparison, has numerous lineup questions headlined by Stewart-Haas Racing.
There are several teams that have yet to announce plans for the 2023 Xfinity Series season. Chief among this group is Stewart-Haas Racing. The team has not revealed if Riley Herbst will return to the No. 98 Ford Mustang for the third consecutive season or if it will go in a different direction.
Herbst, who joined SHR ahead of the 2021 season, has not reached Victory Lane in the Xfinity Series. However, he has reached the playoffs twice while driving the No. 98. 2022 was also a career season as he set new highs with 20 top-10 finishes and eight top-fives. His 10th-place finish in the championship standings was also the third consecutive season of improvement.
Herbst has the support of Monster Energy, and team co-owner Tony Stewart has previously been vocal about his support of the Las Vegas native. He specifically told Heavy prior to the 2021 playoffs that Herbst has the ability to win races; he may just require some extra time to reach this point.
“I mean, trust me, when I got an Xfinity car, I tore up everything I drove,” Stewart told Heavy in September 2021. “It took a long time before the light switch came on for me to start having success. So I think it’s scenarios like that. And Riley is a very young kid that literally that light switch can come at any moment. And when it does, I mean, he can get on a tear and get on a run that we’ve seen in the past with both Cole [Custer] and Chase [Briscoe].”
One other Ford driver to track over the offseason is Hailie Deegan. The Truck Series driver will not return to David Gilliland Racing as the team moves over to Toyota Racing. Though Deegan will have a role in one of the series after posting a 13th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in her Xfinity Series debut. Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports, has stated that she will be racing something in a Ford in 2023.
Our Motorsports Has Multiple Questions to Answer
GettyJeb Burton (left) will race for a different team in 2023.
The No. 98 Ford Mustang is the highest-profile entry in need of clarity heading toward the meat of the offseason. It joins the vehicles from Joe Gibbs Racing that need drivers for the 2023 Xfinity Series season.
Another intriguing situation is that over at Our Motorsports. The team ran three full-time entries for the first time in 2022, but two of those drivers are no longer on the roster. Our Motorsports and Brett Moffitt parted ways after the trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway while Jeb Burton left the team after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.
Our Motorsports will have to provide some clarity about the number of entries for the 2023 season, as well as the driver(s) that could replace Moffitt and Burton. The team will also have to provide some details about Anthony Alfredo and whether he will return to the No. 23 after a season that featured four top-10 finishes, one top-five, and a pole win.
There could be some time before Our Motorsports answers these lingering questions. The team waited until December 16, 2021, to hold a press conference and reveal the driver lineup for the 2022 season. It was on this day that the team revealed the additions of Burton and Alfredo.
There are some potential options that could step in and fill a role with the team. For example, Parker Retzlaff, Blaine Perkins, and Sage Karam all made starts for Our Motorsports after the departure of Moffitt.
A Toyota Team Will Likely Create Conversations
GettyJohn Hunter Nemechek made history for Sam Hunt Racing.
There are several other teams that have answers to provide about the 2023 season. DGM Racing, BJ McLeod Motorsports, Jordan Anderson Racing, and SS GreenLight Racing are only some examples.
One of the other intriguing teams is Sam Hunt Racing. The team, which made its debut in 2019, took on the full 2022 season with a variety of big names behind the wheel. Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chandler Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Kaz Grala, Santino Ferrucci, Ryan Truex, Parker Chase, Derek Griffith, Connor Mosack, and Daniil Kvyat all made starts.
The Toyota-affiliated team had some strong performances during the 2022 season. Nemechek, in particular, accounted for three top-10 finishes and two top-fives in his eight starts. Earnhardt and Smith each added a top-10 in their limited schedules.
Will Sam Hunt Racing roll with a variety of drivers in 2023 once again? That answer remains unclear, but the team will generate interest throughout the offseason based on how the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra has performed over the past two seasons.