Getty Joe Gibbs Racing has some major news to announce about its driver lineup.
Toyota Racing will undergo a significant change after the 2022 NASCAR season comes to an end due to two key departures. Now there are some questions about where several drivers will suit up and in which series.
The biggest change is that Kyle Busch will move to Richard Childress Racing while taking his Truck Series team to Chevrolet. This is the biggest domino that will impact multiple drivers, but Brandon Jones leaving Joe Gibbs Racing for JR Motorsports will also have a ripple effect in the Xfinity Series.
Joe Gibbs Racing only had two full-time drivers in the Xfinity Series during the 2022 season. Jones drove the No. 19 while Ty Gibbs drove the No. 54. A variety of drivers took over the No. 18. JGR hasn’t revealed how many entries will be on the track in 2023, but there will likely be two open full-time seats, provided Gibbs moves up to the Cup Series to replace Kyle Busch as expected.
One potential option to run full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2023 is Trevor Bayne. The 2011 Daytona 500 winner took on a part-time schedule with JGR in 2022, and he delivered five top-10s, four top-fives, and a pole win in his first six starts. He hasn’t won a race, which was his initial goal, but he will have another opportunity at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Bayne has publicly spoken about wanting to get back behind the wheel full-time in a national NASCAR series. JGR could provide this opportunity, but Bayne would also have to bring some sponsors to the table.
A Truck Series Contender Provides a Potential Replacement Option.
GettyJohn Hunter Nemechek had strong words after the Xfinity Series race at Richmond.
Another potential option to move up to the Xfinity Series and take over one of the entries is John Hunter Nemechek. The driver of the No. 4 Toyota is currently in his second full-time season with Kyle Busch Motorsports, and he is fresh off a playoff win at Kansas Speedway.
Nemechek will not move over to Chevrolet with KBM. TRD USA president David Wilson said as much during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. He explained that Nemechek and Corey Heim both are part of the Toyota program and they will remain as part of the program after the season ends.
💭“I’ll suggest that the drivers that are a part of our program […] guys like @CoreyHeim_ & @JHNemechek will remain part of the @ToyotaRacing family.”
🗣 @DavidWilsonTRD revealed that the current crop of @KBMteam Truck Series drivers will remain with the manufacturer in 2023.
“I’ll suggest that the Toyota drivers that are part of our program will remain a part of our program,” Wilson said on September 13. “This is the time of year where there is always a lot of discussion. Everyone wants to, of course, have a plan and have an understanding and have a comfort level as to where their seat is going to land next year.”
Nemechek would be a fitting choice to move up to the Xfinity Series on a full-time basis. He has 65 career starts in the series, and he has two career wins. This includes a race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021 where he led 93 of the 200 laps and swept the final two stages in a JGR machine.
Heim could also potentially move up to the Xfinity Series, but he doesn’t have experience in that series just yet. He is currently in the midst of a double-duty season featuring starts in both the ARCA Menards Series and Camping World Truck Series. Though Heim has shown his ability to be competitive with four total wins.
If Heim remains in the Truck Series, there are questions about where he will race. The majority of the series uses Chevrolets. ThorSport Racing, Halmar Friesen Racing, G2G Racing, Hill Motorsports, and Hattori Racing Enterprises all use Toyotas.
ThorSport doesn’t shake up its lineup, so the championship-winning organization is likely not an option. Halmar Friesen usually runs one full-time entry with Stewart Friesen as the driver, but the team occasionally uses a second entry for Jessica Friesen. Hill Motorsports is in a similar situation. Driver-owner Timmy Hill runs the full-time entry while Tyler Hill makes part-time starts in a second entry.
Hattori Racing Enterprises is one interesting option. The team has two full-time entries, one with Chase Purdy and the other with Tyler Ankrum. Both drivers are in their first season with the organization, and Hattori Racing Enterprises has not provided any information about their respective future opportunities.
1 Winning Truck Series Driver Remains a Question
GettyChandler Smith prepares for practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
One intriguing option is Chandler Smith. He currently drives for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and he has delivered five career Truck Series wins while also winning Rookie of the Year honors.
Wilson did not specifically mention Smith during his appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and Toyota Racing did not respond to a request for comment about his status. So it is possible that the Georgia native could move over to Chevrolet with KBM.
Smith is a proven championship contender in the Truck Series, and he only has room to grow as a driver. He could also provide some stability in the building as the organization goes through some expected changes.
Of course, KBM has not provided any details about the 2023 season. The Truck Series organization is still finalizing numerous details after Kyle Busch signed with Richard Childress Racing, so there will be questions about the lineup in the coming weeks.
On the flipside, Smith could also represent an option to drive one of the Toyota entries in the Xfinity Series if he remains part of the Toyota Racing program. He made his first two starts in the series in 2022 while driving for Sam Hunt Racing. He finished 38th at Talladega Superspeedway after a crash, and he finished 21st at Dover Motor Speedway.