23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing each enter their third season in the NASCAR Cup Series and there are incredibly high expectations. From the top to the bottom, everyone in each organization believes they are capable of winning a championship.
Let’s dive into every 23XI Racing and Trackhouse Racing driver’s outlook for the 2023 NASCAR season.
NASCAR team preview: 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace aims for more consistency and success in his third season with 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace entered the 2022 season looking to build off his first year with 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. This came off his first career Cup Series victory in a rain-shortened playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.
Wallace, 29, did well last season and while he did not make the playoffs, it was still a successful campaign. The driver of the No. 23 for 23XI Racing won the playoff race at Kansas Speedway and finished the year with a stat line of one win, five top-5 finishes, and 10 top-10 finishes.
It was certainly the improvement for Wallace that many were expecting going into 2022. In fact, the Alabama native also got playoff experience after switching to the No. 45 car for 23XI Racing due to Kurt Busch’s concussion. The No. 45 car was in the owner’s championship.
Entering the 2023 season, Wallace now has enough confidence to become a playoff driver. The 29-year-old driver has shown enough speed and proven his ability to win on non-superspeedway tracks.
If not for the victory at Kansas Speedway, there would still be questions if Wallace can finish out a race. However, there are no questions surrounding the driver of the No. 23 car moving forward when it relates to being a playoff driver.
The expectations are exactly that Wallace is expected to make the 2023 playoffs and should be in contention for wins throughout the year. If that’s not the case, then regression has taken place after flashes during the 2022 season.
Related: 23XI Racing ‘preparing’ a third entry for Kurt Busch if cleared to compete
Tyler Reddick’s outlook at 23XI Racing in 2023 and beyond
Tyler Reddick broke through in his third season with Richard Childress Racing with three victories at Road America, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, and the playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Reddick, 27, has proven his ability to win in the NASCAR Cup Series; however, a Round of 16 exit prevented him from a guaranteed spot in the Round of 8 last year. Now, the California native finds himself in new territory to start the season.
23XI Racing has tapped Reddick to drive the No. 45 car after Busch announced he would no longer compete in the Cup Series on a full-time basis. Reddick was supposed to come to the organization for the 2024 season but was bought out one year early.
The driver of the No. 45 car for 23XI Racing seems to be in the same situation as many other drivers, such as Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric. While Reddick had more victories than Briscoe and Cindric, all of them can break through for even more success in specific areas.
Reddick has the victories but lacks a substantial playoff run after being bounced in three races last year. Entering the 2023 season, it seems likely that he can go further than the Round of 16 this time around.
The expectations should be for multiple victories and a deep playoff run. In fact, Reddick might be labeled as one of the sleepers for the 2023 Cup Series championship if he maximizes his talent. If he does not this year, it is coming sooner rather than later.
Related: Travis Pastrana to run the Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing
NASCAR team preview: Trackhouse Racing
Ross Chastain’s outlook at Trackhouse Racing in 2023 and beyond
Ross Chastain’s up-and-down journey through NASCAR paid off when he landed a ride with Trackhouse Racing in the No. 1 car for the 2022 season. Little did Chastain, 30, know, that move would make him one of the best drivers in the sport.
The driver of the No. 1 car for Trackhouse Racing won his first career NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas and then added another one at Talladega Superspeedway. Chastain’s consistency and success led him to the playoffs and eventually to the Round of 8.
On the final lap in the Round of 8, Chastain was set to miss the Championship 4; however, a video-game style move that will go down in NASCAR history barely squeaked him in over Denny Hamlin.
Chastain eventually came up one spot short of a championship behind Joey Logano but it was still a successful season. Now, the 30-year-old driver enters 2023 looking to improve by one position in what is a contract year.
It is expected that Chastain returns but he is NASCAR’s top free agent for the 2024 season. The Florida native loves Trackhouse Racing and seems likely to stay. Obviously, why would the team want to move on from a driver who is expected to compete for a championship?
The expectations for this season are fully related to the question above. Chastain is expected to win multiple races and make the Championship 4. Anything short of that would be a disappointment, especially after coming so close last year.
Related: Ross Chastain discusses the big possibility of replacing Kevin Harvick, future at Trackhouse Racing
Daniel Suarez looks to build on first winning season with Trackhouse Racing
Daniel Suarez entered the 2022 season still looking for that elusive first victory in his sixth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Well, that pursuit came to an end after Suarez, 31, secured his first career victory at Sonoma Raceway during the summer months.
The driver of the No. 99 car for Trackhouse Racing was not at the same performance level as Chastain but still had a very solid year. Suarez finished the season with one win, six top-5 finishes, 13 top-10 finishes, and a 16.5 average finishing position.
Despite the best year of his career, Suarez still found himself out of the playoffs in the Round of 12 after a power steering issue at the Charlotte ROVAL. It was a disappointing end to his playoff but the season overall was a success.
Now, Suarez will look to build on his first winning season with Trackhouse Racing. The 31-year-old driver was good on the road courses and showed speed on some other tracks, such as the Coca-Cola 600.
Suarez may not have winning speed every single week; however, there are enough scenarios where he can pump out a few victories each year. These are the expectations that are set going into 2023.
The Trackhouse Racing driver should be expected to make the playoffs and find victory lane at least once. It is important to not have unrealistic expectations for Saurez as development happens over time. In this case, gradual improvement will be enough for further success.