Joe Gibbs Racing has been a powerhouse organization in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series for years. However, the 2023 season will represent a massive movement as drivers like Kyle Busch depart from the team.
When will the world find out about Joe Gibbs Racing’s plans?
Joe Gibbs talks about potential timeline for 2023 driver lineups
Joe Gibbs went on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio last week and discussed a variety of topics, including when the NASCAR world should expect an announcement on his driver lineups for the 2023 season.
This is what Gibbs had to say when asked about the No. 18 car’s future in the sport.
“If I had to guess, what we’ve tried to do is take our time and now we’re focused on the playoffs. We don’t want to interrupt that. I would say right after we finish the season. We got a lot going on in the Xfinity side…we’ve got a lot of things lined up over there. I would say we will probably be announcing that after the season.”
Joe Gibbs on driver lineups being announced for the 2023 season
The idea of waiting until after the season to announce any changes to the organization’s driver lineup is a good one as it limits distraction and allows the chase for a championship to be the No. 1 priority.
NASCAR has seen a massive amount of movement for the 2023 season as Busch moved to Richard Childress Racing, Tyler Reddick replaced Kurt Busch, and A.J. Allmendinger moved to Kaulig Racing full-time in the Cup Series.
However, the NASCAR Xfinity Series lineup for Joe Gibbs Racing will be very intriguing as its current drivers are all expected to be gone. This opens the door for drivers such as Sammy Smith and John Hunter Nemechek.
Smith, 18, seems very likely to join the Xfinity Series team on a full-time basis after running part-time since he turned eligible due to his age. The 18-year-old driver won six ARCA Menards Series events and his second straight ARCA Menards East Series championship this year.
Nemechek, 25, would be another good fit as Kyle Busch Motorsports moves to Chevrolet with Busch next season. The 25-year-old is a Toyota Racing driver so Joe Gibbs Racing would be the perfect fit for him in 2023.
There could be other drivers, such as Trevor Bayne, who make sense but it remains to be seen who will join the team. Either way, it is not going to be publicly known until after the season concludes at Phoenix Raceway.
However, it won’t be a surprise to see who replaces Busch in the No. 18 car moving forward.
Related: Joe Gibbs Racing’s Xfinity program cleared out for 2023
Ty Gibbs expected to replace Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series
Ty Gibbs is expected to replace Busch in the No. 18 car for Joe Gibbs Racing as he continues his rise through the ranks of NASCAR. Gibbs, 20, has been running full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series over the course of the 2022 season.
The 20-year-old has also been substituting for Kurt Busch after he suffered a concussion in a qualifying wreck at Pocono Raceway. If Gibbs is not replaced in the No. 23 car soon, he will finish the remainder of the season in the Cup Series.
Gibbs has not been that impressive as he only boasts a 23.3 average finishing position through 13 races in race-winning equipment. It would be tied for the third-worst average finishing position among full-time drivers in the series.
However, patience will be needed with the North Carolina native as he grows into a better driver. Gibbs will not be competing for Cup Series wins early in his career, which is similar to almost every young driver.
Gibbs will likely be better long-term if he gets more experience in the NextGen car now. He will have the equipment and support behind him to be a good driver within Joe Gibbs Racing so time will heal any growing pains.
There is still an Xfinity Series championship on the line so Gibbs will be pursuing that before making the inevitable jump to NASCAR’s top level next season.