2023 Rookie Mid Season Check-In (Cup Series)

Now that all three of NASCAR’s top series are reaching the half-way point of their respective seasons, how are the Rookie of the Year Contender’s doing? This article is the last in a three-part series taking a look at each rookie class by series.

2023 NASCAR CUP SERIES ROOKIE CONTENDERS:

Ty Gibbs

Noah Gragson

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Ty Gibbs (#54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

Mid-Season Grade: B-

Ty Gibbs officially moved to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023, taking over the team vacated by Kyle Busch. In order for Gibbs to create his own legacy, Gibbs’ Toyotas were renumbered from the popular #18 to #54. The teams new look was completed by Monster Energy, and a handful of others companies taking the place of Mars/M&M’s.

Many thought based on Gibbs’ reputation for aggressive driving in the Xfinity Series, that he would both run over and be run over for most of his rookie season. Instead, Gibbs’ has shown a tremendous amount of maturity. With Gibbs running 15 races as substitute for Kurt Busch in 2022, he seems to have learned not only the NextGen car, but how to drive it. 

The season started relatively normal, with Gibbs having mid-pack finishes in the seasons opening races. Then came race five in Atlanta, where Gibbs and crew reeled off 4 straight Top 10 finishes. These finishes were followed by some mid-pack finishes, and another Top 10 on the street race in Chicago. Pocono this past weekend also earned Gibbs his first Top 5 finish. 

All told as of Richmond, the #54 Toyota has 2 DNFs (Talladega and Kansas), while compiling an average finish of 18.7.

Outlook: 

Gibbs has surprisingly out performed the low expectations for him this season. While a playoff run seems like a longshot, it is not impossible that Gibbs could score his first career Cup Series win. The key for Gibbs in his 2024 bid should be to continue the consistency of this season, and not become over confident. Otherwise we could see a repeat of his Xfinity Series run, which most Cup drivers will not take well to.

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Noah Gragson (#42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet)

Mid-Season Grade: D

Noah Gragson entered this season as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year Honors in the Cup Series. Having been a threat to win the Xfinity Series championship yearly since 2019 (and an impressive 4 wins in a row in 2022), he should have been a shoe-in. Gragson, like Gibbs, also spent some time in the Cup Series in 2022, running 18 races and scoring a Top 5 for Beard Motorsports in Daytona. Gragson also ran races for Kaulig Racing, and as a substitute for Alex Bowman.

With Gragson being named as the replacement for Ty Dillon in Legacy Motor Club’s #42 Chevrolet, he should have been primed to make an impact in the 2023 Cup Series. The team seemed to be on that path at Daytona, finishing 24th. This was also followed by a 12th in Atlanta….what has followed however, has been a season of struggles.

Through Pocono, Gragson has not finished better than 20th and has had several races where the team finished towards the bottom of the field. These results include Gragson’s personal relationship with Turn 6 during the Chicago street course race, where he crashed a handful of times in the same turn. All told, Gragson already has 6 DNF’s in 20 starts, and an average finish of 28.3.

Gragson’s struggles this season were also compounded by his violet crash at Gateway, which forced Gragson to sit out Sonoma. Truck Series driver Grant Enfinger filled in for Gragson, finishing 26th.

Outlook:

Gragson’s 2023 season has not been close to expectations, as the promising driver has struggled mightily to gain a footing. While some struggles can be attributed to Legacy Motor Club’s overall performance this season, not all can be. Gragson and his #42 Chevrolet crew need to find some answers soon, or Gragson could find himself in a Cole Custer-like situation trying to re-establish his career in a lower series.