Off the back of a championship, Joe Gibbs Racing experienced massive transition from 2022 to 2023. Reigning Xfinity Series champion Ty Gibbs got promoted to the Cup Series. Brandon Jones, who should have made the Championship Four, departed JGR for JR Motorsports. In their place, John Hunter Nemechek and Sammy Smith would be the team’s two fulltime driver. Meanwhile, the 19 car would turn into the All-Star car for 2023. Despite the turnover, the JGR Xfinity teams were still expected to dominate the series. Did 2023 live up to the 2022 standards? Find out in this Season in Review.
Sammy Smith – #18
2023 Stat Line:Â 33 Starts – 1 Win, 6 Top-5s, 15 Top-10s, 2 Poles, Avg Fin 15.4
Crew Chief: Jeff Meendering
Driver Points Ranking: 6;Â Owner Points Ranking: 6
Notable Results: Rookie of the Year Winner; First career win at Phoenix in the spring
ARCA Series standout Sammy Smith was called up to the Xfinity Series to replace Brandon Jones. Despite not running the full season, Smith led the ARCA series in wins, Top-5s, poles, and average finish in 2022. Considered one of Toyota’s best young prospects, expectations were high for the rookie. At the very least, Smith was expected to beat out Chandler Smith and Parker Retzlaff for Rookie of the Year honors. Since he was racing in JGR equipment, Smith would have to put up solid numbers to consider his rookie year a success.
At the start of the season, it looked that Sammy Smith was going to struggle throughout the year. During the first third of the season (11 races), Smith only managed to finish inside the Top-10 4 times. While one of those Top-10s was his lone win at Phoenix, it was clear that Smith needed an adjustment period to ease into the Xfinity Series. A significant problem for Smith was his tendency to find himself in incidents. For the season, he had 5 DNFs. However, his DNF count does not illustrate the amount of times he had a run in with another driver. That includes his teammate.
Issues with John Hunter Nemechek
Sammy Smith and John Hunter Nemechek were teammates only in terms of sharing an organization. As the season wore on, it became clear that Nemechek had distain for Smith. Numerous times throughout the season, Nemechek and Smith would rough fenders on the track. Usually, this took place on the road courses. During the final lap at Portland, the two made significant contact. After the race, Nemechek said he was going to fight his rookie teammate. Fast forward to Road America where another incident between the two led to a DNF for Nemechek. In an interview, Nemechek stated “who needs enemies when you have teammates.”
This culminated in the second to last race of the season at Martinsville. Sammy Smith had to win his way into the Championship Four. John Hunter Nemechek was essentially locked into the Phoenix finale with his points led. Smith looked to have the car to beat, as he led a race high 147 laps. However, pit strategy put Smith back in the field. Although he climbed his way to the front, Smith believed Nemechek threw a late block on him to prevent him from winning during the final restart. After the race, Smith said that Nemechek made an enemy out of him.
2023 Grade: C-
Although he did win in his rookie season, Sammy Smith’s 2023 season was disappointing. His numbers do resemble Brandon Jones’ 2022 stats, but that is not exactly a glowing endorsement. When driving for JGR, more is expected than a single win and 6 Top-5s. More than the mediocre finishes, the 18 JGR car felt like a mid-pack team all year. At short tracks, Smith usually looked competitive. However, most other tracks saw Smith run outside the Top-10.
With that said, Smith did finish the year on a strong stretch. During the playoffs, Smith averaged a 8.7 finish with 4 Top-10s. The most impressive run was at Martinsville, as Smith dominated the bulk of the race. Clearly, there is talent with Smith. However, a strong end to the season does not excuse the first two thirds. Perhaps the most concerning element of Smith’s 2023 was how he dropped in the field. Based on his average start and finish, Smith lost 6.3 positions per race. Clearly, the car had speed. Smith simply struggled to keep it competitive.
2024 Outlook
For the second straight year, a JGR Xfinity Series driver will be leaving for JR Motorsports. Sammy Smith will replace Josh Berry in the 8 car. For Smith, the expectation is that he improves upon his 2023 season. Expect Smith to be competitive at the short tracks in 2024. However, the big question is whether he can make the jump on the intermediates and road courses. His average finish at each track was 12.9 and 16.4 respectively. If Smith wants to continue to be considered a top prospect, he has to show improvement at those tracks.
The 18 team will host a new driver coming from RCR. Sheldon Creed will be piloting the car in 2024. With the addition of Creed, the question is whether the young driver can make the jump to the level many expect him to perform. Creed’s time with RCR was disappointing, especially considering how well Austin Hill has run for RCR during the same stretch. Perhaps a change of scenery is exactly what Creed needs to return his winning form. In JGR equipment, it is sink or swim time for Creed.
All-Star Car – #19
2023 Stat Line:Â 33 Starts – 3 Wins, 10 Top-5s, 15 Top-10s, 1 Pole, Avg Fin 15.5
Drivers: Trevor Bayne (3 Starts), Ty Gibbs (8 Starts), Joe Graf Jr (6 Starts), Denny Hamlin (1 Start), Connor Mosack (3 Starts), Myatt Snider (6 Starts), & Ryan Truex (6 Starts)
Crew Chief: Jason Ratcliff
Owner Points Ranking: 10
Notable Results: 3 wins with 3 different drivers (Truex – Dover, Gibbs – Indy GP, & Hamlin – Darlington)
After the departure of Brandon Jones, JGR decided to make the 19 car the “All-Star” car for the 2023 season. As usual, the 19 car ran the full season with 7 drivers making up the roster. Based on the names (and results), the type of drivers who piloted the 19 car breakdown into two categories: the competitors and the funders.
For the competitors, Trevor Bayne, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Truex accounted for 9 Top-5s and 11 Top-10s. Gibbs, Hamlin, and Truex each won a race for the 19 team. While Trevor Bayne’s results look lackluster, his time in the 19 car saw the team running upfront. Unfortunately for Bayne, 2 of his starts ended in DNFs (Daytona and Texas).
Meanwhile, the rest of the races were run by the drivers who brought the money. Combined between Joe Graf Jr, Myatt Snider, and Connor Mosack, the 19 car finished in the Top-5 once and the Top-10 4 times. When these three were behind the wheel, the 19 car usually became an afterthought. Snider was the best of the three, collecting a Top-5 and 2 Top-10s in his 6 starts. However, the drop-off in talent between this group and the competitors was stark.
2023 Grade: B-
When considering the 18 starts that the competitors made, the 19 car would receive a higher grade. With those four behind the wheel, the 19 car usually ran up front and competed for race wins. However, the car had to be split with the other three drivers. Their lack of competitive drives the grade down.
2024 Outlook
From one “All-Star” car to two, JGR will expand their multi-driver teams in 2024. In addition the 19 car, the 20 car will now become a multi-driver team. As for the 19 team, the races will be split between Joe Graf Jr, Ryan Truex, William Sawalich, and Taylor Gray. Meanwhile, the 20 team will have Aric Almirola and John Hunter Nemechek run the majority of races. Since the announcement was for the majority of the 2024 season, it would not be surprising to see other Toyota Cup drivers taking a turn in the 20 car.
Based on the lineups, the 20 car will be chasing the owners’ championship. Almirola and Nemechek running the bulk of the schedule should mean the 20 team will be competitive each week. Meanwhile, the 19 lineup seems to be a mixture of bill payers and testing young drivers. Sawalich and Gray will be getting their first Xfinity Series starts, getting a chance to demonstrate their talent. Meanwhile, Truex will look to back up his strong 2023 runs. Joe Graf Jr will also be making starts.
John Hunter Nemechek – #20
2023 Stat Line:Â 33 Starts – 7 Wins, 17 Top-5s, 24 Top-10s, 2 Poles, Avg Fin 9.5
Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Driver Points Ranking: 4; Owner Points Ranking: 4
Notable Results:Â Advanced to Championship Four; Series-high 7 wins
Heading into the 2024 season, the big question for Joe Gibbs Racing was whether either of their new drivers could replicate Ty Gibbs’ fantastic 2022. While it seemed unlikely either Sammy Smith or John Hunter Nemechek would live up to Gibbs, Nemechek had the better shout at doing it. After restarting his career arc in 2021, Nemechek put together two strong seasons for KBM in the Truck Series. His callup to the 20 car was the inevitable next step after how well he ran in trucks.
The only thing John Hunter Nemechek was missing from 2023 was the championship trophy. Nemechek was the dominant force in the Xfinity Series this past season. He led the Series is every statistical category except poles and lead lap finishes. When comparing Nemechek’s 2023 to Gibbs’ 2022, Nemechek has the statistical edge over Gibbs. While Gibbs edges Nemechek in wins and average finish, Nemechek has more Top-5s, Top-10s, and laps led.
2023 Grade: A
While the lack of championship hurts, there is little from John Hunter Nemechek’s 2023 to complain about. Nemechek was the best driver in the series. Not only did he win, Nemechek constantly ran within the Top-5 each weekend. Only 4 races saw Nemechek ran more than 25% of his laps outside the Top-15. Out of those 4 races, only one saw Nemechek finish outside the Top-10 (Pocono). Plus, Nemechek only had one race where he ran more laps outside the Top-15 than inside it.
2024 Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is returning to fulltime Cup Series competition for the first time since 2020. It seems that Nemechek’s bet on himself worked out, as his new ride with Legacy Motor Club will likely be an improvement from his last tenure with Front Row Motorsports. However, Legacy Motor Club struggled mightily in 2023. Rookie Noah Gragson had a terrible season, despite dominating the Xfinity Series in 2022. Will the switch to Toyota turn the fortunes for the team? Carson Hocevar put together some quality runs in the 42 car late last season, so maybe Nemechek will have a better time than Gragson did last year.
As for the other single driver fulltime JGR team, Chandler Smith will be coming over from Kaulig Racing. A former Toyota prospect, the new Smith is returning to the manufacturer after a one year hiatus. Chandler Smith’s 2023 was similar to Sammy Smith’s, including thriving at the short tracks. The 81 team should be a championship contender. However, expect a stepdown from what John Hunter Nemechek produced in 2023.
Joe Gibbs Racing Grade: B+
For the JGR Xfinity Series teams, they seemingly went from strength to strength in 2023. They still had the dominant driver (Nemechek), a secondary driver who had a shot at making the Championship Four (Smith), and an All-Star car that won races (19 team). Overall, it is difficult to complain about that at season’s end. While a missing championship might sting, the results for JGR were tremendous.
Next season, at least 8 different drivers will be piloting a JGR Xfinity Series car. For the second straight season, the two fulltime drivers will be new to the team. Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith come over from Chevy to be next in line for the Cup Series. Meanwhile, JGR looks to be championship hunting with their 20 car. Once again, expect nothing less than numerous wins from the JGR camp in 2024.
For other 2023 Season in Review articles, click the link(s) below:
Griffin Fuller
- Cup: Team Penske, Wood Brothers, Stewart-Haas Racing, Trackhouse Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI Racing, RFK Racing, The Money Team/Beard Motorsports
- Xfinity: Stewart-Haas Racing, AM Racing, JR Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing
Robert Cwick – JTG-Daugherty, Live Fast, Front Row (Part 1), Front Row (Part 2), Legacy Motor ClubÂ
Daniel Smith (Statistical Breakdown)
- Cup: Team Penske/Wood Brothers, Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI & Legacy Motor Club, RFK/Front Row, Trackhouse/RCR, Stewart-Haas Racing, JTG/Rick Ware/Live Fast, Kaulig/Spire, Final Rankings
- Xfinity: Stewart-Haas/AM Racing, JR Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing/Sam Hunt Racing, RCR/Kaulig Racing, Big Machine/Jeremy Clements/BJ McLeod/Our Motorsports, Jordan Anderson/DGM, RSS Racing, JD Motorsports/SS Green Light Racing, Alpha Prime/Emerling-Gase, Final Rankings
- Trucks: Thorsports, GMS Racing, Niece Motorsports, TRICON Garage, McAnally-Hilgemann/Rackley W.A.R, Rev Racing/KBM, Front Row/Hattori/Halmar Friesen/AM Racing/Reaume Brother
