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The Best NASCAR Drivers in 2023: Cup Series Standings

(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

Published Jul 5, 2023

So, you're wondering who the best NASCAR drivers in 2023 are? Let's get in to it!

The concept of racing is one of the oldest sports known to mankind. As technology has advanced, the need for speed has increased. Today, motor racing is one of the most popular sports in the world with numerous variations on display for fans.

For the past 75 years, NASCAR has been pitting the best race car drivers in the world against each other in high speed races across America. As the league continues to grow in popularity, more and more exceptional drivers are trying to stake their claim as the best.

Today, we take a look at the 16 drivers who would qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs cut-off at the end of the season. Here are the best NASCAR drivers in 2023.

1. William Byron

Points: 582
Make: Chevrolet
Number: #24
Team: Hendrick Motorsports

William Byron enjoyed the best season of his career last year, finishing sixth overall in the NASCAR Cup Series race. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Byron has been racing since the age of 15. He's only 25 years of age, making him one of the younger drivers in the Cup Series this year. If he finishes off the season and wins the NASCAR Cup Series, he would become the second youngest in history to win the prestigious trophy.

2. Kyle Busch

Points: 560
Make: Chevrolet
Number: #8
Team: Richard Childress Racing

There is no denying that Kyle Busch is one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2023. His resume is second to none, with two driver championships to his name and enough wins to rank him top 10 all-time. Busch's most recent driver championship came in 2019, in which he won the season by a tight five point margin. Only time will tell if he can add title number three to the trophy shelf.

3. Martin Truex Jr.

Points: 591
Make: Toyota
Number: #19
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Few drivers in NASCAR today can compete with the resume that Martin Truex Jr. has put together since entering the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004. He was the 2017 Cup Series champion, where he beat out Kyle Busch by five points. Currently, Truex Jr. holds the most points amongst all drivers, but he ranks third in wins which is why he sits squarely at third in the standings.

4. Kyle Larson

Points: 521
Make: Chevrolet
Number: #5
Team: Hendrick Motorsports

Kyle Larson made his lasting impact on NASCAR when he won the 2021 Cup Series Championship. He's been racing in the Cup Series since 2013 and his 2021 championship was the first of his career. Over Larsons 11 year career in the Cup Series, he has driven in over 300 races, boasting 21 wins and 155 top tens. He still has plenty of left in the tank and appears motivated to win his second title.

5. Ross Chastain

Points: 573
Make: Chevrolet
Number: #1
Team: TRACKHOUSE Racing Team

Ross Chastain may only have seven years in NASCAR to his name, but they have been anything but quiet. In 2022 he had the best season of his career, finishing second amongst all racers in the standings. He came just six points short of claiming his first driver championship. In 2023, Chastain has come back with a vengeance, currently sitting in fifth place in the standings. However, he can shoot up to the top three with another win.

6. Christopher Bell

Points: 570
Make: Toyota
Number: #20
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Christopher Bell may only be 28 years of age, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2023. He enjoyed the best finish of his career last season, ranking third amongst all drivers at the end of the season. In only four years and 121 races in the Cup Series, Bell has tallied five wins and fifty-three top ten finishes. If he continues to excel and improve at this level, a Cup Series trophy is surely in his future.

7. Denny Hamlin

Points: 538
Make: Toyota
Number: #11
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

Denny Hamlin is definitely one of the best NASCAR drivers in 2023 who still hasn't won a Cup Series championship. However, he's been driving in the Cup Series for 18 years and has enjoyed significant success. In over 600 races he has won 49 times, and finished in the top ten on 328 occasions. Notably, Hamlin won the famed Daytona 500 in back-to-back years, becoming only the fourth driver to ever accomplish the feat.

8. Ryan Blaney

Points: 506
Make: Ford
Number: #12
Team: Team Penske

Ryan Blaney is currently in his tenth season racing in the NASCAR Cup Series and is on par to finish right where he was last year in eight place. His best finishes came in 2019 and 2021, which saw him finish seventh amongst all drivers. Blaney finds himself in eight in large part due to his win at the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

9. Joey Logano

Points: 491
Make: Ford
Number: #22
Team: Team Penske

There are few drivers in NASCAR today who can compete with the accolades that Joey Logano has claimed over his fifteen Cup Series racing career. He's been featured in over 500 races, winning 32, and finishing top ten 266 times. Those numbers were good enough to secure him two Cup Series Championships, including the previous season's title. It doesn't look like Logano will go back-to-back but there is no denying his greatness.

10. Tyler Reddick

Points: 463
Make: Toyota
Number: #45
Team: 23XI Racing

Tyler Reddick is one of the youngest and most promising drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series today. He's only 27-years-old and has raced in the Cup Series for the last five years, accumulating four wins and 48 top ten finishes. His tenth place ranking currently would be the best finish of his career in the Cup Series. It should be exciting to see how Reddick continues to improve.

11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Points: 418
Make: Chevrolet
Number: #47
Team: JTG Daugherty Racing

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for the last twelve years and has enjoyed a mixed bag of success. His best finish came in 2017, where he ranked 13th amongst all drivers at the end of the season. This season would be the best finish of his career as he currently ranks eleventh. A large part of that success this season is due to his exceptional 1st place result at the 2023 Daytona 500.

12. Kevin Harvick

Points: 523
Make: Ford
Number: #4
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing

There is no active driver in the NASCAR Cup Series this season who has been racing as long as the great Kevin Harvick. He's currently in his 23rd season of racing in the Cup Series and is one of the sports most accomplished drivers, with 60 career wins and 437 top ten finishes. His best finish came in 2017, where he won his first and only Cup Series Championship.

13. Chris Buescher

Points: 476
Make: Ford
Number: #17
Team: RFK Racing

Chris Buescher has been racing in the NASCAR Cup Series for eight years, and has enjoyed success in spurts. His first win came in 2016 at the Pennsylvania 400 in Pocono, Pennsylvania. However, he didn't win another race until the 2022 Bass Pro Shops Night Race in Bristol, Tennessee, breaking a six year, 222 race drought. Buescher currently sits in 13th place, which would be the best finish of his career.

14. Brad Keselowski

Points: 463
Make: Ford
Number: #6
Team: RFK Racing

Brad Keselowski is a veteran driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, having raced in the series for 15 years. He has been featured in nearly 500 races and has enjoyed 35 wins and 239 top tens. His best finish came in 2012 when he won his first and only Cup Series Championship. Keselowski is enjoying a huge improvement from last season, which saw him finish in 24th place.

15. Bubba Wallace

Points: 387
Make: Toyota
Number: #23
Team: 23XI Racing

Bubba Wallace is currently in his seventh season racing in the NASCAR Cup Series and is one of the sports most popular drivers. Over his 197 races, Wallace has secured two wins and 27 top ten finishes. His best finish in the Cup Series came in 2022 where he ranked 19th amongst all drivers. This would be the best finish of Wallace's racing career, as he sits 15th amongst all drivers.

16. Ty Gibbs

Points: 378
Make: Toyota
Number: #54
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing

There is no driver in the NASCAR Cup Series as young as Ty Gibbs, who is currently just 20-years-old. This is Gibbs second season and he's showing significant improvement. Last season, he finished 47th overall amongst all drivers. This year, he has secured enough points to rank 16th and make the playoff cutoff. Gibbs has yet to win a race but has enjoyed six separate top ten finishes across his 33 featured races.

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