With just 11 days to go before the green flag drops for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, this is the last “Look Ahead” highlighting Kyle Larson and a few others.
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
2021: Martin Truex Jr. (Joe Gibbs Racing #19 Toyota Camry), a Mayetta, New Jersey native, entered all 36 NCS races. He scored four wins (March 14 at Phoenix, April 11 at Martinsville, May 9 at Darlington and September 11 at Richmond), 13 top-fives and 20 top-tens, had an average start of 8.4, an average finish of 12.0 and led 865 laps. Truex advanced through the 2021 NCS Playoffs, was one of the four drivers competing in the season ending Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. He finished 2nd in the final race and the 2017 Cup Series Champion closed out the 2021 season 2nd in the NCS driver standings. Truex entered one Xfinity Series race in JGR’s #54 Toyota Supra at Atlanta; started 18th, led a race-high 103 laps and finished 2nd. He also entered the Camping World Truck Series Bristol (on dirt) event in Kyle Busch Motorsports #51 Toyota Tundra; started 15th, led a race-high 105 laps and won the race.
2022: Truex returns for another season in JGR’s #19 Camry. James Small continues as crew chief for the team. Bass Pro Shops will sponsor the #19 for at least 25 races. Auto-Owners Insurance will cover some of the other events.
2021: Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports #5 Chevrolet Camaro), an Elk Grove, California native, entered all 36 NCS races. He scored a series-high 10 wins: Mar. 7 at Las Vegas, May 30 at Charlotte, June 6 at Sonoma, June 20 at Nashville, Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen, Sept. 18 at Bristol, Oct. 10 at Charlotte ROVAL, Oct. 17 at Fort Worth, Oct. 24 at Kansas and the 2021 Championship 4 title win on Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. He also scored 20 top-fives, 26 top-tens and led 2,581 laps (all series-highs). Larson won the 2021 Cup Series All-Star race (no points, just cash and bragging rights) from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway on June 13th. Larson not only dominated the Cup Series, he won dozens of 2021 races in the World of Outlaws, midgets, late models on paved and dirt tracks. Besides winning the 2021 Championship, he was named the recipient of the 2021 Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award by the National Motorsports Press Association and, for the second year in a row, the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year honors.
2022: Larson has signed a contract extension to drive Hendrick’s #5 Chevrolet Camaro through 2023. Cliff Daniels continues as his crew chief. HendrickCars.com will cover primary sponsorship for 33 races.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
2021: Austin Cindric (Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang), a Mooresville, North Carolina native, entered all 33 NXS races. He scored five wins: season opener Feb. 13 at Daytona, March 13 at Phoenix, May 15 at Dover, June 27 at Pocono and Aug. 14 at Indianapolis Grand Prix Circuit. He also scored a series-high 22 top-fives, series-high 26 top-tens, had a 4.2 average start, an 8.2 average finish and led a series-high 1,150 laps. Cindric advanced through the 2021 NXS Playoffs, was one of the four drivers competing in the season ending Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. He finished 2nd in the final race and the 2020 Xfinity Series Champion closed out the 2021 season 2nd in the NXS driver standings.
2022: Austin Cindric has moved up to the Cup Series and is the new driver of Team Penske’s #2 Ford Mustang. He has replaced Brad Keselowski who joined Roush Fenway Racing as a partner/driver (now called RFK Racing) on the Cup Series #6 Ford Mustang team. Jeremy Bullins is Cindric’s crew chief. Discount Tire is primary sponsor for 13 races. Freightliner and Keystone Light sponsor other events.
2021: Daniel Hemric (Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Supra), a Kannapolis, North Carolina native, entered all 33 NXS races. He scored only one race but it was the most important event of the season. Hemric was one of the four drivers who made it to the Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. At the checkered flag he was the winner which earned him the title of 2021 Xfinity Series Champion.
2022: Hemric decided not to return to JGR’s Supra team this season. He joined Kaulig Racing taking over the Xfinity Series #11 Chevrolet. He replaced Justin Haley who moved up to the Cup Series in Kaulig’s #16 Camaro. Alex Yontz will be Hemric’s crew chief in the #11. Kaulig Racing also formed a second Cup Series team for 2022; his #16 “All-Star” Camaro. The car will be shared by three of the four 2021 NXS Championship 4 drivers: AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. Besides entering the season-opening NXS race in the #11 car, Hemric takes the first turn in the shared #16 in the Cup opening Daytona 500 as well.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NTS)
2021: Zane Smith (GMS Racing #21 Chevrolet Silverado), a Huntington Beach, California native, entered all 22 NTS races. He scored one win (October 30 at Martinsville Speedway), 3 top-fives, 14 top-tens, had an average start of 9.1, an average finish of 13.1 and led 131 laps. Smith advanced through the 2021 NTS Playoffs and was one of the four drivers competing in the season ending Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. He finished 5th in the final race and closed out the 2021 season 2nd in the NTS driver standings.
2022: Smith moved to Front Row Motorsports replacing Todd Gilliland in the #38 Ford F-150. Gilliland advanced to the Cup Series to drive the #38 Ford Mustang. Chris Lawson will work with Smith as the NTS #38 team crew chief. Black’s Tire, Crosley Brands and Fr8 Auctions will sponsor Smith’s F-150 truck.
2021: Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing #99 Toyota Tundra), a Louisville, Kentucky native, entered all 22 NTS races. He swept the first two series races of the season at Daytona; winning the February 12th opener on the oval and the February 19th event on the Road Course. He also scored 8 top-fives, 16 top-tens, had an average start of 6.5, an average finish of 9.3 and led 99 laps. He advanced through the 2021 NTS Playoffs and was one of the four drivers competing in the season ending Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway. He finished 3rd in the final race and, since he was the highest finisher of the four drivers, he closed out the season as the 2021 Camping World Truck Series Champion.
2022: No firm plans have announced at this time. Unless something changes in the next few days, Rhodes will be back in the #99 Tundra with Rich Lushes as crew chief and major sponsor Bombardier on the sides of his truck.
2022 Tentative NCS Series Team Chart
| Car | Driver | Owner | Crew Chief | Sponsor |
| 1 Chevy | Ross Chastain | Trackhouse Racing | Phil Surgen | AdventHealth, Moose Fraternity, Howler Head Bourbon |
| 2 Ford | Austin Cindric R | Team Penske | Jeremy Bullins | Menards, Discount Tire, Molson Coors, Freightliner |
| 3 Chevy | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Justin Alexander | True Velocity Ammo, Bass Pro Shops |
| 4 Ford | Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | Rodney Childers | Mobil 1, GearWrench, Rheem |
| 5 Chevy | Kyle Larson | Hendrick Motorsports | Cliff Daniels | HendrickCars.com, Cincinnati, Freightliner, Valvoline |
| 6 Ford | Brad Keselowski | RFK Racing | Matt McCall | Violet Defense, Fastenal, Kohler Generators |
| 7 Chevy | Corey LaJoie | Spire Motorsports | Ryan Sparks | Built Bar, Schluter Systems, NationsGuard |
| 8 Chevy | Tyler Reddick | Richard Childress Racing | Randall Burdett | 3CHI, Guaranteed Rate |
| 9 Chevy | Chase Elliott | Hendrick Motorsports | Alan Gustafson | NAPA Auto Parts, Adrenaline Shoc, Kelley Blue Book, Hooters, Llumar |
| 10 Ford | Aric Almirola | Stewart-Haas Racing | Drew Blickensderfer | Smithfield |
| 11 Toyota | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chris Gabehart | FedEx |
| 12 Ford | Ryan Blaney | Team Penske | Jonathan Hassler | Advance Auto Parts, BodyArmor, Menards, DEX Imaging, Discount Tires, Wurth |
| 14 Ford | Chase Briscoe | Stewart-Haas Racing | John Klausmeier | Mahindra Ag North America |
| 15 Ford | Joey Hand - (6 road courses) | Rick Ware Racing | Pat Tryson | To Be Announced |
| 15 Ford | David Ragan | Rick Ware Racing | Pat Tryson | Select Blinds |
| 16 Chevy | AJ Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Matt Swiderski | To Be Announced |
| 16 Chevy | Noah Gragson | Kaulig Racing | Matt Swiderski | CURE Token |
| 16 Chevy | Daniel Hemric | Kaulig Racing | Matt Swiderski | ChevyLiners.com |
| 17 Ford | Chris Buescher | RFK Racing | Scott Graves | Fastenal, Castrol, Fifth Third Bank, Violet Defense |
| 18 Toyota | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Ben Beshore | M&Ms, Skittles, Pedigree, Interstate Batteries, Sports Clips, STANLEY, Rheem |
| 19 Toyota | Martin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs Racing | James Small | Auto-Owners Insurance, Bass Pro Shops |
| 20 Toyota | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Adam Stevens | Rheem, SiriusXM |
| 21 Ford | Harrison Burton R | Wood Brothers Racing | Brian Wilson | Motorcraft/Quick Lane, Menards, DEX Imaging |
| 22 Ford | Joey Logano | Team Penske | Paul Wolfe | Shell Pennzoil |
| 23 Toyota | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Bootie Barker | McDonald’s, Wheaties, Leidos, MoneyLion, DoorDash |
| 24 Chevy | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports | Rudy Fugle | Axalta, Liberty University, Valvoline |
| 31 Chevy | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Trent Owens | LeafFilter Gutter Protection |
| 34 Ford | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports | Blake Harris | Love’s Travel Stops, Speedy Cash, Horizon Hobby, Fr8Auctions |
| 38 Ford | Todd Gilliland R | Front Row Motorsports | Seth Barbour | First Phase, Speedy Cash, Horizon Hobby |
| 41 Ford | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing | Mike Shiplett | Haas Automation / HaasTooling.com |
| 42 Chevy | Ty Dillon | Petty GMS Motorsports | Jerame Donley | Black Rifle Coffee, Ethos Car Care |
| 43 Chevy | Erik Jones | Petty GMS Motorsports | Dave Elenz | FOCUSfactor, U.S. Air Force |
| 45 Toyota | Kurt Busch | 23XI Racing | Billy Scott | Monster Energy, McDonald’s, SiriusXM, MoneyLion, Jordan Brand |
| 47 Chevy | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing | Brian Pattie | Kroger, Bushes Beans, NOS Energy Drink, SunnyD, Scott, SweetLeaf, Irish Spring |
| 48 Chevy | Alex Bowman | Hendrick Motorsports | Greg Ives | Ally Financial, Day Chaser |
| 51 Ford | Cody Ware | Rick Ware Racing | Billy Plourde | Nurtec ODT |
| 77 Chevy | Josh Bilicki | Spire Motorsports | Kevin Bellicourt | Zeigler Automotive Group, Pacific Coast Termite |
| 77 Chevy | Landon Cassill | Spire Motorsports | Kevin Bellicourt | Voyager |
| 78 Ford | BJ McLeod | Live Fast Motorsports | Lee Leslie | Motorsport Games, SkyView Partners, NASCAR Ignition |
| 99 Chevy | Daniel Suarez | Trackhouse Racing | Travis Mack | Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Freeway Insurance, CommScope |
| R - Sunoco Rookie of The Year contender |
