Hailie Deegan’s future among five offseason NASCAR storylines

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Bob Pockrass

FOX NASCAR Insider

The checkered flag dropped on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season greater than every week in the past.

Joey Logano celebrated. The remainder of the sector left disenchanted, annoyed or impressed because the drivers await the subsequent inexperienced flag in 12 weeks (for the Conflict).

Listed below are 5 storylines to look at over the subsequent 12 weeks.

1. Preece or Custer within the 41?

Many of the “foolish season” storylines have been accomplished weeks in the past. And a few, akin to Ty Gibbs anticipated to drive the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 automotive rather than Kyle Busch, are within the query of when will the announcement occur somewhat than whether or not it can occur.

However the largest query that also appears fluid is the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 automotive. Cole Custer, who received at Kentucky to make the playoffs as a rookie in 2020, completed twenty fifth within the standings this yr, only one spot higher than his end in 2021.

Crew proprietor Gene Haas, who jettisoned Daniel Suárez in favor of Custer three years in the past after Custer had an eight-win Xfinity Series season, needs to present him one other yr. The truth that his common end was simply three spots under of veteran Aric Almirola‘s exhibits that Custer wasn’t actually that far off his teammates.

However Haas mentioned final month that workforce co-owner Tony Stewart needs to place Ryan Preece in that experience. Preece, who’s represented by Kevin Harvick‘s KHI Administration, has apparently put collectively sufficient sponsorship to make SHR take into account placing him in that automotive.

Ryan Preece holds off Smith, Hocevar to win at Nashville

In June, Ryan Preece held off late prices by Zane Smith and Carson Hocevar to win a Truck Collection race at Nashville Superspeedway, Preece’s second consecutive sequence win on the observe.

It seems that SHR is leaning towards Preece, though these conditions are typically fluid. Custer’s father is an government at SHR, and it’s anticipated he would have someplace to race in 2023 even when it isn’t within the No. 41 automotive.

“I would wish to see Cole again in it for one more yr not less than,” Haas mentioned final month. “However Tony has another concepts. It is fairly laborious to argue with Tony as a result of he is picked so many good drivers over time.”

Preece had talks with Xfinity and truck groups however opted to bypass these alternatives in hopes that the No. 41 could be his seat for 2023. He would not have let these alternatives go if he did not have not less than some confidence or religion it could occur.

2. Rick Ware Racing and Stay Quick Motorsport lineups

If Preece leads to the No. 41 automotive, there was hypothesis that Custer may transfer to the Rick Ware Racing No. 15 with an enlargement of the present alliance between the 2 organizations.

However Rick Ware mentioned final week that SHR seems to be leaning towards another choice — and, once more, this stuff are typically on-again, off-again — and that he won’t have his lineup set till someday in December. Cody Ware improved his common end by greater than three spots to 27.8 this season and could be anticipated to return to his father’s workforce within the No. 51 automotive.

If Custer does not go to the No. 15 automotive, SHR has had a relationship with Stay Quick Motorsports proprietor B.J. McLeod on the Xfinity aspect. However it seems that Stay Quick, if it does do an alliance, is extra apt to do it with Richard Childress Racing, which was speaking to the workforce when it was engaged on a 3rd automotive for Tyler Reddick.

One extra possibility for Custer is the Xfinity Collection, the place SHR already has one automotive for Riley Herbst.

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3. Hailie Deegan’s 2023 plans

Including a second automotive to its Xfinity steady is one thing SHR has thought of with Ford Efficiency on the lookout for an Xfinity experience for Hailie Deegan subsequent season. Up to now, one hasn’t developed.

There are a couple of different groups (akin to SS Inexperienced Gentle Racing, RSS Racing) that run Fords in that sequence.

Ford executives have mentioned that Deegan shall be in a Ford subsequent yr however the place continues to be to be decided. The 21-year-old Deegan had an underwhelming yr as her common end in vehicles at 22.1 was worse than her rookie season common of 20.9.

However simply final month she completed thirteenth in her one Xfinity race for SS Inexperienced Gentle Racing, once more exhibiting the potential she demonstrated in ending third within the ARCA standings in 2020.

The query is whether or not one other yr in vehicles could be helpful or whether or not going to Xfinity would possibly match her higher. If she stayed in vehicles, she must discover one other workforce as David Gilliland Racing has switched to Toyota.

“There’s plenty of various factors,” Deegan mentioned. “There’s the best way individuals race you. It may very well be extra so possibly the gear.

“There are such a lot of items to the puzzle. … Generally while you get completely different items to the puzzle to work collectively, generally issues work out higher.”

There are actually prospects who’ve carried out higher. However Deegan, the daughter of motion sports activities star Brian Deegan, has been probably the most notable feminine prospect the previous few years and has generated a major social media following — making her journey probably the most seen (and most scrutinized) amongst aspiring Cup drivers.

Hailie Deegan on social media

Hailie Deegan discusses how her social media following has helped launch her profession in motorsports.

4. Daytona 500 entries

Along with the 36 constitution groups, there already are three drivers who’ve dedicated to the Daytona 500: Austin Hill for Beard Motorsports, Zane Smith for Entrance Row Motorsports and seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson for Petty GMS.

IndyCar veteran Helio Castroneves is meant to get a Daytona 500 experience by way of a victory in an SRX Collection race. The workforce he’ll drive for continues to be to be decided.

Crew Hezeberg, which made the 2022 Daytona 500 with former Formulation 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve, probably will subject a automotive (or may subject two, because it did for some races in its part-time 2021 schedule).

The Cash Crew and NY Racing, which each made the Daytona 500 final yr, may subject vehicles for the race.

Whether or not Trackhouse Racing makes use of its Project91 program that offers alternatives to internationally recognized drivers opts to enter the Daytona 500 continues to be to be decided.

There even have been different potential workforce homeowners, together with 3F Racing from Germany, that hope to have applications put collectively.

5. Tweaks to Subsequent Gen automotive

NASCAR will make tweaks to the rear and heart clips of the Subsequent Gen automotive to assist the automotive soak up extra vitality throughout a crash (and reduce the affect on the motive force).

As a result of NASCAR added many tweaks to the automotive within the months previous to the 2022 season (a windshield duct, slits within the rear windshield, modifications to the exhaust, and so on.), it impacted the wind tunnel numbers for every producer.

So NASCAR allowed every producer to submit new noses and hood designs. They will not be an excessive amount of completely different however sufficient to affect how they deal with. All of them have been examined within the wind tunnel for parity.

What would be the affect? Groups won’t know till they get to the Conflict after which Daytona. NASCAR, for the time being, has no organizational exams — the place each group can convey one or two vehicles – scheduled for the offseason.

There are Goodyear tire exams — and a few chatter of a possible check with a couple of vehicles to check some aero packages for brief tracks and highway programs — scheduled for the offseason however nothing that might have each workforce on the observe on the similar time.

Whereas groups want to know the affect of the modifications, they’re nonetheless getting chassis re-done with the tweaks and are awaiting the brand new physique items, so it’s nonetheless to be decided after they really would have vehicles prepared.

Pondering Out Loud

Joey Logano solidified himself as a NASCAR Corridor of Famer with his second Cup title.

Did another drivers make substantial additions to their Corridor of Fame instances?

Joey Logano on if he’s Corridor of Fame worthy

Joey Logano on if he is Hall of Fame worthy

With 31 Cup wins and two championships, Joey Logano has solidified his case to make the NASCAR Corridor of Fame. He shares his ideas on his legacy.

Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson may need completed sufficient. Certain, every has “solely” one title. However Larson’s three Cup victories pushed him to 19 in his profession and Elliott’s 5 pushed him to 18.

That places Larson tied for forty third on the all-time profession listing and Elliot tied for forty eighth.

Each former Cup champion eligible for the NASCAR Corridor of Fame besides Invoice Rexford (1950 champ with one victory) is within the Corridor of Fame.

Bobby Labonte is in with one championship and 21 victories. Alan Kulwicki, who died the yr after successful his title, is in with 5 profession victories.

So would 18 or 19 wins be sufficient? Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne have 18 wins apiece, and Greg Biffle is amongst these with 19. Most certainly, none of them will get into the Corridor (Newman, with a Daytona 500 win, may need the most effective likelihood).

Larson and Elliott probably nonetheless have loads of potential wins left of their careers so this may very well be a moot level. Neither has a Daytona 500 win, which may additionally add to the argument for both of them.

Like Logano, although, one other championship would make it extraordinarily tough to disregard their résumés when voting.

Social Highlight

Stat of the Day

The stage 1 winner received six occasions in 2022. The stage 2 winner received 4 occasions.

They Mentioned It

“I felt like I received place on him, to the left aspect, the dogleg, and he turned left.” —Ross Chastain on the contact with Chase Elliott throughout the championship race

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent many years overlaying motorsports, together with the previous 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seashore) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass, and join the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass.