It has been a rather tumultuous Silly Season in NASCAR with lots of moves by drivers in all three racing series.

The end of the 2023 racing season brings retiring drivers, drivers jumping series, drivers still awaiting a ride, and new drivers joining NASCAR.  Many plans have been solidified for the 2024 season; but rumours and questions are still abound.

Topping the list of news are two moves that will greatly affect the Craftsman Truck Series.  Choosing to concentrate on the Cup Series side and Legacy Motor Club, GMS Racing has ceased operations leaving Rajah Caruth, Daniel Dye, and Grant Enfinger in a bit of a quandary over where they will be next season.

Also in the Truck Series, Kyle Busch has sold his Kyle Busch Motorsports operation – manufacturing, shop, and equipment – to Spire Motorsports.  After 100 race wins and two driver championships, Busch has said that with his and son Brexton’s racing schedules, he cannot give KBM all the attention it deserves.

The other big news in the 2023 season is the retirement of Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick.  Harvick first arrived in the Cup Series in 2001 after the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr in Daytona.  He leaves NASCAR with 60 race wins and a championship.  However, Harvick is not leaving the world of racing all together; come February, race fans will see and hear Harvick as a member of the FOX broadcast crew.

Jordan Anderson Racing has announced that Xfinity Series drivers Jeb Burton and Parker Retzlaff are returning the JAR in 2024.

While he dreams of a return to the Cup Series, newly crowned Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer will be returning to the 00 Stewart-Haas Racing car in the Xfinity Series next season; along with the driver of the number 98 car Riley Herbst.

At the beginning of the 2022 racing season, Aric Almirola announced that it would be his last season; retiring from the number 10 car.  Later in the season Almirola announced that he was “un-retiring” and would return for the 2023 season.  As the end of the 2023 season approached, careful not to use the word “retirement”, Almirola made the announcement that he was leaving Stewart-Haas Racing and the number 10 car.  Longtime Almirola sponsor Smithfield is also leaving the number 10 car.  SHR has not announced a replacement for Almirola as yet.

Eighteen year old ARCA Menards Series driver Jesse Love is skipping the Truck Series and will be driving the number two Richard Childress Racing car.  Love is replacing Sheldon Creed after RCR announced that Creed was not returning to the team.

Kaulig Racing has announced that Chandler Smith would not be returning to the number 16 Xfinity Series car for the 2024 season.  As of yet, a replacement driver has not been named.  Nor has Smith announced what his future plans may be.

After just missing out on being one of the championship four, Christian Eckes will be returning to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing to drive the number 19 truck in the Craftsman Truck Series.

Craftsman Truck Series driver Carson Hocevar has spent several weeks filling in behind the wheel of the Legacy Motor Club number 43 car after Noah Gragson was suspended.  Hocevar will be returning to the Cup Series in 2024 but as the driver for the number 77 Spire Motorsports car.  Ty Dillon, who drove the car in 2023, has yet to announce any plans for the coming season.

After three years in the Craftsman Truck Series, Halie Deegan is moving up to the Xfinity Series to drive the number 15 AM Racing car in a multi year deal.

With all the changes happening at Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Preece, driver of the number 41 car, is returning to the team to continue in the number 41.

With the retirement of Kevin Harvick, Stwart-Haas has tapped Xfinity Series JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry to take over the driving duties for the number four car.  Leaving the number eight JR Motorsports empty, Dale Jr has named 19 year old Sammy Smith as the new driver of the number eight car.

Busy this season, Spire Motorsports has acquired a new charter and an alliance with Spire Motorsports.  They have hired the 2022 Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith to drive the new as yet un-numbered car.  After their success in 2023 with both drivers making it the playoffs, Trackhouse Racing is looking to add a new team in the future.

Justin Haley is leaving the number 31 Kaulig Racing car to move over to Rick Ware Racing in a multi year deal as a full time driver; however, the car number has yet to be revealed.

With the number 31 car empty, Daniel Hemric leaves the number eleven car to take over the driving duties in the number 31 Kaulig Racing car.

After driving the Trackhouse Racing special 91 car in the Chicago street race, Australian Supercars driver Shane van Gisbergen is moving to America and Trackhouse Racing as a part time driver.  Trackhouse has created a development program for the New Zealand native to help familiarize him with NASCAR and its three racing series.

With the departure of Kevin Harvick, Busch Light is also leaving the number four car and moving over the Trackhouse Racing where it will be a primary sponsor for the Melon Man Ross Chastain.  (Wonder if they will develop a watermelon flavoured adult beverage???)

With all the changes coming to Spire Motorsports, one thing will not change…Corey LaJoie will return to pilot the number seven car next season and the immediate future.

Staying with Kaulig Racing, AJ Allmendinger returned to the Cup Series for the 2023 season to drive full time; however, at this time, he still has not firmed up his plans for the coming season other than he intends to remain at Kaulig.

Afte much speculation during much of the season, Martin Truex Jr finally announced that he indeed would be returning to Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the number 19 car for another season.

Wood Brother Racing has confirmed that their young driver Harrison Burton will drive the iconic number 21 car next season.

Michael McDowell will be returning to Front Row Motorsports to driver the number 34 car and Todd Gilliland will remain behind the wheel of the number 38 car.

After his suspension from NASCAR and Legacy Motor Club, Noah Gragson has gone through the proper steps and has earned his reinstatement into NASCAR; however, at this time, Gragson does not have a ride for the 2024 season.

After the departure of Noah Gragson, Legacy Motor Club employed a number of different drivers to handle the driving duties for the number 42 car with Carson Hocevar taking most of the races.  LMC has not only announced that they have hired John Hunter Nemechek to drive the number 42 next season; but also that they will be switching from a Chevrolet to a Toyota for next season.

After a somewhat disappointing first year at JR Motorsports, there was some speculation over the fate of driver for the number nine car Brandon Jones; he will remain with JRM along with Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Sam Mayer.

Austin Hill is remaining with Richard Childress Racing to drive the number 21 car in the Xfinity Series.

After several years as a part time driver Ryan Ellis will make a full time run next season in the Xfinity Series driving the Alpha Prime Racing number 43 car.

Returning to full time racing in 2023, Parker Kligerman will remain at Big Machine Racing to drive the number 48 car.

Earlier in the season, Matt DiBenedetto announced his departure from Rackley W.A.R.; in fact, he did not finish the season with the team.  Currently he has no rides lined up for the new season.