One week removed from Hendrick Motorsports’ champagne showers in Arizona, teams are already hard at work in Charlotte, eager to usher in a new era for NASCAR. While the Chevrolet powerhouse put a bow(tie) on a historic season at the conclusion of a successful 2021 campaign, three teams simultaneously ditched their rookie stripes in preparation for a new chapter.
The inception of 23XI Racing, Trackhouse Racing, and Live Fast Motorsports entering last season served as an appetizer for the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen transition. Blending star-power from new co-owners Michael Jordan and Pitbull, teams also sought to remain grounded with help from veterans within the sport in hopes to entice new audiences with diversity and glamor.
As is often the case with new teams, expectations were tempered to presumed uphill battles with the occasional minor victory between the trio of fresh-faced organizations. While this was predominantly the case, no one could’ve predicted the stints of consistent speed showcased right out the gates and the early successes achieved in year one.
Beginning with one of the most unjustly polarizing figures in the sport, Bubba Wallace was blessed with the surreal opportunity to drive for Jordan and Denny Hamlin after the athletes acquired a charter from Germain Racing to establish 23XI Racing.
The Alabama native returned to the Toyota Racing family and was met with unrealistically high expectations, as many thought the new team’s alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing would have an immediate impact on speed and results. Having shown glimmers of brilliance with Richard Petty Motorsports for three full-time seasons, the hope was that 23XI would be an upgrade — and it seemed to be the case.
Wallace became the first African American to win in the Cup Series since Wendell Scott in 1964 with his victory at Talladega Superspeedway. He also earned single-season career bests in the standings (21st), top-fives (three), laps led (62), and average finish (19.7).
Even with all of the success, Wallace graded his season with a “B or B-,” due to inconsistency and minor mistakes on his and the team’s part.
“It’s part of the growing pains,” Wallace told The Circuit Journal. “It’s small things that we have to clean up, but like I always say, it takes every star to be aligned to capitalize on one of [races], so we gotta get that last star bright and shiny.
“I was welcomed to a new opportunity, so I was kind of taking everything in. I think it’s been good from a team standpoint. It’s been good for me from a mental standpoint; it’s just a long, demanding season, so you gotta be able to counterbalance it with things that you love to do outside of the track to make everything go cohesive and enjoy it.”
Following Wallace’s most statistically successful season, he inherits Kurt Busch as a teammate in 2022. The 2004 champion will be a valuable asset for both the 23XI and the 27-year-old’s development from a leadership standpoint next year. All signs point to an immensely progressive season for the second-year team.
Next up are Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing, who made quite a few ripples during the 2021 season. Similar to 23XI, the team co-owned by Pitbull and Justin Marks was formed with the initiative to entice a new legion of fans while delivering energy that’s been lacking across the sport.
In his fifth full-time season with four different teams, Suarez scored four top-10s and led 74 laps, which were all second-best to his final stint with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019. One of those results was a fourth-place finish in the inaugural Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race, which he had a legitimate shot at winning.
The results don’t necessarily reflect the speed on display throughout the year, but it is finishes that matter at the end of the day. Regardless, it was an admirable and sporty showing for Trackhouse in 2021.
“I think it’s been good,” Suarez told The Circuit Journal. “It hasn’t been incredible, but it hasn’t been bad at all. I think next year is going to be completely different already with the Next Gen car. We’re going to see where things settle for everyone, but I think that Trackhouse is going to be a very competitive team that is going to be able to compete up front and hopefully contend for wins.”
Still, in search of his first career Cup Series victory, it’s difficult to blame Suarez, who’s been playing musical chairs between organizations and manufacturers his entire career with no opportunity to get comfortable. He knows his future is secure with Trackhouse, and if the Next Gen car really puts the performance in the driver’s hands as advertised, this new era could fit right into his wheelhouse.
Finally, there’s Live Fast Motorsports co-founded by best friends and veterans in the sport, B.J. McLeod and Matt Tifft. Serving as a true-blue startup team, there were hardly any expectations for the Ford Performance team that purchased a charter from GoFas Racing.
However, there’s no denying McLeod’s dedication to his craft, and the technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing turned some heads. Running part-time with Matt Mills and Kyle Tilley, the 11-year veteran and team owner scored the first top-10 of his Cup career in his home state of Florida.
The co-owners and driver were not available to comment on their 2021 campaign, but chances are they were content. For a team that didn’t have a ton of backing, the top-10 could indeed be considered a victory contrasted to the 21 finishes of 30th or worse. The good news for Live fast is that the Next Gen car allegedly evens the playing field, so it will be interesting to see where they stack up next year.
Overall, all three teams had their unique moment in the limelight during the 2021 season. It’s fair to say each organization saw growth as the grueling schedule rolled from February to November, with expectations exceeded, or at the very least, met. There’s no telling what to expect with the dawn of NASCAR’s Next Gen car, but seeing how these teams operate after a year of experience at the premier level will be interesting.
