Congratulations to the 2023 Victory Lane Racing NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Steve Ruth! Steve finished the season with 3 straight top ten finishes, including a second pace run at Martinsville and a third place finish in the season finale at Phoenix, to claim the title by 10 points in the Victory Lane Racing NASCAR Cup Series' first season using a three-race championship format. Steve finished the playoffs with a 15th place average finish, which was third among the final four racers. Steve is no stranger to finishing in the final four, finishing second three times (2021, 2019 and 2018), but this is the first time he can be called a Cup Series Champion!
Jamie Dyke came oh so close to being a Cup Series champion, finishing 6th at Phoenix and falling just ten points short. In only his second full-time Cup Series season, to score 14 top ten finishes and finish second overall is quite the feat. I'd expect to see his name near the top for a long time.
Donald Hardison Jr nearly scored his third Cup Series championship, but will settle for third after finishing 9th at Phoenix. His 32nd place finish in the championship round race at Homestead will be the nail in the coffin for him, but to only come up 38 points short of a third title is something to be proud of.
Todd Oliver was the fourth place finisher this season, after really struggling in the championship round. After finishing 11th at Homestead, he rounded out the season with a 26th place finish at Martinsville, followed by a 30th place run at Phoenix. He will finish 52 points behind the lead, but fourth overall. This is his second fourth place points finish in only his second full-time season in the series.
This season saw many great races, some great competition and lots of fun. Nick Hagen won the most races this season, with 3. Terry Smith scored the most top five finshes, with 9. Greg Miller's 15 top 10 finishes was the most of the season.
The rookie of the year was Jedd Gardner, who struggled in his first year but did pick up a win at Homestead, and finished 39th in points. He will look to use the win to build momentum for a great run in 2024.
2023 comes to a close, our 20th season racing in the Cup Series
