In 2023, NASCAR celebrated its diamond anniversary and a 75-year rise from the moonshine-laden foothills of the Carolinas and the sands of Daytona Beach to being America's most popular form of motorsports. It was a season-long commemoration of the past, offered a compelling racing product in the present, and generated optimism for a future that now forever includes Ryan Blaney as a Cup Series champion.
From a long-awaited return to the legendary North Wilkesboro Speedway, to a bold new step for NASCAR on the streets of Chicago and all points in-between, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season was one filled with intrigue, sights old and new, and yet another highly competitive season with its fair share of surprises. While William Byron won a Cup Series-best six races and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson had four to his credit, no other driver had more than three wins on the year.
15 drivers in total won a race in 2023 for 10 different race teams, from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning the Daytona 500 for JTG Daugherty Racing to V8 Supercars star Shane Van Gisbergen becoming the first driver since 1963 -- and the first in the sport's modern era -- to win in his Cup Series debut at Chicago. And plenty more made their way to the front of the field at some point during the year, as all but three drivers who completed the full season had at least one top-five finish, and all but one had at least one top 10.
Here is a look at the final 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship standings and every driver who declared to earn Cup Series points during the year.
| Rank | Driver | Change | Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Blaney | -- | Three wins (Coca-Cola 600, Talladega II, Martinsville II) | eight top fives | 18 top 10s | 562 laps led | Avg. finish: 14.1 | |
| 2 | Kyle Larson | -- | Four wins (Martinsville I, Richmond I, Southern 500, Las Vegas II) | 15 top fives | 18 top 10s | 1127 laps led | Avg. finish: 14.6 | |
| 3 | William Byron | -- | Six wins (Las Vegas I, Phoenix I, Darlington I, Atlanta II, Watkins Glen, Texas) | 15 top fives | 21 top 10s | 1016 laps led | Avg. finish: 11.0 | |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | -- | Two wins (Bristol I, Homestead) | 10 top fives | 19 top 10s | 599 laps led | Avg. finish: 12.9 | |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | -- | Three wins (Kansas I, Pocono, Bristol II) | 14 top fives | 19 top 10s | 998 laps led | Avg. finish: 12.4 | |
| 6 | Tyler Reddick | -- | Two wins (COTA, Kansas II) | 10 top fives | 16 top 10s | 470 laps led | Avg. finish: 15.7 | |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | -- | Three wins (Richmond II, Michigan, Daytona II) | nine top fives | 17 top 10s | 255 laps led | Avg. finish: 12.1 | |
| 8 | Brad Keselowski | -- | Best finish: second (twice) | seven top fives | 16 top 10s | 341 laps led | Avg. finish: 14.4 | |
| 9 | Ross Chastain | -- | Two wins (Nashville, Phoenix II) | 10 top fives | 14 top 10s | 640 laps led | Avg. finish: 15.0 | |
| 10 | Bubba Wallace | -- | Best finish: third (Texas) | five top fives | 10 top 10s | 285 laps led | Avg. finish: 15.9 | |
| 11 | Martin Truex Jr. | -- | Three wins (Dover, Sonoma, New Hampshire) | nine top fives | 17 top 10s | 899 laps led | regular-season champion | Avg. finish: 13.3 | |
| 12 | Joey Logano | -- | One win (Atlanta I) | 11 top fives | 17 top 10s | 308 laps led | Avg. finish: 14.9 | |
| 13 | Kevin Harvick | -- | Best finish: second (Darlington I) | six top fives | 14 top 10s | 157 laps led | Avg. finish: 14.7 | |
| 14 | Kyle Busch | -- | Three wins (Fontana, Talladega I, Gateway) | 10 top fives | 17 top 10s | 241 laps led | Avg. finish: 15.0 | |
| 15 | Michael McDowell | -- | One win (Indianapolis) | two top fives | eight top 10s | 97 laps led | Avg. finish: 19.0 | |
| 16 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | -- | One win (Daytona 500) | two top fives | nine top 10s | 39 laps led | Avg. finish: 17.8 | |
| 17 | Chase Elliott | -- | Best finish: second (twice) | seven top fives | 15 top 10s | 195 laps led | Avg. finish: 13.1 | Missed seven races (injury, suspension) | |
| 18 | Ty Gibbs | -- | Best finish: fourth (Charlotte Roval) | four top fives | 10 top 10s | 112 laps led | Sunoco Rookie of the Year | Avg. finish: 18.4 | |
| 19 | Daniel Suarez | -- | Best finish: second (Atlanta II) | three top fives | 10 top 10s | 48 laps led | Avg. finish: 19.0 | |
| 20 | Alex Bowman | -- | Best finish: third (twice) | four top fives | 10 top 10s | 89 laps led | Avg. finish: 17.2 | Missed three races (injury) | |
| 21 | AJ Allmendinger | -- | One win (Charlotte Roval) | four top fives | seven top 10s | 64 laps led | Avg. finish: 19.6 | |
| 22 | Aric Almirola | -- | Best finish: second (Martinsville II) | two top fives | five top 10s | 173 laps led | Avg. finish: 19.6 | |
| 23 | Ryan Preece | -- | Best finish: fifth (Richmond II) | one top five | two top 10s | 149 laps led | Avg. finish: 20.8 | |
| 24 | Austin Cindric | -- | Best finish: fifth (Talladega II) | one top five | five top 10s | 33 laps led | Avg. finish: 21.6 | |
| 25 | Corey LaJoie | -- | Best finish: fourth (twice) | two top fives | three top 10s | 66 laps led | Avg. finish: 20.8 | |
| 26 | Justin Haley | -- | Best finish: second (Chicago) | one top five | two top 10s | 24 laps led | Avg. finish: 21.0 | |
| 27 | Erik Jones | -- | Best finish: third (Kansas II) | one top five | seven top 10s | 24 laps led | Avg. finish: 20.4 | |
| 28 | Todd Gilliland | -- | Best finish: eighth (Bristol I) | four top 10s | Avg. finish: 22.0 | |
| 29 | Austin Dillon | -- | Best finish: third (Bristol I) | one top five | seven top 10s | 19 laps led | Avg. finish: 21.8 | |
| 30 | Chase Briscoe | -- | Best finish: fourth (twice) | four top fives | eight top 10s | 184 laps led | Avg. finish: 20.3 | |
| 31 | Harrison Burton | -- | Best finish: sixth (Darlington I) | two top 10s | 25 laps led | Avg. finish: 24.7 | |
| 32 | Ty Dillon | -- | Best finish: 11th (Daytona II) | 11 laps led | Avg. finish: 27.5 | |
| 33 | Noah Gragson | -- | Best finish: 12th (Atlanta I) | two laps led | Avg. finish: 28.2 | Parted ways with Legacy Motor Club following Michigan, missed final 15 races | |
| 34 | Cody Ware | -- | Seven starts | best finish: 14th (Daytona 500) | one lap led | Avg. finish: 27.7 | Indefinitely suspended by NASCAR on Apr. 10 (behavioral) | |
| 35 | Jenson Button | -- | Three starts | best finish: 18th (COTA) | Avg. finish: 22.3 | |
| 36 | Mike Rockenfeller | -- | Three starts | best finish: 19th (Watkins Glen) | Avg. finish: 24.0 | |
| 37 | Travis Pastrana | -- | One start (Daytona 500) | finished 11th | two laps led | |
| 38 | Brodie Kostecki | -- | One start (Indianapolis) | finished 22nd | |
| 39 | Jimmie Johnson | -- | Three starts | best finish: 31st (Daytona 500) | Avg. finish: 35.3 | |
| 40 | Kimi Raikkonen | -- | One start (COTA) | finished 29th | |
| 41 | Jonathan Davenport | -- | One start (Bristol I) | finished 36th |
