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The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season kicked off with the return of the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum. With the exhibition-style event introducing the sport to newer audiences just as the season was about to go live with the iconic Daytona 500, drivers and teams battled it out on the temporary short track for the best possible jump start to the year.
Going into the second year of racing for the seventh generation Cup Series car, dubbed as the Next Gen car, many improvements by the governing body followed for the recipe of making the fastest stock cars on the planet. With much-needed safety improvements for the drivers, as well as better understanding by the teams on how to set up the car, the field is as close as it has ever been in the sport.
Already recognized for bringing parity into the NASCAR Cup Series, the Next Gen car saw machinery as well as drivers step up their performances as the season progressed. With a week-long break before racing action restarts at Nashville Superspeedway, FOX Sports hands over its broadcasting duties to NBC Sports for the rest of the year as well.
This makes it the perfect time for us to look back at what has been an exciting start to the 2023 season.
Five most exciting 2023 NASCAR Cup Series races so far
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season has seen many storylines unfold so far. With the return to form for Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr. to Kyle Busch's explosive performance at Richard Childress Racing, 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for race fans.
Here are our picks for the most exciting races of the season so far:
#5 Auto Club Speedway (Pala Casino 400)
Visiting the intermediate 2.0-mile-long Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers were seen engaging in hectic 4 and 5 wide restarts on the D-shaped track.
With 28 lead changes and 21.7 green flag overtakes for every lap of the Pala Casino 400, the race proved to be the first of Kyle Busch's victories with his new team Richard Childress Racing.
#4 Charlotte Motor Speedway (Coca-Cola 600)
One of NASCAR's crown jewel events, the Coca-Cola 600 at 'America's Home for Racing' saw Team Penske's Ryan Blaney snap his 59-race winless streak with a feel-good victory for the #12 Ford Mustang driver.
With multiple lead changes during the race despite the event being delayed by a day due to inclement weather, the crowd's spirits were not damped as there was plenty of action on the track, topped with different stage winners for all three stages of the 600-mile-long race.
#3 Darlington Raceway (Goodyear 400)
In what NASCAR fans would jokingly say as being 'Chastained', Kyle Larson became the most recent victim of the extremely aggressive Trackhouse Racing driver during the Goodyear 400 at 'The Lady in Black'.
Along with the drivers and their cars sporting heritage-inspired throwback liveries, the race proved to be exciting during the second half. After a predictable first half, William Byron was seen capitalizing on the wrecks on track, holding off Kevin Harvick to win after a late-race restart.
#2 Richmond Raceway (Toyota Owners 400)
A reasonably interesting race was made even more exciting after a late-race restart as Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson was seen fending off the pressure as he battled Josh Berry at the front.
Substituting for Chase Elliott in the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, this was the race where teams and fans finally took notice of Josh Berry as a serious competitor in the highest echelon of the sport.
#1 Kansas Speedway (AdventHealth 400)
One of the most spectacular and fair finishes of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season came at the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. The 400-mile-long race saw Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin challenge for the win up front. The latter was seen catching the #5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver during the dying stages of the race.
The move came on the last lap when the #11 Toyota Camry TRD driver nudged Larson to take the lead and clinched his first trip to victory lane in 2023.
