What’s Happening?

23XI Racing announced on Thursday that the No. 50 car would return to the track this summer, teasing the new driver with a golden ticket and saying to Denny Hamlin, “You were one of his favorite drivers when he was a kid”. Which driver is taking the wheel of the No. 50 car this summer?

• 23XI Racing fields the No. 50 car sparingly. They’ve fielded the extra car in 3 races over the past two seasons with Travis Pastrana driving in the 2023 Daytona 500 and Kamui Kobayashi racing at Indianapolis in August of 2023 and COTA in March of 2024.
• With the comment that, while growing up, this driver was a fan of Hamlin, that means this is likely a young driver. Which young Toyota driver is getting a chance at NASCAR’s top level?
• Fans are excited to see who takes the No. 50 this summer. It’s an opportunity to see a new driver in the Cup Series.

Chandler Smith

Chandler Smith is the current Xfinity Series points leader. He could be in the catbird seat to jump up to Cup if Martin Truex Jr. retires. The next logical step is heading to Cup with a JGR-affiliated team.

Smith made 3 Cup Series starts in 2023 for Kaulig Racing. His best finish was 11th at Talladega in the fall.

Corey Heim

Corey Heim is one of the top prospects in all of NASCAR right now. He’s clearly one of the top talents in the Craftsman Truck Series, as he has not finished worse than 10th in the first 8 races of the season. He does have Cup Series experience with Toyota as well, as he substituted for an injured Erik Jones at Legacy Motor Club for two races.

However, Heim is not a Gibbs talent as much as he’s a Toyota talent. Could Toyota put Heim in the No. 50 car? Maybe, especially if 23XI is looking at purchasing a charter for someone like Corey Heim to race. However, a Gibbs driver is more likely to take this seat.

Sheldon Creed

Sheldon Creed also races for JGR in the Xfinity Series. While he has not won a race, he’s still a consistent driver who puts up solid results.

However, Smith would likely get the ride over Creed if we’re looking at overall talent. Then again, if funding is an issue, that could vault Creed up above Smith at least for this weekend.

Taylor Gray

Taylor Gray has popped up in the Gibbs stable in the Xfinity Series here and there this season. This includes a 3rd-place finish in his first Xfinity Series start at Richmond. He’s also been solid in the Truck Series this season too, sitting 7th in points.

However, there are other drivers in front of him currently in the Toyota pipeline. Heim is Toyota’s reserve driver, so, Gray getting a Cup opportunity would mean he has to jump Heim, Smith, and Creed.

Tanner Gray

Tanner Gray is in a similar spot to his brother, Taylor. Tanner is doing a solid job in the Truck Series this season, sitting 9th in points. He has also raced 3 times for JGR in ARCA this season, including a pole and 2nd place finish at Kansas.

However, like Taylor, the hurdles are big. The drivers in front of Tanner are all quite talented, and it would be seen as a big reach to put Tanner in the car.

Which driver do you hope to see in the No. 50 car this summer?