Truck Series: Rajah Caruth joins GMS Racing

NASCAR has a winner-take-all format for determining its champion. Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. question the validity of the current format. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series announced a new format that mirrors the NASCAR format on Thursday.  The four remaining championship contenders will vie for the title in 2023. The winner will be the driver who finished highest among the four championship drivers in the season finale. Joey Logano won the Cup title at Phoenix. Ty Gibbs won Xfinity title by winning the finale at Arizona. Zane Smith won Truck title. Hamlins is seeking his first Cup championship.

Tyler Reddick will drive for 23XI Racing. He will have Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan as his bosses. Reddicks and Jordan have spent time together. Jordan reached out to Reddik after he pulled out of the Martinsville race in October.

Kyle Larson is staying at home for the birth of his third child with wife Katelyn Sweet. He will compete in the Wild West Shootout at Vado (New Mexico) Speedway Park on Jan. 7-8 and Jan 11-15. Larson will not compete at the Chili Bowl this year.

Ryan Blaney finished eighth in the standings this year. He won the All-Star Race but didn't win any points races. It's the sixth consecutive year he's finished in top 10 in points, but he has never placed higher than seventh. Blaneys team took themselves out of a few races, which he feels hurt his chances of winning. The new season starts in two weeks.

Austin Dillon and Keith Rodden will be the new driver/crew chief pairings for 2023. Ridden worked with Kasey Kahne in 2017 and William Byron in 2020. He will take over for Justin Alexander. Dillon finished 11th in points this season.