Welcome, this is the ninth post of a week and a half series reviewing and rating how each driver in the NASCAR Cup series has done in the 2022 season (min. 15 races started). Each part will contain 3-5 drivers and have them grouped by organization/satellite team or car manufacturer as best as possible. The review will include the drivers 2022 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2022 with season ranking since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022 short track (under 1.0 mile), small track (1.0-1.3 mile), intermediate track (1.3-1.5 mile), big track (2-2.5 mile), road course, superspeedway (drafting tracks) and dirt track statistics. Then I will give a brief summary/review, finally ending with a grade A+ thru F-.
Next up is a team that went full-time Cup racing for the first time this year, Kaulig Racing.
Kaulig Racing Drivers
Justin Haley – 22nd in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 18.36 | 25th of 39 | T334th of 790 |
| Wins | 0 | T20th of 62 | T273rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 0 | T17th of 62 | T267th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T23rd of 62 | T381st of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T17th of 62 | T259th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T20th of 62 | T312th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | 28th of 62 | T445th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T4th of 39 | T223rd of 790 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 62 | T96th of 388* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T29th of 62 | T148th of 388* |
| Stage Pts | 28 | 29th of 62 | T141st of 388* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T23rd of 62 | T115th of 388* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers with 15+ starts in a year
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year (Rank among drivers with 1+ playoff start, 47 drivers, Avg. Finish and DNF ranks among drivers with 5+ playoff starts, 37 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.9(14th), 0 Wins(T9th), 0 Poles(T8th), 0 Top 2’s(T13th), 1 Top 3(T10th), 2 Top 5’s(T8th), 2 Top 10’s(T20th), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 0 Stage Wins(T13th), 1 Stage Top 10(T26th), 9 Stage Points(T23rd), 0 Playoff Points earned in a race(T16th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 24.0(28th), Best 12th, Worst 31st, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.8(T20th), Best 11th, Worst 27th, Led 1.21% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 45 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 18.8(21st), Best 3rd, Worst 35th, Led 0.58% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.33(T24th), Best 17th, Worst 23rd, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 15.5(T10th), Best 5th, Worst 24th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.58 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 45 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(T15th), Best 7th, Worst 28th, Led 0.69% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 14.0(14th), Best 14th, Worst 14th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
Justin Haley did better than I feel most expected him to do in his first full-time Cup season with a new full-time Cup team. On the year Haley had a 18.36 average finish and amassed 2 Top 3’s, both on Intermediate tracks, and 4 Top 10’s with only 3 DNF’s. Haley struggled in stages though only getting 28 Stage Points all year. In the playoffs he had the 14th best average finish at 16.9 getting 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 10’s in the 10 races. There was only one really bad track style for Haley and that was Short tracks. At Short tracks Haley had a 24.0 average finish and 1 Top 15 in 5 races with the other 4 races finishing outside the Top 20. The rest of the tracks Haley was decent at, he had a 20.33 average finish or better at them. His best tracks though were Road Courses as Haley had a 15.5 average finish, 1 Top 5 and 3 Top 15’s in 6 races. He also only finished outside the Top 20 once and got 1.58 Stage Pts Per Stage. Overall on the season Haley was consistent and stayed on the track which is key for a first year team and driver. He definitely has something to build off and with A.J. Allmendinger being his teammate next year Haley should have an even better year than this year.
Justin Haley did better than I feel most expected him to do in his first full-time Cup season with a new full-time Cup team. On the year Haley had a 18.36 average finish and amassed 2 Top 3’s, both on Intermediate tracks, and 4 Top 10’s with only 3 DNF’s. Haley struggled in stages though only getting 28 Stage Points all year. In the playoffs he had the 14th best average finish at 16.9 getting 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 10’s in the 10 races. There was only one really bad track style for Haley and that was Short tracks. At Short tracks Haley had a 24.0 average finish and 1 Top 15 in 5 races with the other 4 races finishing outside the Top 20. The rest of the tracks Haley was decent at, he had a 20.33 average finish or better at them. His best tracks though were Road Courses as Haley had a 15.5 average finish, 1 Top 5 and 3 Top 15’s in 6 races. He also only finished outside the Top 20 once and got 1.58 Stage Pts Per Stage. Overall on the season Haley was consistent and stayed on the track which is key for a first year team and driver. He definitely has something to build off and with A.J. Allmendinger being his teammate next year Haley should have an even better year than this year.
Final Grade: D+
Noah Gragson – 26th in owner points (more races in 16 than 48)
*Only ran 18 races this season, sharing the 16 car and filling in for Alex Bowman.
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 23.11 | 32nd of 39 | T494th of 790 |
| Wins | 0 | T20th of 62 | T273rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 0 | T17th of 62 | T267th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T23rd of 62 | T381st of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T26th of 62 | T447th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T26th of 62 | T421st of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T32nd of 62 | T575th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T17th of 39 | T483rd of 790 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 62 | T96th of 388* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T35th of 62 | T183rd of 388* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T34th of 62 | T182nd of 388* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T23rd of 62 | T115th of 388* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers with 15+ starts in a year
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year (Rank among drivers with 1+ playoff start, 47 drivers, Avg. Finish and DNF ranks among drivers with 5+ playoff starts, 37 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 20.29(26th), 0 Wins(T9th), 0 Poles(T8th), 0 Top 2’s(T13th), 0 Top 3’s(T18th), 0 Top 5’s(T23rd), 0 Top 10’s(T27th), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 0 Stage Wins(T13th), 1 Stage Top 10(T26th), 0 Stage Points(T28th), 0 Playoff Points earned in a race(T16th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 24.5(31st), Best 24th, Worst 25th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 42 drivers)
- 0 Races
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 45 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 19.5(26th), Best 11th, Worst 25th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 27.0(35th), Best 24th, Worst 30th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 23.0(T29th), Best 23rd, Worst 23rd, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 45 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 24.33(T31st), Best 5th, Worst 37th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with1+ Dirt Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 27.0(27th), Best 27th, Worst 27th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
Noah Gragson ran half the races in the Cup Series this season and with Alex Bowman’s injury in the playoffs Gragson got time in a top notch car. Even with this Gragson’s 2022 stats are very unimpressive though as he had only a 23.11 average finish and 1 Top 5 (a 5th at the Daytona rain race). He was running for a playoff championship in the Xfinity Series though so he may have been more focused on that, and with the Next Gen car being so different from Xfinity cars I am sure that played a factor. In the playoffs Gragson had 7 starts and only had 1 Stage Top 10 to show for it. Gragson raced on most of the different track styles this year and his best was Intermediate tracks as he got 1 Top 15 and had an average finish of 19.5 in 6 starts. His worst tracks were Short tracks as in his 2 starts at these tracks he had a 24th and 25th with 0 DNF’s. Overall Gragson was less than impressive in the Cup Series this year, but he was playing a bit of catchup and preoccupied with his Xfinity Season. However next year he heads to a Cup car that ran bad this year, so keep your expectations tempered for Gragson next year.
Noah Gragson ran half the races in the Cup Series this season and with Alex Bowman’s injury in the playoffs Gragson got time in a top notch car. Even with this Gragson’s 2022 stats are very unimpressive though as he had only a 23.11 average finish and 1 Top 5 (a 5th at the Daytona rain race). He was running for a playoff championship in the Xfinity Series though so he may have been more focused on that, and with the Next Gen car being so different from Xfinity cars I am sure that played a factor. In the playoffs Gragson had 7 starts and only had 1 Stage Top 10 to show for it. Gragson raced on most of the different track styles this year and his best was Intermediate tracks as he got 1 Top 15 and had an average finish of 19.5 in 6 starts. His worst tracks were Short tracks as in his 2 starts at these tracks he had a 24th and 25th with 0 DNF’s. Overall Gragson was less than impressive in the Cup Series this year, but he was playing a bit of catchup and preoccupied with his Xfinity Season. However next year he heads to a Cup car that ran bad this year, so keep your expectations tempered for Gragson next year.
Final Grade: D
A.J. Allmendinger – 26th in owner points
*Only ran 18 races this season sharing the 16 car
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.39 | 9th of 39 | T221st of 790 |
| Wins | 0 | T20th of 62 | T273rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 0 | T17th of 62 | T267th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T18th of 62 | T256th of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T17th of 62 | T259th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T20th of 62 | T312th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T22nd of 62 | T344th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | 1st of 39 | T31st of 790 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 62 | T96th of 388* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | 31st of 62 | T153rd of 388* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T34th of 62 | T182nd of 388* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T23rd of 62 | T115th of 388* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers with 15+ starts in a year
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year (Rank among drivers with 1+ playoff start, 47 drivers, Avg. Finish and DNF ranks among drivers with 5+ playoff starts, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 9.67(3rd), 0 Wins(T9th), 0 Poles(T8th), 0 Top 2’s(T13th), 1 Top 3(T10th), 2 Top 5’s(T8th), 4 Top 10’s(T9th), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 0 Stage Wins(T13th), 3 Stage Top 10’s(T20th), 0 Stage Points(T28th), 0 Playoff Points earned in a race(T16th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes in races he ran
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 20.25(23rd), Best 7th, Worst 27th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 18.2(22nd), Best 10th, Worst 33rd, Led 0.07% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 45 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.33(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 19th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 0 Races
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 12.33(8th), Best 2nd, Worst 33rd, Led 5.49% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 45 drivers)
- 0 Races
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 36 drivers)
- 0 Races
Summary
A.J. Allmendinger was impressive in his 16 starts in the Cup Series this year recording the 9th best average finish of any driver who had 15+ starts at 15.39. Allmendinger also had only 1 DNF this year, least of any driver with 15 starts. He also had 3 Top 5’s and 8 Top 10’s, and 6 of these Top 10’s were in 6 straight races he ran in. In the playoffs Allmendinger had the 3rd best average finish of anyone with 5+ playoff starts at 9.67 and 4 Top 10’s in 6 starts. Furthermore all of his non-stage playoff ranks are 13th or better, which is impressive for only 6 starts when most everyone else made 10. The best tracks for Allmendinger in Cup this year are a bit of a surprise as he had the 3rd best average finish at Intermediates with 10.33. At Intermediates Allmendinger also had 2 Top 10’s in 3 races and of course he was good at Road Courses with 4 Top 10’s in 6 races, but that’s not a surprise. His worst tracks were Short tracks as in 4 starts he had a 20.25 average finish and 3 finishes outside the Top 20. Overall for only 16 races Allmendinger showed he’s ready for being in Cup full-time next year, I would not be surprised to see Allmendinger in the playoffs next year with the potential for a deep run.
A.J. Allmendinger was impressive in his 16 starts in the Cup Series this year recording the 9th best average finish of any driver who had 15+ starts at 15.39. Allmendinger also had only 1 DNF this year, least of any driver with 15 starts. He also had 3 Top 5’s and 8 Top 10’s, and 6 of these Top 10’s were in 6 straight races he ran in. In the playoffs Allmendinger had the 3rd best average finish of anyone with 5+ playoff starts at 9.67 and 4 Top 10’s in 6 starts. Furthermore all of his non-stage playoff ranks are 13th or better, which is impressive for only 6 starts when most everyone else made 10. The best tracks for Allmendinger in Cup this year are a bit of a surprise as he had the 3rd best average finish at Intermediates with 10.33. At Intermediates Allmendinger also had 2 Top 10’s in 3 races and of course he was good at Road Courses with 4 Top 10’s in 6 races, but that’s not a surprise. His worst tracks were Short tracks as in 4 starts he had a 20.25 average finish and 3 finishes outside the Top 20. Overall for only 16 races Allmendinger showed he’s ready for being in Cup full-time next year, I would not be surprised to see Allmendinger in the playoffs next year with the potential for a deep run.
Final Grade: B-
If you liked this article (or even if you didn’t) go check out the season reviews being done by Robert Cwik and Griffin Fuller on Pit Pass Network titled “2022 Season in Review: *team name*”. Compare and contrast between my numbers based review and their more eye test review with outlook for 2023 and overall team grade.
