Welcome, this is the third post of a week and a half or so series reviewing and rating how each driver in the NASCAR Truck series has done in the 2022 season (min. 10 races started). Each part will contain 3-5 drivers and have them grouped by organization/satellite team or truck 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 Truck Playoffs started in 2016. 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 the team everyone thought would be the best multi-truck team this year, Kyle Busch Motorsports, drivers.
Kyle Busch Motorsports Drivers
Chandler Smith – 3rd in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.74 | 3rd of 31 | T13th of 206 |
| Wins | 3 | 2nd of 106 | T13th of 752 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 106 | T63rd of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T4th of 106 | T32nd of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | T5th of 106 | T27th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T4th of 106 | T20th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | 2nd of 106 | T15th of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | 4th of 106 | T14th of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | 4th of 106 | T28th of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 191 | 3rd of 106 | 22nd of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 21 | 2nd of 106 | T11th of 642* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers with 10+ starts in a year
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year (Rank among drivers with 1+ playoff start, 59 drivers, Avg. Finish and DNF ranks among drivers with 3+ playoff starts, 41 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 8.71(T4th), 1 Win(T2nd), 0 Poles(T5th), 1 Top 2(T5th), 2 Top 3’s(T4th), 2 Top 5’s(9th), 5 Top 10’s(T3rd), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 4 Stage Wins(T1st), 13 Stage Top 10’s(1st), 75 Stage Points(2nd), 9 Playoff Points earned in a race(T2nd)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 8.5(10th), Best 1st, Worst 18th, Led 32.67% of laps run, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 6.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 3.0(1st), Best 3rd, Worst 3rd, Led 15.36% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 62 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 9.13(6th), Best 1st, Worst 21st, Led 2.84% of laps run, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 1.0(1st), Best 1st, Worst 1st, Led 81.67% of laps run, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 5.33(4th), Best 5th, Worst 6th, Led 0.53% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(13th), Best 4th, Worst 21st, Led 11.34% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 7.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(15th), Best 13th, Worst 19th, 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, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
Coming into 2022 if you had to chose one KBM driver to make the Championship 4 most people would not have chosen Chandler Smith, but that’s what ended up happening. Smith had a good season averaging an 8.74 finish with 3 Wins, 9 Top 5’s and 16 Top 10’s. What’s more is that every 2022 rank above except Poles is 5th or better showing he was consistent and good in stages. The playoffs brought similar success as he ranked 5th or better in every playoff stat above except Top 5’s. Smith only had 2 Top 5’s in 7 playoff races, but had an 8.74 average finish with 5 Top 10’s, the most Stage Wins (4) and most Stage T10’s (13). In terms of tracks Smith’s most consistent and best tracks were Small tracks were he finished 3rd in both races and led 15.36% of the laps run. Big tracks were also good to him as his average finish was 1.0, but there was only Big track race. His worst tracks were Dirt tracks where his best finish in the 2 races on dirt was 13th. Altogether Smith’s season I would classify as a success and him being the best KBM driver was definitely a surprise. Next year as he heads to Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series I’m tempering expectations as the only good driver there this year was A.J. Allmendinger, still making the playoffs is a reasonable expectation for him.
Coming into 2022 if you had to chose one KBM driver to make the Championship 4 most people would not have chosen Chandler Smith, but that’s what ended up happening. Smith had a good season averaging an 8.74 finish with 3 Wins, 9 Top 5’s and 16 Top 10’s. What’s more is that every 2022 rank above except Poles is 5th or better showing he was consistent and good in stages. The playoffs brought similar success as he ranked 5th or better in every playoff stat above except Top 5’s. Smith only had 2 Top 5’s in 7 playoff races, but had an 8.74 average finish with 5 Top 10’s, the most Stage Wins (4) and most Stage T10’s (13). In terms of tracks Smith’s most consistent and best tracks were Small tracks were he finished 3rd in both races and led 15.36% of the laps run. Big tracks were also good to him as his average finish was 1.0, but there was only Big track race. His worst tracks were Dirt tracks where his best finish in the 2 races on dirt was 13th. Altogether Smith’s season I would classify as a success and him being the best KBM driver was definitely a surprise. Next year as he heads to Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series I’m tempering expectations as the only good driver there this year was A.J. Allmendinger, still making the playoffs is a reasonable expectation for him.
Final Grade: A
John Hunter Nemechek – 5th in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.78 | 9th of 31 | 55th of 206 |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 752 |
| Poles | 7 | 1st of 106 | 1st of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | 3rd of 106 | T11th of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | 2nd of 106 | T9th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T2nd of 106 | T13th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T3rd of 106 | T27th of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 31 | T17th of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 7 | 3rd of 106 | T9th of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 33 | T1st of 106 | T20th of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 244 | 1st of 106 | T3rd of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 17 | 3rd of 106 | 13th of 642* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers with 10+ starts in a year
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year (Rank among drivers with 1+ playoff start, 59 drivers, Avg. Finish and DNF ranks among drivers with 3+ playoff starts, 41 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.57(13th), 1 Win(T2nd), 3 Poles(1st), 2 Top 2’s(T3rd), 2 Top 3’s(T4th), 3 Top 5’s(T3rd), 4 Top 10’s(T7th), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 4 Stage Wins(T1st), 10 Stage Top 10’s(7th), 86 Stage Points(1st), 9 Playoff Points earned in a race(T2nd)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Poles (ranks T3rd longest all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(T7th), Best 2nd, Worst 12th, Led 8.87% of laps run, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 19.5(22nd), Best 4th, Worst 35th, Led 20.85% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 62 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 10.75(9th), Best 1st, Worst 35th, Led 17.57% of laps run, 2 Wins, 5 Poles, 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 3.0(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 3rd, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 12.67(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 28th, Led 0.56% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 24.0(38th), Best 24th, Worst 24th, Led 24.4% of laps run, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 4 Stage Wins, 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 2.5(2nd), Best 2nd, Worst 3rd, Led 5.67% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
John Hunter Nemechek had a disappointing season not making the Championship 4, but his stats aren’t that bad for the most part as his 2022 ranks above are 3rd or better in every stat except Avg. Fin. and DNF’s. This year he had 2 Wins, 7 Poles (most in a season in the playoff era), 8 Top 3’s, 15 Top 10’s and 244 Stage Points, however his 11.78 average finish is what hurt him as it ranked 9th out of the 31 qualified drivers. In the playoffs Nemechek wasn’t too bad as he had 1 Win, 3 Poles, 2 Top 2’s, 4 Top 10’s and 86 Stage Points. However his average finish of 12.57 was bad ranking 13th of the 41 drivers who ran 3+ playoff races. Nemechek’s track stats are a bit of a mess as 3 of his average finishes are 7.0 or better, but 3 are 12.67 or worse as well. His best tracks this year were Dirt tracks were he finished 2nd and 3rd in the 2 dirt races and had 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. On the other end of the scale Nemechek’s worst tracks were Superspeedways where he finished 24th in all 3 races, but in good news he did earn 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Overall Nemechek’s season wasn’t too bad, but definitely not what he and everyone else expected. Next year in a JGR Xfinity ride I see him having a lot of success, contending for race wins and the championship all year long.
John Hunter Nemechek had a disappointing season not making the Championship 4, but his stats aren’t that bad for the most part as his 2022 ranks above are 3rd or better in every stat except Avg. Fin. and DNF’s. This year he had 2 Wins, 7 Poles (most in a season in the playoff era), 8 Top 3’s, 15 Top 10’s and 244 Stage Points, however his 11.78 average finish is what hurt him as it ranked 9th out of the 31 qualified drivers. In the playoffs Nemechek wasn’t too bad as he had 1 Win, 3 Poles, 2 Top 2’s, 4 Top 10’s and 86 Stage Points. However his average finish of 12.57 was bad ranking 13th of the 41 drivers who ran 3+ playoff races. Nemechek’s track stats are a bit of a mess as 3 of his average finishes are 7.0 or better, but 3 are 12.67 or worse as well. His best tracks this year were Dirt tracks were he finished 2nd and 3rd in the 2 dirt races and had 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. On the other end of the scale Nemechek’s worst tracks were Superspeedways where he finished 24th in all 3 races, but in good news he did earn 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Overall Nemechek’s season wasn’t too bad, but definitely not what he and everyone else expected. Next year in a JGR Xfinity ride I see him having a lot of success, contending for race wins and the championship all year long.
Final Grade: A-
Corey Heim – 14th in points
*Only ran 16 races this season due to sharing the 51 truck.
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.06 | 13th of 31 | 79th of 206 |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 752 |
| Poles | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T14th of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T7th of 106 | T49th of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T12th of 106 | T69th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | 11th of 106 | T55th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | 11th of 106 | T70th of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T24th of 31 | T126th of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T9th of 106 | T54th of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 24 | 9th of 106 | 56th of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 130 | T8th of 106 | T49th of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 6th of 106 | T25th of 642* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers with 10+ starts in a year
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
- Playoff Statistics this year (Rank among drivers with 1+ playoff start, 59 drivers, Avg. Finish and DNF ranks among drivers with 3+ playoff starts, 41 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 9.29(8th), 0 Wins(T7th), 0 Poles(T5th), 2 Top 2’s(T3rd), 2 Top 3’s(T4th), 3 Top 5’s(T3rd), 6 Top 10’s(T1st), 1 DNF(T31st), 0 Stage Wins(T6th), 12 Stage Top 10’s(T2nd), 55 Stage Points(7th), 0 Playoff Points earned in a race(T8th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(6th), Best 5th, Worst 10th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 7th, Led 7.84% of laps run, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 2, 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, 7.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 62 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(T19th), Best 5th, Worst 33rd, Led 2.33% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4.58 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 4.0(4th), Best 4th, Worst 4th, 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 51 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 26.0(36th), Best 26th, Worst 26th, Led 5.0% of laps run, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.67(T28th), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Led 6.88% of laps run, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 0 Races
Summary
Corey Heim only ran 16 races this year and in those 16 he got 2 Wins, but those were his only Top 3 finishes also. In total he had 6 Top 5’s and 10 Top 10’s, but also 4 DNF’s which was the main reason for his 14.06 average finish. The playoffs were much better as a whole for Heim though, he ran all 7 playoff races and his average finish was a respectable 9.29. In fact Heim had 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 5’s and only one finish outside the Top 10 in the playoffs, a 26th place DNF at Talladega. In terms of tracks this year Heim had either good or bad tracks with no in between. His best of the good tracks this year were Small tracks where he sported a 4.0 average finish with a Win, a worst finish of 7th and 7.0 Stage Pts Per Stage in 2 races. The worst of his tracks this year were Road Courses where in his lone start he got 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, but also a DNF which ended up in him finishing 26th. All in all for a part-time season Heim ran pretty well, good enough to get him a full-time ride at Tricon next year. I think next year will be a good year for Heim and while he may struggle at times I see him making the playoffs and definitely being the best driver there.
Corey Heim only ran 16 races this year and in those 16 he got 2 Wins, but those were his only Top 3 finishes also. In total he had 6 Top 5’s and 10 Top 10’s, but also 4 DNF’s which was the main reason for his 14.06 average finish. The playoffs were much better as a whole for Heim though, he ran all 7 playoff races and his average finish was a respectable 9.29. In fact Heim had 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 5’s and only one finish outside the Top 10 in the playoffs, a 26th place DNF at Talladega. In terms of tracks this year Heim had either good or bad tracks with no in between. His best of the good tracks this year were Small tracks where he sported a 4.0 average finish with a Win, a worst finish of 7th and 7.0 Stage Pts Per Stage in 2 races. The worst of his tracks this year were Road Courses where in his lone start he got 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, but also a DNF which ended up in him finishing 26th. All in all for a part-time season Heim ran pretty well, good enough to get him a full-time ride at Tricon next year. I think next year will be a good year for Heim and while he may struggle at times I see him making the playoffs and definitely being the best driver there.
Final Grade: B+
If you liked this article (or even if you didn’t) go check out the season reviews for Cup being done by Robert Cwik and Griffin Fuller on Pit Pass Network titled “2022 Season in Review: *team name*”. Also keep a lookout for their Xfinity and Truck reviews that will be coming soon. Compare and contrast between my numbers based review and their more eye test review with outlook for 2023 and overall team grade.
