Welcome, this is the second 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 best multi-truck team this year, Thorsport Racing, drivers.
Thorsport Racing Drivers
Ben Rhodes – 2nd in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.65 | 8th of 31 | 54th of 206 |
| Wins | 1 | T6th of 106 | T35th of 752 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 106 | T63rd of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 6 | 2nd of 106 | T9th of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T6th of 106 | T30th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | T6th of 106 | T39th of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 31 | T17th of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 9 | 2nd of 106 | 7th of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 28 | 7th of 106 | T41st of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 190 | 4th of 106 | 23rd of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 4th of 106 | 18th 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), 0 Wins(T7th), 0 Poles(T5th), 3 Top 2’s(T1st), 3 Top 3’s(T2nd), 3 Top 5’s(T3rd), 4 Top 10’s(T7th), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 1 Stage Win(5th), 9 Stage Top 10’s(9th), 47 Stage Points(9th), 1 Playoff Point earned in a race(7th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.75(14th), Best 2nd, Worst 18th, Led 5.5% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(T4th), Best 2nd, Worst 8th, Led 15.99% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 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, 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 16.75(17th), Best 6th, Worst 31st, Led 5.03% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 4 Stage Wins, 4.69 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 19.0(19th), Best 19th, 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, 0 Top 15’s, 0 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, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T14th), Best 4th, Worst 23rd, Led 3.21% 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, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 2nd, Led 5.06% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 3 Top 2’s, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 5.5(4th), Best 1st, Worst 10th, Led 31.67% of laps run, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 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, 2 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
The 2022 Truck champion Ben Rhodes had a decent season with an 11.65 average finish, but was mostly hit or miss. Rhodes had 1 Win this year and 6 Top 2’s, but only 8 Top 5’s and 13 Top 10’s. This shows he did well finishing 1st or 2nd but was bad at finishing between 3rd and 10th, so like I said hit or miss. The same goes for stages as he had 9 Stage Wins, but only 28 Stage Top 10’s and 100 Stage Points outside of the Stage Wins. The playoffs brought more of the same for Rhodes as he had an 8.71 average finish with 3 Top 2’s, but only 4 Top 10’s. At most track types this year you might guess it, he was either hit or miss. At 3 styles he had a 5.5 average finish or better and 3 styles he had a 15.0 average finish or worse. His best tracks were without a doubt Superspeedways, in the 3 races this year on a Superspeedway Rhodes was the bridesmaid in every one of them which is very impressive. On the other hand his worst tracks were unfortunately Intermediates where Rhodes posted a 16.75 average finish with only 3 Top 10’s and 5 Top 15’s in 8 races. Overall this year was a bit of a hangover for Rhodes, even though he finished 2nd in the standings his stats don’t reflect it. Next year I see Rhodes making the playoffs though and overall doing better than he did this year.
The 2022 Truck champion Ben Rhodes had a decent season with an 11.65 average finish, but was mostly hit or miss. Rhodes had 1 Win this year and 6 Top 2’s, but only 8 Top 5’s and 13 Top 10’s. This shows he did well finishing 1st or 2nd but was bad at finishing between 3rd and 10th, so like I said hit or miss. The same goes for stages as he had 9 Stage Wins, but only 28 Stage Top 10’s and 100 Stage Points outside of the Stage Wins. The playoffs brought more of the same for Rhodes as he had an 8.71 average finish with 3 Top 2’s, but only 4 Top 10’s. At most track types this year you might guess it, he was either hit or miss. At 3 styles he had a 5.5 average finish or better and 3 styles he had a 15.0 average finish or worse. His best tracks were without a doubt Superspeedways, in the 3 races this year on a Superspeedway Rhodes was the bridesmaid in every one of them which is very impressive. On the other hand his worst tracks were unfortunately Intermediates where Rhodes posted a 16.75 average finish with only 3 Top 10’s and 5 Top 15’s in 8 races. Overall this year was a bit of a hangover for Rhodes, even though he finished 2nd in the standings his stats don’t reflect it. Next year I see Rhodes making the playoffs though and overall doing better than he did this year.
Final Grade: A-
Ty Majeski – 4th in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.09 | 6th of 31 | 34th of 206 |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 752 |
| Poles | 3 | 2nd of 106 | T5th of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T4th of 106 | T32nd of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T2nd of 106 | T13th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T3rd of 106 | T27th of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T5th of 106 | T25th of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 32 | 3rd of 106 | T23rd of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 181 | 5th of 106 | T28th of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 13 | 5th of 106 | T19th 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 9.14(7th), 2 Wins(1st), 1 Pole(T2nd), 2 Top 2’s(T3rd), 3 Top 3’s(T2nd), 3 Top 5’s(T3rd), 5 Top 10’s(T3rd), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 2 Stage Wins(4th), 11 Stage Top 10’s(T4th), 66 Stage Points(4th), 12 Playoff Points earned in a race(1st)
- 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 5.75(T4th), Best 1st, Worst 11th, Led 22.05% of laps run, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 2, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 26.0(T33rd), Best 20th, Worst 32nd, 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, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 62 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 5.88(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 13th, Led 7.99% of laps run, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 2 Top 2’s, 2 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 8 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 7.0(7th), Best 7th, Worst 7th, 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T14th), Best 3rd, Worst 30th, Led 2.21% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.0(T9th), Best 3rd, Worst 23rd, Led 6.85% of laps run, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 2’s, 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, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 12.5(12th), Best 4th, Worst 21st, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
In Ty Majeski’s first full season in one of NASCAR’s top three series he finished 4th in points, got 2 Wins, 15 Top 10’s, had an average finish of 10.09 and had 0 DNF’s. In addition to this all of his 2022 ranks above are all 6th or better, which is really good for a first full-time season. The playoffs for Majeski were good too, in the 7 races Majeski got 2 Wins (most of anyone), 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 10’s and had an average finish of 9.14. These stats could have been better too if not for a late crash in the championship race and not really needing to race at Talladega since he already had a win. Speaking of tracks Majeski’s best tracks were Intermediates where he sported a 5.88 average finish in 8 races. In these 8 races he had 1 Win, 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s and 8 Top 15’s with 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage to boot. Majeski’s worst tracks were just the opposite though, in 2 races on Small tracks he accumulated an average finish of 26.0 with both of his finishes being 20th or worse. All in all Majeski was impressive this year making the playoffs and the Championship 4 at that. Next year I think he will be even more impressive and make the playoffs with multiple wins in his pocket.
In Ty Majeski’s first full season in one of NASCAR’s top three series he finished 4th in points, got 2 Wins, 15 Top 10’s, had an average finish of 10.09 and had 0 DNF’s. In addition to this all of his 2022 ranks above are all 6th or better, which is really good for a first full-time season. The playoffs for Majeski were good too, in the 7 races Majeski got 2 Wins (most of anyone), 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 10’s and had an average finish of 9.14. These stats could have been better too if not for a late crash in the championship race and not really needing to race at Talladega since he already had a win. Speaking of tracks Majeski’s best tracks were Intermediates where he sported a 5.88 average finish in 8 races. In these 8 races he had 1 Win, 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s and 8 Top 15’s with 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage to boot. Majeski’s worst tracks were just the opposite though, in 2 races on Small tracks he accumulated an average finish of 26.0 with both of his finishes being 20th or worse. All in all Majeski was impressive this year making the playoffs and the Championship 4 at that. Next year I think he will be even more impressive and make the playoffs with multiple wins in his pocket.
Final Grade: A
Christian Eckes – 8th in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.87 | 7th of 31 | T41st of 206 |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 106 | T85th of 752 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 106 | T63rd of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T7th of 106 | T49th of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T10th of 106 | T54th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T6th of 106 | T30th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T3rd of 106 | T27th of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T13th of 31 | T43rd of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T9th of 106 | T54th of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 30 | T5th of 106 | T34th of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 161 | 7th of 106 | T37th of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | 13th of 106 | T67th 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 12.0(12th), 0 Wins(T7th), 0 Poles(T5th), 0 Top 2’s(T9th), 0 Top 3’s(T13th), 1 Top 5(T10th), 5 Top 10’s(T3rd), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 0 Stage Wins(T6th), 11 Stage Top 10’s(T4th), 48 Stage Points(8th), 0 Playoff Points earned in a race(T8th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 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 11.0(15th), Best 8th, Worst 16th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(T13th), Best 2nd, Worst 30th, Led 2.85% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 62 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 9.88(7th), Best 2nd, Worst 28th, Led 4.65% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 2, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 8.0(8th), Best 8th, Worst 8th, Led 8.33% 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 9.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.33(16th), Best 5th, Worst 35th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 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 8.0(T5th), Best 3rd, Worst 16th, Led 11.01% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 8.5(11th), Best 5th, Worst 12th, Led 0.00% 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
Christian Eckes had a quietly good season posting a 10.87 average finish, 8 Top 5’s and 15 Top 10’s. The reason he wasn’t talked about more though is that he only had 2 Top 2’s and 3 Top 3’s with 0 Wins. In the playoffs Eckes was consistent getting 5 Top 10’s in 7 races, but once again he wasn’t very flashy as he only had 1 Top 5 (a 5th at Talladega). His average finish in the playoffs was also not flashy, at 12.0 his average finish was only better than 2 other playoff drivers. His track stats are consistent as all of his average finishes were between 8.0 and 16.0. One track style he had an 8.0 average finish at was Superspeedways, which were his best tracks. In these 3 races he accumulated 2 Top 5’s with his only finish outside the Top 5 being a 16th and getting 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Eckes’ worst tracks were Road Courses where he had an average finish of 15.33 which was mostly caused by his 1 DNF as his other 2 finishes were Top 10’s. Overall Eckes was good this year but not as good as some probably expected him to be as he didn’t win this year or make the Championship 4. Next year with Bill McAnally I don’t see him doing much better and potentially missing the playoffs even.
Christian Eckes had a quietly good season posting a 10.87 average finish, 8 Top 5’s and 15 Top 10’s. The reason he wasn’t talked about more though is that he only had 2 Top 2’s and 3 Top 3’s with 0 Wins. In the playoffs Eckes was consistent getting 5 Top 10’s in 7 races, but once again he wasn’t very flashy as he only had 1 Top 5 (a 5th at Talladega). His average finish in the playoffs was also not flashy, at 12.0 his average finish was only better than 2 other playoff drivers. His track stats are consistent as all of his average finishes were between 8.0 and 16.0. One track style he had an 8.0 average finish at was Superspeedways, which were his best tracks. In these 3 races he accumulated 2 Top 5’s with his only finish outside the Top 5 being a 16th and getting 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Eckes’ worst tracks were Road Courses where he had an average finish of 15.33 which was mostly caused by his 1 DNF as his other 2 finishes were Top 10’s. Overall Eckes was good this year but not as good as some probably expected him to be as he didn’t win this year or make the Championship 4. Next year with Bill McAnally I don’t see him doing much better and potentially missing the playoffs even.
Final Grade: B+
Matt Crafton – 9th in points
| Category | Statistic | 2022 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.17 | 12th of 31 | 71st of 206 |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 106 | T85th of 752 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 106 | T63rd of 752 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T19th of 106 | T129th of 752 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T20th of 106 | T154th of 752 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T14th of 106 | T104th of 752 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T8th of 106 | T52nd of 752 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T13th of 31 | T43rd of 206 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T13th of 106 | T82nd of 642* |
| Stage T10s | 23 | T10th of 106 | T57th of 642* |
| Stage Pts | 89 | 12th of 106 | 63rd of 642* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T14th of 106 | T80th 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 11.14(10th), 0 Wins(T7th), 0 Poles(T5th), 0 Top 2’s(T9th), 0 Top 3’s(T13th), 1 Top 5(T10th), 4 Top 10’s(T7th), 0 DNF’s(T1st), 0 Stage Wins(T6th), 8 Stage Top 10’s(10th), 26 Stage Points(10th), 0 Playoff Points earned in a race(T8th)
- Notable Streaks this year
- 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 7.0(T7th), Best 5th, Worst 9th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Small Track Stats(Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 12.0(8th), Best 12th, Worst 12th, 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, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Intermediate Track Stats(Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 62 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 10.13(8th), Best 5th, Worst 18th, Led 0.44% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 6 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.69 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Big Track Stats(Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 15.0(15th), Best 15th, Worst 15th, 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, 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 21.67(30th), Best 13th, Worst 34th, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 24.67(39th), Best 22nd, Worst 27th, Led 0.61% 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- 2022 Dirt Track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 8.0(T8th), Best 7th, Worst 9th, Led 0.00% of laps run, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 2’s, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
Summary
Matt Crafton had a below average Matt Crafton type year. His Top 10’s weren’t too shabby at 12, but his 2 Top 5’s and 13.17 average finish were his lowest in a season since 2007. When looking at the 2022 ranks to those stats you see that Crafton ranks lower than 10th in all but 3 categories, which is not ideal for a 3-time champion and a 22 year vet. The playoffs went a little better for him, but still not good enough as his average finish in the 7 races was 11.14 with 1 Top 5 and 4 Top 10’s. When looking at the track stats for Crafton it is clear that Short tracks were his bread and butter averaging a 7.0 finish with 1 Top 5 and a worst finish of 9th in 4 races. On the other hand the 3 Superspeedway races were absolutely awful Crafton as his best finish was 22nd, in fact all of his finishes were between 22nd and 27th which led to his dismal 24.67 average finish on Superspeedways. Overall this season for Crafton wasn’t awful but is not up to his standards. Crafton is firmly planted I believe at Thorsport and won’t be going anywhere unless he decides to, so next year I see him back but with the young talent rising I can’t say I see a much better season than he had this year.
Matt Crafton had a below average Matt Crafton type year. His Top 10’s weren’t too shabby at 12, but his 2 Top 5’s and 13.17 average finish were his lowest in a season since 2007. When looking at the 2022 ranks to those stats you see that Crafton ranks lower than 10th in all but 3 categories, which is not ideal for a 3-time champion and a 22 year vet. The playoffs went a little better for him, but still not good enough as his average finish in the 7 races was 11.14 with 1 Top 5 and 4 Top 10’s. When looking at the track stats for Crafton it is clear that Short tracks were his bread and butter averaging a 7.0 finish with 1 Top 5 and a worst finish of 9th in 4 races. On the other hand the 3 Superspeedway races were absolutely awful Crafton as his best finish was 22nd, in fact all of his finishes were between 22nd and 27th which led to his dismal 24.67 average finish on Superspeedways. Overall this season for Crafton wasn’t awful but is not up to his standards. Crafton is firmly planted I believe at Thorsport and won’t be going anywhere unless he decides to, so next year I see him back but with the young talent rising I can’t say I see a much better season than he had this year.
Final Grade: C+
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.
