Last week you had to try it first, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got to try the taste of his first Daytona 500. Next up is the final race at the 2-mile track in Fontana, which I am sad to see go. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Big Track stats, 1 based on the last Auto Club race and 2 based on their overall Auto Club stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 with ranking through 1 race since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year/last year into this year, 2022 Big track (2.0+ mile) statistics and Auto Club statistics.
1st in Points – Joey Logano
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 2.0 | 2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 68.87% | T6th of 40 | T168th of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.7 | 3rd of 40 | T75th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T3rd of 40 | T34th of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 7 | T7th of 40 | T50th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.67(T7th), 68.21% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.93(9th), Best 4th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.5% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 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, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 5th, Started 7th, Led 14 laps (7.0%), Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 198 Laps in Top15 (99.0% of laps he ran), had 110.3 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 15 Races
- 12.47 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 39th
- Completed 99.58% of laps (% ranks 15th)
- 64.9% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 91.47 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 2.3% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 3’s, 13.33% (% ranks 8th)
- 7 Top 5’s, 46.67% (% ranks 4th)
- 8 Top 10’s, 53.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 11 Top 15’s, 73.33% (% ranks 6th)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 26.67% (% ranks 12th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 9 Stage Top 10’s, 90.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T1st)
Outlook
Joey Logano is notable because of him being first in points so far this season. Logano almost had himself a 2nd Daytona 500 win but came up just shy. Logano does have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating this season so far though, and also ran 68.87% of his laps in the Top 15 which is good for T6th best. Daytona was his 2nd straight Top 2 and 3rd straight Top 10, and that Top 10 streak could very well extend this weekend at Auto Club. In 3 races on Big Tracks last year Logano had 2 Top 5’s, a worst finish of 20th, and a 9.67 Avg. Finish. Another good stat is that he ran all the laps at these tracks last year, but bad news is he only ran 68.21% of his laps in the Top 15. This and his 84.93 Avg. Driver Rating only ranked 9th of 40 drivers to compete on a Big Track last year. However, at Auto Club Logano had a good race as he ran all but 2 laps inside the Top 15 and came home with 2 Stage Top 10’s, a 110.3 Driver Rating, and a 5th place finish. This is typical of Logano here as in 15 races he has 7 Top 5’s and a 12.47 Avg. Finish with 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage. The unfortunate thing is that he only has 8 Top 10’s, so if he’s not finishing Top 5 it’s probably not a Top 10 either. This week with Logano on a hot streak it is hard not to see him getting a Top 5 though, expect Logano to be Top 15 all day and coming home with a Top 5 and a chance at a win.
Joey Logano is notable because of him being first in points so far this season. Logano almost had himself a 2nd Daytona 500 win but came up just shy. Logano does have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating this season so far though, and also ran 68.87% of his laps in the Top 15 which is good for T6th best. Daytona was his 2nd straight Top 2 and 3rd straight Top 10, and that Top 10 streak could very well extend this weekend at Auto Club. In 3 races on Big Tracks last year Logano had 2 Top 5’s, a worst finish of 20th, and a 9.67 Avg. Finish. Another good stat is that he ran all the laps at these tracks last year, but bad news is he only ran 68.21% of his laps in the Top 15. This and his 84.93 Avg. Driver Rating only ranked 9th of 40 drivers to compete on a Big Track last year. However, at Auto Club Logano had a good race as he ran all but 2 laps inside the Top 15 and came home with 2 Stage Top 10’s, a 110.3 Driver Rating, and a 5th place finish. This is typical of Logano here as in 15 races he has 7 Top 5’s and a 12.47 Avg. Finish with 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage. The unfortunate thing is that he only has 8 Top 10’s, so if he’s not finishing Top 5 it’s probably not a Top 10 either. This week with Logano on a hot streak it is hard not to see him getting a Top 5 though, expect Logano to be Top 15 all day and coming home with a Top 5 and a chance at a win.
2nd in Points – Chris Buescher
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 4.0 | 4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.91% | 2nd of 40 | 67th of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 109.8 | 1st of 40 | 40th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T41st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 10 | T1st of 40 | T18th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 1 straight Top 5 finish (active streak)
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 26.67(T32nd), 52.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 61.93(24th), Best 16th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 83.75%, Led 0.21% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 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, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 35th (crash), Started 20th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Points, ran 62 Laps in Top15 (55.86% of laps he ran), had 56.3 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 7 Races
- 25.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 26th)
- Best Finish: 16th, Worst: 35th
- Completed 93.36% of laps (% ranks 27th)
- 11.2% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 25th)
- 58.03 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 22nd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 57.14% (% ranks 23rd)
- 1 DNF, 14.29% (% ranks 27th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage Top 10’s
Outlook
Chris Buescher is notable because of his pretty good 2023 stats thus far. Last week Buescher came home 4th, but his Avg. Driver Rating of 109.8 ranks 1st thru 1 race this season. He also has the 2nd best Laps in Top 15% this year at 84.91%. These aren’t his only good stats though as even in stages he was good as proof by his 2 Stage T10’s last week and 10 Stage Points, which is tied for the most this year so far. If you want good news though, please stop reading now. Last year in the 3 Big Track races Buescher had a best finish of 16th and an Avg. Finish of 26.67. He also ran only 52.67% of his laps inside the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating of 61.93 ranked 24th best last year of the 40 drivers to compete in a Big Track race. To make matters worse his worst of the 3 races last year was at Auto Club where he got 0 Stage Points and finished 35th after a crash. The fact Buescher ran 55.86% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 56.3 Driver Rating, which ranked 23rd, show he ran decent though and can bring some bit of hope this weekend. Overall Buescher struggles here as in 7 races his best finish is 16th with 4 finishes outside the Top 20. With this said it’s hard to see anything good for Buescher this weekend. I expect him to not be inside the Top 15 more than half the race and, if he doesn’t DNF, finishing somewhere between 11th and 20th.
Chris Buescher is notable because of his pretty good 2023 stats thus far. Last week Buescher came home 4th, but his Avg. Driver Rating of 109.8 ranks 1st thru 1 race this season. He also has the 2nd best Laps in Top 15% this year at 84.91%. These aren’t his only good stats though as even in stages he was good as proof by his 2 Stage T10’s last week and 10 Stage Points, which is tied for the most this year so far. If you want good news though, please stop reading now. Last year in the 3 Big Track races Buescher had a best finish of 16th and an Avg. Finish of 26.67. He also ran only 52.67% of his laps inside the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating of 61.93 ranked 24th best last year of the 40 drivers to compete in a Big Track race. To make matters worse his worst of the 3 races last year was at Auto Club where he got 0 Stage Points and finished 35th after a crash. The fact Buescher ran 55.86% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 56.3 Driver Rating, which ranked 23rd, show he ran decent though and can bring some bit of hope this weekend. Overall Buescher struggles here as in 7 races his best finish is 16th with 4 finishes outside the Top 20. With this said it’s hard to see anything good for Buescher this weekend. I expect him to not be inside the Top 15 more than half the race and, if he doesn’t DNF, finishing somewhere between 11th and 20th.
3rd in Points – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 1.0 | 1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 32.08% | 21st of 40 | 372nd of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.3 | 8th of 40 | T169th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T3rd of 40 | T34th of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 8 | 6th of 40 | T41st of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | 1st of 40 | T2nd of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 1 straight Top 10 finish (active streak)
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.33(T24th), 56.62% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 63.1(23rd), Best 10th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 68.75%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 10th, Started 17th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 159 Laps in Top15 (79.5% of laps he ran), had 91.1 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 9 Races
- 17.56 Avg. Finish (Ranks 17th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 34th
- Completed 99.78% of laps (% ranks 9th)
- 64.9% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 91.47 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 0.39% of laps he’s run (% ranks 16th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 11.11% (% ranks 13th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 22.22% (% ranks 14th)
- 4 Top 15’s, 44.44% (% ranks 17th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 22.22% (% ranks 9th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage Top 10, 10.0% (% ranks T18th)
Outlook
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. just won the Daytona 500 and is notable because of those being his 2023 stats. Stenhouse only spent 32.08% of laps last week in the Top 15, but his 90.3 Avg. Driver Rating was 8th best. In addition Stenhouse added 8 Stage Points in Stage 2. Next up is a Big Track though where in 3 races last year Stenhouse had a 20.33 Avg. Finish and only ran 56.62% of his laps in the Top 15. He also only completed 68.75% of the laps last year and his 63.1 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 23rd of 40 drivers. The good news? Stenhouse had a best finish of 10th and that 10th place finish came at Auto Club. That race was impressive for Stenhouse as he finished 10th in Stage 1, had the 8th best Driver Rating at 91.1, and ran 79.5% of his laps inside the Top 15. This was only his 2nd Top 10 at Auto Club in 9 races though and was his only Stage T10 in those 9 races as well. Stenhouse’s Avg. Finish here is 17.56 and in addition to his 2 Top 10’s he only has 4 total Top 15’s. So the bad news is he doesn’t finish well, the good news is he runs good though. Stenhouse has completed 99.78% of his laps here and his 91.47 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 9th. With that said though I see a bit of a Daytona hangover for Stenhouse. He’ll probably run 10th to 20th most the day and end up with a finish outside the Top 15, but will complete every lap no matter what.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. just won the Daytona 500 and is notable because of those being his 2023 stats. Stenhouse only spent 32.08% of laps last week in the Top 15, but his 90.3 Avg. Driver Rating was 8th best. In addition Stenhouse added 8 Stage Points in Stage 2. Next up is a Big Track though where in 3 races last year Stenhouse had a 20.33 Avg. Finish and only ran 56.62% of his laps in the Top 15. He also only completed 68.75% of the laps last year and his 63.1 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 23rd of 40 drivers. The good news? Stenhouse had a best finish of 10th and that 10th place finish came at Auto Club. That race was impressive for Stenhouse as he finished 10th in Stage 1, had the 8th best Driver Rating at 91.1, and ran 79.5% of his laps inside the Top 15. This was only his 2nd Top 10 at Auto Club in 9 races though and was his only Stage T10 in those 9 races as well. Stenhouse’s Avg. Finish here is 17.56 and in addition to his 2 Top 10’s he only has 4 total Top 15’s. So the bad news is he doesn’t finish well, the good news is he runs good though. Stenhouse has completed 99.78% of his laps here and his 91.47 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 9th. With that said though I see a bit of a Daytona hangover for Stenhouse. He’ll probably run 10th to 20th most the day and end up with a finish outside the Top 15, but will complete every lap no matter what.
10th in Points – Martin Truex Jr.
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.0 | 15th of 40 | T281st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 67.45% | 8th of 40 | 175th of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.0 | 12th of 40 | 248th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T41st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T6th of 40 | T101st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T11th of 40 | T201st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T1st of 40 | T1st of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 7 | T7th of 40 | T50th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 8.67(5th), 75.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.73(5th), Best 6th, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.36% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 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, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 13th, Started 12th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Points, ran 98 Laps in Top15 (49.0% of laps he ran), had 77.3 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 21 Races
- 17.24 Avg. Finish (Ranks 21st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 42nd
- Completed 90.76% of laps (% ranks 29th)
- 59.09% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 85.47 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 5.65% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 1 Win, 4.76% (% ranks 6th)
- 2 Top 5’s, 9.52% (% ranks 15th)
- 7 Top 10’s, 33.33% (% ranks 13th)
- 10 Top 15’s, 47.62% (% ranks 15th)
- 7 finishes outside Top 20, 33.33% (% ranks 15th)
- 2 DNF’s, 9.52% (% ranks 25th)
- 3 Stage Wins, 30.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of how good he was on Big Tracks last year. At Daytona Truex had a rough race ending up with a 15th place finish and having an Avg. Driver Rating of 82.0, only good for 12th best. In good news though Truex is 1 of 2 drivers to have 2 Stage T10’s this year. More good news is that Truex did really good at Big Tracks last year with his worst finish being 13th and best being 6th. This shows he was really consistent last year in the 3 Big Track races as does the fact that he ran over 75% of his laps inside the Top 15. This all lead to Truex having the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 88.73 in the 3 Big Track races. His worst finish last year on a Big Track was at Auto Club though where he finished 13th and ran less than half the laps inside the Top 15. Overall at Auto Club Truex has ran 21 races and in those 21 he has 1 Win, 2 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s and a 17.24 Avg. Finish. Unfortunately for Truex he also has 7 finishes outside the Top 20 as well with only 2 of those being DNF’s, so Truex is a bit of mystery as to what he will do. The good news is Truex has 3 Stage Wins here and 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. When looking at the data Truex has a case for being a winner based on Big Tracks last year, but based on Auto Club stats a Top 10 is the best he’ll do. I tend to stay with these and see Truex getting Stage Points but ending up back half of the Top 10.
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of how good he was on Big Tracks last year. At Daytona Truex had a rough race ending up with a 15th place finish and having an Avg. Driver Rating of 82.0, only good for 12th best. In good news though Truex is 1 of 2 drivers to have 2 Stage T10’s this year. More good news is that Truex did really good at Big Tracks last year with his worst finish being 13th and best being 6th. This shows he was really consistent last year in the 3 Big Track races as does the fact that he ran over 75% of his laps inside the Top 15. This all lead to Truex having the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 88.73 in the 3 Big Track races. His worst finish last year on a Big Track was at Auto Club though where he finished 13th and ran less than half the laps inside the Top 15. Overall at Auto Club Truex has ran 21 races and in those 21 he has 1 Win, 2 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s and a 17.24 Avg. Finish. Unfortunately for Truex he also has 7 finishes outside the Top 20 as well with only 2 of those being DNF’s, so Truex is a bit of mystery as to what he will do. The good news is Truex has 3 Stage Wins here and 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. When looking at the data Truex has a case for being a winner based on Big Tracks last year, but based on Auto Club stats a Top 10 is the best he’ll do. I tend to stay with these and see Truex getting Stage Points but ending up back half of the Top 10.
14th in Points – Austin Cindric
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 23.0 | 23rd of 40 | T441st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.06% | T23rd of 40 | T485th of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.85% | 1st of 40 | 60th of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.4 | 5th of 40 | T106th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T41st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T6th of 40 | T101st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T11th of 40 | T201st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T24th of 40 | T612th of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T3rd of 40 | T34th of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 6 | T10th of 40 | T59th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 26.67(32nd), 52.91% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.17(32nd), Best 12th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 67.5%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 12th, Started 1st, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1 and 7th in Stage 2, ran 179 Laps in Top15 (89.5% of laps he ran), had 94.3 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 12.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 12th, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 89.5% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 94.3 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 1 Pole, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T11th)
Outlook
Austin Cindric is notable because of his Auto Club Speedway stats in his lone start. Last week at Daytona Cindric was looking to back up his Daytona 500 win from last year but ultimately wound up 23rd. He did however have the highest Laps in Top15% at 85.85% and the 5th best Driver Rating at 97.4. Last year in 3 Big Track races Cindric struggled overall as he had a 26.67 Avg. Finish with a best of 12th and worst of 37th. To add to the struggle his Avg. Finish and his 51.17 Avg. Driver Rating both ranked 32nd out of 40 drivers to compete on a Big Track last year. The good news is that the best of the 3 races was at Auto Club where Cindric started on the Pole and finished 12th. While Cindric finished 12th he did get 2 Stage T10’s last year and ran 89.5% of the laps inside the Top 15 leading to a 94.3 Driver Rating. As that is his lone start here there isn’t much to add from the Auto Club statistics, so I’ll just move onto how I think he will do this weekend. I find it hard to believe Cindric will do as bad as he did overall at Big Tracks last year this weekend, but also don’t believe he’ll sit on the Pole like he did last year. I see Cindric being in the Top 15 for a lot of the race though and finishing between 10th and 15th like he did last year.
Austin Cindric is notable because of his Auto Club Speedway stats in his lone start. Last week at Daytona Cindric was looking to back up his Daytona 500 win from last year but ultimately wound up 23rd. He did however have the highest Laps in Top15% at 85.85% and the 5th best Driver Rating at 97.4. Last year in 3 Big Track races Cindric struggled overall as he had a 26.67 Avg. Finish with a best of 12th and worst of 37th. To add to the struggle his Avg. Finish and his 51.17 Avg. Driver Rating both ranked 32nd out of 40 drivers to compete on a Big Track last year. The good news is that the best of the 3 races was at Auto Club where Cindric started on the Pole and finished 12th. While Cindric finished 12th he did get 2 Stage T10’s last year and ran 89.5% of the laps inside the Top 15 leading to a 94.3 Driver Rating. As that is his lone start here there isn’t much to add from the Auto Club statistics, so I’ll just move onto how I think he will do this weekend. I find it hard to believe Cindric will do as bad as he did overall at Big Tracks last year this weekend, but also don’t believe he’ll sit on the Pole like he did last year. I see Cindric being in the Top 15 for a lot of the race though and finishing between 10th and 15th like he did last year.
17th in Points – Kyle Larson
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 18.0 | 18th of 40 | T341st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.53% | T18th of 40 | T436th of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 68.87% | T6th of 40 | T168th of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.4 | 7th of 40 | 155th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T41st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T6th of 40 | T101st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T11th of 40 | T201st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T24th of 40 | T612th of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T19th of 40 | T108th of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T19th of 40 | T106th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.33(1st), 91.25% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 109.27(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 8.21% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 1st, Started 13th, Led 28 laps (14.0%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 5th in Stage 2, ran 183 Laps in Top15 (91.5% of laps he ran), had 116.3 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 8 Races
- 13.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 90.14% of laps (% ranks 30th)
- 73.6% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 90.26 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 9.44% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 2 Wins, 25.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 4 Top 2’s, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 4 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks 5th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 62.5% (% ranks 10th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 37.5% (% ranks 17th)
- 1 DNF, 12.5% (% ranks 26th)
- 1 Stage Win, 10.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 6 Stage Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 3.9 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Outlook
Kyle Larson is notable because of how he did last year at Auto Club, not just that he won but his overall stats as well. At Daytona Larson was so close to a win, yet ended up 18th. He did however acquire a 91.4 Driver Rating and was in the Top 15 for 68.87% of the laps he ran. Those two numbers for his 2023 stats may go up when looking at his success last year at Big Tracks, in the 3 races his worst finish was 7th and his Avg. Finish of 4.33 was the best of anyone. Larson’s 109.27 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 2nd showing just how good he was on these tracks last year. In addition Larson led 8.21% of laps he ran, was in the Top 15 for 91.25% of the laps he ran, and he had 2 Top 5’s in the 3 races. Last year at Auto Club he won the race after leading 14 laps and finishing 5th in both stages, he also had the 3rd best Driver Rating last year at 116.3 in this race. Overall at Auto Club Larson is Win, come close, or go home. In 8 races Larson has 2 Win and 4 Top 2’s but only 5 Top 15’s. In all Larson boasts a 13.0 Avg. Finish with 73.6% of the laps he’s completed being in the Top 15, and he sports a 90.26 Avg. Driver Rating while leading 9.44% of laps he’s run. All said based on the stats I see a good day for Larson where he runs Top 15 most the day, if not all day. At the end Larson either finishes 1st or 2nd, but if he doesn’t then he will be outside the Top 10.
Kyle Larson is notable because of how he did last year at Auto Club, not just that he won but his overall stats as well. At Daytona Larson was so close to a win, yet ended up 18th. He did however acquire a 91.4 Driver Rating and was in the Top 15 for 68.87% of the laps he ran. Those two numbers for his 2023 stats may go up when looking at his success last year at Big Tracks, in the 3 races his worst finish was 7th and his Avg. Finish of 4.33 was the best of anyone. Larson’s 109.27 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 2nd showing just how good he was on these tracks last year. In addition Larson led 8.21% of laps he ran, was in the Top 15 for 91.25% of the laps he ran, and he had 2 Top 5’s in the 3 races. Last year at Auto Club he won the race after leading 14 laps and finishing 5th in both stages, he also had the 3rd best Driver Rating last year at 116.3 in this race. Overall at Auto Club Larson is Win, come close, or go home. In 8 races Larson has 2 Win and 4 Top 2’s but only 5 Top 15’s. In all Larson boasts a 13.0 Avg. Finish with 73.6% of the laps he’s completed being in the Top 15, and he sports a 90.26 Avg. Driver Rating while leading 9.44% of laps he’s run. All said based on the stats I see a good day for Larson where he runs Top 15 most the day, if not all day. At the end Larson either finishes 1st or 2nd, but if he doesn’t then he will be outside the Top 10.
22nd in Points – Kyle Busch
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 19.0 | 19th of 40 | T361st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.53% | T18th of 40 | T436th of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 53.77% | 11th of 40 | 252nd of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 63.0 | T24th of 40 | T462nd of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T41st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T6th of 40 | T101st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T11th of 40 | T201st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T24th of 40 | T612th of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T19th of 40 | T108th of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T19th of 40 | T106th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 28.67(38th), 52.34% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.37(13th), Best 14th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 68.57%, Led 16.41% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 14th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Points, ran 21 Laps in Top15 (10.5% of laps he ran), had 59.0 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 23 Races
- 9.78 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 35th
- Completed 99.07% of laps (% ranks 18th)
- 82.14% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 109.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 15.83% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 4 Wins, 17.39% (% ranks 3rd)
- 10 Top 3’s, 43.48% (% ranks 3rd)
- 16 Top 10’s, 69.57% (% ranks 1st)
- 18 Top 15’s, 78.26% (% ranks 4th)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 21.74% (% ranks 8th)
- 1 DNF, 4.35% (% ranks 22nd)
- 2 Stage Wins, 20.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 8 Stage Top 10’s, 80.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T1st)
Outlook
Kyle Busch is notable because of his outstanding Auto Club stats. Busch was another driver that had a chance to win the Daytona 500 last week but ultimately finished 19th. Busch stats aren’t great starting out the season as he has 53.77% of his laps ran in the Top 15 and a Avg. Driver Rating of 63.0. This isn’t good as Busch struggled at Big Tracks last year, and that’s an understatement probably. His Avg. Finish of 28.67 last year in the 3 Big Track races ranked 38th of 40 drivers, but his 81.37 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 13th showing that he ran well just didn’t have the finishes to show for it, not to mention one of the finishes was a DQ. At Auto Club last year Busch ran in the Top 15 for only 10.5% of the laps he ran and he ended with a 59.0 Driver Rating which is pretty bad considering he finished 14th. This was an outlier for Busch at Auto Club though as his Avg. Finish in 23 races is an incredible 9.78, only behind Jimmie Johnson amongst active drivers. To add to this Busch has ran 82.14% of his laps here in the Top 15, has a 109.0 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Wins, and 10 Top 3’s. Most of his Auto Club stats rank 3rd or better and for that reason alone I see last year as an anomaly for Busch. On Sunday I see Busch having a good day, running Top 15 most the day and ending with a Top 10 for sure with the potential for a Top 5 or even another Win.
Kyle Busch is notable because of his outstanding Auto Club stats. Busch was another driver that had a chance to win the Daytona 500 last week but ultimately finished 19th. Busch stats aren’t great starting out the season as he has 53.77% of his laps ran in the Top 15 and a Avg. Driver Rating of 63.0. This isn’t good as Busch struggled at Big Tracks last year, and that’s an understatement probably. His Avg. Finish of 28.67 last year in the 3 Big Track races ranked 38th of 40 drivers, but his 81.37 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 13th showing that he ran well just didn’t have the finishes to show for it, not to mention one of the finishes was a DQ. At Auto Club last year Busch ran in the Top 15 for only 10.5% of the laps he ran and he ended with a 59.0 Driver Rating which is pretty bad considering he finished 14th. This was an outlier for Busch at Auto Club though as his Avg. Finish in 23 races is an incredible 9.78, only behind Jimmie Johnson amongst active drivers. To add to this Busch has ran 82.14% of his laps here in the Top 15, has a 109.0 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Wins, and 10 Top 3’s. Most of his Auto Club stats rank 3rd or better and for that reason alone I see last year as an anomaly for Busch. On Sunday I see Busch having a good day, running Top 15 most the day and ending with a Top 10 for sure with the potential for a Top 5 or even another Win.
35th in Points – Erik Jones
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 1 Race |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 37.0 | 37th of 40 | T721st of 836 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 55.66% | T37th of 40 | T757 of 836 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 26.89% | T25th of 40 | T406th of 793‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 66.6 | T19th of 40 | T420th of 793‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Poles | 0 | T2nd of 40 | T21st of 836 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T41st of 836 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T4th of 40 | T61st of 836 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T6th of 40 | T101st of 836 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T11th of 40 | T201st of 836 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T24th of 40 | T612th of 836 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T3rd of 40 | T13th of 280* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T19th of 40 | T108th of 280* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T19th of 40 | T106th of 280* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 40 | T19th of 280* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 1 race
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Big Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(2nd), 88.21% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.63(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 6.07% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Auto Club Statistics
- 2022 Auto Club Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 2nd, Led 18 laps (9.0%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 200 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 122.7 Driver Rating
- Notable Auto Club Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 10.2 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 19th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 91.52% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 97.64 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 1.8% of laps he’s run (% ranks 14th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 5, 20.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4 Top 15’s, 80.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 9 Stage Top 10’s, 90.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 4.7 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Erik Jones could be notable for many reasons but the reason he is notable is because of his Big Track success last year. At Daytona last week Jones got involved in a wreck and led to him finishing 37th and having a 66.6 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news for Jones is that the next track is a Big Track and Jones had an Avg. Finish of 6.67 last year in 3 races and an Avg. Driver Rating of 104.63. In addition Jones ran all the laps last year, ran 88.21% of those laps in the Top 15, led 6.07% of the laps, got 3 Top 10’s and 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. As a matter of fact Jones worst finish on a Big Track last year was 9th, his best was 3rd and that came at Auto Club. In addition to the 3rd place Jones finished 2nd in both stages, led 18 laps and was the only driver to run all 200 laps inside the Top 15. This led to him having the best Driver Rating of anyone that day at 122.7. This matches with Jones’ overall stats here at Auto Club where in 5 races Jones has completed 100% of the laps in the race and 91.52% of those laps were ran in the Top 15, best of any active driver. Unfortunately that 3rd place last year was Jones’ lone Top 5 here, but he does have 3 Top 10’s leading to his 10.2 Avg. Finish. This week I expect a good run for Jones and see him running all the laps, with most of them in the Top 15 and him finishing between 8th and 12th.
Erik Jones could be notable for many reasons but the reason he is notable is because of his Big Track success last year. At Daytona last week Jones got involved in a wreck and led to him finishing 37th and having a 66.6 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news for Jones is that the next track is a Big Track and Jones had an Avg. Finish of 6.67 last year in 3 races and an Avg. Driver Rating of 104.63. In addition Jones ran all the laps last year, ran 88.21% of those laps in the Top 15, led 6.07% of the laps, got 3 Top 10’s and 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. As a matter of fact Jones worst finish on a Big Track last year was 9th, his best was 3rd and that came at Auto Club. In addition to the 3rd place Jones finished 2nd in both stages, led 18 laps and was the only driver to run all 200 laps inside the Top 15. This led to him having the best Driver Rating of anyone that day at 122.7. This matches with Jones’ overall stats here at Auto Club where in 5 races Jones has completed 100% of the laps in the race and 91.52% of those laps were ran in the Top 15, best of any active driver. Unfortunately that 3rd place last year was Jones’ lone Top 5 here, but he does have 3 Top 10’s leading to his 10.2 Avg. Finish. This week I expect a good run for Jones and see him running all the laps, with most of them in the Top 15 and him finishing between 8th and 12th.
