Last week saw A.J. Allmendinger make his Xfinity debut in pretty dominant fashion, even with having to come through field, to pick up the win. This week is the first Dash 4 Cash even at Richmond, so who will have a good chance to win with no Cup drivers in the field? I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 1 based on 2023 stats, 1 based on the amount of guts he has, 2 based on Short Track stats, 1 based on the last Richmond race and 2 based on their overall Richmond stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 with ranking through 6 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year/last year into this year, 2022 Short Track (under 1 mile) statistics and Richmond statistics.
*This was written prior to any penalties or reversal of penalties, so points position does not reflect after penalty or reversal.
1st in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.83 | 3rd of 35 | T29th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.27% | 19th of 35 | 146th of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 92.87% | 1st of 35 | 18th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 116.17 | 1st of 35 | 11th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 64 | T2nd of 481 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 64 | T8th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 1st of 64 | T3rd of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T1st of 64 | T5th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T2nd of 64 | T14th of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T2nd of 64 | T6th of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T16th of 35 | T118th of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T1st of 64 | T3rd of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T3rd of 64 | T30th of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 67 | 1st of 64 | T7th of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 1st of 64 | 1st of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 8.5(6th), 85.46% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.43(12th), Best 3rd, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 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, 0 Stage Wins, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 18th, Started 4th, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1, ran 239 Laps in Top15 (95.6% of laps he ran), had 83.4 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 18.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T25th)
- Best Finish: 18th, Worst: 18th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 95.6% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 83.4 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 18th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T13th)
Outlook
Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 6 races. Last week Hill ran all of his laps in the Top 15, but unfortunately he only ran 13 laps and finished 37th. This hurt Hill’s 2023 stats some but his 8.83 Avg. Finish still ranks 3rd, plus his 92.87 Laps in Top15% and 116.17 Avg. Driver Rating still rank 1st. As a matter of fact most of Hill’s 2023 Ranks above are still first including his 67 Stage Pts, 3 Wins, 3 Top 2’s and his 18 Playoff Pts. The race at COTA did end his 9 race Top 10 streak though but based on his 2022 Short Track stats he might start a new Top 10 streak this weekend. In the 4 races at Short tracks last year Hill had an 8.5 Avg. Finish and ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 with 3 Top 10 finishes. The bad thing was he only got 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage and his 91.43 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 12th. Even more unfortunate news is that Hill’s worst finish was 18th and came at Richmond. In the race he started 4th, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, and got a 83.4 Avg. Driver Rating, so he ran well but didn’t finish well. This was his only race here at Richmond, however, so his Richmond stats are pretty much this. So, with all the stats in mind, especially the Short Track stats, I think Hill starts a new Top 10 streak this weekend and finishes somewhere around 5th but not necessarily in the Top 5.
Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 6 races. Last week Hill ran all of his laps in the Top 15, but unfortunately he only ran 13 laps and finished 37th. This hurt Hill’s 2023 stats some but his 8.83 Avg. Finish still ranks 3rd, plus his 92.87 Laps in Top15% and 116.17 Avg. Driver Rating still rank 1st. As a matter of fact most of Hill’s 2023 Ranks above are still first including his 67 Stage Pts, 3 Wins, 3 Top 2’s and his 18 Playoff Pts. The race at COTA did end his 9 race Top 10 streak though but based on his 2022 Short Track stats he might start a new Top 10 streak this weekend. In the 4 races at Short tracks last year Hill had an 8.5 Avg. Finish and ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 with 3 Top 10 finishes. The bad thing was he only got 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage and his 91.43 Avg. Driver Rating ranked 12th. Even more unfortunate news is that Hill’s worst finish was 18th and came at Richmond. In the race he started 4th, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, and got a 83.4 Avg. Driver Rating, so he ran well but didn’t finish well. This was his only race here at Richmond, however, so his Richmond stats are pretty much this. So, with all the stats in mind, especially the Short Track stats, I think Hill starts a new Top 10 streak this weekend and finishes somewhere around 5th but not necessarily in the Top 5.
2nd in Points – Riley Herbst
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.67 | 1st of 35 | T15th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 90.5% | 2nd of 35 | 27th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 99.8 | 3rd of 35 | 39th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 64 | T39th of 481 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 64 | T26th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 64 | T66th of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T13th of 64 | T88th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T4th of 64 | T33rd of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | 1st of 64 | T1st of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 64 | T52nd of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | 2nd of 64 | T7th of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 52 | 4th of 64 | 27th of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 64 | T45th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 9 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 4.75(3rd), 82.78% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.93(10th), Best 3rd, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.09% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 5th, Started 24th, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 2, ran 190 Laps in Top15 (76.0% of laps he ran), had 92.8 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 12.6 Avg. Finish (Ranks 13th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 34th
- Completed 98.08% of laps (% ranks 33rd)
- 83.85% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 14th)
- 86.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 17th)
- Led 0.08% of laps he’s run (% ranks 19th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 40.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 80.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 20.0% (% ranks T16th)
- 1 DNF, 20.0% (% ranks 42nd)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 14th)
Outlook
Riley Herbst is notable because he is 2nd in points thru 6 races. Last week he got his 9th Top 10 in a row (career long) after finishing 10th at COTA. Furthermore, with John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Hill finishing outside the Top 10 this now leaves Herbst as the lone driver to finish Top 10 in every race this season in any series. In addition to this Herbst also has the best Xfinity Avg. Finish at 6.67 and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 99.8. To add to this Herbst also has a Top 10 in 10 of 12 stages this year, gaining 52 Stage Pts in the process (4th most). Even better is that after Richmond these stats may be improved upon based on the 2022 Short Track stats. In 4 Short Track races Herbst had a 4.75 Avg. Finish with a worst finish of 6th and getting 3 Top 5’s. The unfortunate news is that his Avg. Driver Rating of 96.93 was only good for 10th best and he had just 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of the Top 5’s was at Richmond where he finished 5th and got 2 Stage Pts. The bad thing is that he only had a 92.8 Driver Rating which was 9th best in the race. This race tied Herbst’s best finish at Richmond and was his 2nd Top 5 in 5 races. In all he has a 12.6 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 10’s to just 1 DNF. Herbst hasn’t done well in stages though as he only has 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage. In all I definitely see Herbst getting a Top 10 this weekend and extending his streak to 10 straight, and with a little luck I think he could sneak a Top 5 in too.
Riley Herbst is notable because he is 2nd in points thru 6 races. Last week he got his 9th Top 10 in a row (career long) after finishing 10th at COTA. Furthermore, with John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Hill finishing outside the Top 10 this now leaves Herbst as the lone driver to finish Top 10 in every race this season in any series. In addition to this Herbst also has the best Xfinity Avg. Finish at 6.67 and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 99.8. To add to this Herbst also has a Top 10 in 10 of 12 stages this year, gaining 52 Stage Pts in the process (4th most). Even better is that after Richmond these stats may be improved upon based on the 2022 Short Track stats. In 4 Short Track races Herbst had a 4.75 Avg. Finish with a worst finish of 6th and getting 3 Top 5’s. The unfortunate news is that his Avg. Driver Rating of 96.93 was only good for 10th best and he had just 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of the Top 5’s was at Richmond where he finished 5th and got 2 Stage Pts. The bad thing is that he only had a 92.8 Driver Rating which was 9th best in the race. This race tied Herbst’s best finish at Richmond and was his 2nd Top 5 in 5 races. In all he has a 12.6 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 10’s to just 1 DNF. Herbst hasn’t done well in stages though as he only has 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage. In all I definitely see Herbst getting a Top 10 this weekend and extending his streak to 10 straight, and with a little luck I think he could sneak a Top 5 in too.
3rd in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.33 | 2nd of 35 | T25th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 90.16% | 3rd of 35 | 29th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 109.17 | 2nd of 35 | 19th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 64 | T7th of 481 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 64 | T26th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | 2nd of 64 | T8th of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 64 | T18th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T4th of 64 | T33rd of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T2nd of 64 | T6th of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 64 | T24th of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T3rd of 64 | T30th of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 44 | 5th of 64 | T33rd of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 2nd of 64 | T10th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), 99.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 139.1(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 2nd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 54.0% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2 Stage T10’s
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 2nd, Led 135 laps (54.0%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 249 Laps in Top15 (99.6% of laps he ran), had 139.1 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 8.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 15th
- Completed 99.92% of laps (% ranks T10th)
- 93.03% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 105.36 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 13.69% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 20.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 2 Top 3’s, 40.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 10.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 9 Stage Top 10’s, 90.0% (% ranks 6th)
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2022 stats on Short Tracks. Last week saw Nemechek’s 5 race Top 10 streak end after a run in with Daniel Hemric caused a flat tire relegating him to 27th. This was Nemechek’s first finish outside the Top 10 this year and lowered his Avg. Finish to 8.33, however this is still 2nd best this year. In addition he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 109.17 and he’s ran 90.16% of his laps in the Top 15, which ranks 3rd. Nemechek has 2 Top 2’s this year as well, but those were the first two races of the year and his only Top 5’s in the 6 races this season. There is good news however, and that is this weekend is Richmond. Last year Nemechek ran 1 Short Track race and it was here at Richmond. In that race he led 54% of the laps, but finished 2nd after a bump from teammate Ty Gibbs. In addition he ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and his 139.1 Driver Rating was best of any driver in the race. This isn’t unusual for Nemechek here as in his 5 races he has an 8.0 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 10’s and a worst finish of only 15th. Furthermore he has ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 13.69% of laps he’s run, and has finished Top 10 in 9 of the 10 stages he’s competed in. So, with all these stats it seems Nemechek will be a force to be reckon with and, if nothing goes wrong, easily finishes Top 5 and probably contends for the win late.
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2022 stats on Short Tracks. Last week saw Nemechek’s 5 race Top 10 streak end after a run in with Daniel Hemric caused a flat tire relegating him to 27th. This was Nemechek’s first finish outside the Top 10 this year and lowered his Avg. Finish to 8.33, however this is still 2nd best this year. In addition he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 109.17 and he’s ran 90.16% of his laps in the Top 15, which ranks 3rd. Nemechek has 2 Top 2’s this year as well, but those were the first two races of the year and his only Top 5’s in the 6 races this season. There is good news however, and that is this weekend is Richmond. Last year Nemechek ran 1 Short Track race and it was here at Richmond. In that race he led 54% of the laps, but finished 2nd after a bump from teammate Ty Gibbs. In addition he ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and his 139.1 Driver Rating was best of any driver in the race. This isn’t unusual for Nemechek here as in his 5 races he has an 8.0 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 10’s and a worst finish of only 15th. Furthermore he has ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 13.69% of laps he’s run, and has finished Top 10 in 9 of the 10 stages he’s competed in. So, with all these stats it seems Nemechek will be a force to be reckon with and, if nothing goes wrong, easily finishes Top 5 and probably contends for the win late.
6th in Points – Sam Mayer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.5 | 5th of 35 | T45th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.89% | T5th of 35 | T36th of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.95% | 4th of 35 | 49th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.25 | 7th of 35 | 59th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 64 | T39th of 481 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 64 | T26th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 64 | T22nd of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T5th of 64 | T36th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T9th of 64 | T67th of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T5th of 64 | T23rd of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T16th of 35 | T118th of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 64 | T52nd of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | 9th of 64 | T53rd of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 28 | T10th of 64 | T56th of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 64 | T45th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 4.5(2nd), 93.52% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 100.53(8th), Best 3rd, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 11th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 7th in Stage 2, ran 250 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 104.7 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 7.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 78.8% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
- 93.65 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 12th)
- Led 1.4% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T7th)
Outlook
Sam Mayer is notable because of how well he ran at Richmond last year. In COTA Mayer ran decent most the race and ended up coming home with a 7th place finish. This tied Mayer’s 2nd best finish of the season and improved his Avg. Finish to 10.5 on the year. In 2023 he has a total of 4 Top 10’s but just 1 Top 5, however he has run 85% of the laps have been in the Top 15. Still, Mayer only has the 7th best Avg. Driver Rating at 94.25 and just 28 Stage Pts in the 6 races this year. For good news we can look at Mayer’s 2022 Short Track stats where in 4 races Mayer had an impressive 4.5 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 5’s and a worst finish of only 6th. At Short Tracks last year Mayer had a really good Avg. Driver Rating at 100.53, but interestingly enough that only ranked 8th best last year. However, the best news is that Mayer’s best race on a Short Track last year was here at Richmond where he ran all 250 laps in the Top 15 and brought his 1 car home 3rd. Even without leading any laps he did have the 5th best Driver Rating at 104.7 and got 5 Stage Pts. This was his 2nd, and best, start at Richmond as his first start saw Mayer get an 82.6 Driver Rating and finish 12th. This makes his Avg. Finish a modest 7.5 and his Avg. Driver Rating a decent 93.65. I expect somewhere around that this weekend, Mayer will probably run well most the day and end up with a finish between 4th and 9th.
Sam Mayer is notable because of how well he ran at Richmond last year. In COTA Mayer ran decent most the race and ended up coming home with a 7th place finish. This tied Mayer’s 2nd best finish of the season and improved his Avg. Finish to 10.5 on the year. In 2023 he has a total of 4 Top 10’s but just 1 Top 5, however he has run 85% of the laps have been in the Top 15. Still, Mayer only has the 7th best Avg. Driver Rating at 94.25 and just 28 Stage Pts in the 6 races this year. For good news we can look at Mayer’s 2022 Short Track stats where in 4 races Mayer had an impressive 4.5 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 5’s and a worst finish of only 6th. At Short Tracks last year Mayer had a really good Avg. Driver Rating at 100.53, but interestingly enough that only ranked 8th best last year. However, the best news is that Mayer’s best race on a Short Track last year was here at Richmond where he ran all 250 laps in the Top 15 and brought his 1 car home 3rd. Even without leading any laps he did have the 5th best Driver Rating at 104.7 and got 5 Stage Pts. This was his 2nd, and best, start at Richmond as his first start saw Mayer get an 82.6 Driver Rating and finish 12th. This makes his Avg. Finish a modest 7.5 and his Avg. Driver Rating a decent 93.65. I expect somewhere around that this weekend, Mayer will probably run well most the day and end up with a finish between 4th and 9th.
10th in Points – Daniel Hemric
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.67 | 7th of 35 | T67th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 88.12% | 24th of 35 | 212th of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 78.73% | T6th of 35 | T75th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 86.17 | 10th of 35 | 86th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 64 | T39th of 481 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 64 | T26th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 64 | T22nd of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T5th of 64 | T36th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T9th of 64 | T67th of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T5th of 64 | T23rd of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T16th of 35 | T118th of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 64 | T52nd of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T10th of 64 | T66th of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 30 | 9th of 64 | T53rd of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 64 | T45th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.75(13th), 70.04% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.63(14th), Best 6th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.81%, Led 0.00% 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, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 6th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 143 Laps in Top15 (57.2% of laps he ran), had 86.5 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 6 Races
- 8.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 29th
- Completed 99.73% of laps (% ranks 13th)
- 84.47% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 105.88 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 6.8% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 1 Pole, 16.67% (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 2 Top 3’s, 33.33% (% ranks 6th)
- 3 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 5 Top 10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks T13th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Stage Wins, 16.67% (% ranks 5th)
- 9 Stage Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 5.58 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Outlook
Daniel Hemric is notable because of how he’s run at Richmond in his Xfinity career. At COTA Hemric ran decent most the race and ended up with a 6th place finish. This was his 4th Top 10 on the year and his 4th Top 10 in a row, but unfortunately only one of those was a Top 5. However, more good news is that Hemric has ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15 this year which is tied for the 6th best percentage this year, but his 86.17 Avg. Driver Rating only ranks 10th. As you can see the stats are a little up and down for Hemric this year, and his 2022 Short Track stats bring more of the same. In the 4 races last year Hemric had 2 Top 10’s and 3 Top 15’s, but only the 13th best Avg. Finish (11.75) and 14th best Avg. Driver Rating (84.63). To add to the roller coaster his best finish was 6th in the 4 races, but his worst was only 20th as well. That 6th place was here at Richmond, however, but again it’s not all good as he only ran 57% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 86.5 Driver Rating was just 12th best in the race. His Richmond stats are a different story though as they are all pretty good. In 6 races Hemric has 2 Top 3’s and 5 Top 10’s with the 7th best active Avg. Finish at 8.5. Even better is his 105.88 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 4th and his 5.58 Stage Pts Per Stage that ranks 3rd. The stats for Hemric are a little bit of a mixed bag but I think he runs around the 10th most the race and finishes between 6th and 12th.
Daniel Hemric is notable because of how he’s run at Richmond in his Xfinity career. At COTA Hemric ran decent most the race and ended up with a 6th place finish. This was his 4th Top 10 on the year and his 4th Top 10 in a row, but unfortunately only one of those was a Top 5. However, more good news is that Hemric has ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15 this year which is tied for the 6th best percentage this year, but his 86.17 Avg. Driver Rating only ranks 10th. As you can see the stats are a little up and down for Hemric this year, and his 2022 Short Track stats bring more of the same. In the 4 races last year Hemric had 2 Top 10’s and 3 Top 15’s, but only the 13th best Avg. Finish (11.75) and 14th best Avg. Driver Rating (84.63). To add to the roller coaster his best finish was 6th in the 4 races, but his worst was only 20th as well. That 6th place was here at Richmond, however, but again it’s not all good as he only ran 57% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 86.5 Driver Rating was just 12th best in the race. His Richmond stats are a different story though as they are all pretty good. In 6 races Hemric has 2 Top 3’s and 5 Top 10’s with the 7th best active Avg. Finish at 8.5. Even better is his 105.88 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 4th and his 5.58 Stage Pts Per Stage that ranks 3rd. The stats for Hemric are a little bit of a mixed bag but I think he runs around the 10th most the race and finishes between 6th and 12th.
12th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.33 | T13th of 35 | T119th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.77% | T9th of 35 | T43rd of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.53% | 9th of 35 | 87th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 85.67 | 11th of 35 | 93rd of 304‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 64 | T39th of 481 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 64 | T8th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 64 | T66th of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T13th of 64 | T88th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T19th of 64 | T127th of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T16th of 64 | T127th of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | 3rd of 64 | T9th of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T5th of 64 | T37th of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 34 | 8th of 64 | 44th of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 5th of 64 | T25th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 0 Races
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- did not race
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 7 Races
- 8.29 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 15th
- Completed 99.94% of laps (% ranks 9th)
- 97.52% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 106.53 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 9.99% of laps he’s run (% ranks 4th)
- 1 Win, 14.29% (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Pole, 14.29% (% ranks 4th)
- 2 Top 3’s, 28.57% (% ranks 7th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 57.14% (% ranks 11th)
- 7 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 8.33% (% ranks 7th)
- 4.42 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Cole Custer is notable because of his career stats at Richmond. Last week at COTA Custer had a disappointing finish yet again as he finished 32nd, the last car running. This just adds to his bad start to the year as he has a 17.33 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 10 in the first 6 races. In addition he has run only 73% of his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating of 85.67 ranks only 11th. The one bit of good news in his 2023 stats is that he has 2 Stage Wins and 2 Playoff Pts, but that’s it. Last year in the Xfinity Series Custer ran 5 races but none of them were at Short Tracks, so there is nothing to say about them or his race his last year, since it didn’t exist. However, overall at Richmond is a different story as in his 7 races here he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 106.53. In these 7 races Custer has never finished out of the Top 15 and has 4 Top 10’s with 1 Win. His finishes have given him an 8.29 Avg. Finish as well and he’s ran 97.52% of his laps in the Top 15 with 4.42 Stage Pts Per Stage. With all this said I thought Custer would do better than he has in every race this year, so even though I think he will run Top 10 most the day and finish Top 10 easily, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t.
Cole Custer is notable because of his career stats at Richmond. Last week at COTA Custer had a disappointing finish yet again as he finished 32nd, the last car running. This just adds to his bad start to the year as he has a 17.33 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 10 in the first 6 races. In addition he has run only 73% of his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating of 85.67 ranks only 11th. The one bit of good news in his 2023 stats is that he has 2 Stage Wins and 2 Playoff Pts, but that’s it. Last year in the Xfinity Series Custer ran 5 races but none of them were at Short Tracks, so there is nothing to say about them or his race his last year, since it didn’t exist. However, overall at Richmond is a different story as in his 7 races here he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 106.53. In these 7 races Custer has never finished out of the Top 15 and has 4 Top 10’s with 1 Win. His finishes have given him an 8.29 Avg. Finish as well and he’s ran 97.52% of his laps in the Top 15 with 4.42 Stage Pts Per Stage. With all this said I thought Custer would do better than he has in every race this year, so even though I think he will run Top 10 most the day and finish Top 10 easily, I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t.
15th in Points – Brandon Jones
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 20.17 | 19th of 35 | 151st of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.66% | T11th of 35 | T54th of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 63.91% | 13th of 35 | 109th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 79.13 | 13th of 35 | 111th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 64 | T39th of 481 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 64 | T26th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 64 | T66th of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T13th of 64 | T88th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T19th of 64 | T127th of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T25th of 64 | T192nd of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 64 | T52nd of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | T13th of 64 | T82nd of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 27 | 12th of 64 | 62nd of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 64 | T45th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 9.75(4th), 91.76% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.73(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.67% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 13th, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1, ran 248 Laps in Top15 (99.2% of laps he ran), had 96.1 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 12 Races
- 17.58 Avg. Finish (Ranks 24th)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 33rd
- Completed 96.83% of laps (% ranks 38th)
- 54.96% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 22nd)
- 74.4 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 25th)
- Led 0.71% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 3 Top 10’s, 25.0% (% ranks 22nd)
- 7 Top 15’s, 58.33% (% ranks 20th)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 33.33% (% ranks T22nd)
- 1 DNF, 8.33% (% ranks 34th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0.8 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 20th)
Outlook
Brandon Jones is notable because of his performance on Short Tracks last year. At COTA last week Jones got his best finish of the year, 11th. This obviously means Jones has not had a Top 10 this year, which is honestly quite disappointing. That isn’t the half of it either as Jones 20.17 Avg. Finish ranks 19th best this year and his 79.13 Avg. Driver Rating ranks just 13th best. Moreover he has only obtained 27 Stage Pts and has spent just 64% of his laps in the Top 15. Hopefully for Jones his 2022 Short Track stats translate to 2023. In 4 races on Short Tracks last year Jones had a 9.75 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 108.73. This includes Martinsville where Jones got dumped by his then teammate Ty Gibbs, otherwise these stats would be even more impressive. In addition to all this he won 2 of the 8 stages and got 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. The bad news is that his worst Short Track was at Richmond. In the race Jones only got 3 Stage Pts and finished 13th, but in good news he ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 and had the 7th best Driver Rating at 96.1. However, this race was better than Jones usually is here as he has just a 17.58 Avg. Finish in 12 races. On top of that he has more finishes outside the Top 20 than inside the Top 10 and 0.8 Stage Pts Per Stage. With all these stats it’s hard to see Jones getting his first Top 10 of the year this weekend but he might as I expect him to finish 8th-12th.
Brandon Jones is notable because of his performance on Short Tracks last year. At COTA last week Jones got his best finish of the year, 11th. This obviously means Jones has not had a Top 10 this year, which is honestly quite disappointing. That isn’t the half of it either as Jones 20.17 Avg. Finish ranks 19th best this year and his 79.13 Avg. Driver Rating ranks just 13th best. Moreover he has only obtained 27 Stage Pts and has spent just 64% of his laps in the Top 15. Hopefully for Jones his 2022 Short Track stats translate to 2023. In 4 races on Short Tracks last year Jones had a 9.75 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 108.73. This includes Martinsville where Jones got dumped by his then teammate Ty Gibbs, otherwise these stats would be even more impressive. In addition to all this he won 2 of the 8 stages and got 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. The bad news is that his worst Short Track was at Richmond. In the race Jones only got 3 Stage Pts and finished 13th, but in good news he ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 and had the 7th best Driver Rating at 96.1. However, this race was better than Jones usually is here as he has just a 17.58 Avg. Finish in 12 races. On top of that he has more finishes outside the Top 20 than inside the Top 10 and 0.8 Stage Pts Per Stage. With all these stats it’s hard to see Jones getting his first Top 10 of the year this weekend but he might as I expect him to finish 8th-12th.
22nd in Points – Josh Williams
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 22.8 | 24th of 35 | 188th of 304 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 84.13% | 27th of 35 | 238th of 304 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 2.74% | 28th of 35 | 228th of 304 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 53.76 | 24th of 35 | 196th of 304‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 64 | T39th of 481 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 64 | T26th of 481 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 64 | T66th of 481 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T13th of 64 | T88th of 481 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T19th of 64 | T127th of 481 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T25th of 64 | T192nd of 481 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T16th of 35 | T118th of 304 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 64 | T52nd of 413* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T28th of 64 | T186th of 413* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T21st of 64 | T141st of 413* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 64 | T45th of 413* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this/last year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 57 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 23.33(33rd), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 49.4(39th), Best 21st, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.39%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 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, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Richmond Race
- Finished 27th, Started 23rd, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 0 Laps in Top15 (0.00% of laps he ran), had 48.2 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 24.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T32nd)
- Best Finish: 22nd, Worst: 27th
- Completed 99.04% of laps (% ranks T23rd)
- 3.15% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 36th)
- 56.14 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 32nd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T39th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage Top 10’s
Outlook
Josh Williams is notable because he is racing this weekend, and after his walk-off at Atlanta he deserves an outlook for a race he is actually racing in. Williams was suspended by NASCAR for COTA last week but Alex Labbe brought the 92 car home 15th. This year Williams hasn’t been that great, but no one expected him to be either. His best finish is 15th, his Avg. Finish is 22.8, his Avg. Driver Rating is 53.76, and he’s ran just 2.74% of his laps in the Top 15. While these numbers aren’t great they are still better than his Short Track stats last year. He ran 3 Short Tracks last year and his best finish was 21st, his Avg. Finish was 23.33, his Avg. Driver Rating was 49.4, and he ran 0 laps inside the Top 15. One of these races was at Richmond but it wasn’t where he got that best finish, it was in fact his worst of the 3 races. In the race Williams obviously ran 0 laps in the Top 15 and ended up 27th with a 48.2 Driver Rating. This was also Williams worst finish at Richmond in his 5 attempts, but then again his best is only 22nd. Overall his Avg. Finish here is 24.0 and his Avg. Driver Rating is just 56.14, so while I am hopeful Williams has a great run this weekend it doesn’t seem likely. Based on the stats it will be a struggle for Williams this weekend as he will probably run few, if any, laps in the Top 15 and wind up finishing outside the Top 20. But still, I want to give a shout-out to him for all the charity work he does, good on you Josh.
Josh Williams is notable because he is racing this weekend, and after his walk-off at Atlanta he deserves an outlook for a race he is actually racing in. Williams was suspended by NASCAR for COTA last week but Alex Labbe brought the 92 car home 15th. This year Williams hasn’t been that great, but no one expected him to be either. His best finish is 15th, his Avg. Finish is 22.8, his Avg. Driver Rating is 53.76, and he’s ran just 2.74% of his laps in the Top 15. While these numbers aren’t great they are still better than his Short Track stats last year. He ran 3 Short Tracks last year and his best finish was 21st, his Avg. Finish was 23.33, his Avg. Driver Rating was 49.4, and he ran 0 laps inside the Top 15. One of these races was at Richmond but it wasn’t where he got that best finish, it was in fact his worst of the 3 races. In the race Williams obviously ran 0 laps in the Top 15 and ended up 27th with a 48.2 Driver Rating. This was also Williams worst finish at Richmond in his 5 attempts, but then again his best is only 22nd. Overall his Avg. Finish here is 24.0 and his Avg. Driver Rating is just 56.14, so while I am hopeful Williams has a great run this weekend it doesn’t seem likely. Based on the stats it will be a struggle for Williams this weekend as he will probably run few, if any, laps in the Top 15 and wind up finishing outside the Top 20. But still, I want to give a shout-out to him for all the charity work he does, good on you Josh.
