Twice as nice! William Byron won last week at Phoenix for his 2nd straight steal of a win after a late caution that caused overtime. This week it is on to Atlanta where another overtime finish may be in the offing. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Superspeedway Track stats, 1 based on the last Atlanta race and 2 based on their overall Atlanta stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 with ranking through 4 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022/23 Superspeedway track (drafting tracks) statistics and Atlanta statistics.
*This was written prior to any penalties announced, so points position does not reflect after penalty points.
1st in Points – Alex Bowman
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.25 | 1st of 38 | T23rd of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.4% | 6th of 38 | 80th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.7 | 6th of 38 | 121st of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 42 | T6th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T8th of 42 | T124th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T2nd of 42 | T49th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T1st of 42 | T28th of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T1st of 42 | T1st of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T5th of 42 | T38th of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T6th of 42 | T36th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 31 | 5th of 42 | T40th of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 42 | T52nd of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 15.67(16th), 54.28% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.35(11th), Best 5th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 91.98%, Led 1.86% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 32nd (dvp), Started 8th, Led 0 laps, Finished 2nd in Stage 1, ran 132 Laps in Top15 (82.5% of laps he ran), had 75.6 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 9 Races
- 17.11 Avg. Finish (Ranks 12th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 35th
- Completed 95.86% of laps (% ranks 20th)
- 48.16% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 17th)
- 78.77 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 0.0% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 11.11% (% ranks T11th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 33.33% (% ranks T12th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 55.56% (% ranks T9th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 33.33% (% ranks T12th)
- 1 DNF, 11.11% (% ranks T17th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.93 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 9th)
Outlook
Alex Bowman is notable because of his impressive start so far this year. Last week at Phoenix Bowman ran decent all race and used late cautions to bolster his finish to 9th. This gives him a 6.25 Avg. Finish on the season, the best on the year, and a 95.7 Avg. Driver Rating which ranks 6th. While he doesn’t have a win what is helping Bowman to get these numbers is that he has a Top 10 in all 4 races with 2 Top 5’s and 31 Stage Pts. In fact Bowman is the first driver to have 4 straight Top 10’s to start a season since Kevin Harvick in 2020. This week is a drafting track though, and his Avg. Finish in his 6 drafting track races in 2022/23 is 15.67. Furthermore Bowman has only ran 54% of his lap inside the Top 15 in these races but does have 3 Top 10’s and an Avg. Driver Rating of 81.35. However one of these good races was not at Atlanta last Summer where Bowman finished 32nd after getting caught in a wreck. He did run good in that race though as he ran 82.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and he finished 2nd in Stage 1. For the Atlanta numbers they don’t mean much for this Atlanta track, but for what it’s worth he has a 17.11 Avg. Finish here with a best of 3rd in 9 races. Bowman has also only ran 48% of his laps in the Top 15 but does have 5 Top 15’s and 2.93 Stage Pts Per Stage. In all Atlanta is hard to predict but I think Bowman’s luck runs out some. I think he finishes outside the Top 10, but does get a Top 15.
Alex Bowman is notable because of his impressive start so far this year. Last week at Phoenix Bowman ran decent all race and used late cautions to bolster his finish to 9th. This gives him a 6.25 Avg. Finish on the season, the best on the year, and a 95.7 Avg. Driver Rating which ranks 6th. While he doesn’t have a win what is helping Bowman to get these numbers is that he has a Top 10 in all 4 races with 2 Top 5’s and 31 Stage Pts. In fact Bowman is the first driver to have 4 straight Top 10’s to start a season since Kevin Harvick in 2020. This week is a drafting track though, and his Avg. Finish in his 6 drafting track races in 2022/23 is 15.67. Furthermore Bowman has only ran 54% of his lap inside the Top 15 in these races but does have 3 Top 10’s and an Avg. Driver Rating of 81.35. However one of these good races was not at Atlanta last Summer where Bowman finished 32nd after getting caught in a wreck. He did run good in that race though as he ran 82.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and he finished 2nd in Stage 1. For the Atlanta numbers they don’t mean much for this Atlanta track, but for what it’s worth he has a 17.11 Avg. Finish here with a best of 3rd in 9 races. Bowman has also only ran 48% of his laps in the Top 15 but does have 5 Top 15’s and 2.93 Stage Pts Per Stage. In all Atlanta is hard to predict but I think Bowman’s luck runs out some. I think he finishes outside the Top 10, but does get a Top 15.
2nd in Points – Kevin Harvick
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.75 | 2nd of 38 | T35th of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.3% | 2nd of 38 | 47th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.93 | 5th of 38 | 118th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T8th of 42 | T124th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T12th of 42 | T179th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T1st of 42 | T28th of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T2nd of 42 | T21st of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T5th of 42 | T38th of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T2nd of 42 | T14th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 29 | 6th of 42 | T44th of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 42 | T52nd of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 19.14(23rd), 53.79% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.21(19th), Best 10th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 97.91%, Led 0.8% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.93 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 12th, Started 10th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 108 Laps in Top15 (41.54% of laps he ran), had 73.3 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 34 Races
- 15.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 40th
- Completed 98.41% of laps (% ranks T14th)
- 65.42% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 97.49 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 12.69% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 3 Wins, 8.82% (% ranks 6th)
- 5 Top 2’s, 14.71% (% ranks 6th)
- 9 Top 5’s, 26.47% (% ranks 6th)
- 16 Top 10’s, 47.06% (% ranks 6th)
- 11 finishes outside Top 20, 32.35% (% ranks 11th)
- 4 DNF’s, 11.76% (% ranks 20th)
- 4 Stage Wins, 25.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 9 Stage T10’s, 56.25% (% ranks 6th)
- 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T3rd)
Outlook
Kevin Harvick is notable because of his career Atlanta statistics. Last week Harvick was so close to his 10th Phoenix win but a late caution stopped that and he ended up 5th. Besides Daytona though this year is going good for Harvick as he has the 2nd best Avg. Finish at 7.75 and the 2nd best Laps in Top15% at 86.3% in the 4 races. He has also acquired 29 Stage Pts and 3 Top 10’s this year, but that Top 10 streak might be coming to an end based on the 2022/23 Superspeedway stats. In these 7 races Harvick has a 19.14 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10 and 3 Top 15’s. It isn’t just the finishes that are bad either as his Avg. Driver Rating is 75.21 and he’s only ran 53.79% of his laps in the Top 15 while getting less than 1 Stage Pt Per Stage. In the Summer race here last year Harvick ran less than half his laps in the Top 15 but ended up 12th with a 73.3 Driver Rating that ranked 18th best in the race. In his 34 career starts at Atlanta Harvick has been really good here accumulating a 15.5 Avg Finish and a 97.49 Avg. Driver Rating. Furthermore he has led 12.69% of the laps he has run here and has finished Top 10 in nearly half his races. He has also been good here in Stages as he has the most Stage Wins here (4) and gets 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage. A lot of this was at old Atlanta though and Harvick has struggled on Superspeedways of late. With that said a lot of his Atlanta ranks above are 6th so I’ll say he finishes 6th.
Kevin Harvick is notable because of his career Atlanta statistics. Last week Harvick was so close to his 10th Phoenix win but a late caution stopped that and he ended up 5th. Besides Daytona though this year is going good for Harvick as he has the 2nd best Avg. Finish at 7.75 and the 2nd best Laps in Top15% at 86.3% in the 4 races. He has also acquired 29 Stage Pts and 3 Top 10’s this year, but that Top 10 streak might be coming to an end based on the 2022/23 Superspeedway stats. In these 7 races Harvick has a 19.14 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10 and 3 Top 15’s. It isn’t just the finishes that are bad either as his Avg. Driver Rating is 75.21 and he’s only ran 53.79% of his laps in the Top 15 while getting less than 1 Stage Pt Per Stage. In the Summer race here last year Harvick ran less than half his laps in the Top 15 but ended up 12th with a 73.3 Driver Rating that ranked 18th best in the race. In his 34 career starts at Atlanta Harvick has been really good here accumulating a 15.5 Avg Finish and a 97.49 Avg. Driver Rating. Furthermore he has led 12.69% of the laps he has run here and has finished Top 10 in nearly half his races. He has also been good here in Stages as he has the most Stage Wins here (4) and gets 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage. A lot of this was at old Atlanta though and Harvick has struggled on Superspeedways of late. With that said a lot of his Atlanta ranks above are 6th so I’ll say he finishes 6th.
3rd in Points – Ross Chastain
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.0 | 6th of 38 | T114th of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.4% | 5th of 38 | 71st of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.73 | 4th of 38 | 111th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T8th of 42 | T124th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T2nd of 42 | T49th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T6th of 42 | T100th of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T5th of 42 | T89th of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T1st of 42 | T1st of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | 1st of 42 | T6th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 48 | T1st of 42 | T7th of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 3 | 4th of 42 | T25th of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(T6th), 61.98% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.77(5th), Best 1st, Worst 40th, Laps Completed 87.09%, Led 8.76% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 2nd, Led 32 laps (12.31%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 227 Laps in Top15 (87.31% of laps he ran), had 116.0 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 6 Races
- 16.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 10th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 31st
- Completed 98.96% of laps (% ranks 10th)
- 28.65% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 23rd)
- 68.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 19th)
- Led 4.11% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 2’s, 33.33% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Top 10’s, 33.33% (% ranks T12th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T21st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 25.0% (% ranks T15th)
Outlook
Ross Chastain is notable because of how he ran last year in the Summer race at Atlanta. Last week Chastain ran all but 4 laps in the Top 15, unfortunately for him 2 of those laps were the last 2 laps when he was essentially wrecked by the self-appointed NASCAR god named Denny Hamlin. This relegated Chastain to a 24th place finish. When not getting run into by the NASCAR god Chastain is running well this year as he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 96.73 and has run 82.4% of his laps in the Top 15, the 5th best percentage. Furthermore Chastain has the most Stage T10’s (7) and is tied for most Stage Wins (3) and Stage Pts (48). However, the stage stats may not be as prominent this weekend as in the 7 2022/23 Superspeedway races Chastain only has 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. With that said he has finished good in those 7 races as he has a 13.0 Avg. Finish, T6th best, and the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 84.77. In addition he has led 8.76% of the laps he’s ran and has 1 Win, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s in those 7 races. One of the Top 3’s came here last Summer where Chastain finished 2nd after leading 32 laps, getting 10 Stage Pts and having the 2nd best Driver Rating at 116.0. Overall here Chastain hasn’t been as good, but he does have the highest Top 2% of any active driver. This weekend I think Chastain runs well getting a Top 5 and maybe a win, unless Mr. jerk NASCAR god decides to wreck him again.
Ross Chastain is notable because of how he ran last year in the Summer race at Atlanta. Last week Chastain ran all but 4 laps in the Top 15, unfortunately for him 2 of those laps were the last 2 laps when he was essentially wrecked by the self-appointed NASCAR god named Denny Hamlin. This relegated Chastain to a 24th place finish. When not getting run into by the NASCAR god Chastain is running well this year as he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 96.73 and has run 82.4% of his laps in the Top 15, the 5th best percentage. Furthermore Chastain has the most Stage T10’s (7) and is tied for most Stage Wins (3) and Stage Pts (48). However, the stage stats may not be as prominent this weekend as in the 7 2022/23 Superspeedway races Chastain only has 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. With that said he has finished good in those 7 races as he has a 13.0 Avg. Finish, T6th best, and the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 84.77. In addition he has led 8.76% of the laps he’s ran and has 1 Win, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s in those 7 races. One of the Top 3’s came here last Summer where Chastain finished 2nd after leading 32 laps, getting 10 Stage Pts and having the 2nd best Driver Rating at 116.0. Overall here Chastain hasn’t been as good, but he does have the highest Top 2% of any active driver. This weekend I think Chastain runs well getting a Top 5 and maybe a win, unless Mr. jerk NASCAR god decides to wreck him again.
4th in Points – William Byron
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.25 | 14th of 38 | T213th of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.8% | T22nd of 38 | T366th of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.1% | 3rd of 38 | 59th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 107.2 | 1st of 38 | 36th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 1st of 42 | T2nd of 965 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | 1st of 42 | T8th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | 1st of 42 | T14th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T1st of 42 | T28th of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T5th of 42 | T89th of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T19th of 38 | T463rd of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T1st of 42 | T1st of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T2nd of 42 | T14th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 48 | T1st of 42 | T7th of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 13 | 1st of 42 | 1st of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins (active streak)
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 23.43(36th), 79.94% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.96(4th), Best 1st, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 80.57%, Led 15..61% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 4 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 30th (crash), Started 13th, Led 41 laps (15.77%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, ran 154 Laps in Top15 (90.59% of laps he ran), had 88.8 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 7 Races
- 18.14 Avg. Finish (Ranks 19th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 33rd
- Completed 95.1% of laps (% ranks 20th)
- 48.77% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 15th)
- 78.67 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- Led 7.55% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 14.29% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Top 5, 14.29% (% ranks T13th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 28.57% (% ranks 17th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 28.57% (% ranks 6th)
- 1 DNF, 14.29% (% ranks 21st)
- 1 Stage Win, 7.14% (% ranks 5th)
- 7 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T7th)
Outlook
William Byron is notable because of his impressive stats so far this year. Last week Byron used a late caution for the second week in a row to pull of a restart pass for the win. This was Byron’s 2nd win this year, but only his 2nd Top 10 as well. On the year he has a 15.25 Avg. Finish that ranks 14th, but besides DNF’s this is his only rank worse than 5th in the 2023 Ranks above. In fact Byron’s 107.2 Avg. Driver Rating is 1st and all of his stage stats are either 1st or 2nd. These categories have been good for him in the 2022/23 Superspeedway races as well as he has 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage and a 88.96 Avg. Driver Rating, ranks 4th, in the 7 races. The bad news for Byron is that this success only produced 1 Top 10, a win at the Spring Atlanta race last year, and a 23.43 Avg. Finish with 4 DNF’s finish during the 7 Superspeedway races. As I said Byron won the Spring race here, but the Summer race was not as good as he finished 30th after crashing out. The good news for Byron is that when he was on the track he was in the Top 15 90% of the time and led 15% of the laps he ran. Overall here Byron has ran 7 races and his Avg. Finish is 18.14 with that win being his only Top 5. He has also ran only 49% of his laps here in the Top 15 and has only finished half the stages in the Top 10. Based on all the stats it seems Byron will either win or finish out of the Top 10, and I am leaning towards a finish outside out of the Top 10.
William Byron is notable because of his impressive stats so far this year. Last week Byron used a late caution for the second week in a row to pull of a restart pass for the win. This was Byron’s 2nd win this year, but only his 2nd Top 10 as well. On the year he has a 15.25 Avg. Finish that ranks 14th, but besides DNF’s this is his only rank worse than 5th in the 2023 Ranks above. In fact Byron’s 107.2 Avg. Driver Rating is 1st and all of his stage stats are either 1st or 2nd. These categories have been good for him in the 2022/23 Superspeedway races as well as he has 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage and a 88.96 Avg. Driver Rating, ranks 4th, in the 7 races. The bad news for Byron is that this success only produced 1 Top 10, a win at the Spring Atlanta race last year, and a 23.43 Avg. Finish with 4 DNF’s finish during the 7 Superspeedway races. As I said Byron won the Spring race here, but the Summer race was not as good as he finished 30th after crashing out. The good news for Byron is that when he was on the track he was in the Top 15 90% of the time and led 15% of the laps he ran. Overall here Byron has ran 7 races and his Avg. Finish is 18.14 with that win being his only Top 5. He has also ran only 49% of his laps here in the Top 15 and has only finished half the stages in the Top 10. Based on all the stats it seems Byron will either win or finish out of the Top 10, and I am leaning towards a finish outside out of the Top 10.
5th in Points – Kyle Larson
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.25 | T9th of 38 | T155th of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.4% | 25th of 38 | 397th of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.3% | 8th of 38 | 127th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.08 | 2nd of 38 | 77th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 42 | T6th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T2nd of 42 | T30th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T2nd of 42 | T49th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T1st of 42 | T28th of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T5th of 42 | T89th of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T19th of 38 | T463rd of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T3rd of 42 | T14th of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | 9th of 42 | T50th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 37 | 3rd of 42 | T22nd of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T5th of 42 | T34th of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 21.71(31st), 65.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.83(20th), Best 4th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 82.33%, Led 3.8% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 4 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.57 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 13th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1, ran 111 Laps in Top15 (42.69% of laps he ran), had 67.0 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 10 Races
- 14.6 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 30th
- Completed 94.14% of laps (% ranks 19th)
- 69.18% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 90.21 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 13.9% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 2’s, 20.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4 Top 10’s, 40.0% (% ranks 9th)
- 6 Top 15’s, 60.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 30% (% ranks 7th)
- 1 DNF, 10.0% (% ranks 16th)
- 3 Stage Wins, 21.43% (% ranks 2nd)
- 12 Stage T10’s, 85.71% (% ranks 1st)
- 5.07 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Outlook
Kyle Larson is notable because he is 5th in points this year. Last week Larson dominated most of the race before falling off late, then a late caution caused overtime where he ended up 4th. This year Larson has ran good as even with his first 2 races being a struggle he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 101.08 and has the 3rd most Stage Pts at 37. His Avg. Finish of 13.25 ranks T9th and he is one of only 2 drivers to have a 2+ race Top 5 streak. This is good, but his Superspeedway stats are not. In the last 7 races at these tracks Larson has a 21.71 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10 and an Avg. Driver Rating of 74.83. To make matters worse Larson has 3 finishes outside the Top 20 and 4 DNF’s. Here at Atlanta last Summer Larson finished 13th after getting 2 Stage Pts and running in the Top 15 for only 42.69% of his laps leading to a subpar 67.0 Driver Rating. All told Larson has raced at Atlanta 10 times and has a best finish of 2nd (twice) with a 14.6 Avg. Finish. In fact he has led 13.9% of the laps he’s run here, which is the best percentage among active drivers. In addition his 85.71 Stage T10% and his 5.07 Stage Pts Per Stage are the best among active drivers. With that said this isn’t the Atlanta where he got most of those numbers and knowing Larson’s luck on these tracks I don’t see Larson getting a finish better than 10th this weekend.
Kyle Larson is notable because he is 5th in points this year. Last week Larson dominated most of the race before falling off late, then a late caution caused overtime where he ended up 4th. This year Larson has ran good as even with his first 2 races being a struggle he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 101.08 and has the 3rd most Stage Pts at 37. His Avg. Finish of 13.25 ranks T9th and he is one of only 2 drivers to have a 2+ race Top 5 streak. This is good, but his Superspeedway stats are not. In the last 7 races at these tracks Larson has a 21.71 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10 and an Avg. Driver Rating of 74.83. To make matters worse Larson has 3 finishes outside the Top 20 and 4 DNF’s. Here at Atlanta last Summer Larson finished 13th after getting 2 Stage Pts and running in the Top 15 for only 42.69% of his laps leading to a subpar 67.0 Driver Rating. All told Larson has raced at Atlanta 10 times and has a best finish of 2nd (twice) with a 14.6 Avg. Finish. In fact he has led 13.9% of the laps he’s run here, which is the best percentage among active drivers. In addition his 85.71 Stage T10% and his 5.07 Stage Pts Per Stage are the best among active drivers. With that said this isn’t the Atlanta where he got most of those numbers and knowing Larson’s luck on these tracks I don’t see Larson getting a finish better than 10th this weekend.
8th in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.25 | 7th of 38 | T121st of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.6% | T14th of 38 | T231st of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.0% | 11th of 38 | 190th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 83.3 | 13th of 38 | 237th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T2nd of 42 | T30th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T2nd of 42 | T49th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T6th of 42 | T100th of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T5th of 42 | T89th of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T5th of 42 | T38th of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T10th of 42 | T71st of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 17 | 11th of 42 | T71st of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 42 | T52nd of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 8.86(2nd), 68.06% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.07(2nd), Best 2nd, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.61%, Led 7.07% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 2.43 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 5th, Started 6th, Led 2 laps (0.77%), Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 260 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 110.0 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 9 Races
- 12.11 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 25th
- Completed 99.86% of laps (% ranks 1st)
- 80.47% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 95.74 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 3.04% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 1 Win, 11.11% (% ranks T4th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 44.44% (% ranks 2nd)
- 5 Top 15’s, 55.56% (% ranks T9th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 22.22% (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 6.25% (% ranks T6th)
- 10 Stage T10’s, 62.5% (% ranks T4th)
- 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T3rd)
Outlook
Ryan Blaney is notable because of his stats at Superspeedways last year and this year. Last weekend at Phoenix Blaney ran Top 10 most the race and with the craziness at the end finished 2nd. Thru 4 races Blaney has a 12.25 Avg. Finish that is good for 7th best, but has an 83.3 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 13th. Furthermore Blaney has only 17 Stage Pts this year which all put together tells me Blaney hasn’t been running good but has found ways to finish okay. That may change this weekend as in the last 7 Superspeedway races he has ran good AND finished good. For example his 8.86 Avg. Finish and his 92.07 Avg. Driver Rating both rank 2nd among drivers with 1+ start on a Superspeedway in 2022/23. Unfortunately 2nd is his best finish in those 7 races as well, however he does have 3 Top 5’s and only finished outside the Top 15 once in those 7 races. One of those Top 5’s came at the Summer Atlanta race where he finished 5th and ran in the Top 15 for every lap of the race. Overall Blaney has ran here 9 times with 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s and a 12.11 Avg. Finish with 0 DNF’s in the 9 races. He has also ran over 80% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend I see a good weekend ahead for Blaney as he is good at this track style and is riding momentum. In fact I’m going to say he gets his first Next Gen regular season win this weekend, but at the very least a Top 10 is in the script for Blaney.
Ryan Blaney is notable because of his stats at Superspeedways last year and this year. Last weekend at Phoenix Blaney ran Top 10 most the race and with the craziness at the end finished 2nd. Thru 4 races Blaney has a 12.25 Avg. Finish that is good for 7th best, but has an 83.3 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 13th. Furthermore Blaney has only 17 Stage Pts this year which all put together tells me Blaney hasn’t been running good but has found ways to finish okay. That may change this weekend as in the last 7 Superspeedway races he has ran good AND finished good. For example his 8.86 Avg. Finish and his 92.07 Avg. Driver Rating both rank 2nd among drivers with 1+ start on a Superspeedway in 2022/23. Unfortunately 2nd is his best finish in those 7 races as well, however he does have 3 Top 5’s and only finished outside the Top 15 once in those 7 races. One of those Top 5’s came at the Summer Atlanta race where he finished 5th and ran in the Top 15 for every lap of the race. Overall Blaney has ran here 9 times with 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s and a 12.11 Avg. Finish with 0 DNF’s in the 9 races. He has also ran over 80% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend I see a good weekend ahead for Blaney as he is good at this track style and is riding momentum. In fact I’m going to say he gets his first Next Gen regular season win this weekend, but at the very least a Top 10 is in the script for Blaney.
10th in Points – Martin Truex Jr.
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.5 | 8th of 38 | T129th of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 52.9% | 17th of 38 | 278th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 84.15 | 12th of 38 | T229th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T8th of 42 | T124th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T12th of 42 | T179th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T16th of 42 | T271st of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T11th of 42 | T233rd of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T5th of 42 | T38th of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T6th of 42 | T36th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 21 | 9th of 42 | T61st of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 42 | T52nd of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.29(5th), 57.04% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.44(10th), Best 5th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 3.78% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.21 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 11th, Started 9th, Led 27 laps (10.38%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 111 Laps in Top15 (42.69% of laps he ran), had 79.0 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 26 Races
- 14.96 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 40th
- Completed 97.05% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 81.86% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 95.72 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 4.72% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 3.85% (% ranks 12th)
- 4 Top 3’s, 15.38% (% ranks 8th)
- 13 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 17 Top 15’s, 65.38% (% ranks 3rd)
- 8 finishes outside Top 20, 30.77% (% ranks T8th)
- 4 DNF’s, 15.38% (% ranks T22nd)
- 2 Stage Wins, 12.5% (% ranks T3rd)
- 11 Stage T10’s, 68.75% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Outlook
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his career stats at Atlanta, for what that’s worth. Last week Truex wasn’t that good as he finished 17th, which was where he ran around most the race. This sums up Truex’s season as since the Clash win there hasn’t been much success. Truex has 1 Top 10 in 4 races this year and he has only ran 53% of his laps in the Top 15, but does have the 8th best Avg. Finish at 12.5. Even Truex’s stage stats aren’t that good as he only has 21 Stage Pts. Going to a drafting track might be what the doctor ordered though since he has 4.21 Stage Pts Per Stage and 2 Stage Wins in the last 7 of these races. In addition he also has the 5th best Avg. Finish at 12.29, the 10th best Avg. Driver Rating at 81.44 and has completed every single lap. Even with all these good stats the best finish Truex has is 5th and he only has 3 Top 10’s in those 7 races. Last Summer at Atlanta was not one of those Top 10’s, but was close, as Truex finished 11th. In the race he led 10.38% of the laps, but only ran 42.69% of the race in the Top 15 and got 0 Stage Pts. This isn’t typical of Truex here as he has 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage and has run 82% of his laps in the Top 15. Furthermore Truex has the 6th best active Avg. Finish at 14.96, but once again these stats aren’t telling of new Atlanta. This weekend I think Truex finishes 5th-15th, but he’s known for running in the back at these tracks during the race and I don’t think that changes.
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his career stats at Atlanta, for what that’s worth. Last week Truex wasn’t that good as he finished 17th, which was where he ran around most the race. This sums up Truex’s season as since the Clash win there hasn’t been much success. Truex has 1 Top 10 in 4 races this year and he has only ran 53% of his laps in the Top 15, but does have the 8th best Avg. Finish at 12.5. Even Truex’s stage stats aren’t that good as he only has 21 Stage Pts. Going to a drafting track might be what the doctor ordered though since he has 4.21 Stage Pts Per Stage and 2 Stage Wins in the last 7 of these races. In addition he also has the 5th best Avg. Finish at 12.29, the 10th best Avg. Driver Rating at 81.44 and has completed every single lap. Even with all these good stats the best finish Truex has is 5th and he only has 3 Top 10’s in those 7 races. Last Summer at Atlanta was not one of those Top 10’s, but was close, as Truex finished 11th. In the race he led 10.38% of the laps, but only ran 42.69% of the race in the Top 15 and got 0 Stage Pts. This isn’t typical of Truex here as he has 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage and has run 82% of his laps in the Top 15. Furthermore Truex has the 6th best active Avg. Finish at 14.96, but once again these stats aren’t telling of new Atlanta. This weekend I think Truex finishes 5th-15th, but he’s known for running in the back at these tracks during the race and I don’t think that changes.
28th in Points – Erik Jones
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 24.0 | 29th of 38 | T520th of 831 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 90.5% | 30th of 38 | 616th of 831 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 40.9% | 18th of 38 | 330th of 786‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 64.85 | 21st of 38 | 446th of 786‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 42 | T69th of 965 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T8th of 42 | T124th of 965 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T12th of 42 | T179th of 965 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T16th of 42 | T271st of 965 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T26th of 42 | T461st of 965 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T21st of 38 | T732nd of 831 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T5th of 42 | T38th of 311* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T29th of 42 | T166th of 311* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T29th of 42 | T163rd of 311* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 42 | T52nd of 311* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022/23 Superspeedway Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway Track start, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 16.14(17th), 73.27% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.99(3rd), Best 4th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 92.44%, Led 5.85% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.71 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Atlanta Statistics
- 2022 Summer Atlanta Race
- Finished 4th, Started 25th, Led 10 laps (3.85%), got 0 Stage Pts, ran 157 Laps in Top15 (60.38% of laps he ran), had 84.8 Driver Rating
- Notable Atlanta Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 8 Races
- 15.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 28th
- Completed 99.72% of laps (% ranks 4th)
- 49.74% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 14th)
- 74.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 0.41% of laps he’s run (% ranks 23rd)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 12.5% (% ranks T15th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 25.0% (% ranks T18th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 62.5% (% ranks T4th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 37.5% (% ranks T16th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 25.0% (% ranks T15th)
Outlook
Erik Jones is notable because of his 2022/23 stats on Superspeedway tracks. Last week was like much of this year where Jones was a non-factor ending up in a 21st place finish. This year has been a struggle for Jones, through 4 races his 24.0 Avg. Finish this year is 29th in the 2023 Ranks above and his 64.85 Avg. Driver Rating is 21st. Jones has only ran 41% of his laps in the Top 15, has a best finish of only 19th, and what is most concerning is he has 0 Stage Pts showing that he isn’t running well at all. The good news is Atlanta is coming and his last 7 drafting tracks have produced better results overall. In these 7 races Jones has only produced a 16.14 Avg. Finish but does have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 89.99. In all he has 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s and 4 Top 15’s in those 7 races with his other 3 races being DNF’s, so essentially Jones either finishes Top 15 or DNF’s. On the horizon is even better news as his only Top 5 I spoke of came at Atlanta last Summer as he finished 4th and led 10 laps in the race. This was his only Top 5 at Atlanta though as he has kind of struggled to a 15.75 Avg. Finish in his 8 races here. In addition he has more finishes out of the Top 20 than in the Top 10, but for the last time this isn’t the old Atlanta. This weekend I think Jones favors more of his Superspeedway stats and he runs Top 15 a lot and I think he actually brings his 43 chevy home with a Top 10.
Erik Jones is notable because of his 2022/23 stats on Superspeedway tracks. Last week was like much of this year where Jones was a non-factor ending up in a 21st place finish. This year has been a struggle for Jones, through 4 races his 24.0 Avg. Finish this year is 29th in the 2023 Ranks above and his 64.85 Avg. Driver Rating is 21st. Jones has only ran 41% of his laps in the Top 15, has a best finish of only 19th, and what is most concerning is he has 0 Stage Pts showing that he isn’t running well at all. The good news is Atlanta is coming and his last 7 drafting tracks have produced better results overall. In these 7 races Jones has only produced a 16.14 Avg. Finish but does have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 89.99. In all he has 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s and 4 Top 15’s in those 7 races with his other 3 races being DNF’s, so essentially Jones either finishes Top 15 or DNF’s. On the horizon is even better news as his only Top 5 I spoke of came at Atlanta last Summer as he finished 4th and led 10 laps in the race. This was his only Top 5 at Atlanta though as he has kind of struggled to a 15.75 Avg. Finish in his 8 races here. In addition he has more finishes out of the Top 20 than in the Top 10, but for the last time this isn’t the old Atlanta. This weekend I think Jones favors more of his Superspeedway stats and he runs Top 15 a lot and I think he actually brings his 43 chevy home with a Top 10.
