At COTA last week we saw Tyler Reddick win in dominant fashion, even though the end of the race was somewhat of a crapshoot. This week there will probably be a bit more respect between drivers, although maybe not as we head to the first Short Track of the season, Richmond. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 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 Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the 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 – Ross Chastain
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.83 | 3rd of 36 | T79th of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 36 | T1st of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 72.66% | 7th of 36 | 130th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.35 | 4th of 36 | 128th of 778‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 46 | T97th of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 46 | T88th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 46 | T171st of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T7th of 46 | T87th of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T5th of 46 | T81st of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 46 | T100th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | 2nd of 46 | T4th of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T1st of 46 | T25th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 54 | 2nd of 46 | T21st of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 3 | 6th of 46 | T35th of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*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 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 10.4(7th), 79.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.3(11th), Best 4th, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 3.64% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 18th, Started 2nd, Led 80 laps (20.0%), Finished 1st in Stage 1, ran 168 Laps in Top15 (42.21% of laps he ran), had 88.4 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 8 Races
- 23.25 Avg. Finish (Ranks 24th)
- Best Finish: 7th, Worst: 36th
- Completed 95.19% of laps (% ranks 31st)
- 38.42% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 19th)
- 62.84 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 22nd)
- Led 2.76% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 12.5% (% ranks T17th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 25.0% (% ranks T21st)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T20th)
- 1 DNF, 12.5% (% ranks 31st)
- 1 Stage Win, 6.25% (% ranks 6th)
- 2.19 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 10th)
Outlook
Ross Chastain is notable because he is 1st in points thru 6 races this season. Last week Chastain got caught up in the demo derby at the end of the race but still ended up 4th. As a whole this year has been good for Chastain as he has the 3rd best Avg. Finish at 10.83 and the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 94.35. In addition he is one of 4 drivers to complete every lap this year and in doing so has racked up 3 Top 10’s, 8 Stage T10’s (ranks T1st), and 54 Stage Pts (ranks 2nd). This is good, but last years Short Track stats say the numbers after Richmond may be worse. In 5 Short Track races last year Chastain had a 10.4 Avg. Finish (7th best), but only an 88.3 Avg. Driver Rating (11th best), however he ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 3.64% of the laps he ran as well. In total he had 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s with a Stage Win and 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage. However, Richmond last Fall was one of Chastain’s worst Short Track races last year as he ran only 42% of his laps in the Top 15 while finishing 18th. The good news is he started 2nd, led 20% of his laps, and won Stage 1. Overall here Chastain has run 8 races with only 1 Top 10 and a 23.25 Avg. Finish. What’s more is that he has only ran 38% of his laps in the Top 15 and half of his finishes have been out of the Top 20. However, as is usual a lot of these races were in subpar equipment, so with that said I see Chastain having an okay day but ending up between 8th and 15th only.
Ross Chastain is notable because he is 1st in points thru 6 races this season. Last week Chastain got caught up in the demo derby at the end of the race but still ended up 4th. As a whole this year has been good for Chastain as he has the 3rd best Avg. Finish at 10.83 and the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 94.35. In addition he is one of 4 drivers to complete every lap this year and in doing so has racked up 3 Top 10’s, 8 Stage T10’s (ranks T1st), and 54 Stage Pts (ranks 2nd). This is good, but last years Short Track stats say the numbers after Richmond may be worse. In 5 Short Track races last year Chastain had a 10.4 Avg. Finish (7th best), but only an 88.3 Avg. Driver Rating (11th best), however he ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 3.64% of the laps he ran as well. In total he had 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s with a Stage Win and 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage. However, Richmond last Fall was one of Chastain’s worst Short Track races last year as he ran only 42% of his laps in the Top 15 while finishing 18th. The good news is he started 2nd, led 20% of his laps, and won Stage 1. Overall here Chastain has run 8 races with only 1 Top 10 and a 23.25 Avg. Finish. What’s more is that he has only ran 38% of his laps in the Top 15 and half of his finishes have been out of the Top 20. However, as is usual a lot of these races were in subpar equipment, so with that said I see Chastain having an okay day but ending up between 8th and 15th only.
2nd in Points – Kyle Busch
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.0 | 2nd of 36 | T51st of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.93% | T5th of 36 | T80th of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.18% | 5th of 36 | 104th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.28 | 7th of 36 | T152nd of 778‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T22nd of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 46 | T88th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T17th of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T31st of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T5th of 46 | T81st of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T2nd of 46 | T35th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T14th of 36 | T392nd of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T33rd of 46 | T51st of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T9th of 46 | T64th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 20 | 16th of 46 | T89th of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T4th of 46 | T22nd of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*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 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.6(13th), 58.19% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 76.78(15th), Best 7th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 89.24%, Led 0.05% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 9th, Started 29th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 2, ran 271 Laps in Top15 (67.75% of laps he ran), had 78.9 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 34 Races
- 7.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 24th
- Completed 99.99% of laps (% ranks 1st)
- 88.82% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 108.99 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 11.22% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 6 Wins, 17.65% (% ranks 1st)
- 13 Top 2’s, 38.24% (% ranks 1st)
- 18 Top 5’s, 52.94% (% ranks 3rd)
- 27 Top 10’s, 79.41% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 2.94% (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 13.64% (% ranks 4th)
- 13 Stage T10’s, 59.09% (% ranks 5th)
- 3.55 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Outlook
Kyle Busch is notable because of his incredible career stats here at Richmond. Last week at COTA Busch was able to survive the carnage that was late race restarts to finish 2nd, his 3rd straight Top 10 finish. This year Busch has 2 Top 2’s already with a win and 4 Top 10’s leading to a 9.0 Avg. Finish (ranks 2nd). It’s not all been good though as Busch’s Avg. Driver Rating is only 91.28 (ranks 7th), and in the 12 stage this year he’s only got 20 Stage Pts with 0 Stage Wins. This may not improve this weekend when looking at the 2022 Short Track stats. In 5 races Busch only got 2.4 Stage Pts Per Stage and his Avg. Finish was bleak at 17.6. However Busch did have 3 Top 10’s but only a best finish of 7th and he ran just 58% of his laps in the Top 15. At Richmond last Fall Busch faired alright though, he ended up running 67.75% of his laps in the Top 15 and came home 9th. The bad part is that his 78.9 Driver Rating was only good for 14th best. This is not typical of Busch here as his numbers are incredible and most of the ranks are 1st, 2nd or 3rd. He has raced here 34 times and has a 7.0 Avg. Finish, completed 99.99% of the laps, ran 88.82% of his laps in the Top 15, a 108.99 Avg. Driver Rating, and his Win% and Top2% rank 1st among active drivers here. Based on all the numbers I see Busch being a contender for the win this weekend and for sure getting a Top 10, with a Top 5 or even a Win being a high probability.
Kyle Busch is notable because of his incredible career stats here at Richmond. Last week at COTA Busch was able to survive the carnage that was late race restarts to finish 2nd, his 3rd straight Top 10 finish. This year Busch has 2 Top 2’s already with a win and 4 Top 10’s leading to a 9.0 Avg. Finish (ranks 2nd). It’s not all been good though as Busch’s Avg. Driver Rating is only 91.28 (ranks 7th), and in the 12 stage this year he’s only got 20 Stage Pts with 0 Stage Wins. This may not improve this weekend when looking at the 2022 Short Track stats. In 5 races Busch only got 2.4 Stage Pts Per Stage and his Avg. Finish was bleak at 17.6. However Busch did have 3 Top 10’s but only a best finish of 7th and he ran just 58% of his laps in the Top 15. At Richmond last Fall Busch faired alright though, he ended up running 67.75% of his laps in the Top 15 and came home 9th. The bad part is that his 78.9 Driver Rating was only good for 14th best. This is not typical of Busch here as his numbers are incredible and most of the ranks are 1st, 2nd or 3rd. He has raced here 34 times and has a 7.0 Avg. Finish, completed 99.99% of the laps, ran 88.82% of his laps in the Top 15, a 108.99 Avg. Driver Rating, and his Win% and Top2% rank 1st among active drivers here. Based on all the numbers I see Busch being a contender for the win this weekend and for sure getting a Top 10, with a Top 5 or even a Win being a high probability.
4th in Points – Kevin Harvick
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.83 | T4th of 36 | T131st of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.76% | 23rd of 36 | 498th of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.48% | 6th of 36 | 125th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.58 | 8th of 36 | 189th of 778‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 46 | T97th of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 46 | T88th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 46 | T171st of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T13th of 46 | T232nd of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T5th of 46 | T81st of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 46 | T100th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T14th of 36 | T392nd of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T33rd of 46 | T51st of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T5th of 46 | T40th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 36 | 7th of 46 | 52nd of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 46 | T66th of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*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
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 8.6(4th), 91.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.1(6th), Best 1st, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.5% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 1st, Started 13th, Led 55 laps (13.75%), Finished 4th in Stage 2, ran 332 Laps in Top15 (83.0% of laps he ran), had 120.6 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 43 Races
- 9.65 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 40th
- Completed 99.3% of laps (% ranks 18th)
- 93.02% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 109.62 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 7.22% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 4 Wins, 9.3% (% ranks 3rd)
- 3 Poles, 6.98% (% ranks 5th)
- 8 Top 2’s, 18.6% (% ranks 4th)
- 29 Top 10’s, 67.44% (% ranks 3rd)
- 35 Top 15’s, 81.4% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 9.3% (% ranks 6th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 20 Stage T10’s, 90.91% (% ranks T1st)
- 4.23 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Kevin Harvick is notable because of his race last Fall at Richmond. At COTA one week ago Harvick finished with 7 Stage Pts and a 13th place finish. This was on par for him this year as his Avg. Finish is 12.83, ranks T4th, while he’s gotten 36 Stage Pts, which ranks 7th best. Harvick also has an 88.58 Avg. Driver Rating and has spent 73.48% of his laps in the Top 15, so overall he’s been pretty good. He has 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s this year as well which may be improved upon after this weekend. Last year in 5 Short Track races Harvick got a Win, 2 Top 3’s and 3 Top 10’s to give him an 8.6 Avg. Finish (4th best). He also ran well, not just finished well, as is proved by his 91.51% of laps ran in the Top 15 and 99.1 Avg. Driver Rating. The part that was a struggle was Stage Pts as Harvick only got 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 5 races. Another reason the stats may get better is that Harvick’s best Short Track race was at Richmond last Fall where he led 13.75% of the laps en route to a win. To add to this he ran 83% of the laps in the Top 15 and had the 3rd best Driver Rating at 120.6. This is typical of him here as he has a 9.65 Avg. Finish in 43 races with 4 Wins. Furthermore Harvick’s 109.62 Avg. Driver Rating and 93.02% of laps ran in Top 15% are best among active drivers. Based on all these stats Harvick will run great this weekend and end up inside the Top 10 for sure and perhaps inside the Top 5 challenging for the win.
Kevin Harvick is notable because of his race last Fall at Richmond. At COTA one week ago Harvick finished with 7 Stage Pts and a 13th place finish. This was on par for him this year as his Avg. Finish is 12.83, ranks T4th, while he’s gotten 36 Stage Pts, which ranks 7th best. Harvick also has an 88.58 Avg. Driver Rating and has spent 73.48% of his laps in the Top 15, so overall he’s been pretty good. He has 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s this year as well which may be improved upon after this weekend. Last year in 5 Short Track races Harvick got a Win, 2 Top 3’s and 3 Top 10’s to give him an 8.6 Avg. Finish (4th best). He also ran well, not just finished well, as is proved by his 91.51% of laps ran in the Top 15 and 99.1 Avg. Driver Rating. The part that was a struggle was Stage Pts as Harvick only got 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 5 races. Another reason the stats may get better is that Harvick’s best Short Track race was at Richmond last Fall where he led 13.75% of the laps en route to a win. To add to this he ran 83% of the laps in the Top 15 and had the 3rd best Driver Rating at 120.6. This is typical of him here as he has a 9.65 Avg. Finish in 43 races with 4 Wins. Furthermore Harvick’s 109.62 Avg. Driver Rating and 93.02% of laps ran in Top 15% are best among active drivers. Based on all these stats Harvick will run great this weekend and end up inside the Top 10 for sure and perhaps inside the Top 5 challenging for the win.
5th in Points – Christopher Bell
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.33 | T7th of 36 | T147th of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 91.46% | 30th of 36 | T586th of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 71.69% | 8th of 36 | 138th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 85.45 | 11th of 36 | 214th of 778‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 46 | T97th of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 46 | T88th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 46 | T171st of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T31st of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T23rd of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T2nd of 46 | T35th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T24th of 36 | T667th of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T33rd of 46 | T51st of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T5th of 46 | T40th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 33 | 10th of 46 | T57th of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 46 | T66th of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*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
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 6.6(2nd), 82.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.26(1st), Best 1st, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.95%, Led 16.17% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 21st, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 224 Laps in Top15 (56.0% of laps he ran), had 92.5 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 6.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 15th
- Completed 99.95% of laps (% ranks 3rd)
- 78.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 98.96 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 3.65% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 20.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 3 Top 5’s, 60.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 4 Top 10’s, 80.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 5 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
- 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 9th)
Outlook
Christopher Bell is notable because of how good he ran on Short Tracks last year. At COTA Bell was a victim of the lack of respect fest late in the race and finished 31st. This was Bell’s 2nd DNF this year and brought his Avg. Finish down to 13.33, but that is still T7th on the year. Other than his 2 DNF’s Bell has a Top 10 in every race and he’s ran 71.69% of his laps in the Top 15 (ranks 8th), but on the other hand his Avg. Driver Rating isn’t as good at 85.45 (ranks 11th). As good as Bell has been this year it may only be better after Richmond. In 5 races on Short Tracks last year Bell had the 2nd best Avg. Finish at 6.6, and his 110.26 Avg. Driver Rating was best of anyone. In fact Bell had 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 4 Top 10’s last year in the 5 races while leading 16% of laps he ran and getting 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of those Top 3’s was here at Richmond last Fall where Bell finished 3rd despite running Top 15 for only 56% of the race and getting 0 Stage Pts. This is typical for Bell at Richmond as his 6.0 Avg. Finish is the best of any active driver, however Bell’s 98.96 Avg. Driver Rating is only 4th best and he gets only 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Also, a fun stat is that in Bell’s 5 races he has 1 Top 2, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, and 5 Top 15’s, so all he’s missing is a Win and based on the stats that win could come this weekend. Either way I think Bell gets yet another Top 10, but I’d stop short of saying he’ll win.
Christopher Bell is notable because of how good he ran on Short Tracks last year. At COTA Bell was a victim of the lack of respect fest late in the race and finished 31st. This was Bell’s 2nd DNF this year and brought his Avg. Finish down to 13.33, but that is still T7th on the year. Other than his 2 DNF’s Bell has a Top 10 in every race and he’s ran 71.69% of his laps in the Top 15 (ranks 8th), but on the other hand his Avg. Driver Rating isn’t as good at 85.45 (ranks 11th). As good as Bell has been this year it may only be better after Richmond. In 5 races on Short Tracks last year Bell had the 2nd best Avg. Finish at 6.6, and his 110.26 Avg. Driver Rating was best of anyone. In fact Bell had 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 4 Top 10’s last year in the 5 races while leading 16% of laps he ran and getting 5.2 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of those Top 3’s was here at Richmond last Fall where Bell finished 3rd despite running Top 15 for only 56% of the race and getting 0 Stage Pts. This is typical for Bell at Richmond as his 6.0 Avg. Finish is the best of any active driver, however Bell’s 98.96 Avg. Driver Rating is only 4th best and he gets only 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Also, a fun stat is that in Bell’s 5 races he has 1 Top 2, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, and 5 Top 15’s, so all he’s missing is a Win and based on the stats that win could come this weekend. Either way I think Bell gets yet another Top 10, but I’d stop short of saying he’ll win.
11th in Points – Denny Hamlin
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.17 | 6th of 36 | 140th of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 36 | T1st of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.89% | 1st of 36 | T23rd of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.02 | 3rd of 36 | 124th of 778‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 46 | T97th of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 46 | T88th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 46 | T171st of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T13th of 46 | T232nd of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T18th of 46 | T322nd of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T11th of 46 | T208th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T8th of 36 | T1st of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T33rd of 46 | T51st of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T1st of 46 | T25th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 41 | T4th of 46 | T43rd of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 46 | T66th of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 9.4(6th), 78.41% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.9(5th), Best 1st, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 10.45% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 3.7 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 4th, Started 3rd, Led 22 laps (5.5%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 400 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 121.5 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 32 Races
- 8.38 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 24th
- Completed 99.91% of laps (% ranks 4th)
- 85.82% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 109.19 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 16.67% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 4 Wins, 12.5% (% ranks 2nd)
- 3 Poles, 9.38% (% ranks 1st)
- 8 Top 2’s, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 13 Top 3’s, 40.63% (% ranks 2nd)
- 17 Top 5’s, 53.13% (% ranks 2nd)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 15.63% (% ranks 9th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 5 Stage Wins, 22.73% (% ranks T1st
- 12 Stage T10’s, 54.55% (% ranks T7th)
- 4.41 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his career stats here at Richmond. Last week at COTA Hamlin ran an unimpressive race, finishing 16th. This finish lowered Hamlin’s Avg. Finish to 13.17 on the year, but is still good for 6th best this year. Hamlin only has 2 Top 10’s on the year but has been running good as is proof by him completing every laps this year, his 89.89% of laps run in the Top 15, and his 95.02 Avg. Driver Rating. In addition to this he is also tied for the most Stage T10’s at 8. In the 5 Short Track races last year Hamlin had 3 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s leading to a 9.4 Avg. Finish (6th best) and a 99.9 Avg. Driver Rating (5th best). To this he also ran 10.45% of his laps in the lead and acquired 3.7 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of his better Short Track races was at Richmond last Fall where Hamlin ran all 400 laps in the Top 15 while acquiring 17 Stage Pts. In the end he ended up finishing 4th with the 2nd best Driver Rating at 121.5. This race was a good example of how he does at Richmond, in his career he has 4 Wins and 17 Top 5’s in 32 races. Even better is that Hamlin has led 16.67% of his laps run here and his 109.19 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best among active drivers. In total Hamlin is really good here and was really good on Short Tracks last year so there is no reason to see this weekend being any different, I sure don’t. I see Hamlin getting a Top 5 easily and, like those above, contending for the win.
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his career stats here at Richmond. Last week at COTA Hamlin ran an unimpressive race, finishing 16th. This finish lowered Hamlin’s Avg. Finish to 13.17 on the year, but is still good for 6th best this year. Hamlin only has 2 Top 10’s on the year but has been running good as is proof by him completing every laps this year, his 89.89% of laps run in the Top 15, and his 95.02 Avg. Driver Rating. In addition to this he is also tied for the most Stage T10’s at 8. In the 5 Short Track races last year Hamlin had 3 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s leading to a 9.4 Avg. Finish (6th best) and a 99.9 Avg. Driver Rating (5th best). To this he also ran 10.45% of his laps in the lead and acquired 3.7 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of his better Short Track races was at Richmond last Fall where Hamlin ran all 400 laps in the Top 15 while acquiring 17 Stage Pts. In the end he ended up finishing 4th with the 2nd best Driver Rating at 121.5. This race was a good example of how he does at Richmond, in his career he has 4 Wins and 17 Top 5’s in 32 races. Even better is that Hamlin has led 16.67% of his laps run here and his 109.19 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best among active drivers. In total Hamlin is really good here and was really good on Short Tracks last year so there is no reason to see this weekend being any different, I sure don’t. I see Hamlin getting a Top 5 easily and, like those above, contending for the win.
16th in Points – Alex Bowman
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.0 | 1st of 36 | 22nd of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 36 | T1st of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.47% | 2nd of 36 | 64th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.15 | 2nd of 36 | 119th of 778‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 46 | T97th of 1009 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T15th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 46 | T171st of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T31st of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T23rd of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | 1st of 46 | T8th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T8th of 36 | T1st of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T33rd of 46 | T51st of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T5th of 46 | T40th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 46 | 3rd of 46 | T36th of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 46 | T66th of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*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
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(16th), 61.77% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.13(17th), Best 8th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 86.79%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 20th, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1, ran 94 Laps in Top15 (23.62% of laps he ran), had 63.7 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 13 Races
- 19.62 Avg. Finish (Ranks 17th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 38th
- Completed 99.37% of laps (% ranks 16th)
- 40.92% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 18th)
- 67.82 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 19th)
- Led 0.21% of laps he’s run (% ranks 15th)
- 1 Win, 7.69% (% ranks T6th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 23.08% (% ranks T14th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 38.46% (% ranks 15th)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 38.46% (% ranks T17th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 7 Stage T10’s, 38.89% (% ranks 11th)
Outlook
Alex Bowman is notable because of his 2023 season stats. Last week Bowman was in the middle of the late race bumper tagging but still found a way to finish 3rd. This was Bowman’s 2nd Top 3, 3rd Top 5, and 5th Top 10 in the 6 races this season leading to a 7.0 Avg. Finish, best of anyone this year. Furthermore he has ran 82.47% of his laps in the Top 15 which has this and his 96.15 Avg. Driver rating 2nd in the 2023 Ranks above. It’s a good thing he has these stats because the rest are ugly. In his 4 Short Track races last year Bowman averaged an 18th place finish with a 74.13 Avg. Driver Rating that ranked 17th best. Moreover Bowman’s best finish was 8th and was his only Top 10 at a Short Track. That 8th did not come at Richmond last Fall as he started 5th but fell back, after finishing 8th in Stage 1, to finish 20th in the race. In the race Bowman only ran 23.62% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 63.7 Driver Rating was 20th best. This race pretty much explains Bowman at Richmond where in 13 races his Avg. Finish is 19.62, good for 17th best. The good news is he does have 1 Win here, but that Win is also his only Top 5 and he has the same amount of Top 15’s as he does finishes outside the Top 20 (5). Sure, Bowman has been good this year but his other stats are bad which is why I see a struggle coming for him this weekend. I think he’ll finish 11th-16th, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s worse too.
Alex Bowman is notable because of his 2023 season stats. Last week Bowman was in the middle of the late race bumper tagging but still found a way to finish 3rd. This was Bowman’s 2nd Top 3, 3rd Top 5, and 5th Top 10 in the 6 races this season leading to a 7.0 Avg. Finish, best of anyone this year. Furthermore he has ran 82.47% of his laps in the Top 15 which has this and his 96.15 Avg. Driver rating 2nd in the 2023 Ranks above. It’s a good thing he has these stats because the rest are ugly. In his 4 Short Track races last year Bowman averaged an 18th place finish with a 74.13 Avg. Driver Rating that ranked 17th best. Moreover Bowman’s best finish was 8th and was his only Top 10 at a Short Track. That 8th did not come at Richmond last Fall as he started 5th but fell back, after finishing 8th in Stage 1, to finish 20th in the race. In the race Bowman only ran 23.62% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 63.7 Driver Rating was 20th best. This race pretty much explains Bowman at Richmond where in 13 races his Avg. Finish is 19.62, good for 17th best. The good news is he does have 1 Win here, but that Win is also his only Top 5 and he has the same amount of Top 15’s as he does finishes outside the Top 20 (5). Sure, Bowman has been good this year but his other stats are bad which is why I see a struggle coming for him this weekend. I think he’ll finish 11th-16th, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s worse too.
22nd in Points – William Byron
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.33 | T14th of 36 | T248th of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.01% | 25th of 36 | 522nd of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.17% | 3rd of 36 | 67th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 105.58 | 1st of 36 | 41st of 778‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 1st of 46 | T4th of 1009 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T15th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T17th of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T31st of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T23rd of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 46 | T100th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T24th of 36 | T667th of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 1st of 46 | T1st of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T1st of 46 | T25th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 64 | 1st of 46 | T11th of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 1st of 46 | T1st of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(1st), 78.57% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 103.42(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 15.16% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Win, 3.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 11th, Started 4th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 1, ran 301 Laps in Top15 (75.25% of laps he ran), had 81.6 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 9 Races
- 14.44 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 24th
- Completed 99.72% of laps (% ranks 8th)
- 58.18% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 81.11 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 3.4% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 11.11% (% ranks 10th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 22.22% (% ranks 16th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 55.56% (% ranks 11th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 22.22% (% ranks 11th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.11 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 11th)
Outlook
William Byron is notable due to his impressive 2023 stats so far. Last week Byron had the 2nd best car but after the late race carnage he ended up 5th. This was Byron’s first Top 10 this year that wasn’t a win which has his Avg. Finish at 16.33, only good for T14th best on the year. However, this is not reflective of how he has ran as his 82.17 Laps in Top15% ranks 3rd, and his 105.58 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Stage Wins, 64 Stage Pts, and 14 Playoff Pts all rank 1st. With as good as he has been this year the field should be even more concerned heading to a Short Track this weekend as Byron had the best Avg. Finish (5.0) at this style last year. Additionally his 103.42 Avg. Driver Rating was 3rd best and in the 5 races he had 3 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s with a worst finish of 11th. However, the unfortunate news for Byron is this 11th came last Fall at Richmond. In that race Byron started 4th, ran 75% of the race in the Top 15, got 6 Stage Pts, and had only the 12th best Driver Rating at 81.6. More unfortunate news comes when looking at his Richmond stats as in his 9 races his best finish is 3rd and his Avg. Finish is only 14.44. Moreover he’s only ran 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and he has the same amount of Top 10’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (2). With that said Byron has been good this year so I am sure he won’t be too bad but the best I see is 6th or 7th, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get a Top 10 either.
William Byron is notable due to his impressive 2023 stats so far. Last week Byron had the 2nd best car but after the late race carnage he ended up 5th. This was Byron’s first Top 10 this year that wasn’t a win which has his Avg. Finish at 16.33, only good for T14th best on the year. However, this is not reflective of how he has ran as his 82.17 Laps in Top15% ranks 3rd, and his 105.58 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Stage Wins, 64 Stage Pts, and 14 Playoff Pts all rank 1st. With as good as he has been this year the field should be even more concerned heading to a Short Track this weekend as Byron had the best Avg. Finish (5.0) at this style last year. Additionally his 103.42 Avg. Driver Rating was 3rd best and in the 5 races he had 3 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s with a worst finish of 11th. However, the unfortunate news for Byron is this 11th came last Fall at Richmond. In that race Byron started 4th, ran 75% of the race in the Top 15, got 6 Stage Pts, and had only the 12th best Driver Rating at 81.6. More unfortunate news comes when looking at his Richmond stats as in his 9 races his best finish is 3rd and his Avg. Finish is only 14.44. Moreover he’s only ran 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and he has the same amount of Top 10’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (2). With that said Byron has been good this year so I am sure he won’t be too bad but the best I see is 6th or 7th, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get a Top 10 either.
27th in Points – Kyle Larson
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.33 | T14th of 36 | T248th of 818 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.91% | 22nd of 36 | 495th of 818 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.89% | 10th of 36 | 168th of 778‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.75 | 5th of 36 | 149th of 778‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 46 | T97th of 1009 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T15th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 46 | T52nd of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T7th of 46 | T87th of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T5th of 46 | T81st of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T11th of 46 | T208th of 1009 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T24th of 36 | T667th of 818 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T3rd of 46 | T23rd of 327* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T9th of 46 | T64th of 327* |
| Stage Pts | 41 | T4th of 46 | T43rd of 327* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 46 | T49th of 327* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*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
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 40 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(5th), 92.05% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.66(4th), Best 2nd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.95%, Led 5.13% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.2 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Richmond Statistics
- 2022 Fall Richmond Race
- Finished 14th, Started 1st, Led 11 laps (2.75%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 390 Laps in Top15 (97.74% of laps he ran), had 101.8 Driver Rating
- Notable Richmond Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 16 Races
- 11.44 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 37th
- Completed 95.67% of laps (% ranks 30th)
- 77.26% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 89.28 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 1.5% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 1 Win, 6.25% (% ranks 9th)
- 2 Top 2’s, 12.5% (% ranks 6th)
- 7 Top 10’s, 43.75% (% ranks 8th)
- 13 Top 15’s, 81.25% (% ranks 4th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 6.25% (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 DNF, 6.25% (% ranks 28th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 11 Stage T10’s, 55.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Outlook
Kyle Larson is notable because of how he ran last year on Short Tracks. At COTA other drivers thought Larson was a pinball, but a considerable amount of late cautions helped Larson make up 2 laps and come home 14th. This is about right for Larson this year as his Avg. Finish is 16.33 but his Avg. Driver Rating is a respectable 91.75. In the 6 races he has only 1 Top 2, 2 Top 5’s/10’s and just 5 Stage T10’s, but incredibly he is tied for the 4th most Stage Pts at 41. All of this should change based on Larson’s Short Track stats last year. In the 5 races Larson had a 9.0 Avg. Finish (5th best) with 2 Poles, 3 Top 5’s and only 1 finish out of the Top 15. In addition he ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 4.2 Stage Pts Per Stage which led to him having the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 101.66. At Richmond last Fall Larson’s Driver Rating was on par with this at 101.8, but after finishing 3rd and 2nd in the stages he ended up 14th when the checkered flag fell. The nice thing for him is that he ran 97.74% of his laps in the Top 15, so he ran well most the race. This is typical of Larson here as in 16 races he has an 11.44 Avg. Finish with 7 Top 10’s and 13 Top 15’s. Even better is that he has only 1 finish outside the Top 20 and has ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15. Overall if Larson’s luck can turn around this weekend look for him to be in the Top 15 most the race and probably finish Top 10, but don’t count on a Top 5 from him.
Kyle Larson is notable because of how he ran last year on Short Tracks. At COTA other drivers thought Larson was a pinball, but a considerable amount of late cautions helped Larson make up 2 laps and come home 14th. This is about right for Larson this year as his Avg. Finish is 16.33 but his Avg. Driver Rating is a respectable 91.75. In the 6 races he has only 1 Top 2, 2 Top 5’s/10’s and just 5 Stage T10’s, but incredibly he is tied for the 4th most Stage Pts at 41. All of this should change based on Larson’s Short Track stats last year. In the 5 races Larson had a 9.0 Avg. Finish (5th best) with 2 Poles, 3 Top 5’s and only 1 finish out of the Top 15. In addition he ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 4.2 Stage Pts Per Stage which led to him having the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 101.66. At Richmond last Fall Larson’s Driver Rating was on par with this at 101.8, but after finishing 3rd and 2nd in the stages he ended up 14th when the checkered flag fell. The nice thing for him is that he ran 97.74% of his laps in the Top 15, so he ran well most the race. This is typical of Larson here as in 16 races he has an 11.44 Avg. Finish with 7 Top 10’s and 13 Top 15’s. Even better is that he has only 1 finish outside the Top 20 and has ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15. Overall if Larson’s luck can turn around this weekend look for him to be in the Top 15 most the race and probably finish Top 10, but don’t count on a Top 5 from him.
