Christopher Bell won, what I hope is the last, Bristol Dirt race last weekend. This weekend it is onto an actual racetrack with, hopefully, green flag runs longer than 12 laps. 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 Martinsville race and 2 based on their overall Martinsville stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 with ranking through 8 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022/23 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Martinsville 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 – Christopher Bell
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.63 | 2nd of 36 | 73rd of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.26% | 27th of 36 | 495th of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.25% | 3rd of 36 | 71st of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.29 | 3rd of 36 | 117th of 775‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 50 | T36th of 1039 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 50 | T111th of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 50 | T84th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T1st of 50 | T24th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T1st of 50 | T7th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 50 | T17th of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T22nd of 36 | T601st of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 50 | T58th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T1st of 50 | T20th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 57 | 4th of 50 | 42nd of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T5th of 50 | T31st of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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 (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 6.17(2nd), 84.4% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.22(1st), Best 1st, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.96%, Led 14.68% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 1st, Started 20th, Led 150 laps (30.0%), Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 5th in Stage 2, ran 430 Laps in Top15 (86.0% of laps he ran), had 122.8 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 6 Races
- 14.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 28th
- Completed 99.76% of laps (% ranks 2nd)
- 59.96% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 87.42 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 5.49% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 1 Win, 16.67% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Top 5, 16.67% (% ranks T12th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 33.33% (% ranks 12th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T11th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks 4th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
Outlook
Christopher Bell is notable because of how he has done on Short tracks in 2022/23. Last week on dirt Bell picked up 12 Stage Pts and his first win of the year. This was also his 3rd Top 3 and 6th Top 10 in the 8 races this year as well. His finishes have given him a 10.63 Avg. Finish on the year, good enough for 2nd best, and his 95.29 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 3rd best showing he’s finishing and running well. Furthermore Bell is one of only 3 drivers to run 80%+ of their laps in the Top 15 and his 11 Stage T10’s is tied for the most. These stats may be even more improved after this weekend since Bell has a 6.17 Avg. Finish (2nd best) and a 110.2 Avg. Driver Rating (1st best) in the last 6 Short track races. To add to this Bell has 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage in those races with 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, and a worst finish of 20th all while leading 14.68% of his laps. One of the better races for Bell was at Martinsville last Fall where he had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 122.8 and led 30% of the race finishing 1st. In the race he ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15 which greatly improved his percentage in that category here. Bell has only ran 60% of his laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville while having a 14.67 Avg. Finish with that win last year being his only Top 5. The stats say Bell has been not so good at Martinsville overall, but he did win here last year and with his 2023 and Short track stats I think he ends up finishing 6th-10th.
Christopher Bell is notable because of how he has done on Short tracks in 2022/23. Last week on dirt Bell picked up 12 Stage Pts and his first win of the year. This was also his 3rd Top 3 and 6th Top 10 in the 8 races this year as well. His finishes have given him a 10.63 Avg. Finish on the year, good enough for 2nd best, and his 95.29 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 3rd best showing he’s finishing and running well. Furthermore Bell is one of only 3 drivers to run 80%+ of their laps in the Top 15 and his 11 Stage T10’s is tied for the most. These stats may be even more improved after this weekend since Bell has a 6.17 Avg. Finish (2nd best) and a 110.2 Avg. Driver Rating (1st best) in the last 6 Short track races. To add to this Bell has 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage in those races with 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, and a worst finish of 20th all while leading 14.68% of his laps. One of the better races for Bell was at Martinsville last Fall where he had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 122.8 and led 30% of the race finishing 1st. In the race he ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15 which greatly improved his percentage in that category here. Bell has only ran 60% of his laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville while having a 14.67 Avg. Finish with that win last year being his only Top 5. The stats say Bell has been not so good at Martinsville overall, but he did win here last year and with his 2023 and Short track stats I think he ends up finishing 6th-10th.
2nd in Points – Ross Chastain
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.0 | 4th of 36 | T98th of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.95% | 3rd of 36 | T48th of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.48% | 8th of 36 | 145th of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.14 | 5th of 36 | 160th of 775‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 50 | T121st of 1039 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 50 | T111th of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 50 | T199th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 50 | T58th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 50 | T65th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T4th of 50 | T115th of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | 2nd of 50 | T6th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | T3rd of 50 | T36th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 68 | 3rd of 50 | T27th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 3 | 8th of 50 | T43rd of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 9.17(7th), 82.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.95(8th), Best 3rd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.88%, Led 3.69% 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, 1 Stage Win, 4.58 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 4th, Started 9th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 91.7 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 8 Races
- 21.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 26th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 34th
- Completed 95.93% of laps (% ranks 26th)
- 21.01% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 26th)
- 55.75 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 27th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 25.0% (% ranks 10th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 25.0% (% ranks T25th)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 62.5% (% ranks 30th)
- 1 DNF, 12.5% (% ranks 28th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 12.5% (% ranks T21st)
Outlook
Ross Chastain is notable because he is 2nd in the point standings. The dirt in the last race was a struggle, as usual, for Chastain as he spent most the race out of the Top 15 and finished 28th. With this he has only ran 70.48% of his laps this year in the Top 15 now, ranks 8th, and his 12.0 Avg. Finish ranks 4th. Moreover he has 2 Top 3’s, his Avg. Driver Rating sits at 91.14, 5th best, and his 2023 stage ranks above are either 2nd or 3rd. This success could continue this weekend based on his last 6 Short track starts. In the 6 starts Chastain has 4 Top 10’s, a worst finish of 19th, and a 9.17 Avg. Finish. More good news is that his 92.95 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 8th best and he’s gotten 4.58 Stage Pts Per Stage. Unfortunately his best finish is only 3rd though and if it wasn’t for his wall ride last Fall at Martinsville he’d only have 2 Top 5’s. Speaking of that race Chastain ran all 500 laps in the Top 15 and was 8th in both stages before finishing 4th on the wall. However, this only put his Driver Rating at 91.7, 9th best, showing his mediocre race. Despite this it was still Chastain’s best race at Martinsville as in 8 starts he only has 2 Top 5’s with a 21.75 Avg. Finish and a 55.75 Avg. Driver Rating. In addition he has just 2 Stage T10’s and has only ran 21% of his laps in the Top 15. With this said Chastain is in better cars now so I focus on other stats and see him running well this weekend, coming home between 8th and 11th.
Ross Chastain is notable because he is 2nd in the point standings. The dirt in the last race was a struggle, as usual, for Chastain as he spent most the race out of the Top 15 and finished 28th. With this he has only ran 70.48% of his laps this year in the Top 15 now, ranks 8th, and his 12.0 Avg. Finish ranks 4th. Moreover he has 2 Top 3’s, his Avg. Driver Rating sits at 91.14, 5th best, and his 2023 stage ranks above are either 2nd or 3rd. This success could continue this weekend based on his last 6 Short track starts. In the 6 starts Chastain has 4 Top 10’s, a worst finish of 19th, and a 9.17 Avg. Finish. More good news is that his 92.95 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 8th best and he’s gotten 4.58 Stage Pts Per Stage. Unfortunately his best finish is only 3rd though and if it wasn’t for his wall ride last Fall at Martinsville he’d only have 2 Top 5’s. Speaking of that race Chastain ran all 500 laps in the Top 15 and was 8th in both stages before finishing 4th on the wall. However, this only put his Driver Rating at 91.7, 9th best, showing his mediocre race. Despite this it was still Chastain’s best race at Martinsville as in 8 starts he only has 2 Top 5’s with a 21.75 Avg. Finish and a 55.75 Avg. Driver Rating. In addition he has just 2 Stage T10’s and has only ran 21% of his laps in the Top 15. With this said Chastain is in better cars now so I focus on other stats and see him running well this weekend, coming home between 8th and 11th.
3rd in Points – Kevin Harvick
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.38 | 3rd of 36 | T86th of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.47% | 21st of 36 | 403rd of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.72% | 9th of 36 | 152nd of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 86.76 | 9th of 36 | 204th of 775‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 50 | T121st of 1039 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 50 | T111th of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 50 | T199th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T15th of 50 | T265th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 50 | T65th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | 3rd of 50 | T54th of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T13th of 36 | T324th of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 50 | T58th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T5th of 50 | T46th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 45 | 8th of 50 | 56th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 50 | T72nd of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 8.0(4th), 92.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.72(5th), Best 1st, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.11% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 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 Wins, 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 16th, Started 8th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 481 Laps in Top15 (96.2% of laps he ran), had 77.0 Driver Rating (ranked 15th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 43 Races
- 14.72 Avg. Finish (Ranks 10th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 41st
- Completed 98.4% of laps (% ranks 16th)
- 72.73% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 92.72 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 8th)
- Led 2.98% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 1 Win, 2.33% (% ranks 11th)
- 5 Top 5’s, 11.63% (% ranks 14th)
- 20 Top 10’s, 46.51% (% ranks 10th)
- 27 Top 15’s, 62.79% (% ranks 8th)
- 8 finishes outside Top 20, 18.6% (% ranks 6th)
- 1 DNF, 2.33% (% ranks 15th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 9 Stage T10’s, 37.5% (% ranks 14th)
Outlook
Kevin Harvick is notable because of his stats in the last 6 Short track races. In Bristol last week Harvick ran just 20 laps in the Top 15 but still came home 9th somehow. This was his 5th Top 10 on the season and improved his Avg. Finish to 11.38, both rank 3rd best in the 2023 Ranks above. These are his best rankings though as his next best is a T5th ranking in Stage T10’s with 9. In addition his 86.76 Avg. Driver Rating only ranks 9th, as does his 69.72% of laps run in Top 15. The ranks gets better, however, when you see that in the last 6 races on a Short track his 8.0 Avg. Finish ranks 4th and his 99.72 Avg. Driver Rating is 5th. Even better is that his worst finish in the 6 races is 16th and half of the races he has finished in the Top 5. In addition he has ran all 2,603 laps in the races with 92% of those laps being run in the Top 15. The bad news is that his worst finish was here last Fall where despite running 96% of his laps in the Top 15 he ended up in 16th with a 77.0 Driver Rating that was only 15th best that day. This isn’t typical of Harvick at Martinsville as in 43 races he has only finished outside the Top 15 16 times and sports a 14.72 Avg. Finish. In addition he has a 92.72 Avg. Driver rating and 20 Top 10’s, but he also has more finishes out of the Top 20 (8) than in the Top 5 (5). In all I think Harvick runs Top 15 most the race this weekend, getting stage points as well, then coming home 5th-9th.
Kevin Harvick is notable because of his stats in the last 6 Short track races. In Bristol last week Harvick ran just 20 laps in the Top 15 but still came home 9th somehow. This was his 5th Top 10 on the season and improved his Avg. Finish to 11.38, both rank 3rd best in the 2023 Ranks above. These are his best rankings though as his next best is a T5th ranking in Stage T10’s with 9. In addition his 86.76 Avg. Driver Rating only ranks 9th, as does his 69.72% of laps run in Top 15. The ranks gets better, however, when you see that in the last 6 races on a Short track his 8.0 Avg. Finish ranks 4th and his 99.72 Avg. Driver Rating is 5th. Even better is that his worst finish in the 6 races is 16th and half of the races he has finished in the Top 5. In addition he has ran all 2,603 laps in the races with 92% of those laps being run in the Top 15. The bad news is that his worst finish was here last Fall where despite running 96% of his laps in the Top 15 he ended up in 16th with a 77.0 Driver Rating that was only 15th best that day. This isn’t typical of Harvick at Martinsville as in 43 races he has only finished outside the Top 15 16 times and sports a 14.72 Avg. Finish. In addition he has a 92.72 Avg. Driver rating and 20 Top 10’s, but he also has more finishes out of the Top 20 (8) than in the Top 5 (5). In all I think Harvick runs Top 15 most the race this weekend, getting stage points as well, then coming home 5th-9th.
4th in Points – Kyle Larson
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.75 | T14th of 36 | T273rd of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.9% | T28th of 36 | T545th of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 72.9% | 6th of 36 | 119th of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 98.29 | 2nd of 36 | 91st of 775‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 50 | T36th of 1039 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 50 | T6th of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T1st of 50 | T28th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 50 | T58th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 50 | T65th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T9th of 50 | T193rd of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T32nd of 36 | T747th of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T3rd of 50 | T16th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T5th of 50 | T46th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 71 | 2nd of 50 | T24th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T2nd of 50 | T19th of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 7.67(3rd), 93.27% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 106.43(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.96%, Led 7.92% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 1st, Led 68 laps (13.6%), Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 121.3 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 16 Races
- 19.31 Avg. Finish (Ranks T18th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 42nd
- Completed 91.54% of laps (% ranks 32nd)
- 66.38% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 80.26 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 12th)
- Led 2.49% of laps he’s run (% ranks 12th)
- 0 Win’s
- 1 Top 2, 6.25% (% ranks 13th)
- 3 Top 5’s, 18.75% (% ranks 11th)
- 6 Top 15’s, 37.5% (% ranks 21st)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 31.25% (% ranks 12th)
- 4 DNF’s, 25.0% (% ranks T36th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage T10’s, 30.0% (% ranks 15th)
Outlook
Kyle Larson is notable because of how well he ran in the 2022 Fall Martinsville race. Last week Larson had a run in with Ryan Preece that ended in him wrecking out to finish 35th. This now has his Avg. Finish at 16.75 (T14th best) while his Avg. Driver Rating ranks 2nd at 98.29. There is more bad news, however, as Larson has as many DNF’s as Top 10’s (3) and he’s only completed 93% of the laps this year. In good news he has 2 Top 2’s with 1 Win and has ran well as 73% of his laps he’s run in the Top 15. In better news this weekend is a Short track where in his last 6 starts he has a 7.67 Avg. Finish and a 106.43 Avg. Driver Rating, both are 3rd best. Additionally he has 1 Win in the 6 races with 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s and 4 Top 5’s while leading 8% of the laps he’s ran. Before his win at Richmond 2 weeks ago Larson’s best finish at a Short track, since the start of 2022, was at Martinsville last Fall. In that race he finished 2nd, had the 3rd best Driver Rating, ran all 500 laps in the Top 15, and led 13% of the race. This is his only Top 2 here in 16 starts and while he’s ran 66% of his laps here in the Top 15 his Avg. Finish is only 19.31. On top of this Larson has just 3 Top 5’s and 6 Top 15’s to 5 finishes outside the Top 20 with 4 DNF’s. In all if Larson races like he has over his career here it’ll be bad, but based on this year and recent Short track races if Larson can stay on track I think he finishes Top 10 easy with a possible Top 5.
Kyle Larson is notable because of how well he ran in the 2022 Fall Martinsville race. Last week Larson had a run in with Ryan Preece that ended in him wrecking out to finish 35th. This now has his Avg. Finish at 16.75 (T14th best) while his Avg. Driver Rating ranks 2nd at 98.29. There is more bad news, however, as Larson has as many DNF’s as Top 10’s (3) and he’s only completed 93% of the laps this year. In good news he has 2 Top 2’s with 1 Win and has ran well as 73% of his laps he’s run in the Top 15. In better news this weekend is a Short track where in his last 6 starts he has a 7.67 Avg. Finish and a 106.43 Avg. Driver Rating, both are 3rd best. Additionally he has 1 Win in the 6 races with 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s and 4 Top 5’s while leading 8% of the laps he’s ran. Before his win at Richmond 2 weeks ago Larson’s best finish at a Short track, since the start of 2022, was at Martinsville last Fall. In that race he finished 2nd, had the 3rd best Driver Rating, ran all 500 laps in the Top 15, and led 13% of the race. This is his only Top 2 here in 16 starts and while he’s ran 66% of his laps here in the Top 15 his Avg. Finish is only 19.31. On top of this Larson has just 3 Top 5’s and 6 Top 15’s to 5 finishes outside the Top 20 with 4 DNF’s. In all if Larson races like he has over his career here it’ll be bad, but based on this year and recent Short track races if Larson can stay on track I think he finishes Top 10 easy with a possible Top 5.
10th in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.75 | 10th of 36 | T225th of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.75% | T7th of 36 | T113th of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 58.94% | 12th of 36 | 229th of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 78.25 | 13th of 36 | 301st of 775‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 50 | T121st of 1039 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 50 | T111th of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 50 | T84th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T9th of 50 | T126th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T11th of 50 | T211th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T9th of 50 | T193rd of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 50 | T58th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T12th of 50 | T72nd of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 33 | 14th of 50 | T69th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 50 | T72nd of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 13.33(11th), 76.72% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.72(9th), Best 3rd, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 93.74%, Led 5.86% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.92 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 4th, Led 0 laps, Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 112.5 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 14 Races
- 9.71 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 25th
- Completed 99.94% of laps (% ranks 1st)
- 75.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 99.86 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 5.46% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Wins,
- 2 Top 2’s, 14.29% (% ranks 8th)
- 4 Top 3’s, 28.57% (% ranks 3rd)
- 7 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 10 Top 15’s, 71.43% (% ranks T3rd)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 7.14% (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 12.5% (% ranks T4th)
- 19 Stage T10’s, 79.17% (% ranks T2nd)
- 5.29 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Outlook
Ryan Blaney is notable because of his career stats at Martinsville. In Bristol last week Blaney was the victim of typical NASCAR inconsistency when he was spun with 8 laps to go, after running ever lap in the Top 15, and no caution was thrown leading to a 23rd place finish. This was very unfortunate for him as he doesn’t have many good stats. His Avg. Finish is 15.75, his Avg. Driver Rating is 78.25, he’s only ran 59% of his laps in the Top 15, and he has just 1 Top 5 with only 3 Top 10’s. In fact when looking at his 2023 Ranks above around half are 10th or worse. Next up is a Short track where Blaney has a 13.33 Avg. Finish, a 92.72 Avg. Driver Rating and only 2 Top 5’s in the last 6 races. He does, however, have a best finish of 3rd and 4 Top 10’s, but unfortunately his 2 finishes out of the Top 10 have also been out of the Top 20. That 3rd place did come at Martinsville last Fall though after starting 4th, getting 9 Stage Pts, and running all 500 laps in the Top 15. All this together gave Blaney the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 112.5. Overall in 14 starts Blaney has the best active Avg. Finish at 9.71 and his 99.86 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t much worse at 5th best. In addition he has 4 Top 3’s and 10 Top 15’s with 1 finish out of the Top 20 and 5.29 Stage Pts Per Stage, but alas hasn’t gotten that illusive win. I don’t think the win will happen this week either, but I think he runs Top 15 most the day and ends up with a solid 3rd-10th place finish.
Ryan Blaney is notable because of his career stats at Martinsville. In Bristol last week Blaney was the victim of typical NASCAR inconsistency when he was spun with 8 laps to go, after running ever lap in the Top 15, and no caution was thrown leading to a 23rd place finish. This was very unfortunate for him as he doesn’t have many good stats. His Avg. Finish is 15.75, his Avg. Driver Rating is 78.25, he’s only ran 59% of his laps in the Top 15, and he has just 1 Top 5 with only 3 Top 10’s. In fact when looking at his 2023 Ranks above around half are 10th or worse. Next up is a Short track where Blaney has a 13.33 Avg. Finish, a 92.72 Avg. Driver Rating and only 2 Top 5’s in the last 6 races. He does, however, have a best finish of 3rd and 4 Top 10’s, but unfortunately his 2 finishes out of the Top 10 have also been out of the Top 20. That 3rd place did come at Martinsville last Fall though after starting 4th, getting 9 Stage Pts, and running all 500 laps in the Top 15. All this together gave Blaney the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 112.5. Overall in 14 starts Blaney has the best active Avg. Finish at 9.71 and his 99.86 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t much worse at 5th best. In addition he has 4 Top 3’s and 10 Top 15’s with 1 finish out of the Top 20 and 5.29 Stage Pts Per Stage, but alas hasn’t gotten that illusive win. I don’t think the win will happen this week either, but I think he runs Top 15 most the day and ends up with a solid 3rd-10th place finish.
11th in Points – Alex Bowman
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.88 | 1st of 36 | T55th of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.9% | 4th of 36 | T70th of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.2% | 1st of 36 | 31st of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.89 | 4th of 36 | 121st of 775‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 50 | T121st of 1039 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 50 | T22nd of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 50 | T199th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 50 | T58th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 50 | T65th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 50 | T17th of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 50 | T58th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T5th of 50 | T46th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 54 | 5th of 50 | T45th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 50 | T72nd of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(14th), 69.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.6(15th), Best 8th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 89.3%, Led 0.43% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Spring Martinsville Race
- Finished 12th, Started 15th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 355 Laps in Top15 (88.09% of laps he ran), had 78.4 Driver Rating (ranked 16th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 13 Races
- 19.31 Avg. Finish (Ranks T18th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 37th
- Completed 96.86% of laps (% ranks 23rd)
- 46.14% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
- 72.96 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- Led 0.16% of laps he’s run (% ranks 18th)
- 1 Win, 7.69% (% ranks T6th)
- 1 Top 5, 7.69% (% ranks 16th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 30.77% (% ranks 13th)
- 6 Top 15’s, 46.15% (% ranks 18th)
- 6 finishes outside Top 20, 46.15% (% ranks 20th)
- 1 DNF, 7.69% (% ranks 23rd)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.22 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 10th)
Outlook
Alex Bowman is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 8 races. On the dirt last week Bowman ran well but a flat tire on the last restart relegated him to 29th. This dropped Bowman’s Avg. Finish to 9.88, however that still is best this year. In addition he has ran 86.2% of his laps in the Top 15, ranks 1st, and his 94.89 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 4th best. While Bowman doesn’t have a win this year he does have 3 Top 5’s and 6 Top 10’s along with 9 Stage T10’s and 54 Stage Pts. This is all well and good but heading to a Short track may not be what will help the numbers get even better. In his last 5 Short tracks Bowman has 0 Top 5’s and just 2 Top 10’s with a best finish of 8th. In fact his Avg. Finish in these 5 races is 14th best at 16.0, and his Avg. Driver Rating is only 15th best at 80.6. Even worse is the fact he’s ran just 70% of his laps in the Top 15 and has only 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage. He didn’t race last Fall at Martinsville but he did in the Spring and it was an average run. He ended up 12th with 0 Stage Pts, even though he ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15, and a 78.4 Driver Rating. This is typical of Bowman here where despite having a Win his Avg. Finish is 19.31, in fact his Win is his only Top 5 here in 13 starts. Additionally he has as many finishes out of the Top 20 as in the Top 15 (6). In total this year has been good for Bowman but he’s slacked of late and this weekend I see just a 9th-15th place finish, or worse.
Alex Bowman is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 8 races. On the dirt last week Bowman ran well but a flat tire on the last restart relegated him to 29th. This dropped Bowman’s Avg. Finish to 9.88, however that still is best this year. In addition he has ran 86.2% of his laps in the Top 15, ranks 1st, and his 94.89 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 4th best. While Bowman doesn’t have a win this year he does have 3 Top 5’s and 6 Top 10’s along with 9 Stage T10’s and 54 Stage Pts. This is all well and good but heading to a Short track may not be what will help the numbers get even better. In his last 5 Short tracks Bowman has 0 Top 5’s and just 2 Top 10’s with a best finish of 8th. In fact his Avg. Finish in these 5 races is 14th best at 16.0, and his Avg. Driver Rating is only 15th best at 80.6. Even worse is the fact he’s ran just 70% of his laps in the Top 15 and has only 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage. He didn’t race last Fall at Martinsville but he did in the Spring and it was an average run. He ended up 12th with 0 Stage Pts, even though he ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15, and a 78.4 Driver Rating. This is typical of Bowman here where despite having a Win his Avg. Finish is 19.31, in fact his Win is his only Top 5 here in 13 starts. Additionally he has as many finishes out of the Top 20 as in the Top 15 (6). In total this year has been good for Bowman but he’s slacked of late and this weekend I see just a 9th-15th place finish, or worse.
12th in Points – Denny Hamlin
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.13 | 9th of 36 | T203rd of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 36 | T1st of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 77.68% | 4th of 36 | 90th of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.06 | 8th of 36 | T190th of 775‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 50 | T121st of 1039 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 50 | T111th of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 50 | T199th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T15th of 50 | T265th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T21st of 50 | T365th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T15th of 50 | T282nd of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T5th of 50 | T35th of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T5th of 50 | T46th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 51 | 6th of 50 | T48th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T9th of 50 | T58th of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 11.17(9th), 78.77% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.52(6th), Best 1st, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.88%, Led 11.58% 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, 3 Stage Wins, 3.92 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 5th, Started 11th, Led 203 laps (40.6%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 126.0 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 34 Races
- 10.53 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 96.94% of laps (% ranks 22nd)
- 81.73% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 104.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 13.33% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 5 Wins, 14.71% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4 Poles, 11.76% (% ranks 2nd)
- 12 Top 3’s, 35.29% (% ranks 2nd)
- 17 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 23 Top 10’s, 67.65 (% ranks 1st)
- 7 finishes outside Top 20, 20.59% (% ranks 9th)
- 2 DNF’s, 5.88% (% ranks T20th)
- 5 Stage Wins, 20.83 (% ranks 2nd)
- 17 Stage T10’s, 70.83% (% ranks 4th)
- 5.58 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Outlook
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats here at Martinsville. Last week Hamlin was a non-factor as he ran just 7% of his laps in the Top 15 leading to a 22nd place finish. This now has his Avg. Finish at 15.13 and his Avg. Driver Rating at 88.06 with 0 Top 5’s and 2 Top 10’s this year. Hamlin has run well in races, however, as he has ran 77.68% of his laps in the Top 15 and 9 Stage T10’s leading to 51 Stage Pts. Going to a Short track may be what the doctor ordered for him though as in the last 6 Short track races Hamlin has an 11.17 Avg. Finish with a Win and 3 Top 5’s. Unfortunately for him he only has 4 Top 10’s, so he’s either Top 5 or bust mostly. Hamlin does have the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating though at 98.52 and he has 3 Stage Wins with 3.92 Stage Pts Per Stage. Two of those Stage Wins came at Martinsville last Fall where Hamlin led 40% of the race before finishing 5th. In the race he ran all 500 laps in the Top 15 and his 126.0 Driver Rating was the best of any driver. This is typical of Hamlin here as in 34 starts he has 5 Wins, 4 Poles, 12 Top 3’s, and 17 Top 5’s (that’s 50% of his races ending in a Top 5). This along with the fact he has a 10.53 Avg. Finish and has ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 gives him a rather sporty 104.5 Avg. Driver Rating. This is Martinsville so expect Hamlin to run well, running Top 15 most the race and finishing anywhere in the Top 10, perhaps getting that 1st Top 5 this year.
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats here at Martinsville. Last week Hamlin was a non-factor as he ran just 7% of his laps in the Top 15 leading to a 22nd place finish. This now has his Avg. Finish at 15.13 and his Avg. Driver Rating at 88.06 with 0 Top 5’s and 2 Top 10’s this year. Hamlin has run well in races, however, as he has ran 77.68% of his laps in the Top 15 and 9 Stage T10’s leading to 51 Stage Pts. Going to a Short track may be what the doctor ordered for him though as in the last 6 Short track races Hamlin has an 11.17 Avg. Finish with a Win and 3 Top 5’s. Unfortunately for him he only has 4 Top 10’s, so he’s either Top 5 or bust mostly. Hamlin does have the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating though at 98.52 and he has 3 Stage Wins with 3.92 Stage Pts Per Stage. Two of those Stage Wins came at Martinsville last Fall where Hamlin led 40% of the race before finishing 5th. In the race he ran all 500 laps in the Top 15 and his 126.0 Driver Rating was the best of any driver. This is typical of Hamlin here as in 34 starts he has 5 Wins, 4 Poles, 12 Top 3’s, and 17 Top 5’s (that’s 50% of his races ending in a Top 5). This along with the fact he has a 10.53 Avg. Finish and has ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 gives him a rather sporty 104.5 Avg. Driver Rating. This is Martinsville so expect Hamlin to run well, running Top 15 most the race and finishing anywhere in the Top 10, perhaps getting that 1st Top 5 this year.
14th in Points – William Byron
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.88 | 16th of 36 | T277th of 816 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.97% | 23rd of 36 | 424th of 816 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.05% | 2nd of 36 | 33rd of 775‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.83 | 1st of 36 | 48th of 775‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 1st of 50 | T6th of 1039 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 50 | T22nd of 1039 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T1st of 50 | T28th of 1039 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 50 | T58th of 1039 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 50 | T65th of 1039 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T9th of 50 | T193rd of 1039 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T22nd of 36 | T601st of 816 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | 1st of 50 | T1st of 341* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T1st of 50 | T20th of 341* |
| Stage Pts | 83 | 1st of 50 | 13th of 341* |
| Playoff Pts² | 15 | 1st of 50 | 2nd of 341* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 44 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 8.17(5th), 81.06% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.78(4th), Best 1st, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 17.33% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 7th, Started 25th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 233 Laps in Top15 (46.6% of laps he ran), had 76.6 Driver Rating (ranked 16th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 10 Races
- 14.3 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 95.9% of laps (% ranks 27th)
- 64.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 89.18 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 4.7% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 1 Win, 10.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 2 Top 2’s, 20.0% (% ranks T3rd)
- 4 Top 5’s, 40.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 6 Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 30.0% (% ranks 11th)
- 2 DNF’s, 20.0% (% ranks T32nd)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Outlook
William Byron is notable because of how well he has done in the 2023 season. However, last week was not one of Byron’s better runs this year as he had an 87.5 Driver Rating but managed to finish 13th still. This helped his Avg. Finish improve to 16.88 but lowered his Avg. Driver Rating to 104.83. The two rankings of these categories are a stark contrast as his Finish ranks 16th but Driver Rating ranks 1st. Byron has ran well in races as 86% of his laps in the Top 15 with all of his stage ranks above being 1st. The bad news for Byron is that while he has 2 Wins he only has 3 Top 10’s, so it’s very much sink or swim this year. Swimming may be on the docket this weekend as in the last 6 Short track races Byron has an 8.17 Avg. Finish with a Win, 3 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s. He has ran well in the 6 races too as is shown by his 105.78 Avg. Driver Rating and 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last Fall at Martinsville wasn’t too good though as he ran just 46.6% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 16th best Driver Rating at 76.6, but he somehow managed to finish 7th. In all Byron has 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s and 6 Top 10’s in his 10 races here with 3 finishes out of the Top 20 giving him a 14.3 Avg. Finish. The good news is 2 of the 3 finishes out of the Top 20 were DNF’s, so if Byron can finish he probably finishes Top 10. Actually that’s exactly what I expect from Byron, a solid day where he finishes Top 10, and I’ll even say he finishes Top 3 at that.
William Byron is notable because of how well he has done in the 2023 season. However, last week was not one of Byron’s better runs this year as he had an 87.5 Driver Rating but managed to finish 13th still. This helped his Avg. Finish improve to 16.88 but lowered his Avg. Driver Rating to 104.83. The two rankings of these categories are a stark contrast as his Finish ranks 16th but Driver Rating ranks 1st. Byron has ran well in races as 86% of his laps in the Top 15 with all of his stage ranks above being 1st. The bad news for Byron is that while he has 2 Wins he only has 3 Top 10’s, so it’s very much sink or swim this year. Swimming may be on the docket this weekend as in the last 6 Short track races Byron has an 8.17 Avg. Finish with a Win, 3 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s. He has ran well in the 6 races too as is shown by his 105.78 Avg. Driver Rating and 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last Fall at Martinsville wasn’t too good though as he ran just 46.6% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 16th best Driver Rating at 76.6, but he somehow managed to finish 7th. In all Byron has 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s and 6 Top 10’s in his 10 races here with 3 finishes out of the Top 20 giving him a 14.3 Avg. Finish. The good news is 2 of the 3 finishes out of the Top 20 were DNF’s, so if Byron can finish he probably finishes Top 10. Actually that’s exactly what I expect from Byron, a solid day where he finishes Top 10, and I’ll even say he finishes Top 3 at that.
