At the Bristol Dirt race last week we saw the caution flag dominate and win the race, I mean Joey Logano dominate and win the race. This week NASCAR heads to a perfect place for any payback that needs to be made after all the yellow’s last week, Martinsville. 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 as well as ranking through 6 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022 Short Track (under 1 mile) statistics and Martinsville statistics.
1st in Points – Ty Majeski
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 5.17 | 1st of 31 | 6th of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 90.06% | 1st of 31 | 16th of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 106.33 | 2nd of 31 | T19th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 70 | T37th of 513 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 70 | T29th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 70 | T23rd of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T2nd of 70 | T17th of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | 1st of 70 | T4th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T1st of 70 | T3rd of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 70 | T42nd of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | 1st of 70 | T5th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 68 | 1st of 70 | T6th of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 70 | T35th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.75(T4th), 92.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 115.38(4th), Best 1st, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 22.05% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 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, 2 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 11th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 2, ran 145 Laps in Top15 (72.5% of laps he ran), had 82.5 Driver Rating (ranked 13th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 11.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T10th)
- Best Finish: 11th, Worst: 11th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 72.5% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 14th)
- 82.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 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 8th)
Outlook
Ty Majeski is notable because of his great 2023 stats. Last week Majeski ran the entire race in 2nd behind Joey Logano it seemed and that’s where he ended up, 2nd. This improved his Avg. Finish this year to 5.17, best among all drivers with 3+ starts, and he has now ran the best percentage of laps in the Top 15 as well at 90.06%. In the 6 races he has 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s with 10 Stage T10’s and 68 Stage Pts to boot. All of these are the most or tied for the most this year and his 106.33 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best. In addition to all this Majeski is riding a 3 race Top 5 streak which may be 4 if Martinsville goes the way his 2022 Short track races did. In the 4 races he had a 5.75 Avg. Finish with a Win, 2 Top 3’s, and a worst finish of 11th. Furthermore he ran 92.65% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 115.38 Avg Driver Rating ranked T4th last year. Unfortunately Majeski’s worst finish of 11th came here at Martinsville where his 82.5 Driver Rating was only 13th best in the race as well. In that race Majeski ran just 72.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and only accumulated 5 Stage Pts as well. Since this is his only race at Martinsville that is all the information there is. So with all these stats above I think Majeski has another really good race this weekend and gets himself another Top 5 this year, and his 4th in a row.
Ty Majeski is notable because of his great 2023 stats. Last week Majeski ran the entire race in 2nd behind Joey Logano it seemed and that’s where he ended up, 2nd. This improved his Avg. Finish this year to 5.17, best among all drivers with 3+ starts, and he has now ran the best percentage of laps in the Top 15 as well at 90.06%. In the 6 races he has 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s with 10 Stage T10’s and 68 Stage Pts to boot. All of these are the most or tied for the most this year and his 106.33 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best. In addition to all this Majeski is riding a 3 race Top 5 streak which may be 4 if Martinsville goes the way his 2022 Short track races did. In the 4 races he had a 5.75 Avg. Finish with a Win, 2 Top 3’s, and a worst finish of 11th. Furthermore he ran 92.65% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 115.38 Avg Driver Rating ranked T4th last year. Unfortunately Majeski’s worst finish of 11th came here at Martinsville where his 82.5 Driver Rating was only 13th best in the race as well. In that race Majeski ran just 72.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and only accumulated 5 Stage Pts as well. Since this is his only race at Martinsville that is all the information there is. So with all these stats above I think Majeski has another really good race this weekend and gets himself another Top 5 this year, and his 4th in a row.
2nd in Points – Zane Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.83 | 3rd of 31 | T36th of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.77% | 4th of 31 | 42nd of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 109.2 | 1st of 31 | 16th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 1st of 70 | T2nd of 513 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 70 | T5th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 1st of 70 | T3rd of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | 1st of 70 | T5th of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | 2nd of 70 | T11th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 70 | T35th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 70 | T21st of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T2nd of 70 | T14th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 54 | 3rd of 70 | T21st of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 1st of 70 | T4th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.75(T4th), 79.7% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.65(8th), Best 2nd, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.97% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 9th, Started 1st, Led 55 laps (27.5%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 152 Laps in Top15 (76.0% of laps he ran), had 109.6 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 4.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 92.05% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 120.6 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 23.18% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 33.33% (% ranks T2nd)
- 2 Top 3’s, 66.67% (% ranks T2nd)
- 3 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 16.67% (% ranks T3rd)
- 5 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 2nd)
- 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Outlook
Zane Smith is notable because of how well he’s run in his 3 career Martinsville starts. Last week Smith ended up 21st after a chaotic dirt race. This continued an unfortunate trend for Smith of only finishing Top 10 if he finishes Top 2. As such he still sits at 2 Wins and 3 Top 2’s/10’s this year, but his Avg. Finish dropped to 3rd best at 9.83. The good news for Smith is that his Avg. Driver Rating of 109.2 still stands firm as the best this year, and his 9 Stage T10’s, 54 Stage Pts and 11 Playoff Pts all rank 1st-3rd in their respective categories as well. His good season may continue after this weekend if he races like he did on Short tracks last year. In the 4 races Smith had a 5.75 Avg. Finish (ranks T4th) with a 99.65 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 8th) and 2 Top 3’s. His worst finish in the 4 races was 9th and he lead over 10% of the laps he ran while getting 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage too. Unfortunately for Smith his worst finish in those 4 races was at Martinsville where he led 27.5% of his laps before ending up 9th with the 5th best Driver Rating of 109.6. This was Smith’s 3rd, and worst, race at Martinsville, which is saying something. His Avg. Finish of 4.33 here ranks 3rd and he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 120.6 with 1 Win and 2 Top 3’s. With all of the stats it’s hard to say Smith will have a 3rd straight finish out of the Top 10, so I won’t. I see Smith getting a Top 5 this weekend and challenging Kyle Busch for the win.
Zane Smith is notable because of how well he’s run in his 3 career Martinsville starts. Last week Smith ended up 21st after a chaotic dirt race. This continued an unfortunate trend for Smith of only finishing Top 10 if he finishes Top 2. As such he still sits at 2 Wins and 3 Top 2’s/10’s this year, but his Avg. Finish dropped to 3rd best at 9.83. The good news for Smith is that his Avg. Driver Rating of 109.2 still stands firm as the best this year, and his 9 Stage T10’s, 54 Stage Pts and 11 Playoff Pts all rank 1st-3rd in their respective categories as well. His good season may continue after this weekend if he races like he did on Short tracks last year. In the 4 races Smith had a 5.75 Avg. Finish (ranks T4th) with a 99.65 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 8th) and 2 Top 3’s. His worst finish in the 4 races was 9th and he lead over 10% of the laps he ran while getting 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage too. Unfortunately for Smith his worst finish in those 4 races was at Martinsville where he led 27.5% of his laps before ending up 9th with the 5th best Driver Rating of 109.6. This was Smith’s 3rd, and worst, race at Martinsville, which is saying something. His Avg. Finish of 4.33 here ranks 3rd and he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 120.6 with 1 Win and 2 Top 3’s. With all of the stats it’s hard to say Smith will have a 3rd straight finish out of the Top 10, so I won’t. I see Smith getting a Top 5 this weekend and challenging Kyle Busch for the win.
3rd in Points – Ben Rhodes
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.67 | 2nd of 31 | T30th of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.21% | 5th of 31 | 45th of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.87 | 4th of 31 | 39th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 70 | T37th of 513 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 70 | T29th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 70 | T64th of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T5th of 70 | T34th of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T3rd of 70 | T26th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T2nd of 70 | T18th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 70 | T42nd of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T2nd of 70 | T14th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 48 | 5th of 70 | T31st of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 70 | T35th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.75(14th), 57.08% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 94.43(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 99.77%, Led 5.5% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 5th, Started 3rd, Led 47 laps (23.5%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 199 Laps in Top15 (99.5% of laps he ran), had 130.7 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 12 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 20th
- Completed 99.96% of laps (% ranks 15th)
- 82.7% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 97.38 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 8.41% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 2’s, 16.67% (% ranks 7th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 33.33% (% ranks 7th)
- 7 Top 10’s, 58.33% (% ranks 7th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 16.67% (% ranks T3rd)
- 12 Stage T10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T5th)
- 4.94 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Ben Rhodes is notable because of how he ran at the Martinsville Truck race last year. In the dirt race last week Rhodes struggled to a 19th place finish and ran more than half the race out of the Top 15. This dropped Rhodes’ Avg. Finish to 9.67, but this still raised the ranking to 2nd, passing Zane Smith. More good news for Rhodes is that his 95.87 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 4th and he’s ran over 80% of his laps in the Top 15 while getting 48 Stage Pts. The bad news is that Rhodes best finish this year is 3rd and he only has 2 Top 5’s in the 6 races this year. The bad news keeps coming when you look at his Short track stats from last year where in 4 races Rhodes had a 10.75 Avg. Finish, ranked 14th, and his Avg. Driver Rating of 94.43 ranked only a little better at 10th. There is worse news, however, as Rhodes only ran 57% of his laps in the Top 15 and half his finishes came outside the Top 15, however the other half were in the Top 5 though. One of those Top 5’s was at Martinsville where he finished 5th and led 23.5% of the laps. Even better, he ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and his 130.7 Driver Rating was best in the race. In 12 starts here this was Rhodes best Driver Rating, but still his 97.38 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t too shabby either. Neither is his 10.0 Avg. Finish, 7 Top 10’s and 4 Top 5’s. In all I expect Rhodes to run Top 15 most the race this weekend, get many Stage Pts and finish 5th-10th.
Ben Rhodes is notable because of how he ran at the Martinsville Truck race last year. In the dirt race last week Rhodes struggled to a 19th place finish and ran more than half the race out of the Top 15. This dropped Rhodes’ Avg. Finish to 9.67, but this still raised the ranking to 2nd, passing Zane Smith. More good news for Rhodes is that his 95.87 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 4th and he’s ran over 80% of his laps in the Top 15 while getting 48 Stage Pts. The bad news is that Rhodes best finish this year is 3rd and he only has 2 Top 5’s in the 6 races this year. The bad news keeps coming when you look at his Short track stats from last year where in 4 races Rhodes had a 10.75 Avg. Finish, ranked 14th, and his Avg. Driver Rating of 94.43 ranked only a little better at 10th. There is worse news, however, as Rhodes only ran 57% of his laps in the Top 15 and half his finishes came outside the Top 15, however the other half were in the Top 5 though. One of those Top 5’s was at Martinsville where he finished 5th and led 23.5% of the laps. Even better, he ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and his 130.7 Driver Rating was best in the race. In 12 starts here this was Rhodes best Driver Rating, but still his 97.38 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t too shabby either. Neither is his 10.0 Avg. Finish, 7 Top 10’s and 4 Top 5’s. In all I expect Rhodes to run Top 15 most the race this weekend, get many Stage Pts and finish 5th-10th.
4th in Points – Matt Crafton
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.17 | 7th of 31 | 82nd of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.66% | T14th of 31 | T121st of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.61% | 2nd of 31 | 36th of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 87.82 | 6th of 31 | 65th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 70 | T37th of 513 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 70 | T29th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 70 | T64th of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T14th of 70 | T91st of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T7th of 70 | T66th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 70 | T35th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 31 | T85th of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 70 | T21st of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T2nd of 70 | T14th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 55 | 2nd of 70 | 20th of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T5th of 70 | T24th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(T7th), 70.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.93(13th), Best 5th, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 7th, Started 11th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 168 Laps in Top15 (84.0% of laps he ran), had 91.7 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 39 Races
- 10.56 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 34th
- Completed 97.96% of laps (% ranks 27th)
- 82.3% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 99.76 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 4.54% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 2 Wins, 5.13% (% ranks 8th)
- 6 Top 2’s, 15.38% (% ranks 8th)
- 11 Top 5’s, 28.21% (% ranks 9th)
- 23 Top 10’s, 58.97% (% ranks 6th)
- 30 Top 15’s, 76.92% (% ranks 7th)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 10.26% (% ranks 16th)
- 2 DNF’s, 5.13% (% ranks 28th)
- 1 Stage Win, 5.56% (% ranks T6th)
- 14 Stage T10’s, 77.78% (% ranks 3rd)
- 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Outlook
Matt Crafton is notable because of his career Martinsville statistics. At Bristol last week Crafton ran all 150 laps in the Top 15 en route to a 4th place finish. This was Crafton’s first Top 5 on the season, his 3rd Top 10, and improved his Avg. Finish to a moderate 13.17 (ranks 7th). In addition to these stats he also has a 87.82 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 6th), and even more impressive is he has ran 83.61% of his laps in the Top 15. However, what’s most impressive is his stage stats as his 9 Stage T10’s and 55 Stage Pts rank 2nd best on the year. This is good for Crafton because in the 4 Short track races last year he had only 1 Stage Pts Per Stage. In addition Crafton ran just 70% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 88.93 Avg. Driver Rating was only 13th best. However his finishes were much better as he finished all 4 races in the Top 10 leading to the 7th best Avg. Finish at 7.0. Speaking of 7’s that is where Crafton finished last year at Martinsville, in the race he ran 84% of his laps in the Top 10 and ended with the 10th best Driver Rating at 91.7. This was Crafton’s 39th start and in those starts he has 2 Wins, 6 Top 2’s, 11 Top 5’s, 23 Top 10’s, and a 10.56 Avg. Finish with an Avg. Driver Rating of 99.76. Furthermore his 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage is the best among active drivers. I feel this weekend will be a little different and he won’t get many Stage Pts, but I do think he gets another Top 10, nothing better than 5th though.
Matt Crafton is notable because of his career Martinsville statistics. At Bristol last week Crafton ran all 150 laps in the Top 15 en route to a 4th place finish. This was Crafton’s first Top 5 on the season, his 3rd Top 10, and improved his Avg. Finish to a moderate 13.17 (ranks 7th). In addition to these stats he also has a 87.82 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 6th), and even more impressive is he has ran 83.61% of his laps in the Top 15. However, what’s most impressive is his stage stats as his 9 Stage T10’s and 55 Stage Pts rank 2nd best on the year. This is good for Crafton because in the 4 Short track races last year he had only 1 Stage Pts Per Stage. In addition Crafton ran just 70% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 88.93 Avg. Driver Rating was only 13th best. However his finishes were much better as he finished all 4 races in the Top 10 leading to the 7th best Avg. Finish at 7.0. Speaking of 7’s that is where Crafton finished last year at Martinsville, in the race he ran 84% of his laps in the Top 10 and ended with the 10th best Driver Rating at 91.7. This was Crafton’s 39th start and in those starts he has 2 Wins, 6 Top 2’s, 11 Top 5’s, 23 Top 10’s, and a 10.56 Avg. Finish with an Avg. Driver Rating of 99.76. Furthermore his 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage is the best among active drivers. I feel this weekend will be a little different and he won’t get many Stage Pts, but I do think he gets another Top 10, nothing better than 5th though.
4th in Owner Points – Kyle Busch
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 1.5 | – of 31 | – of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 31 | – of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 93.75% | – of 31 | – of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 139.7 | – of 31 | – of 256‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 70 | T11th of 513 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 70 | T5th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | 2nd of 70 | T10th of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T2nd of 70 | T17th of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T3rd of 70 | T26th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T11th of 70 | T80th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 31 | – of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 70 | T21st of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T17th of 70 | T107th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T25th of 70 | T154th of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 70 | T35th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes in races he’s run (active streak for him)
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 3.0(2nd), 88.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 119.9(2nd), Best 3rd, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.5% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 2nd, Led 1 lap (0.05%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 176 Laps in Top15 (88.0% of laps he ran), had 119.9 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 11 Races
- 8.91 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 31st
- Completed 98.62% of laps (% ranks 24th)
- 94.24% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 117.43 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 24.27% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 2 Wins, 18.18% (% ranks 5th)
- 4 Top 2’s, 36.36% (% ranks 3rd)
- 7 Top 5’s, 63.64% (% ranks 4th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 18.18% (% ranks 19th)
- 1 DNF, 9.09% (% ranks 29th)
- 1 Stage Win, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T11th)
Outlook
Kyle Busch is notable because of his stats at Short tracks in 2022. Busch didn’t race last week but in his last race at COTA bad strategy cost him a win and caused him to finish 2nd. Busch has only raced 2 times this year but he has finished 1st and 2nd in those races leading to an impressive 1.5 Avg. Finish. His Avg. Driver Rating is also impressive at 139.7 and he has ran 93.75% of his laps in the Top 15. When it comes to Short tracks Busch’s stats impressed too, albeit he only had one start on a Short track last year. That one start was here at Martinsville though and in that race he finished 3rd, after leading just 1 lap. In that race Busch ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 119.9 Driver Rating was just 3rd best in the race. This was not one of Busch’s better races here as his Avg. Driver Rating is 117.43, which includes a few very bad races, and he has finished over a third of his races here in the Top 2. Busch’s Avg. Finish here is an impressive 8.91, that still ranks just 5th best, and he has led almost a quarter of the laps he’s ran here. The stats suggest this race may not be a dominating race for Busch, but he still will be the favorite this weekend and I think he probably comes out on top. However even if he doesn’t win I think he gets a Top 3 regardless.
Kyle Busch is notable because of his stats at Short tracks in 2022. Busch didn’t race last week but in his last race at COTA bad strategy cost him a win and caused him to finish 2nd. Busch has only raced 2 times this year but he has finished 1st and 2nd in those races leading to an impressive 1.5 Avg. Finish. His Avg. Driver Rating is also impressive at 139.7 and he has ran 93.75% of his laps in the Top 15. When it comes to Short tracks Busch’s stats impressed too, albeit he only had one start on a Short track last year. That one start was here at Martinsville though and in that race he finished 3rd, after leading just 1 lap. In that race Busch ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 119.9 Driver Rating was just 3rd best in the race. This was not one of Busch’s better races here as his Avg. Driver Rating is 117.43, which includes a few very bad races, and he has finished over a third of his races here in the Top 2. Busch’s Avg. Finish here is an impressive 8.91, that still ranks just 5th best, and he has led almost a quarter of the laps he’s ran here. The stats suggest this race may not be a dominating race for Busch, but he still will be the favorite this weekend and I think he probably comes out on top. However even if he doesn’t win I think he gets a Top 3 regardless.
5th in Points – Christian Eckes
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.17 | 9th of 31 | T94th of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 90.9% | 22nd of 31 | 167th of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.11% | 7th of 31 | 74th of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 98.27 | 3rd of 31 | 30th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 70 | T11th of 513 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 70 | T29th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 70 | T23rd of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T2nd of 70 | T17th of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T3rd of 70 | T26th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 70 | T35th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T25th of 31 | T192nd of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | 1st of 70 | T7th of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T6th of 70 | T52nd of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 53 | 4th of 70 | T23rd of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | 2nd of 70 | T9th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.0(15th), 93.23% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.95(11th), Best 8th, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 12th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 199 Laps in Top15 (99.5% of laps he ran), had 97.8 Driver Rating (ranked 8th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 10.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 17th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 96.5% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 93.3 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 8th)
- Led 0.25% of laps he’s run (% ranks 15th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Christian Eckes is notable because he is 5th in the drivers point standings. Last week Eckes must have had Dora the Explorer in his truck because he had quite the adventure, you can thank my co-worker Rob Cwick for that line, on his way to a 30th place DNF. This tied Eckes’ worst finish of the year and was his 2nd DNF, but he also has 2 Top 3’s with a Win on the year too. Overall he has a 14.17 Avg. Finish and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 98.27. In addition Eckes has the most Stage Wins at 3 and the 4th most Stage Pts at 53. The stage success may continue this week at Martinsville, but the finish may be lacking. In 4 Short track starts last year he had 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage but 0 Top 5’s and just 2 Top 10’s leading to an 11.0 Avg. Finish (15th best) and a 93.95 Avg. Driver Rating (11th best). However one thing Eckes did have going was consistency as his best finish was 8th but his worst was only 16th. At Martinsville last year he was right in the middle of that range finishing 12th after running all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and he wound up with the 8th best Driver Rating at 97.8. Overall at Martinsville Eckes has ran 4 races with a best of 4th, a worst of 17th, and a 10.5 Avg. Finish. Half of his finishes have come in the Top 10 though, and he’s ran 96.5% of his laps in the Top 15 leading to 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage. Taking all this in I don’t think Eckes has a great race, but I do think he has a solid finish between 8th and 12th.
Christian Eckes is notable because he is 5th in the drivers point standings. Last week Eckes must have had Dora the Explorer in his truck because he had quite the adventure, you can thank my co-worker Rob Cwick for that line, on his way to a 30th place DNF. This tied Eckes’ worst finish of the year and was his 2nd DNF, but he also has 2 Top 3’s with a Win on the year too. Overall he has a 14.17 Avg. Finish and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 98.27. In addition Eckes has the most Stage Wins at 3 and the 4th most Stage Pts at 53. The stage success may continue this week at Martinsville, but the finish may be lacking. In 4 Short track starts last year he had 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage but 0 Top 5’s and just 2 Top 10’s leading to an 11.0 Avg. Finish (15th best) and a 93.95 Avg. Driver Rating (11th best). However one thing Eckes did have going was consistency as his best finish was 8th but his worst was only 16th. At Martinsville last year he was right in the middle of that range finishing 12th after running all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and he wound up with the 8th best Driver Rating at 97.8. Overall at Martinsville Eckes has ran 4 races with a best of 4th, a worst of 17th, and a 10.5 Avg. Finish. Half of his finishes have come in the Top 10 though, and he’s ran 96.5% of his laps in the Top 15 leading to 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage. Taking all this in I don’t think Eckes has a great race, but I do think he has a solid finish between 8th and 12th.
6th in Points – Grant Enfinger
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.17 | 4th of 31 | T51st of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.86% | 6th of 31 | 36th of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.33% | 3rd of 31 | 37th of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 86.5 | 8th of 31 | 69th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 70 | T37th of 513 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 70 | T29th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 70 | T64th of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T14th of 70 | T91st of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T3rd of 70 | T26th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T4th of 70 | T35th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 70 | T42nd of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | 5th of 70 | T27th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 33 | 8th of 70 | 51st of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 70 | T35th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 4.25(3rd), 92.77% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 111.98(5th), Best 1st, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.52% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- Finished 8th, Started 12th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 174 Laps in Top15 (87.0% of laps he ran), had 95.7 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 10 Races
- 10.8 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 21st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 75.59% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 87.59 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 2.6% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 1 Win, 10.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 3 Top 5’s, 30.0% (% ranks 8th)
- 5 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 1 finishes outside Top 20, 10.0% (% ranks 15th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 12 Stage T10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T5th)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Outlook
Grant Enfinger is notable because of his 2022 Short track stats. Last week Enfinger quietly ran all 150 laps in the Top 15 en route to tying his best finish of the year, 5th. This was Enfinger’s 2nd Top 5 and 3rd Top 10 in the 6 races this year and brings his Avg. Finish to 4th best on the year at 11.17. Another really good stat for him is that he has ran 83.33% of his laps in the Top 15, good for the 3rd best percentage this year. Unfortunately for Enfinger his 86.5 Avg. Driver Rating and 33 Stage Pts aren’t as good as they are both 8th best this year. Another nice thing for Enfinger is that he has 0 DNF’s this year, just like he did in the 4 Short track races last year. In those 4 races his worst finish was just 8th, his 4.25 Avg. Finish was 3rd best, and his 111.98 Avg. Driver Rating was good for 5th best. Additionally he had 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, and 5.38 Stage Pts Per Stage on Short tracks last year. However that 8th place finish I mentioned was here at Martinsville where Enfinger ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 9th best Driver Rating at 95.7. This was one of Enfinger’s better races at Martinsville as in 10 starts he has finished in the Top 10 only half the time and his 10.8 Avg. Finish ranks 9th among active drivers. With all these numbers taken in it seems Enfinger will have at least a decent run this weekend and while I don’t see anything better than 5th for him, I do think he gets his 4th Top 10 of the year this weekend.
Grant Enfinger is notable because of his 2022 Short track stats. Last week Enfinger quietly ran all 150 laps in the Top 15 en route to tying his best finish of the year, 5th. This was Enfinger’s 2nd Top 5 and 3rd Top 10 in the 6 races this year and brings his Avg. Finish to 4th best on the year at 11.17. Another really good stat for him is that he has ran 83.33% of his laps in the Top 15, good for the 3rd best percentage this year. Unfortunately for Enfinger his 86.5 Avg. Driver Rating and 33 Stage Pts aren’t as good as they are both 8th best this year. Another nice thing for Enfinger is that he has 0 DNF’s this year, just like he did in the 4 Short track races last year. In those 4 races his worst finish was just 8th, his 4.25 Avg. Finish was 3rd best, and his 111.98 Avg. Driver Rating was good for 5th best. Additionally he had 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, and 5.38 Stage Pts Per Stage on Short tracks last year. However that 8th place finish I mentioned was here at Martinsville where Enfinger ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 9th best Driver Rating at 95.7. This was one of Enfinger’s better races at Martinsville as in 10 starts he has finished in the Top 10 only half the time and his 10.8 Avg. Finish ranks 9th among active drivers. With all these numbers taken in it seems Enfinger will have at least a decent run this weekend and while I don’t see anything better than 5th for him, I do think he gets his 4th Top 10 of the year this weekend.
7th in Points – Corey Heim
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.33 | 6th of 31 | T64th of 256 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.44% | 21st of 31 | 154th of 256 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.25% | 6th of 31 | 72nd of 256 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.57 | 5th of 31 | T54th of 256‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 70 | T37th of 513 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 70 | T29th of 513 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T10th of 70 | T64th of 513 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T14th of 70 | T91st of 513 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T7th of 70 | T66th of 513 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T2nd of 70 | T18th of 513 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 31 | T85th of 256 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T9th of 70 | T42nd of 455* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | T12th of 70 | T84th of 455* |
| Stage Pts | 22 | 11th of 70 | T69th of 455* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T7th of 70 | T35th of 455* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 6 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(6th), 90.87% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.0(9th), Best 5th, Worst 10th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% 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, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Martinsville Race
- did not race
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 11.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T10th)
- Best Finish: 11th, Worst: 11th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 62.75% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 18th)
- 82.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 16th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage T10’s
Outlook
Corey Heim is notable because of his good 2023 stats thru 7 races. On the dirt last week Heim ran around half the race in the Top 15 and ended up finishing 15th. This was Heim’s 2nd finish out of the Top 10 this year and raised his Avg. Finish to 12.33, however this still ranks 6th best this year. Also ranking 6th best is his 73.25 Laps in Top15%, but these ranks are bested by his 91.57 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 5th best this year. Despite these good numbers Heim only has 1 Top 5 and just 4 Stage T10’s with 22 Stage Pts to show for it. This may change for the better if Heim runs this week like he did last year on Short tracks. In the 3 Short track races he ran he got 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, accumulated a 6.67 Avg. Finish and ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15. Additionally he had 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s with a best finish of 5th and worst of 10th. The only Short track race he didn’t race last year was the one at Martinsville but he does have one start here in his Truck Series career. In that race Heim finished 11th and only ran 62.75% of his laps in the Top 15, getting 0 Stage Pts in the process. He also had just an 82.0 Avg. Driver Rating. So while there isn’t much to go off of based on Martinsville I think he runs like he did on Short tracks last year and ends up with a Top 10.
Corey Heim is notable because of his good 2023 stats thru 7 races. On the dirt last week Heim ran around half the race in the Top 15 and ended up finishing 15th. This was Heim’s 2nd finish out of the Top 10 this year and raised his Avg. Finish to 12.33, however this still ranks 6th best this year. Also ranking 6th best is his 73.25 Laps in Top15%, but these ranks are bested by his 91.57 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 5th best this year. Despite these good numbers Heim only has 1 Top 5 and just 4 Stage T10’s with 22 Stage Pts to show for it. This may change for the better if Heim runs this week like he did last year on Short tracks. In the 3 Short track races he ran he got 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, accumulated a 6.67 Avg. Finish and ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15. Additionally he had 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s with a best finish of 5th and worst of 10th. The only Short track race he didn’t race last year was the one at Martinsville but he does have one start here in his Truck Series career. In that race Heim finished 11th and only ran 62.75% of his laps in the Top 15, getting 0 Stage Pts in the process. He also had just an 82.0 Avg. Driver Rating. So while there isn’t much to go off of based on Martinsville I think he runs like he did on Short tracks last year and ends up with a Top 10.
