Two weeks ago in Richmond we got to see another first time winner in the Xfinity Series this year, as Chandler Smith picked up the win in convincing fashion. This week we race at Martinsville for the 2nd Short track in a row. 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 and ranking through 7 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. 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 – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.86 | T2nd of 35 | T28th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.09% | 18th of 35 | 113th of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.68% | 2nd of 35 | 29th of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 111.4 | 1st of 35 | 11th of 282‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 67 | T2nd of 500 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 67 | T10th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T1st of 67 | T3rd of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T1st of 67 | T8th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 67 | T25th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 67 | T4th of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T15th of 35 | T93rd of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T1st of 67 | T4th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | 7th of 67 | T41st of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 67 | 2nd of 67 | 14th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 1st of 67 | 1st of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 8.6(10th), 84.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.7(14th), Best 3rd, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 9th, Started 36th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 7th in Stage 2, ran 166 Laps in Top15 (61.71% of laps he ran), had 89.4 Driver Rating (ranked 11th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 6.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 72.45% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 88.45 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
Outlook
Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 stats. Two weeks ago at Richmond Hill ran mediocre as he ran around 10th most the race and ended up 9th. This didn’t affect his Avg. Finish much as it now sits at 8.86 and is tied for 2nd best this year. What’s better is that he’s ran nearly 90% of his laps in the Top 15, ranks 2nd, and his 111.4 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 1st. In fact most of Hill’s 2023 Ranks above are 1st or T1st including his 3 Wins, 6 Top 10’s and his 3 Stage Wins. Oh, he also has the 2nd most Stage Pts with 67. After Richmond Hill now has an 8.6 Avg. Finish in Short track races since the beginning of 2022 but only an 89.7 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news is he has 4 Top 10’s in 5 races but only 2 of those have been Top 5’s and he’s gotten just 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage. At Martinsville last Fall Hill got 5 Stage Pts and ran 61% of his laps in the Top 15 ending up in 9th place at the end of the race. In the 2 races Hill has ran at Martinsville he has finishes of 4th and 9th leading to a 6.5 Avg. Finish, good for 3rd best, but his 88.45 Avg. Driver Rating ranks just 14th best among active drivers. Based on the stats above this should be a decent race for Hill and his 2023 stats won’t look too much different afterwards, except his Avg. Driver Rating maybe. I think this weekend Hill runs Top 15 most the day and end up between 5th and 15th at the finish.
Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 stats. Two weeks ago at Richmond Hill ran mediocre as he ran around 10th most the race and ended up 9th. This didn’t affect his Avg. Finish much as it now sits at 8.86 and is tied for 2nd best this year. What’s better is that he’s ran nearly 90% of his laps in the Top 15, ranks 2nd, and his 111.4 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 1st. In fact most of Hill’s 2023 Ranks above are 1st or T1st including his 3 Wins, 6 Top 10’s and his 3 Stage Wins. Oh, he also has the 2nd most Stage Pts with 67. After Richmond Hill now has an 8.6 Avg. Finish in Short track races since the beginning of 2022 but only an 89.7 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news is he has 4 Top 10’s in 5 races but only 2 of those have been Top 5’s and he’s gotten just 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage. At Martinsville last Fall Hill got 5 Stage Pts and ran 61% of his laps in the Top 15 ending up in 9th place at the end of the race. In the 2 races Hill has ran at Martinsville he has finishes of 4th and 9th leading to a 6.5 Avg. Finish, good for 3rd best, but his 88.45 Avg. Driver Rating ranks just 14th best among active drivers. Based on the stats above this should be a decent race for Hill and his 2023 stats won’t look too much different afterwards, except his Avg. Driver Rating maybe. I think this weekend Hill runs Top 15 most the day and end up between 5th and 15th at the finish.
2nd in Points – Riley Herbst
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.0 | 4th of 35 | T30th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 91.09% | 1st of 35 | 24th of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 100.04 | 4th of 35 | 35th of 282‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 67 | T43rd of 500 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 67 | T29th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 67 | T71st of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T14th of 67 | T94th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T6th of 67 | T44th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 67 | T4th of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 67 | T61st of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | 2nd of 67 | T5th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 69 | 1st of 67 | 12th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 67 | T52nd of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 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
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 8.4(9th), 84.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.84(12th), Best 3rd, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.11% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 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, 0 Stage Wins, 3.2 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 8th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 252 Laps in Top15 (93.68% of laps he ran), had 105.9 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 10.8 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 29th
- Completed 99.84% of laps (% ranks T20th)
- 80.47% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 91.34 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 0.08% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 20.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 80.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 20.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage Top 10’s, 30.0% (% ranks T16th)
Outlook
Riley Herbst is notable because he is 2nd in the season point standings. At Richmond Herbst was looking at his 10th straight Top 10 until a late wreck with Brandon Jones put him 23rd. This hurt his Avg. Finish, obviously, but it still sits at 9.0, 4th best on the year. Additionally his 100.04 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 4th and even better is his 91.09 Laps in Top15% ranks 1st, of anyone with 4+ starts this year. Herbst has even run well in stages as is shown by his 12 Stage T10’s and 69, nice, Stage Pts. The only bad stats are that Herbst has 0 Top 3’s and just 2 Top 5’s in the 7 races this year. That could change this weekend, however, as we head to a Short track where Herbst has 3 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s in the 5 races with the only finish not in the Top 10 being at Richmond two weeks ago. Despite his 97.84 Avg. Driver Rating being 12th best he still has the 9th best Avg. Finish at 8.4. The best of the last 5 Short track races for him was at Martinsville last Fall where he finished 3rd, ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 6th best Driver Rating at 105.9. This was also his best Martinsville race as his previous best finish was 6th. Overall he has a 10.8 Avg. Finish (ranks 9th) with 4 Top 10’s and a 91.34 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 13th) in 5 starts here. The stats line up decently well for Herbst this week and thus I think with the way he’s ran this year he will be a contender for the win this weekend and come home in the Top 5.
Riley Herbst is notable because he is 2nd in the season point standings. At Richmond Herbst was looking at his 10th straight Top 10 until a late wreck with Brandon Jones put him 23rd. This hurt his Avg. Finish, obviously, but it still sits at 9.0, 4th best on the year. Additionally his 100.04 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 4th and even better is his 91.09 Laps in Top15% ranks 1st, of anyone with 4+ starts this year. Herbst has even run well in stages as is shown by his 12 Stage T10’s and 69, nice, Stage Pts. The only bad stats are that Herbst has 0 Top 3’s and just 2 Top 5’s in the 7 races this year. That could change this weekend, however, as we head to a Short track where Herbst has 3 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s in the 5 races with the only finish not in the Top 10 being at Richmond two weeks ago. Despite his 97.84 Avg. Driver Rating being 12th best he still has the 9th best Avg. Finish at 8.4. The best of the last 5 Short track races for him was at Martinsville last Fall where he finished 3rd, ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 6th best Driver Rating at 105.9. This was also his best Martinsville race as his previous best finish was 6th. Overall he has a 10.8 Avg. Finish (ranks 9th) with 4 Top 10’s and a 91.34 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 13th) in 5 starts here. The stats line up decently well for Herbst this week and thus I think with the way he’s ran this year he will be a contender for the win this weekend and come home in the Top 5.
3rd in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.43 | 1st of 35 | T13th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 87.57% | 3rd of 35 | 35th of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 107.67 | 2nd of 35 | 17th of 282‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 67 | T10th of 500 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 67 | T29th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T1st of 67 | T3rd of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T1st of 67 | T8th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 67 | T25th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 67 | T4th of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 67 | T26th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T3rd of 67 | T28th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 48 | 6th of 67 | 36th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T2nd of 67 | T10th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 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
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(2nd), 89.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.9(3rd), Best 2nd, Worst 2nd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 29.2% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3 Stage T10’s
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- did not race
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 7 races. Two weeks ago in Richmond Nemechek had a great car, but bad pit strategy cost him a win, I believe, as he finished 2nd. This was Nemechek’s 3rd Top 2 of the year and lowered his Avg. Finish to an impressive 7.43, best in the Xfinity Series. In addition his 107.67 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best and he’s also ran 87.57% of his laps in the Top 15 which is 3rd best. Some more good stat for Nemechek is that he has 6 Top 10 finishes this year and 9 Stage T10’s, but yet only has 48 Stage Pts. In terms of the 5 Short track races since the start of 2022 Nemechek has raced in 2 of them, both coming at Richmond. Nevertheless in these two starts he has finished 2nd in both and has ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15. He has also led 29% of the laps he’s ran in them with 3 Stage T10’s leading to the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 118.9. This is all the stats there is as Nemechek has never ran a race here at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series so there is nothing to say. This handicaps the outlook a little, but still with the success he’s had this year plus his Short track stats I think he has a good run. I expect Nemechek to run Top 15 all race and then finish at the very least with a Top 10.
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 7 races. Two weeks ago in Richmond Nemechek had a great car, but bad pit strategy cost him a win, I believe, as he finished 2nd. This was Nemechek’s 3rd Top 2 of the year and lowered his Avg. Finish to an impressive 7.43, best in the Xfinity Series. In addition his 107.67 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best and he’s also ran 87.57% of his laps in the Top 15 which is 3rd best. Some more good stat for Nemechek is that he has 6 Top 10 finishes this year and 9 Stage T10’s, but yet only has 48 Stage Pts. In terms of the 5 Short track races since the start of 2022 Nemechek has raced in 2 of them, both coming at Richmond. Nevertheless in these two starts he has finished 2nd in both and has ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15. He has also led 29% of the laps he’s ran in them with 3 Stage T10’s leading to the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 118.9. This is all the stats there is as Nemechek has never ran a race here at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series so there is nothing to say. This handicaps the outlook a little, but still with the success he’s had this year plus his Short track stats I think he has a good run. I expect Nemechek to run Top 15 all race and then finish at the very least with a Top 10.
4th in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.29 | 5th of 35 | T34th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.83% | 19th of 35 | 116th of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.42% | 5th of 35 | 47th of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.16 | 3rd of 35 | 31st of 282‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 67 | T10th of 500 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 67 | T10th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 67 | T26th of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T4th of 67 | T25th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T1st of 67 | T8th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T5th of 67 | T39th of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T15th of 35 | T93rd of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 67 | T26th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T3rd of 67 | T28th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 55 | 5th of 67 | T32nd of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T2nd of 67 | T10th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 1.0(1st), 100% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 138.3(1st), Best 1st, Worst 1st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 33.2% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- did not race
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2022/23 Short track stats. Smith picked up his first Xfinity Series victory 2 weeks ago at Richmond in his first ever Xfinity Short track race. His 2023 stats are a pleasant surprise and very good for a rookie, he has a 9.29 Avg. Finish (5th best) and a 102.16 Avg. Driver Rating (3rd best). In addition he has ran 83.42% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 4 Top 5’s in the 7 races, but unfortunately he has just 4 Top 10’s as well. More good news, however, is that Smith has 9 Stage T10’s in the 14 stages this year with 55 Stage Pts to show for it. Even better news than that is that Smith has the best Avg. Finish on Short tracks of any driver since the beginning of 2022, but he also has just one start and that was two weeks ago at Richmond. More stats from his lone start is that he has the best Avg. Driver Rating at 138.3 and has led 33% of the laps he’s ran. That’s all there is for the stats on Smith as he has never raced here at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series. With there being so little to go off of what I’m about to say is a bit of guess, but I think Smith will run Top 15 most, if not all, of the race and come home with a finish between 4th and 8th.
Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2022/23 Short track stats. Smith picked up his first Xfinity Series victory 2 weeks ago at Richmond in his first ever Xfinity Short track race. His 2023 stats are a pleasant surprise and very good for a rookie, he has a 9.29 Avg. Finish (5th best) and a 102.16 Avg. Driver Rating (3rd best). In addition he has ran 83.42% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 4 Top 5’s in the 7 races, but unfortunately he has just 4 Top 10’s as well. More good news, however, is that Smith has 9 Stage T10’s in the 14 stages this year with 55 Stage Pts to show for it. Even better news than that is that Smith has the best Avg. Finish on Short tracks of any driver since the beginning of 2022, but he also has just one start and that was two weeks ago at Richmond. More stats from his lone start is that he has the best Avg. Driver Rating at 138.3 and has led 33% of the laps he’s ran. That’s all there is for the stats on Smith as he has never raced here at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series. With there being so little to go off of what I’m about to say is a bit of guess, but I think Smith will run Top 15 most, if not all, of the race and come home with a finish between 4th and 8th.
10th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.57 | 13th of 35 | T94th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.82% | 8th of 35 | 34th of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 78.48% | T6th of 35 | T62nd of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.47 | 9th of 35 | 72nd of 282‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 67 | T43rd of 500 |
| Poles | 1 | T1st of 67 | T10th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 67 | T71st of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T14th of 67 | T94th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T9th of 67 | T74th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T11th of 67 | T102nd of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | 3rd of 67 | T11th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T3rd of 67 | T28th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 46 | 7th of 67 | T38th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 6th of 67 | T29th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 5.0(4th), 96.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.3(7th), Best 5th, Worst 5th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- did not race
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Cole Custer is notable because of his performance on Short tracks in 2022/23. In Richmond Custer finally got his 1st Top 5 of the year finishing 5th with a 105.3 Driver Rating. This greatly improved Custer’s Avg. Finish to 15.57, however this is still only 13th best this year. What’s more is that his 88.47 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t much better as it ranks just 9th. Some good news is that he has ran 78.48% of his laps in the Top 15 and he is tied for the 3rd most Stage T10’s at 9 with 2 of those being Stage Wins. This shows Custer has run well mostly but just hasn’t put together good finishes, however that could change if he races like he did at Richmond. Richmond was Custer’s only Xfinity Short track race since the start of 2022 and as I said he finished 5th with a 105.3 Avg. Driver Rating. In addition he has 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage and ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15. Like the two drivers above him, Custer has never raced an Xfinity race at Martinsville. So once again this is all we have to go off of, and it’s not much. I think Custer will have an okay race this weekend and get some Stage Pts but ultimately wind up with a backend Top 10 finish. Essentially 8th-10th is where I see him finishing.
Cole Custer is notable because of his performance on Short tracks in 2022/23. In Richmond Custer finally got his 1st Top 5 of the year finishing 5th with a 105.3 Driver Rating. This greatly improved Custer’s Avg. Finish to 15.57, however this is still only 13th best this year. What’s more is that his 88.47 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t much better as it ranks just 9th. Some good news is that he has ran 78.48% of his laps in the Top 15 and he is tied for the 3rd most Stage T10’s at 9 with 2 of those being Stage Wins. This shows Custer has run well mostly but just hasn’t put together good finishes, however that could change if he races like he did at Richmond. Richmond was Custer’s only Xfinity Short track race since the start of 2022 and as I said he finished 5th with a 105.3 Avg. Driver Rating. In addition he has 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage and ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15. Like the two drivers above him, Custer has never raced an Xfinity race at Martinsville. So once again this is all we have to go off of, and it’s not much. I think Custer will have an okay race this weekend and get some Stage Pts but ultimately wind up with a backend Top 10 finish. Essentially 8th-10th is where I see him finishing.
11th in Points – Daniel Hemric
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.29 | 9th of 35 | T75th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 90.65% | 23rd of 35 | 180th of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 71.43% | 11th of 35 | 83rd of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 84.66 | 11th of 35 | 86th of 282‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 67 | T43rd of 500 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 67 | T29th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 67 | T26th of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T6th of 67 | T42nd of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T9th of 67 | T74th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T5th of 67 | T39th of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T15th of 35 | T93rd of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 67 | T61st of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T11th of 67 | T65th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 34 | 11th of 67 | T51st of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 67 | T52nd of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡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+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 14.2(21st), 65.49% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 82.82(19th), Best 6th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.77%, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.6 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 8th, Started 37th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 168 Laps in Top15 (62.45% of laps he ran), had 82.0 Driver Rating (ranked 13th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 6.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 13th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 81.1% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 101.58 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 4.44% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 2 Top 3’s, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 4 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 4th)
- 4 Stage Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Daniel Hemric is notable because of his stats in his 4 career starts at Martinsville. In the last Xfinity Series race Hemric struggled finishing in 24th place, breaking his 4 race Top 10 streak. Unfortunately this is the story of his season as most of his 2023 Ranks above are 10th or worse including his 84.66 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 11th. More 11th rankings are his 71.43% of laps run in the Top 15, his 6 Stage T10’s and his 34 Stage Pts. A stat that ranks a little better is his 14.29 Avg. Finish that ranks 9th, and another good stat for him is that he has 4 Top 10’s. However this week is another Short track and Hemric’s 2022/23 Short track stats aren’t pretty. In the 5 races he has a 14.2 Avg. Finish (21st best) with an 82.82 Avg. Driver Rating (19th best). In addition only 65.49% of his laps have been run in the Top 15 and he has just 2 Top 10’s with a best finish of 6th. One of the 2 Top 10’s came last Fall at Martinsville even though he only ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15 and ended with the 13th best Driver Rating at 82.0. Now to good news, Hemric has 4 starts here at Martinsville and in those 4 starts he has 2 Top 3’s with a worst finish of 13th and an Avg. Finish of 6.75. Furthermore he has ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 6th best active Avg. Driver Rating at 101.58. Essentially Martinsville may be just what Hemric needs as I think he doesn’t contend for the win or Top 5 but does finish with a Top 10.
Daniel Hemric is notable because of his stats in his 4 career starts at Martinsville. In the last Xfinity Series race Hemric struggled finishing in 24th place, breaking his 4 race Top 10 streak. Unfortunately this is the story of his season as most of his 2023 Ranks above are 10th or worse including his 84.66 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 11th. More 11th rankings are his 71.43% of laps run in the Top 15, his 6 Stage T10’s and his 34 Stage Pts. A stat that ranks a little better is his 14.29 Avg. Finish that ranks 9th, and another good stat for him is that he has 4 Top 10’s. However this week is another Short track and Hemric’s 2022/23 Short track stats aren’t pretty. In the 5 races he has a 14.2 Avg. Finish (21st best) with an 82.82 Avg. Driver Rating (19th best). In addition only 65.49% of his laps have been run in the Top 15 and he has just 2 Top 10’s with a best finish of 6th. One of the 2 Top 10’s came last Fall at Martinsville even though he only ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15 and ended with the 13th best Driver Rating at 82.0. Now to good news, Hemric has 4 starts here at Martinsville and in those 4 starts he has 2 Top 3’s with a worst finish of 13th and an Avg. Finish of 6.75. Furthermore he has ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 6th best active Avg. Driver Rating at 101.58. Essentially Martinsville may be just what Hemric needs as I think he doesn’t contend for the win or Top 5 but does finish with a Top 10.
14th in Points – Brandon Jones
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 20.29 | T18th of 35 | T137th of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.74% | T9th of 35 | T38th of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.11% | 12th of 35 | 86th of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.8 | 12th of 35 | 90th of 282‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 67 | T43rd of 500 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 67 | T29th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 67 | T71st of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T14th of 67 | T94th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T21st of 67 | T133rd of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T27th of 67 | T199th of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 67 | T61st of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T11th of 67 | T65th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 44 | T8th of 67 | T40th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 67 | T52nd of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 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
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 12.0(16th), 91.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 107.94(4th), Best 1st, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.28% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 5.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 23rd, Started 1st, Led 98 laps (36.43%), Finished 1st in Stage 1, ran 268 Laps in Top15 (99.63% of laps he ran), had 117.4 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 5 Races
- 8.8 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 23rd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 88.34% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 104.76 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 11.03% of laps he’s run (% ranks 4th)
- 1 Win, 20.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 2 Top 5’s, 40.0% (% ranks 8th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 80.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 20.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Stage Wins, 20.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 5 Stage Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
Outlook
Brandon Jones is notable because of his race last Fall at Martinsville. Two weeks ago Jones got into Riley Herbst and ruin both their days as he ended his best race this year with a 21st place finish. This year has been bad for Jones so far as his Avg. Finish is 20.29 (ranks T18th), he doesn’t have a Top 10, and his 82.8 Avg. Driver Rating only ranks 12th best. In fact the only decent 2023 Rank he has above is his 44 Stage Pts that rank T8th. Heading to a Short track may be just what he needs though as in the last 5 Short track races Jones has 2 Top 3’s with a Win, and if it weren’t for Richmond plus being dumped by his teammate here last year he’d have 4 Top 5’s too. All told he has the 16th best Avg. Finish at 12.0 but has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 107.94. In addition he has 2 Poles, has led 11.28% of his laps, and has gotten 5.1 Stage Pts Per Stage. At Martinsville last Fall Jones was a lap away from victory before being dumped by Ty Gibbs. In the race he finished 23rd but led 36% of the laps, won Stage 1, had the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 117.4, and ran all but the last lap in the Top 15. This was Jones first finish here out of the Top 10 in 5 starts and his Avg. Finish is 8.8. Some more impressive stats are that he has a 104.76 Avg. Driver Rating and has led 11% of his laps here. Jones has had an awful season thus far but I think it turns around this weekend and he gets a Top 5, but if it’s not a Top 5 then it’s outside the Top 10.
Brandon Jones is notable because of his race last Fall at Martinsville. Two weeks ago Jones got into Riley Herbst and ruin both their days as he ended his best race this year with a 21st place finish. This year has been bad for Jones so far as his Avg. Finish is 20.29 (ranks T18th), he doesn’t have a Top 10, and his 82.8 Avg. Driver Rating only ranks 12th best. In fact the only decent 2023 Rank he has above is his 44 Stage Pts that rank T8th. Heading to a Short track may be just what he needs though as in the last 5 Short track races Jones has 2 Top 3’s with a Win, and if it weren’t for Richmond plus being dumped by his teammate here last year he’d have 4 Top 5’s too. All told he has the 16th best Avg. Finish at 12.0 but has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 107.94. In addition he has 2 Poles, has led 11.28% of his laps, and has gotten 5.1 Stage Pts Per Stage. At Martinsville last Fall Jones was a lap away from victory before being dumped by Ty Gibbs. In the race he finished 23rd but led 36% of the laps, won Stage 1, had the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 117.4, and ran all but the last lap in the Top 15. This was Jones first finish here out of the Top 10 in 5 starts and his Avg. Finish is 8.8. Some more impressive stats are that he has a 104.76 Avg. Driver Rating and has led 11% of his laps here. Jones has had an awful season thus far but I think it turns around this weekend and he gets a Top 5, but if it’s not a Top 5 then it’s outside the Top 10.
26th in Points/12th in Owner Points – Ryan Truex
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 2.5 | – of 35 | – of 282 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 35 | – of 282 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 93.66% | – of 35 | – of 282 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.0 | – of 35 | – of 282‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 67 | T43rd of 500 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 67 | T29th of 500 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 67 | T26th of 500 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T4th of 67 | T25th of 500 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T6th of 67 | T44th of 500 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T11th of 67 | T102nd of 500 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 35 | – of 282 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 67 | T61st of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T28th of 67 | T197th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T21st of 67 | T151st of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 67 | T52nd of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 7 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 3 finishes (active streak for his starts)
- 2022/23 Short Track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 68 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(T5th), 82.76% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.5(6th), Best 7th, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2022 Spring Martinsville Race
- Finished 7th, Started 4th, Led 0 laps, Finished 3rd in Stage 1, ran 216 Laps in Top15 (82.76% of laps he ran), had 105.5 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Races
- 7.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 7th, Worst: 7th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 82.76% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 105.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Ryan Truex is notable because of his stats here at Martinsville in his career. Truex’s last race was at Atlanta where he started 4th and finished 3rd. This actually hurt his Avg. Finish and made it 2.5, which even for just 2 races is very impressive. On the year he has a 2nd and 3rd place finish while running 93.66% of his laps in the Top 15 and having a 104.0 Avg. Driver Rating. This amount of success may not continue based on his 1 Short track race since the beginning of 2022 as in that one race he finished 7th. That one race was here at Martinsville last Spring and while he didn’t lead any laps he did run 83% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating in the race at 105.5. This isn’t bad but still is not a Top 3 finish like he only has this year. This was also his only race here at Martinsville, so all the stats I have given you are basically all you need to know about Truex’s Short track and Martinsville stats. With all this said it seems Truex will do pretty good this weekend and I personally think he backs up his 2 good races this season with another this weekend. I see him challenging for the win, finishing no worse than 8th for sure, and probably finishing in the Top 5.
Ryan Truex is notable because of his stats here at Martinsville in his career. Truex’s last race was at Atlanta where he started 4th and finished 3rd. This actually hurt his Avg. Finish and made it 2.5, which even for just 2 races is very impressive. On the year he has a 2nd and 3rd place finish while running 93.66% of his laps in the Top 15 and having a 104.0 Avg. Driver Rating. This amount of success may not continue based on his 1 Short track race since the beginning of 2022 as in that one race he finished 7th. That one race was here at Martinsville last Spring and while he didn’t lead any laps he did run 83% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating in the race at 105.5. This isn’t bad but still is not a Top 3 finish like he only has this year. This was also his only race here at Martinsville, so all the stats I have given you are basically all you need to know about Truex’s Short track and Martinsville stats. With all this said it seems Truex will do pretty good this weekend and I personally think he backs up his 2 good races this season with another this weekend. I see him challenging for the win, finishing no worse than 8th for sure, and probably finishing in the Top 5.
