At Martinsville we saw John Hunter Nemechek burn the competition to a crisp, then proceeded to do the same to his rear quarter panels in his victory celebration. This week it’s Talladega so there may be more flames, but for a different reason, although I hope not. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Superspeedway stats, 1 based on the last Talladega race and 2 based on their overall Talladega stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 8 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Superspeedway (drafting tracks) statistics and Talladega 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 – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.63 | 1st of 35 | 13th of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.81% | 2nd of 35 | 27th of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 112.96 | 1st of 35 | 10th of 293‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 2nd of 69 | T5th of 520 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | 1st of 69 | T2nd of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | 1st of 69 | T3rd of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T1st of 69 | T14th of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T1st of 69 | T4th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T1st of 69 | T4th of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T3rd of 69 | T25th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 68 | T2nd of 69 | T21st of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 13 | 2nd of 69 | T5th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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 (active streak)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(3rd), 89.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.2(4th), Best 2nd, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 6.25% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- did not race
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 11.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 22nd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 80.9% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 81.73 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 18th)
- Led 2.39% of laps he’s run (% ranks 16th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 2 Top 10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T4th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 66.67% (% ranks T6th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 33.33% (% ranks T13th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 16.67% (% ranks T5th)
- 5 Stage Top 10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T3rd)
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because he is 1st in points, the first time this year someone besides Austin Hill is 1st. Last week Nemechek had a perfect driver rating en route to his 2nd win of the season. This was also his 2nd straight Top 2 finish and he now has a 6.63 Avg. Finish with a 112.96 Avg. Driver Rating, both of which rank 1st on the year. In fact in the 2023 Ranks above Nemechek ranks 1st or T1st in 9 of the 15 categories and his worst rank is T5th. This shows just how good he’s been this year and heading to a Superspeedway that may continue this weekend. In the 2 Superspeedway races this year Nemechek has a worst finish of 8th and an Avg. Finish of 5.0 (3rd best) with a 99.2 Avg. Driver Rating (4th best). In addition he’s ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 races, has led 6.25% of his laps, and has 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year Nemechek did not run at Talladega but in his 3 career starts here he has an 11.67 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s and a worst finish of 22nd. This Avg. Finish ranks 7th best among active drivers but his 81.73 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t as good as it only ranks 18th, even though he has ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 here. He has even been good at stages here as he has 5 Stage T10’s in the 6 stages he’s competed in here. This weekend I expect to see Nemechek near the front most of the day and as long as nothing happens he’ll end up with another Top 10 at worst.
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because he is 1st in points, the first time this year someone besides Austin Hill is 1st. Last week Nemechek had a perfect driver rating en route to his 2nd win of the season. This was also his 2nd straight Top 2 finish and he now has a 6.63 Avg. Finish with a 112.96 Avg. Driver Rating, both of which rank 1st on the year. In fact in the 2023 Ranks above Nemechek ranks 1st or T1st in 9 of the 15 categories and his worst rank is T5th. This shows just how good he’s been this year and heading to a Superspeedway that may continue this weekend. In the 2 Superspeedway races this year Nemechek has a worst finish of 8th and an Avg. Finish of 5.0 (3rd best) with a 99.2 Avg. Driver Rating (4th best). In addition he’s ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 races, has led 6.25% of his laps, and has 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year Nemechek did not run at Talladega but in his 3 career starts here he has an 11.67 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s and a worst finish of 22nd. This Avg. Finish ranks 7th best among active drivers but his 81.73 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t as good as it only ranks 18th, even though he has ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 here. He has even been good at stages here as he has 5 Stage T10’s in the 6 stages he’s competed in here. This weekend I expect to see Nemechek near the front most of the day and as long as nothing happens he’ll end up with another Top 10 at worst.
2nd in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.75 | 4th of 35 | 32nd of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.62% | 15th of 35 | T109th of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.56% | 6th of 35 | 62nd of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 107.06 | 2nd of 35 | 20th of 293‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 69 | T2nd of 520 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 69 | T12th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 2nd of 69 | T5th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T2nd of 69 | T14th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T5th of 69 | T33rd of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T3rd of 69 | T12th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 35 | T85th of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T1st of 69 | T4th of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T8th of 69 | T54th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 67 | 4th of 69 | T24th of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 1st of 69 | 1st of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 1.0(1st), 92.36% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 136.55(1st), Best 1st, Worst 1st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 49.31% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 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, 2 Stage Wins, 7.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- Finished 14th, Started 1st, Led 60 laps (53.1%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 110 Laps in Top15 (97.35% of laps he ran), had 117.1 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 24.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 40th)
- Best Finish: 14th, Worst: 33rd
- Completed 85.14% of laps (% ranks 38th)
- 84.9% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 94.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 42.62% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Pole, 33.33% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 33.33% (% ranks T27th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 66.67% (% ranks T36th)
- 2 DNF’s, 66.67% (% ranks T46th)
- 2 Stage Wins, 33.33% (% ranks 2nd)
- 4 Stage Top 10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T7th)
- 5.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Outlook
Austin Hill is notable because, well because he has won the first 2 Superspeedway races of 2023. At Martinsville Hill struggled as he ran less than 40% of his laps in the Top 15 and he ended up finishing 16th. This pushed Hill’s Avg. Finish to 9.75 and ranks 4th best on the year, but his Avg. Driver Rating still ranks 2nd best at 107.06. In fact even with the struggle last week his overall numbers are still good as he has 3 Wins and 6 Top 10’s in the 8 races this year. In the 2 Superspeedway races in 2023 Hill has been superb as he has won both of them, ran 92.36% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 7.75 Stage Pts Per Stage with Stage Wins in 2 of the 4 stages. Even more impressive is that he has led 49.31% of the laps and his Avg. Driver Rating is a whopping 136.55. Last Fall at Talladega Hill was almost more impressive than these stats as even with a 14th place finish he still had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 117.1. He did this by leading 53% of the race, winning both stages and ran in the Top 15 for 97% of the race. Unfortunately the 14th is Hill’s best finish here in 3 races as the first two he ran well but DNF’d. In all he has a 24.67 Avg. Finish but he’s also led 42% of his laps here and has 5.67 Stage Pts Per Stage as well. In short Hill will be good this weekend and run a lot of his race in the Top 15, probably in the lead, but as far as finishing position, it’s a guess. I’m going to guess he finishes outside the Top 10, probably with another DNF.
Austin Hill is notable because, well because he has won the first 2 Superspeedway races of 2023. At Martinsville Hill struggled as he ran less than 40% of his laps in the Top 15 and he ended up finishing 16th. This pushed Hill’s Avg. Finish to 9.75 and ranks 4th best on the year, but his Avg. Driver Rating still ranks 2nd best at 107.06. In fact even with the struggle last week his overall numbers are still good as he has 3 Wins and 6 Top 10’s in the 8 races this year. In the 2 Superspeedway races in 2023 Hill has been superb as he has won both of them, ran 92.36% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 7.75 Stage Pts Per Stage with Stage Wins in 2 of the 4 stages. Even more impressive is that he has led 49.31% of the laps and his Avg. Driver Rating is a whopping 136.55. Last Fall at Talladega Hill was almost more impressive than these stats as even with a 14th place finish he still had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 117.1. He did this by leading 53% of the race, winning both stages and ran in the Top 15 for 97% of the race. Unfortunately the 14th is Hill’s best finish here in 3 races as the first two he ran well but DNF’d. In all he has a 24.67 Avg. Finish but he’s also led 42% of his laps here and has 5.67 Stage Pts Per Stage as well. In short Hill will be good this weekend and run a lot of his race in the Top 15, probably in the lead, but as far as finishing position, it’s a guess. I’m going to guess he finishes outside the Top 10, probably with another DNF.
3rd in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.38 | 3rd of 35 | 31st of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.4% | 16th of 35 | 112th of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.2% | 3rd of 35 | 41st of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.5 | 3rd of 35 | 32nd of 293‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 69 | T13th of 520 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 69 | T12th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 69 | T29th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T4th of 69 | T28th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T1st of 69 | T14th of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 35 | T85th of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T5th of 69 | T31st of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T3rd of 69 | T25th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 60 | 7th of 69 | T34th of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 3rd of 69 | T13th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 20.0(T25th), 66.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 82.1(16th), Best 12th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 87.5%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Spring Talladega Race
- Finished 38th (crash), Started 30th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 11 Laps in Top15 (23.4% of laps he ran), had 43.0 Driver Rating (ranked 32nd)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 38.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 50th)
- Best Finish: 38th, Worst: 38th
- Completed 37.9% of laps (% ranks 49th)
- 23.4% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 33rd)
- 43.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 47th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T46th)
- 1 DNF, 100% (% ranks T48th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage Top 10’s
Outlook
Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 8 races. In Martinsville Smith ran almost every laps in the Top 15 and ended up 10th at the finish. This is right on top of his 9.38 Avg. Finish this year, which ranks 3rd best. In fact Smith’s 101.5 Avg. Driver Rating, 6 Playoff Pts, and 86.2% of laps run in the Top 15 all rank 3rd, so it’s safe to say he’s been the 3rd best driver this year. One stat he’s been really good in is Top 5’s as his 4 Top 5’s rank T1st this year. However, none of those Top 5’s came at a Superspeedway where in 2 races he has finishes of 12th and 28th with 1 DNF. In these races he’s ran 66.67% of his laps in the Top 15 and he has the 16th best Avg. Driver Rating at 82.1 with 0 laps led. The good news is he has gotten 4 Stage Pts Per Stage and Kaulig is typically good at Talladega, but the news is that Smith has only ran 1 race here, last Spring, and that race did not go well at all. Smith only ran 38% of the race before crashing out to finish dead last (38th). Even when he was in the race it wasn’t pretty though as he only ran 23.4% of his laps in the Top 15 and at the end of the race his 43.0 Driver Rating was 32nd best. As this is the only start he has had here there isn’t much to go off of so it’s hard to handicap him this weekend. Based on all the stats though I think Smith runs Top 15 for half the race but nothing tells me he will finish good, so I say he DNF’s in Stage 2 and finishes out of the Top 30.
Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2023 stats thru 8 races. In Martinsville Smith ran almost every laps in the Top 15 and ended up 10th at the finish. This is right on top of his 9.38 Avg. Finish this year, which ranks 3rd best. In fact Smith’s 101.5 Avg. Driver Rating, 6 Playoff Pts, and 86.2% of laps run in the Top 15 all rank 3rd, so it’s safe to say he’s been the 3rd best driver this year. One stat he’s been really good in is Top 5’s as his 4 Top 5’s rank T1st this year. However, none of those Top 5’s came at a Superspeedway where in 2 races he has finishes of 12th and 28th with 1 DNF. In these races he’s ran 66.67% of his laps in the Top 15 and he has the 16th best Avg. Driver Rating at 82.1 with 0 laps led. The good news is he has gotten 4 Stage Pts Per Stage and Kaulig is typically good at Talladega, but the news is that Smith has only ran 1 race here, last Spring, and that race did not go well at all. Smith only ran 38% of the race before crashing out to finish dead last (38th). Even when he was in the race it wasn’t pretty though as he only ran 23.4% of his laps in the Top 15 and at the end of the race his 43.0 Driver Rating was 32nd best. As this is the only start he has had here there isn’t much to go off of so it’s hard to handicap him this weekend. Based on all the stats though I think Smith runs Top 15 for half the race but nothing tells me he will finish good, so I say he DNF’s in Stage 2 and finishes out of the Top 30.
5th in Points – Josh Berry
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.25 | 2nd of 35 | T21st of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.72% | 5th of 35 | 58th of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 98.18 | 6th of 35 | 44th of 293‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 69 | T48th of 520 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 69 | T78th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T7th of 69 | T46th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T1st of 69 | T14th of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T1st of 69 | T4th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T5th of 69 | T31st of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T8th of 69 | T54th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 46 | 10th of 69 | 48th of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 69 | T40th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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 (active streak)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 16.5(T17th), 77.08% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.4(8th), Best 7th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 5.9% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- Finished 5th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 2, ran 71 Laps in Top15 (62.83% of laps he ran), had 94.2 Driver Rating (ranked 12th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 14.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 11th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 31st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 56.22% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 23rd)
- 82.28 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 17th)
- Led 1.84% of laps he’s run (% ranks 18th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks T3rd)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks 11th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 7th)
- 1.38 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 17th)
Outlook
Josh Berry is notable because of how well he’s ran this year thru the first 8 races. Last week Berry finished 4th to extend his series leading Top 10 streak to 7 races, and this was also Berry’s 4th finish in the Top 5 this year. Both his 4 Top 5’s and his 7 Top 10’s rank T1st on the year but he still only has 1 Top 3 and with this his Avg. Finish ranks 2nd best at 8.25. This is still better than his 81.72 Laps in Top15% that ranks 5th best and his 98.18 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 6th. However this is even better than his stages as his 8 Stage T10’s rank T8th and his 46 Stage Pts rank 10th. In other words Berry has finished decent but need to run better. The opposite is true in the 2 Superspeedway races this year as his 16.5 Avg. Finish ranks T17th (with finishes of 7th and 26th), but his 90.4 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 8th. In all he’s ran 77% of his laps in these races in the Top 15, led 5.9% of his laps, and has gotten 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. In the last race here at Dega Berry finished 5th after getting 1 Stage Pt and spending 62.83% of his laps in the Top 15. This ended with him having just the 12th best Driver Rating of the race at 94.2, but this is still better than his 82.28 Avg. Driver Rating that he has in his 4 races here. In those 4 races he has a 14.0 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, and a worst finish of 31st. Overall I feel Berry will run decent this weekend but will either end up wrecked or between 5th and 15th at the end of the race.
Josh Berry is notable because of how well he’s ran this year thru the first 8 races. Last week Berry finished 4th to extend his series leading Top 10 streak to 7 races, and this was also Berry’s 4th finish in the Top 5 this year. Both his 4 Top 5’s and his 7 Top 10’s rank T1st on the year but he still only has 1 Top 3 and with this his Avg. Finish ranks 2nd best at 8.25. This is still better than his 81.72 Laps in Top15% that ranks 5th best and his 98.18 Avg. Driver Rating that ranks 6th. However this is even better than his stages as his 8 Stage T10’s rank T8th and his 46 Stage Pts rank 10th. In other words Berry has finished decent but need to run better. The opposite is true in the 2 Superspeedway races this year as his 16.5 Avg. Finish ranks T17th (with finishes of 7th and 26th), but his 90.4 Avg. Driver Rating ranks 8th. In all he’s ran 77% of his laps in these races in the Top 15, led 5.9% of his laps, and has gotten 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. In the last race here at Dega Berry finished 5th after getting 1 Stage Pt and spending 62.83% of his laps in the Top 15. This ended with him having just the 12th best Driver Rating of the race at 94.2, but this is still better than his 82.28 Avg. Driver Rating that he has in his 4 races here. In those 4 races he has a 14.0 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, and a worst finish of 31st. Overall I feel Berry will run decent this weekend but will either end up wrecked or between 5th and 15th at the end of the race.
10th in Points – Sheldon Creed
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.5 | T13th of 35 | T105th of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.93% | 19th of 35 | 152nd of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 77.96% | 7th of 35 | 66th of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 85.41 | 11th of 35 | 85th of 293‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 69 | T48th of 520 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 69 | T78th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T7th of 69 | T46th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T10th of 69 | T83rd of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T8th of 69 | T54th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 35 | T85th of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T5th of 69 | T31st of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | 2nd of 69 | T8th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 65 | 5th of 69 | T28th of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 69 | T40th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 27.5(T33rd), 75.53% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.0(21st), Best 21st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 70.83%, Led 2.45% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- Finished 12th, Started 3rd, Led 2 laps (1.77%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1, ran 102 Laps in Top15 (90.27% of laps he ran), had 106.5 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 18.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T21st)
- Best Finish: 12th, Worst: 24th
- Completed 95.36% of laps (% ranks 25th)
- 88.94% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 98.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 1.33% of laps he’s run (% ranks 22nd)
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T16th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T22nd)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T37th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T12th)
Outlook
Sheldon Creed is notable because of how he has ran at Talladega in his Xfinity career. Last week Creed was on pace for a near Top 10 finish before wrecking on the last lap relegating him to 27th. This dropped his Avg. Finish from 15.0 to 16.5, which ranks T13th this year. His 85.41 Avg. Driver Rating is a little better ranking 11th, but even better is that he has ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15 which ranks 7th. On the year Creed has 1 Top 5 and 4 Top 10’s but his best stats are stage stats where he has 13 Stage T10’s (ranks 2nd) and 65 Stage Pts (ranks 5th). In the 2 Superspeedway races this year Creed’s best finish is 21st even though he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 21st best Avg. Driver Rating at 74.0. His other finish was 34th which was the result of his lone DNF on the year, but like his overall stats this year, his stage stats are good as he’s gotten 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. In the Fall race here last year Creed had a similar race to his teammate Austin Hill in the sense that he ran well but finished out of the Top 10. He ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 4th best Driver Rating (106.5) only to finish 12th. Creed has only ran 2 races here and while his Avg. Finish is only 18.0, his 98.5 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best among active drivers. In short I expect Creed to run well this weekend, near the Top 15 all day, but probably DNF like his teammate above. However if it isn’t a DNF then it’s a Top 10 for sure.
Sheldon Creed is notable because of how he has ran at Talladega in his Xfinity career. Last week Creed was on pace for a near Top 10 finish before wrecking on the last lap relegating him to 27th. This dropped his Avg. Finish from 15.0 to 16.5, which ranks T13th this year. His 85.41 Avg. Driver Rating is a little better ranking 11th, but even better is that he has ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15 which ranks 7th. On the year Creed has 1 Top 5 and 4 Top 10’s but his best stats are stage stats where he has 13 Stage T10’s (ranks 2nd) and 65 Stage Pts (ranks 5th). In the 2 Superspeedway races this year Creed’s best finish is 21st even though he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 21st best Avg. Driver Rating at 74.0. His other finish was 34th which was the result of his lone DNF on the year, but like his overall stats this year, his stage stats are good as he’s gotten 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. In the Fall race here last year Creed had a similar race to his teammate Austin Hill in the sense that he ran well but finished out of the Top 10. He ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 4th best Driver Rating (106.5) only to finish 12th. Creed has only ran 2 races here and while his Avg. Finish is only 18.0, his 98.5 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best among active drivers. In short I expect Creed to run well this weekend, near the Top 15 all day, but probably DNF like his teammate above. However if it isn’t a DNF then it’s a Top 10 for sure.
14th in Points – Ryan Sieg
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.13 | 12th of 35 | T92nd of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.78% | T7th of 35 | T35th of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 39.45% | 15th of 35 | 128th of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 75.55 | 14th of 35 | 115th of 293‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 69 | T48th of 520 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 69 | T78th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T15th of 69 | T105th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T22nd of 69 | T139th of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T14th of 69 | T111th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 69 | T68th of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | T14th of 69 | T98th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 19 | 14th of 69 | T88th of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 69 | T59th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 9.5(6th), 75.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.3(9th), Best 8th, Worst 11th, 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, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- Finished 4th, Started 14th, Led 11 laps (9.73%), Finished 9th in Stage 2, ran 104 Laps in Top15 (92.04% of laps he ran), had 106.8 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 12 Races
- 13.25 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 30th
- Completed 98.66% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 50.11% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 24th)
- 75.85 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 25th)
- Led 0.98% of laps he’s run (% ranks 24th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 8.33% (% ranks 12th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 33.33% (% ranks T4th)
- 7 Top 15’s, 58.33% (% ranks 13th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks T9th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage Top 10’s, 33.33% (% ranks T17th)
Outlook
Ryan Sieg is notable because of how well he ran in the Fall Talladega race last year. At Martinsville, last week, Sieg ran just inside the Top 20 most the race and finished there too, in 18th. This raised his Avg. Finish to 15.13, still respectable for the small team, and his Avg. Driver Rating now ranks 14th at 75.55. 14th is also where his 4 Stage T10’s and 19 Stage Pts rank, as well as his 2 Top 10’s that he has this year. The worst stats for Sieg this year are his 0 Top 5’s and the fact he’s only ran 40% of his laps in the Top 15. However the good news is this weekend is a Superspeedway where Sieg has a 9.5 Avg. Finish in the 2 races this year (ranks 6th) and an 89.3 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 9th). More good news is that 75% of his laps he’s run in the Top 15 in the 2 races and his worst finish is 11th. However, these stats are nothing compared to how Sieg ran at Talladega last Fall where he ended up 4th after running 92.04% of the race in the Top 15. In addition Sieg led 10% of the laps and his 106.8 Driver Rating was 3rd best in the race, so he ran and finished well in the race. Overall at Talladega Sieg has raced 12 times finishing Top 5 in a third of the races and Top 15 in over half. This puts his Avg. Finish here at 13.25, but he’s only ran 50% of his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating is just 75.85. This weekend I see Sieg running Top 15 a lot though and finishing 6th-10th, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes Top 5 either.
Ryan Sieg is notable because of how well he ran in the Fall Talladega race last year. At Martinsville, last week, Sieg ran just inside the Top 20 most the race and finished there too, in 18th. This raised his Avg. Finish to 15.13, still respectable for the small team, and his Avg. Driver Rating now ranks 14th at 75.55. 14th is also where his 4 Stage T10’s and 19 Stage Pts rank, as well as his 2 Top 10’s that he has this year. The worst stats for Sieg this year are his 0 Top 5’s and the fact he’s only ran 40% of his laps in the Top 15. However the good news is this weekend is a Superspeedway where Sieg has a 9.5 Avg. Finish in the 2 races this year (ranks 6th) and an 89.3 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 9th). More good news is that 75% of his laps he’s run in the Top 15 in the 2 races and his worst finish is 11th. However, these stats are nothing compared to how Sieg ran at Talladega last Fall where he ended up 4th after running 92.04% of the race in the Top 15. In addition Sieg led 10% of the laps and his 106.8 Driver Rating was 3rd best in the race, so he ran and finished well in the race. Overall at Talladega Sieg has raced 12 times finishing Top 5 in a third of the races and Top 15 in over half. This puts his Avg. Finish here at 13.25, but he’s only ran 50% of his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating is just 75.85. This weekend I see Sieg running Top 15 a lot though and finishing 6th-10th, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes Top 5 either.
15th in Points – Jeb Burton
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.5 | T13th of 35 | T105th of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.93% | T4th of 35 | T22nd of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 38.29% | 16th of 35 | 129th of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 72.38 | 16th of 35 | 126th of 293‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 69 | T48th of 520 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T11th of 69 | T78th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T15th of 69 | T105th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T22nd of 69 | T139th of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T28th of 69 | T209th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 69 | T68th of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | 17th of 69 | T116th of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 8 | 17th of 69 | T113th of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 69 | T59th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 13.5(10th), 34.72% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.5(17th), Best 11th, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- Finished 17th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 2, ran 81 Laps in Top15 (71.68% of laps he ran), had 70.5 Driver Rating (ranked 17th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 6 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T4th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 17th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 81.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 91.05 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 5.28% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 1 Win, 16.67% (% ranks T4th)
- 2 Top 3’s, 33.33% (% ranks T3rd)
- 3 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks 10th)
- 3.4 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Outlook
Jeb Burton is notable because of how well he’s run at Talladega in his 6 career starts. Last week Burton ran a decent race coming home P14. This finish improved Burton’s Avg. Finish to 16.5 (ranks T13th), and his 73.0 Driver Rating in the race raised his Avg. Driver Rating to 72.38 (ranks 16th). This year he has 0 Top 10’s, has only ran 38% of his laps in the Top 15, and has just 3 Stage T10’s leading to only 8 Stage Pts. This may not be great but he does have a worst finish of only 22nd plus he has 0 DNF’s, so he’s been consistent. This consistency includes his 2 Superspeedway races this year where he’s finished 11th and 16th with an 81.5 Avg. Driver Rating in the them. However Burton has also only ran 35% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 races and has just 1.75 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 stages. In the Fall Talladega race last year Burton’s stats were just the opposite as he got 6 Stage Pts and ran 71.68% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he ultimately finished 17th with the 17th best Driver Rating at 70.5. This was Burton’s 6th race here and it was his worst finish in those 6 races. His Avg. Finish here is 10.0 and his lone win in the Xfinity Series came at Talladega in 2021. In fact he’s ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 91.05 Avg. Driver Rating, and half of his finishes here are Top 10’s. Based on the stats I think Burton runs mid to back of the pack most the day and comes home with his 1st Top 10 this year, but no better than 5th.
Jeb Burton is notable because of how well he’s run at Talladega in his 6 career starts. Last week Burton ran a decent race coming home P14. This finish improved Burton’s Avg. Finish to 16.5 (ranks T13th), and his 73.0 Driver Rating in the race raised his Avg. Driver Rating to 72.38 (ranks 16th). This year he has 0 Top 10’s, has only ran 38% of his laps in the Top 15, and has just 3 Stage T10’s leading to only 8 Stage Pts. This may not be great but he does have a worst finish of only 22nd plus he has 0 DNF’s, so he’s been consistent. This consistency includes his 2 Superspeedway races this year where he’s finished 11th and 16th with an 81.5 Avg. Driver Rating in the them. However Burton has also only ran 35% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 races and has just 1.75 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 stages. In the Fall Talladega race last year Burton’s stats were just the opposite as he got 6 Stage Pts and ran 71.68% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he ultimately finished 17th with the 17th best Driver Rating at 70.5. This was Burton’s 6th race here and it was his worst finish in those 6 races. His Avg. Finish here is 10.0 and his lone win in the Xfinity Series came at Talladega in 2021. In fact he’s ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 91.05 Avg. Driver Rating, and half of his finishes here are Top 10’s. Based on the stats I think Burton runs mid to back of the pack most the day and comes home with his 1st Top 10 this year, but no better than 5th.
23rd in Points/ 12th in Owner Points – Ryan Truex
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 5.67 | – of 35 | – of 293 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 35 | – of 293 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.69% | – of 35 | – of 293 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.73 | – of 35 | – of 293‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 69 | T48th of 520 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 69 | T30th of 520 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 69 | T29th of 520 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T4th of 69 | T28th of 520 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T7th of 69 | T51st of 520 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T14th of 69 | T111th of 520 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 35 | – of 293 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T10th of 69 | T68th of 449* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T25th of 69 | T162nd of 449* |
| Stage Pts | 4 | 19th of 69 | T133rd of 449* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 69 | T59th of 449* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 8 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
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 46 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 3.0(2nd), 92.64% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 106.4(2nd), Best 3rd, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% 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, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Fall Talladega Race
- did not race
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 24.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks T37th)
- Best Finish: 11th, Worst: 38th
- Completed 64.98% of laps (% ranks 48th)
- 65.58% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 20th)
- 81.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 19th)
- Led 0.65% of laps he’s run (% ranks T27th)
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T16th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T22nd)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T37th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook
Ryan Truex is notable because of how he faired in his 1 Superspeedway start this year. Martinsville last week was Truex’s worst of 3 races this year and his 1st finish outside the Top 3, finishing 12th. This obviously hurt his Avg. Finish but it still stands at an impressive 5.67, and his Avg. Driver Rating is a respectable 96.73. In addition Truex has ran 83.69% of his laps in the Top 15 in the races he’s ran, but unfortunately only has 1 Stage T10 and 4 Stage Pts to show for it. This year he has only raced one Superspeedway race, but in the race he finished 3rd and overall he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating in Superspeedway races this year at 106.4. Furthermore he ran 92.64% of his laps in the Top 15 in that race, but again had 0 Stage Pts to show for it. Overall Truex has ran 2 Talladega races and neither race went all that great as he finished 11th and 38th in them. Overall his Avg. Driver Rating here is 81.2 and he’s only ran 65.58% of his laps in the Top 15, but he also hasn’t ran here since 2018 so this time could be different. The good news is that he has 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage and his worst finish was a DNF, so his only race he finished here he finished 11th. With Truex running in JGR equipment and based on his stats this year I think this will be his best Talladega race yet. I see him running Top 15 most the day finish Top 10 for sure, if he doesn’t get in a wreck, and I think a Top 5 or Win is a good possibility as well.
Ryan Truex is notable because of how he faired in his 1 Superspeedway start this year. Martinsville last week was Truex’s worst of 3 races this year and his 1st finish outside the Top 3, finishing 12th. This obviously hurt his Avg. Finish but it still stands at an impressive 5.67, and his Avg. Driver Rating is a respectable 96.73. In addition Truex has ran 83.69% of his laps in the Top 15 in the races he’s ran, but unfortunately only has 1 Stage T10 and 4 Stage Pts to show for it. This year he has only raced one Superspeedway race, but in the race he finished 3rd and overall he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating in Superspeedway races this year at 106.4. Furthermore he ran 92.64% of his laps in the Top 15 in that race, but again had 0 Stage Pts to show for it. Overall Truex has ran 2 Talladega races and neither race went all that great as he finished 11th and 38th in them. Overall his Avg. Driver Rating here is 81.2 and he’s only ran 65.58% of his laps in the Top 15, but he also hasn’t ran here since 2018 so this time could be different. The good news is that he has 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage and his worst finish was a DNF, so his only race he finished here he finished 11th. With Truex running in JGR equipment and based on his stats this year I think this will be his best Talladega race yet. I see him running Top 15 most the day finish Top 10 for sure, if he doesn’t get in a wreck, and I think a Top 5 or Win is a good possibility as well.
