Last week, at Kansas, Grant Enfinger spanked the field to pick up his first regular season Truck win since Sept 10, 2020. This week we go to another Intermediate, the Track Too Tough to Tame, Darlington. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Intermediate track stats, 1 based on the last Darlington race and 2 based on their overall Darlington 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 8 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Intermediate track (1.3-1.5 mile) statistics and Darlington statistics.
1st in Points – Zane Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.13 | 3rd of 31 | 17th of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 31 | T1st of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.93% | 3rd of 31 | 27th of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 111.6 | 2nd of 31 | 11th of 245‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 1st of 82 | T6th of 560 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 82 | T3rd of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T1st of 82 | T8th of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 1st of 82 | T3rd of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T1st of 82 | T3rd of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T3rd of 82 | T20th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T6th of 82 | T26th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T1st of 82 | T6th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 84 | 2nd of 82 | 12th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 1st of 82 | T5th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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 Poles
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.33(3rd), 96.59% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 115.0(2nd), Best 2nd, Worst 14th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 3.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 8th, Started 4th, Led 9 laps (6.04%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 120 Laps in Top15 (80.54% of laps he ran), had 92.7 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 12.25 Avg. Finish (Ranks 11th)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 16th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 78.66% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 91.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 1.51% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T14th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 5 Stage T10’s, 62.5% (% ranks T6th)
- 2.88 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Outlook
Zane Smith is notable because of how he’s done on Intermediate tracks this year. At Kansas last week Smith ran a good race and wound up 3rd. This race improved his Avg. Finish to 8.13, 3rd best, and his Avg. Driver Rating to 111.6, 2nd best. To further show his greatness this year he has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and his 2 Wins, 2 Poles, 3 Top 2’s, 5 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 13 Stage T10’s, 11 Playoff Pts are most or tied most this year. The only negative to Smith’s 2023 stats is the fact he has just 1 Stage Win, but the good news is that came at an Intermediate track. Smith has also gotten 6 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 3 races on Intermediates and his 115 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best. In the 3 races he has 2 Top 3’s with a worst finish of 14th, an Avg. Finish of 6.33 (3rd best), and he’s been in the Top 15 for 97% of his laps. Last year in the race at Darlington Smith led 9 laps and ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, but ended with 0 Stage Pts. At the end of the day he came home 8th with 9th best Driver Rating at 92.7. This, surprisingly, was his best finish here and only his 2nd Top 10 in 4 starts at Darlington. Overall he has a 12.25 Avg. Finish, 91.1 Avg. Driver Rating, and 2.88 Stage Pts Per Stage. So, while Smith has been good this year that may not be the case this weekend. Based on the stats I see Smith having a good run, but not what we are accustomed to as he finishes between 6th and 12th.
Zane Smith is notable because of how he’s done on Intermediate tracks this year. At Kansas last week Smith ran a good race and wound up 3rd. This race improved his Avg. Finish to 8.13, 3rd best, and his Avg. Driver Rating to 111.6, 2nd best. To further show his greatness this year he has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and his 2 Wins, 2 Poles, 3 Top 2’s, 5 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 13 Stage T10’s, 11 Playoff Pts are most or tied most this year. The only negative to Smith’s 2023 stats is the fact he has just 1 Stage Win, but the good news is that came at an Intermediate track. Smith has also gotten 6 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 3 races on Intermediates and his 115 Avg. Driver Rating is 2nd best. In the 3 races he has 2 Top 3’s with a worst finish of 14th, an Avg. Finish of 6.33 (3rd best), and he’s been in the Top 15 for 97% of his laps. Last year in the race at Darlington Smith led 9 laps and ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, but ended with 0 Stage Pts. At the end of the day he came home 8th with 9th best Driver Rating at 92.7. This, surprisingly, was his best finish here and only his 2nd Top 10 in 4 starts at Darlington. Overall he has a 12.25 Avg. Finish, 91.1 Avg. Driver Rating, and 2.88 Stage Pts Per Stage. So, while Smith has been good this year that may not be the case this weekend. Based on the stats I see Smith having a good run, but not what we are accustomed to as he finishes between 6th and 12th.
2nd in Points – Ty Majeski
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.5 | 2nd of 31 | 13th of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.69% | 6th of 31 | T36th of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.2% | 2nd of 31 | 21st of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.96 | 3rd of 31 | 23rd of 245‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 82 | T44th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 82 | T31st of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 82 | T26th of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T1st of 82 | T3rd of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 82 | T12th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T6th of 82 | T26th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T1st of 82 | T6th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 87 | 1st of 82 | 9th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 82 | T30th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.33(10th), 81.01% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 95.83(8th), Best 4th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.32%, Led 2.75% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 4th, Started 2nd, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 95 Laps in Top15 (63.76% of laps he ran), had 95.0 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 8.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 13th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 74.42% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 87.15 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 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
Ty Majeski is notable because of his stats thru 8 races this year. In Kansas Majeski was fast again, but an incident took him out of contention and relegated him to 25th place. However, Majeski’s Avg. Finish is still 2nd best at 7.5. In addition his 89.2 Laps in Top15% ranks 2nd, and his 102.96 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 3rd best. In the 8 races this year he has 2 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, and 6 Top 10’s with the most Stage T10’s (13) and most Stage Pts (87). Unfortunately, like Smith above, Majeski has only 1 Stage Win, but unlike Smith who has 2 race wins, Majeski has 0. That may not change this weekend as Majeski has 0 Top 3’s in the 3 Intermediate races this year, but he does have 2 Top 5’s with last week being his lone Intermediate finish out of the Top 5. Furthermore he has an 11.33 Avg. Finish in the 3 races, a 95.83 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 2.75% of the laps he’s run with 1 Stage Win. In this race last year Majeski had a flat tire mid-race causing him to run just 63% of his laps in the Top 15, but in the end he finished 4th with the 7th best Driver Rating at 95.0. This was only Majeski’s 2nd race at Darlington, but it was his best. In the 2 races he has an 8.5 Avg. Finish with 0 laps led, a 87.15 Avg. Driver Rating, and 0 Stage T10’s. Putting all this together if Majeski can avoid mishaps then he probably finishes Top 10. However, I don’t see him getting anything better than 4th.
Ty Majeski is notable because of his stats thru 8 races this year. In Kansas Majeski was fast again, but an incident took him out of contention and relegated him to 25th place. However, Majeski’s Avg. Finish is still 2nd best at 7.5. In addition his 89.2 Laps in Top15% ranks 2nd, and his 102.96 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 3rd best. In the 8 races this year he has 2 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, and 6 Top 10’s with the most Stage T10’s (13) and most Stage Pts (87). Unfortunately, like Smith above, Majeski has only 1 Stage Win, but unlike Smith who has 2 race wins, Majeski has 0. That may not change this weekend as Majeski has 0 Top 3’s in the 3 Intermediate races this year, but he does have 2 Top 5’s with last week being his lone Intermediate finish out of the Top 5. Furthermore he has an 11.33 Avg. Finish in the 3 races, a 95.83 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 2.75% of the laps he’s run with 1 Stage Win. In this race last year Majeski had a flat tire mid-race causing him to run just 63% of his laps in the Top 15, but in the end he finished 4th with the 7th best Driver Rating at 95.0. This was only Majeski’s 2nd race at Darlington, but it was his best. In the 2 races he has an 8.5 Avg. Finish with 0 laps led, a 87.15 Avg. Driver Rating, and 0 Stage T10’s. Putting all this together if Majeski can avoid mishaps then he probably finishes Top 10. However, I don’t see him getting anything better than 4th.
3rd in Points – Ben Rhodes
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.0 | 5th of 31 | T32nd of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.9% | T4th of 31 | T21st of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.51% | 4th of 31 | 40th of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.58 | 6th of 31 | 44th of 245‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 82 | T44th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 82 | T77th of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T6th of 82 | T50th of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T6th of 82 | T51st of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T3rd of 82 | T20th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T11th of 82 | T57th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | 3rd of 82 | T18th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 66 | 4th of 82 | T26th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 82 | T49th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.67(9th), 87.24% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.1(6th), Best 3rd, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 99.77%, Led 4.56% 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, 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 25th, Started 15th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 141 Laps in Top15 (95.27% of laps he ran), had 83.2 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 15.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 16th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 34th
- Completed 98.66% of laps (% ranks T18th)
- 74.11% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 91.3 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 6.47% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 2 Top 2’s, 50.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 2 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T14th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T17th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- Stage T10’s, 62.5% (% ranks T6th)
- 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Outlook
Ben Rhodes is notable because he is 3rd in points. Last week, at Kansas, Rhodes had contact with Kyle Busch that hindered both their trucks and resulted in Rhodes finishing P16. This raised his Avg. Finish to 10.0, 5th best, and since he finished a lap down stopped his hopes of running every lap this season. The good news is 82.51% of his laps this year have been run in the Top 15 and his 94.58 Avg. Driver Rating is the 6th best this year. In addition to this his 5 Top 10’s, 12 Stage T10’s, and 66 Stage Pts all rank 4th or better. The bad thing for Rhodes is that he only has 2 Top 5’s this year and has won 0 of the 16 stages so far. However, there is good news in the sense that Rhodes has a 9.67 Avg. Finish in the 3 Intermediate races this year, ranks 9th, with a best of 3rd, and his 101.1 Avg. Driver Rating is even better at 6th best. Adding to this he’s led 4.56% of his laps in the 3 races and he’s gained 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Now for more bad news in this emotional rollercoaster. At Darlington last year Rhodes finished 25th and led 0 laps, but in good news he did get 5 Stage Pts and ran 95.27% of his laps in the Top 15. Overall at Darlington Rhodes is hit or miss in his 4 finishes as he has 2 Top 2’s and 2 finishes out of the Top 20. He does have 1 Win, however, and has a 91.3 Avg. Driver Rating here. I expect Rhodes to be fast this weekend and either finish in the Top 5 or outside the Top 15.
Ben Rhodes is notable because he is 3rd in points. Last week, at Kansas, Rhodes had contact with Kyle Busch that hindered both their trucks and resulted in Rhodes finishing P16. This raised his Avg. Finish to 10.0, 5th best, and since he finished a lap down stopped his hopes of running every lap this season. The good news is 82.51% of his laps this year have been run in the Top 15 and his 94.58 Avg. Driver Rating is the 6th best this year. In addition to this his 5 Top 10’s, 12 Stage T10’s, and 66 Stage Pts all rank 4th or better. The bad thing for Rhodes is that he only has 2 Top 5’s this year and has won 0 of the 16 stages so far. However, there is good news in the sense that Rhodes has a 9.67 Avg. Finish in the 3 Intermediate races this year, ranks 9th, with a best of 3rd, and his 101.1 Avg. Driver Rating is even better at 6th best. Adding to this he’s led 4.56% of his laps in the 3 races and he’s gained 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Now for more bad news in this emotional rollercoaster. At Darlington last year Rhodes finished 25th and led 0 laps, but in good news he did get 5 Stage Pts and ran 95.27% of his laps in the Top 15. Overall at Darlington Rhodes is hit or miss in his 4 finishes as he has 2 Top 2’s and 2 finishes out of the Top 20. He does have 1 Win, however, and has a 91.3 Avg. Driver Rating here. I expect Rhodes to be fast this weekend and either finish in the Top 5 or outside the Top 15.
4th in Points – Corey Heim
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.63 | 4th of 31 | 30th of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.44% | 17th of 31 | 125th of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 79.63% | 5th of 31 | 52nd of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.26 | 4th of 31 | 25th of 245‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 82 | T14th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | 3rd of 82 | T14th of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T3rd of 82 | T26th of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 82 | T26th of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 82 | T12th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 31 | T66th of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T2nd of 82 | T14th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T7th of 82 | T58th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 53 | 6th of 82 | T40th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | 3rd of 82 | T14th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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)
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.33(2nd), 93.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.93(3rd), Best 2nd, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.95% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 23rd, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 110 Laps in Top15 (73.83% of laps he ran), had 79.7 Driver Rating (ranked 14th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 23.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 20th)
- Best Finish: 23rd, Worst: 23rd
- Completed 98.31% of laps (% ranks 21st)
- 71.82% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 82.45 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 0.69% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 15’s
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T25th)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T27th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Corey Heim is notable because of his 2023 stats. In Kansas Heim got his 2nd Top 2 finish of the season, finishing 2nd. This race was his 2nd straight Top 2 finish and improved his Avg. Finish to 9.63, while also improving his Avg. Driver Rating to 102.26, both are 4th best this year. In addition this was also Heim’s 3rd Top 5 and 6th Top 10 in 8 races. In addition Heim has 2 Stage Wins this year, but unfortunately stages as a whole haven’t been his best as he has just 8 Stage T10’s with 53 Stage Pts in 16 stages. What is good is that this week is an Intermediate track where in 3 races this year Heim has the 2nd best Avg. Finish at 4.33 and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 108.93. More good news is that he’s ran 94% of his laps on these tracks in the Top 15, has 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, and 3 Top 10’s with 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Darlington Heim was running Top 10 when he blew a tire and finished 23rd. Overall he ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15 that day, led 0 laps, and had the 14th best Driver Rating at 79.7. This was Heim’s 2nd race at Darlington and he’s finished 23rd in both with one of those being a DNF. The good news is that in the races he’s ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 82.45 Avg. Driver Rating. If Heim can avoid mishaps this weekend then I think he’ll get that good finish he’s been robbed of in his first 2 races here, finishing somewhere in the Top 10.
Corey Heim is notable because of his 2023 stats. In Kansas Heim got his 2nd Top 2 finish of the season, finishing 2nd. This race was his 2nd straight Top 2 finish and improved his Avg. Finish to 9.63, while also improving his Avg. Driver Rating to 102.26, both are 4th best this year. In addition this was also Heim’s 3rd Top 5 and 6th Top 10 in 8 races. In addition Heim has 2 Stage Wins this year, but unfortunately stages as a whole haven’t been his best as he has just 8 Stage T10’s with 53 Stage Pts in 16 stages. What is good is that this week is an Intermediate track where in 3 races this year Heim has the 2nd best Avg. Finish at 4.33 and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 108.93. More good news is that he’s ran 94% of his laps on these tracks in the Top 15, has 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, and 3 Top 10’s with 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Darlington Heim was running Top 10 when he blew a tire and finished 23rd. Overall he ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15 that day, led 0 laps, and had the 14th best Driver Rating at 79.7. This was Heim’s 2nd race at Darlington and he’s finished 23rd in both with one of those being a DNF. The good news is that in the races he’s ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 82.45 Avg. Driver Rating. If Heim can avoid mishaps this weekend then I think he’ll get that good finish he’s been robbed of in his first 2 races here, finishing somewhere in the Top 10.
5th in Points – Grant Enfinger
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.25 | 6th of 31 | T39th of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.9% | T4th of 31 | T21st of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 78.81% | 6th of 31 | 55th of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.0 | 7th of 31 | 53rd of 245‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 82 | T14th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 82 | T31st of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T6th of 82 | T50th of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 82 | T26th of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T5th of 82 | T49th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 31 | T1st of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T11th of 82 | T57th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | 4th of 82 | T34th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 49 | 7th of 82 | T46th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | 5th of 82 | T20th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(T7th), 91.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 103.77(4th), Best 1st, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.77%, Led 15.49% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 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, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 3rd, Led 1 lap (0.67%), Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 149 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 115.3 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 4.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 6th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 85.04% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 96.63 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 0.17% of laps he’s run (% ranks 16th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 25.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 3 Top 5’s, 75.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 4 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
- 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T8th)
Outlook
Grant Enfinger is notable because of how well he’s done in the 3 Intermediate races this year. Enfinger got his first win of the year last week at Kansas and ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15. This improved his Avg. Finish to 10.25 and his Laps in Top15% to 78.81, both of which rank 6th best this year. Enfinger’s Avg. Driver Rating now sits at 92.0 and he has 3 Top 5’s this year, but just 4 Top 10’s as well. In addition he has just 49 Stage Pts this year with 10 Stage T10’s. The nice thing for Enfinger is that in the 3 Intermediate races this year he has 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. More good news is that he has 2 Top 10’s, including the Win last week, with a 9.0 Avg. Finish and a 103.77 Avg. Driver Rating. Furthermore in the 3 races he’s ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15 and he’s led 15.5% of his laps as well. This race last year was good to Enfinger as well as he started 3rd, ran all 149 laps in the Top 15, and finished 3rd with the 4th best Driver Rating at 115.3. This is very typical of Enfinger here at Darlington as in 4 races he has 3 Top 5’s, a worst finish of 6th, and a 4.5 Avg. Finish. In addition he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 96.63 Avg. Driver Rating is 5th best among active drivers. With the momentum Enfinger is riding after last weeks win and his Darlington success, this weekend could be trouble for the competition. This weekend Enfinger will probably run great all race ending with another Top 5, and possibly another win.
Grant Enfinger is notable because of how well he’s done in the 3 Intermediate races this year. Enfinger got his first win of the year last week at Kansas and ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15. This improved his Avg. Finish to 10.25 and his Laps in Top15% to 78.81, both of which rank 6th best this year. Enfinger’s Avg. Driver Rating now sits at 92.0 and he has 3 Top 5’s this year, but just 4 Top 10’s as well. In addition he has just 49 Stage Pts this year with 10 Stage T10’s. The nice thing for Enfinger is that in the 3 Intermediate races this year he has 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. More good news is that he has 2 Top 10’s, including the Win last week, with a 9.0 Avg. Finish and a 103.77 Avg. Driver Rating. Furthermore in the 3 races he’s ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15 and he’s led 15.5% of his laps as well. This race last year was good to Enfinger as well as he started 3rd, ran all 149 laps in the Top 15, and finished 3rd with the 4th best Driver Rating at 115.3. This is very typical of Enfinger here at Darlington as in 4 races he has 3 Top 5’s, a worst finish of 6th, and a 4.5 Avg. Finish. In addition he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 96.63 Avg. Driver Rating is 5th best among active drivers. With the momentum Enfinger is riding after last weeks win and his Darlington success, this weekend could be trouble for the competition. This weekend Enfinger will probably run great all race ending with another Top 5, and possibly another win.
7th in Points – Matt Crafton
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.5 | T10th of 31 | T99th of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.81% | 12th of 31 | 92nd of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.13% | 7th of 31 | 63rd of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 83.43 | 9th of 31 | 88th of 245‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 82 | T44th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 82 | T77th of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T16th of 82 | T102nd of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T11th of 82 | T85th of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T10th of 82 | T80th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T11th of 31 | T66th of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T6th of 82 | T26th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T5th of 82 | T45th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 55 | 5th of 82 | T37th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 82 | T30th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.67(11th), 72.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.8(14th), Best 11th, Worst 13th, 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, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 5th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1 and 7th in Stage 2, ran 140 Laps in Top15 (93.96% of laps he ran), had 101.7 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 10 Races
- 8.4 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 14th
- Completed 99.86% of laps (% ranks 12th)
- 93.36% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 100.52 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 0.27% of laps he’s run (% ranks 14th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 3 Top 5’s, 30.0% (% ranks 7th)
- 7 Top 10’s, 70.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 10 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 7 Stage T10’s, 87.5% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4.38 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Outlook
Matt Crafton is notable because of his stats here at Darlington in his Truck career. Last week Crafton struggled to an 11th place finish but this still improved his Avg. Finish to 14.5. On the year he only has 1 Top 5 and 3 Top 10’s, but his stage stats are better as he has 9 Stage T10’s with 55 Stage Pts. However, this hasn’t exactly meant stellar runs as he’s ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 83.43 Avg. Driver Rating. Unfortunately for Crafton another Intermediate track is coming where he’s gotten 0 Top 10’s in the 3 races this year, but he does have a Top 15 in all 3 races which leads to his 11.67 Avg. Finish. Furthermore he’s ran 72.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 78.8 Avg. Driver Rating is only 14th best. What’s worse is that Crafton has led 0 laps in the 3 races and only obtained 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage. There is good news, however, as last year at Darlington Crafton ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, got 6 Stage Pts, and finished 5th. This is fitting as even though he led 0 laps he still had the 5th best Driver Rating in the race at 101.7. This is typical of Crafton at Darlington as in 10 races he has 3 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, a worst finish of 14th, and an 8.4 Avg. Finish. Furthermore he’s gotten 4.38 Stage Pts Per Stage, ran 93.36% of his laps in the Top 15, and has a stellar 100.52 Avg. Driver Rating here. The Darlington stats say this weekend will be another Top 10 for Crafton, but with the other stats being what they are I see only a 7th-15th place finish.
Matt Crafton is notable because of his stats here at Darlington in his Truck career. Last week Crafton struggled to an 11th place finish but this still improved his Avg. Finish to 14.5. On the year he only has 1 Top 5 and 3 Top 10’s, but his stage stats are better as he has 9 Stage T10’s with 55 Stage Pts. However, this hasn’t exactly meant stellar runs as he’s ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 83.43 Avg. Driver Rating. Unfortunately for Crafton another Intermediate track is coming where he’s gotten 0 Top 10’s in the 3 races this year, but he does have a Top 15 in all 3 races which leads to his 11.67 Avg. Finish. Furthermore he’s ran 72.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and his 78.8 Avg. Driver Rating is only 14th best. What’s worse is that Crafton has led 0 laps in the 3 races and only obtained 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage. There is good news, however, as last year at Darlington Crafton ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, got 6 Stage Pts, and finished 5th. This is fitting as even though he led 0 laps he still had the 5th best Driver Rating in the race at 101.7. This is typical of Crafton at Darlington as in 10 races he has 3 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, a worst finish of 14th, and an 8.4 Avg. Finish. Furthermore he’s gotten 4.38 Stage Pts Per Stage, ran 93.36% of his laps in the Top 15, and has a stellar 100.52 Avg. Driver Rating here. The Darlington stats say this weekend will be another Top 10 for Crafton, but with the other stats being what they are I see only a 7th-15th place finish.
16th in Points – Carson Hocevar
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 20.88 | 20th of 31 | T161st of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 89.51% | 21st of 31 | 159th of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.46% | 10th of 31 | 97th of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 74.89 | 15th of 31 | 112th of 245‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T2nd of 82 | T14th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 82 | T31st of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T6th of 82 | T50th of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T11th of 82 | T85th of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T15th of 82 | T107th of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T29th of 31 | T210th of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T6th of 82 | T26th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T9th of 82 | T70th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 25 | 14th of 82 | 80th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 4th of 82 | T16th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(12th), 78.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 83.97(11th), Best 1st, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 87.27%, Led 5.21% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 6th, Led 9 laps (6.04%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 149 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 127.9 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 5.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 11th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 90.52% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 108.17 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 2.26% of laps he’s run (% ranks 4th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 33.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 2 Top 3’s, 66.67% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 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, 16.67% (% ranks T2nd)
- 5 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Outlook
Carson Hocevar is notable because of how well he has done at Darlington in his 3 Truck starts here. At Kansas, last week, Hocevar’s struggles this year continued as he got caught up in a wreck to finish 31st. This took Hocevar’s already bad Avg. Finish and made it worse as it’s now at 20.88, 20th best. The semi-good news is his 74.89 Avg. Finish is 15th best and his 66.46 Laps in Top15% is 10th best. What’s worse is his Win this year makes up half his Top 10’s and he has more DNF’s (3) than Top 10’s (2). Even worst is that this year he has just 25 Stage Pts in 16 stages. What’s better is that in the 3 Intermediate races this year Hocevar has a 13.0 Avg. Finish, 12th best, with an 83.97 Avg. Driver Rating, 11th best. In the 3 races he’s ran 78.65% of his laps in the Top 15, has 1 Win, 2 Top 10’s, a Stage Win, and 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. However, the best news for Hocevar is that at Darlington last year he ran 100% of his laps in the Top 15, led 9 laps, and finished 2nd with the 2nd best Driver Rating at 127.9. In addition he finished 3rd in Stage 1 and won Stage 2. This was his 1st Stage Win here in 3 races, but he does have 2 Top 3’s, a 5.33 Avg. Finish, and a worst finish of 11th. Moreover he’s ran 90.5% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 108.17 and has acquired 6 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend will tell a lot about Hocevar this year, but based on the Darlington stats he’ll ends up with a Top 5 and 10+ Stage Pts.
Carson Hocevar is notable because of how well he has done at Darlington in his 3 Truck starts here. At Kansas, last week, Hocevar’s struggles this year continued as he got caught up in a wreck to finish 31st. This took Hocevar’s already bad Avg. Finish and made it worse as it’s now at 20.88, 20th best. The semi-good news is his 74.89 Avg. Finish is 15th best and his 66.46 Laps in Top15% is 10th best. What’s worse is his Win this year makes up half his Top 10’s and he has more DNF’s (3) than Top 10’s (2). Even worst is that this year he has just 25 Stage Pts in 16 stages. What’s better is that in the 3 Intermediate races this year Hocevar has a 13.0 Avg. Finish, 12th best, with an 83.97 Avg. Driver Rating, 11th best. In the 3 races he’s ran 78.65% of his laps in the Top 15, has 1 Win, 2 Top 10’s, a Stage Win, and 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. However, the best news for Hocevar is that at Darlington last year he ran 100% of his laps in the Top 15, led 9 laps, and finished 2nd with the 2nd best Driver Rating at 127.9. In addition he finished 3rd in Stage 1 and won Stage 2. This was his 1st Stage Win here in 3 races, but he does have 2 Top 3’s, a 5.33 Avg. Finish, and a worst finish of 11th. Moreover he’s ran 90.5% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 108.17 and has acquired 6 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend will tell a lot about Hocevar this year, but based on the Darlington stats he’ll ends up with a Top 5 and 10+ Stage Pts.
38th in Owner Points – Parker Kligerman
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 31.67 | – of 31 | – of 245 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 57.56% | – of 31 | – of 245 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 63.46% | – of 31 | – of 245 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 61.9 | – of 31 | – of 245‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 82 | T44th of 560 |
| Poles | 0 | T6th of 82 | T35th of 560 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 82 | T77th of 560 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T16th of 82 | T102nd of 560 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T22nd of 82 | T150th of 560 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T33rd of 82 | T231st of 560 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | – of 31 | – of 245 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T11th of 82 | T57th of 494* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T20th of 82 | T124th of 494* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T26th of 82 | T164th of 494* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 82 | T49th of 494* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 49 drivers)
- 0 Races
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Darlington Race
- Finished 6th, Started 9th, Led 9 laps (6.04%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 149 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 116.2 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 4 Races
- 12.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 12th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 26th
- Completed 97.12% of laps (% ranks 24th)
- 80.8% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 91.08 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 8th)
- Led 1.57% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks T14th)
- 1 DNF, 25.0% (% ranks T24th)
- 1 Stage Win, 16.67% (% ranks T2nd)
- 4 Stage T10’s, 66.67% (% ranks 5th)
- 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Parker Kligerman is notable because of how he did in the Darlington Truck race last year. Kligerman did not race last weekend as his last race was at the Bristol Dirt Race where he wrecked out to finish 31st. Unfortunately for him this tied his best finish in the 3 races he’s run this year. Furthermore all 3 races have ended in a DNF for him, he’s only completed 57.56% of the laps, and only 63.46% of his laps have been in the Top 15. Needless to say he’s struggled mightily this year, but the one bright spot is that he has 2 Stage T10’s in his 6 stages. None of his 3 races this year have come at an Intermediate track, but his race last year here at Darlington was pretty good. In the race Kligerman ran all 149 laps in the Top 15 en route to a 6th place finish. Additionally he led 9 laps in the race, won Stage 1, finished 3rd in Stage 2, and ended with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 116.2. This race was Kligerman’s 2nd Top 10 at Darlington in his 4 races here and overall he has a decent 12.75 Avg. Finish. In addition his only finish out of the Top 15 was a DNF, he’s ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15, his Avg. Driver Rating is 91.08, and he’s acquired 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend a non-DNF would be a success for Kligerman this year and if he can get that done then I think he finishes between 5th and 15th.
Parker Kligerman is notable because of how he did in the Darlington Truck race last year. Kligerman did not race last weekend as his last race was at the Bristol Dirt Race where he wrecked out to finish 31st. Unfortunately for him this tied his best finish in the 3 races he’s run this year. Furthermore all 3 races have ended in a DNF for him, he’s only completed 57.56% of the laps, and only 63.46% of his laps have been in the Top 15. Needless to say he’s struggled mightily this year, but the one bright spot is that he has 2 Stage T10’s in his 6 stages. None of his 3 races this year have come at an Intermediate track, but his race last year here at Darlington was pretty good. In the race Kligerman ran all 149 laps in the Top 15 en route to a 6th place finish. Additionally he led 9 laps in the race, won Stage 1, finished 3rd in Stage 2, and ended with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 116.2. This race was Kligerman’s 2nd Top 10 at Darlington in his 4 races here and overall he has a decent 12.75 Avg. Finish. In addition his only finish out of the Top 15 was a DNF, he’s ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15, his Avg. Driver Rating is 91.08, and he’s acquired 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend a non-DNF would be a success for Kligerman this year and if he can get that done then I think he finishes between 5th and 15th.
