Two weeks ago in Dover we saw Ryan Truex (not Jr.) get his long overdue first Xfinity Series win, and it came at his home track no less. This week it’s on to Darlington where we could see our 3 straight first time winner, but who could it be? 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 and ranking through 10 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022/23 Intermediate track (1.3-1.5 miles) statistics and Darlington 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 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.0 | 4th of 35 | 37th of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.06% | 11th of 35 | 86th of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.87% | 6th of 35 | 55th of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 106.43 | 2nd of 35 | 23rd of 291‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 71 | T2nd of 552 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 71 | T5th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 2nd of 71 | T11th of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T3rd of 71 | T24th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T4th of 71 | T27th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | 3rd of 71 | T20th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 35 | T71st of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T2nd of 71 | T7th of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T7th of 71 | T39th of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 94 | 1st of 71 | 16th of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 1st of 71 | 3rd of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 9.73(13th), 95.34% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.41(10th), Best 1st, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.33%, Led 3.89% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 8 Top 10’s, 10 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4.55 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- Finished 10th, Started 4th, Led 2 laps (1.36%), Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 5th in Stage 2, ran 146 Laps in Top15 (99.32% of laps he ran), had 101.3 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 9.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 9th, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 76.42% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 86.43 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 12th)
- Led 0.45% of laps he’s run (% ranks 12th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 3 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
- 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 13th)
Outlook
Austin Hill is notable because he is 1st in points thru the first 10 races. In the last Xfinity race, Dover, Hill ran up front all day and finished 4th. This was Hill’s first non-Win Top 5 of the year and he now has 3 Wins, 4 Top 5’s, and 7 Top 10’s. Altogether his finishes give him a 10.0 Avg. Finish, ranks 4th, and with the way he’s ran he has a 106.43 Avg. Driver Rating, ranks 2nd. In addition to all of this his 3 Stage Wins are tied for 2nd most and his 94 Stage Pts are the most this year. His Top 10 and stage success could continue this weekend as in the last 11 Intermediate races he has a 9.73 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, 8 Top 10’s, and 10 Top 15’s. As far as stage success in these races he’s ran 95.34% of his laps in the Top 15, has 4.55 Stage Pts Per Stage with 1 Stage Win, and his Avg. Driver Rating is 10th best at 101.41. One of these decent races was at Darlington last Fall where Hill ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, got 10 Stage Pts, and finished 10th with the 6th best Driver Rating at 101.3. This was his 3rd race at Darlington and in all 3 races he’s finished either 9th or 10th. In all he has a 9.33 Avg. Driver Rating, a 86.43 Avg. Driver Rating, and 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. So, while Hill hasn’t been spectacular here he has been solid, and taking into account his other stats I see him coming home with a good run that places him 6th-10th.
Austin Hill is notable because he is 1st in points thru the first 10 races. In the last Xfinity race, Dover, Hill ran up front all day and finished 4th. This was Hill’s first non-Win Top 5 of the year and he now has 3 Wins, 4 Top 5’s, and 7 Top 10’s. Altogether his finishes give him a 10.0 Avg. Finish, ranks 4th, and with the way he’s ran he has a 106.43 Avg. Driver Rating, ranks 2nd. In addition to all of this his 3 Stage Wins are tied for 2nd most and his 94 Stage Pts are the most this year. His Top 10 and stage success could continue this weekend as in the last 11 Intermediate races he has a 9.73 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, 8 Top 10’s, and 10 Top 15’s. As far as stage success in these races he’s ran 95.34% of his laps in the Top 15, has 4.55 Stage Pts Per Stage with 1 Stage Win, and his Avg. Driver Rating is 10th best at 101.41. One of these decent races was at Darlington last Fall where Hill ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, got 10 Stage Pts, and finished 10th with the 6th best Driver Rating at 101.3. This was his 3rd race at Darlington and in all 3 races he’s finished either 9th or 10th. In all he has a 9.33 Avg. Driver Rating, a 86.43 Avg. Driver Rating, and 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. So, while Hill hasn’t been spectacular here he has been solid, and taking into account his other stats I see him coming home with a good run that places him 6th-10th.
2nd in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.0 | 2nd of 35 | T24th of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.65% | 12th of 35 | T96th of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 87.51% | 1st of 35 | 31st of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 107.88 | 1st of 35 | 18th of 291‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 2nd of 71 | T8th of 552 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 71 | T37th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | 1st of 71 | T3rd of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T1st of 71 | T9th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T1st of 71 | T15th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T1st of 71 | T7th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 35 | T71st of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T2nd of 71 | T7th of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T4th of 71 | T30th of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 85 | 4th of 71 | 27th of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 13 | 2nd of 71 | T8th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 12.5(T19th), 88.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.22(11th), Best 4th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 92.24%, Led 10.4% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 9 Stage T10’s
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- Finished 9th, Started 17th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 2, ran 130 Laps in Top15 (88.44% of laps he ran), had 92.3 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 11.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 21st
- Completed 99.77% of laps (% ranks T13th)
- 62.05% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 19th)
- 84.67 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 33.33% (% ranks T7th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 33.33% (% ranks T19th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2023 stats. At Dover Nemechek ran well all race and ended up finishing P5. This was his first finish this year in the Top 5 that was not a Top 3 as well. Overall this year he has a 9.0 Avg. Finish, ranks 2nd, 2 Wins, and 8 Top 10’s. As a matter of fact his 8 Top 10’s, 87.51 Laps in Top15%, and 107.88 Avg. Driver Rating all rank 1st this year. Additionally his 13 Stage T10’s rank T4th best and 85 Stage Pts rank 4th best. Since the start of 2022 Nemechek has ran 6 Xfinity Intermediate races and in those races he has a best finish of 4th, 3 Top 10’s, and a 12.5 Avg. Finish. In addition he has a 101.22 Avg. Driver Rating, has ran 88.32% of his laps in the Top 15, and has led 10.4% of his laps. One of these Intermediate races was at Darlington last Fall. In the race Nemechek ran 88.44% of his laps in the Top 15, finished 8th in Stage 2, 9th in the race, and with the 10th best Driver Rating at 92.3. This was Nemechek’s 3rd race here at Darlington in the Xfinity Series and in those races he has a best finish of 4th, 2 Top 10’s, and an 11.33 Avg. Finish. In addition he has just an 84.67 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage T10’s, and has only run 62.05% of his laps in the Top 15. These Darlington stats leave me hesitating to say he will win or contend for it this weekend, but I still think he gets a solid Top 10 finish between 4th and 10th.
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2023 stats. At Dover Nemechek ran well all race and ended up finishing P5. This was his first finish this year in the Top 5 that was not a Top 3 as well. Overall this year he has a 9.0 Avg. Finish, ranks 2nd, 2 Wins, and 8 Top 10’s. As a matter of fact his 8 Top 10’s, 87.51 Laps in Top15%, and 107.88 Avg. Driver Rating all rank 1st this year. Additionally his 13 Stage T10’s rank T4th best and 85 Stage Pts rank 4th best. Since the start of 2022 Nemechek has ran 6 Xfinity Intermediate races and in those races he has a best finish of 4th, 3 Top 10’s, and a 12.5 Avg. Finish. In addition he has a 101.22 Avg. Driver Rating, has ran 88.32% of his laps in the Top 15, and has led 10.4% of his laps. One of these Intermediate races was at Darlington last Fall. In the race Nemechek ran 88.44% of his laps in the Top 15, finished 8th in Stage 2, 9th in the race, and with the 10th best Driver Rating at 92.3. This was Nemechek’s 3rd race here at Darlington in the Xfinity Series and in those races he has a best finish of 4th, 2 Top 10’s, and an 11.33 Avg. Finish. In addition he has just an 84.67 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage T10’s, and has only run 62.05% of his laps in the Top 15. These Darlington stats leave me hesitating to say he will win or contend for it this weekend, but I still think he gets a solid Top 10 finish between 4th and 10th.
3rd in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.3 | 5th of 35 | T49th of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.18% | 14th of 35 | 103rd of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.69% | 3rd of 35 | 36th of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.44 | 5th of 35 | 46th of 291‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 71 | T17th of 552 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 71 | T15th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T5th of 71 | T36th of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T5th of 71 | T35th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T4th of 71 | T27th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T7th of 71 | T50th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T22nd of 35 | T154th of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T6th of 71 | T43rd of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 15 | T2nd of 71 | T17th of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 78 | 6th of 71 | 31st of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T4th of 71 | T19th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(T3rd), 98.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 114.4(4th), Best 3rd, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 29.5% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 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 Stage T10’s
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- did not race
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Chandler Smith is notable because of how his 2022/23 Intermediate races have gone. At Dover Smith ran almost all race in the Top 15, and finished there as well, in 13th. This puts his Avg. Finish at 11.3 now this year, 5th best, with still just 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s. Furthermore he has ran 86.69% of his laps in the Top 15 this year and has a 97.44 Avg. Driver Rating, which like his Avg. Finish above is 5th best. While this is impressive for a rookie what’s more impressive is that he is tied for the 2nd most Stage T10’s with 15 in 20 stages. This will probably continue this weekend as in his 2 Intermediate races since the start of 2022 he’s gotten a Top 10 in 3 of the 4 stages. In addition Smith has finishes of 3rd and 7th in the 2 races and has an incredible 114.4 Avg. Driver Rating. Moreover Smith’s ran 98.75% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 29.5% of his laps. That’s it, Smith has never ran an Xfinity race here at Darlington, so obviously there is nothing to tell. The limited stats make this a bit of a guess how he’ll do this weekend, but he’s been good all year so I think he will be at least decent this weekend too. I think Smith runs near or in the Top 10 most the day and comes home with a finish between 4th and 15th.
Chandler Smith is notable because of how his 2022/23 Intermediate races have gone. At Dover Smith ran almost all race in the Top 15, and finished there as well, in 13th. This puts his Avg. Finish at 11.3 now this year, 5th best, with still just 1 Win, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s. Furthermore he has ran 86.69% of his laps in the Top 15 this year and has a 97.44 Avg. Driver Rating, which like his Avg. Finish above is 5th best. While this is impressive for a rookie what’s more impressive is that he is tied for the 2nd most Stage T10’s with 15 in 20 stages. This will probably continue this weekend as in his 2 Intermediate races since the start of 2022 he’s gotten a Top 10 in 3 of the 4 stages. In addition Smith has finishes of 3rd and 7th in the 2 races and has an incredible 114.4 Avg. Driver Rating. Moreover Smith’s ran 98.75% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 29.5% of his laps. That’s it, Smith has never ran an Xfinity race here at Darlington, so obviously there is nothing to tell. The limited stats make this a bit of a guess how he’ll do this weekend, but he’s been good all year so I think he will be at least decent this weekend too. I think Smith runs near or in the Top 10 most the day and comes home with a finish between 4th and 15th.
5th in Points – Justin Allgaier
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.8 | 7th of 35 | 65th of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.43% | 23rd of 35 | 171st of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 75.89% | 10th of 35 | 77th of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.46 | 4th of 35 | 45th of 291‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 71 | T57th of 552 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 71 | T37th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T5th of 71 | T36th of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T1st of 71 | T9th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T1st of 71 | T15th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T4th of 71 | T33rd of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T30th of 35 | T239th of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 1st of 71 | T3rd of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T4th of 71 | T30th of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 86 | 3rd of 71 | 26th of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 4 | 7th of 71 | T35th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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 3 finishes
- 2022/23 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 6.18(8th), 91.87% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.57(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 95.63%, Led 20.99% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 5 Top 3’s, 8 Top 5’s, 10 Top 10’s, 10 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 4 Stage Wins, 6.41 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- Finished 4th, Started 6th, Led 12 laps (8.16%), Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 147 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 114.4 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 15 Races
- 8.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 31st
- Completed 99.46% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 86.88% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 103.57 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 7.1% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 2 Wins, 13.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 6 Top 5’s, 40.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 11 Top 10’s, 73.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 6.67% (% ranks 8th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 5.56% (% ranks 5th)
- 15 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T4th)
- 4.94 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Outlook
Justin Allgaier is notable because of how he’s ran at Intermediate tracks since the start of 2022. In the last Xfinity race Allgaier ran decent and in the end finished P3. This was his first Top 3 since the 3rd race of the season, but is still his 4th Top 3 of the year. This, along with his 5 Top 5’s are tied for most this year, and his 4 Stage Wins this year are most of anyone. In addition he has a 12.8 Avg. Finish, 7th best, a 97.46 Avg. Driver Rating, 4th best, and 86 Stage Pts, 3rd best. These stats may get better after this weekend’s race if Allgaier runs like he has in the last 11 Intermediate races. In these races he has 2 Wins, 5 Top 3’s, and 8 Top 5’s with his only finish out of the Top 10 being a DNF. In all he as a 6.18 Avg. Finish in the 11 races with the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 118.57, 4 Stage Wins, and 6.41 Stage Pts Per Stage. This is similar to how he ran at Darlington last Fall as he finished in 4th after running all 147 laps in the Top 15 and leading 8% of the race. In addition Allgaier got 17 Stage Pts, winning Stage 2, and had the 3rd best Driver Rating at 114.4. In all Allgaier has ran 15 races at Darlington with 2 Wins, 6 Top 5’s, 11 Top 10’s, and an Avg. Finish of 8.67. Furthermore he has a 103.57 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and has gotten 4.94 Stage Pts Per Stage. The stats line up favorably for Allgaier this weekend and I think he will get another Top 5 this weekend. In fact I wouldn’t be too shocked if he wins.
Justin Allgaier is notable because of how he’s ran at Intermediate tracks since the start of 2022. In the last Xfinity race Allgaier ran decent and in the end finished P3. This was his first Top 3 since the 3rd race of the season, but is still his 4th Top 3 of the year. This, along with his 5 Top 5’s are tied for most this year, and his 4 Stage Wins this year are most of anyone. In addition he has a 12.8 Avg. Finish, 7th best, a 97.46 Avg. Driver Rating, 4th best, and 86 Stage Pts, 3rd best. These stats may get better after this weekend’s race if Allgaier runs like he has in the last 11 Intermediate races. In these races he has 2 Wins, 5 Top 3’s, and 8 Top 5’s with his only finish out of the Top 10 being a DNF. In all he as a 6.18 Avg. Finish in the 11 races with the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 118.57, 4 Stage Wins, and 6.41 Stage Pts Per Stage. This is similar to how he ran at Darlington last Fall as he finished in 4th after running all 147 laps in the Top 15 and leading 8% of the race. In addition Allgaier got 17 Stage Pts, winning Stage 2, and had the 3rd best Driver Rating at 114.4. In all Allgaier has ran 15 races at Darlington with 2 Wins, 6 Top 5’s, 11 Top 10’s, and an Avg. Finish of 8.67. Furthermore he has a 103.57 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and has gotten 4.94 Stage Pts Per Stage. The stats line up favorably for Allgaier this weekend and I think he will get another Top 5 this weekend. In fact I wouldn’t be too shocked if he wins.
6th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.3 | 6th of 35 | T61st of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.88% | 2nd of 35 | T21st of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.05% | 5th of 35 | 54th of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 93.45 | 9th of 35 | 59th of 291‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 71 | T57th of 552 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 71 | T5th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T14th of 71 | T93rd of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T9th of 71 | T55th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T6th of 71 | T47th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T7th of 71 | T50th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T4th of 71 | T15th of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T4th of 71 | T30th of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 71 | 7th of 71 | 37th of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 8th of 71 | T40th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 12.0(18th), 73.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.4(25th), Best 12th, Worst 12th, 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, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- did not race
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 4.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 99.55% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 107.13 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 1 Win, 33.33% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Top 2’s, 66.67% (% ranks 1st)
- 3 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
- 2.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Outlook
Cole Custer is notable because of how he’s ran at Darlington in his 3 career starts. Two weeks ago Custer ran a good race as he was Top 15 for all but one lap and finished P7. This finish broke his 3 race Top 5 streak but did extend his Top 10 streak to 4 races now and was his 5th Top 10 overall this year. In all he has a 12.3 Avg. Finish and a 93.45 Avg. Driver Rating with 2 Poles, but also just 1 Top 3. The nice thing for Custer is he’s ran 83% of his laps this year in the Top 15, has 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, and 13 Stage T10’s, but (there is always a but) he also has just 71 Stage Pts, good for just 7th most this year. Since the start of 2022 Custer has only ran one Xfinity Intermediate race, and that was at Las Vegas this year. In the race he finished 12th, ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15, had a meager 80.4 Driver Rating, and got just 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Custer did not race at either Darlington race last year but in his 3 career races here his worst finish is 9th. In all he has a 4.0 Avg. Finish, best of any active driver, a 107.13 Avg. Driver Rating, 2nd best, and has only ran 2 laps out of the Top 15. However, the weirdest, yet most intriguing, stat to me is that Custer has 1 Win while leading 0 laps in those 3 starts here. If Custer can run like he has here in the past then he will be a contender for the win, but if it’s like the rest of this year then a best finish of 4th is all I see for him.
Cole Custer is notable because of how he’s ran at Darlington in his 3 career starts. Two weeks ago Custer ran a good race as he was Top 15 for all but one lap and finished P7. This finish broke his 3 race Top 5 streak but did extend his Top 10 streak to 4 races now and was his 5th Top 10 overall this year. In all he has a 12.3 Avg. Finish and a 93.45 Avg. Driver Rating with 2 Poles, but also just 1 Top 3. The nice thing for Custer is he’s ran 83% of his laps this year in the Top 15, has 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, and 13 Stage T10’s, but (there is always a but) he also has just 71 Stage Pts, good for just 7th most this year. Since the start of 2022 Custer has only ran one Xfinity Intermediate race, and that was at Las Vegas this year. In the race he finished 12th, ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15, had a meager 80.4 Driver Rating, and got just 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Custer did not race at either Darlington race last year but in his 3 career races here his worst finish is 9th. In all he has a 4.0 Avg. Finish, best of any active driver, a 107.13 Avg. Driver Rating, 2nd best, and has only ran 2 laps out of the Top 15. However, the weirdest, yet most intriguing, stat to me is that Custer has 1 Win while leading 0 laps in those 3 starts here. If Custer can run like he has here in the past then he will be a contender for the win, but if it’s like the rest of this year then a best finish of 4th is all I see for him.
7th in Points – Sheldon Creed
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.5 | 11th of 35 | T83rd of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.01% | 19th of 35 | 139th of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.12% | 8th of 35 | 64th of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.74 | 11th of 35 | 75th of 291‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 71 | T57th of 552 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 71 | T37th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T5th of 71 | T36th of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T5th of 71 | T35th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T9th of 71 | T61st of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T7th of 71 | T50th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 35 | T71st of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T6th of 71 | T43rd of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 17 | 1st of 71 | T5th of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 89 | 2nd of 71 | T21st of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T9th of 71 | T50th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(27th), 67.23% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.84(27th), Best 2nd, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 82.14%, Led 3.26% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.95 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 3rd, Led 47 laps (31.97%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 147 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 124.2 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 2 Races
- 20.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 25th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 38th
- Completed 55.44% of laps (% ranks 48th)
- 96.93% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 76.85 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 19th)
- Led 28.83% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 50.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T18th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T24th)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T45th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.75 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Outlook
Sheldon Creed is notable because of his race last Fall at Darlington. In Dover Creed was fast but a mid-race spin put him behind the 8-ball causing him to finish 11th. Creed has now finished half the races this year in the Top 10 and the other half out of the Top 10. Of his 5 Top 10’s he has 1 Top 2 and 2 Top 3’s, but everything else has been between 6th and 10th. His performance in races this year has given Creed the 11th best Avg. Finish at 14.5 and 11th best Avg. Driver Rating as well at 88.74, but his best stats are his stages where he has the most Stage T10’s (17) and the 2nd most Stage Pts (89). That has not been the case in Creed’s last 11 Intermediate races as he has 0.95 Stage Pts Per Stage. His finishes haven’t been much better as he has an 18.0 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 4 finishes out of the Top 20, and 3 DNF’s. More bad news is that in these races he’s only ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 75.84 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news for Creed is that his 1 Top 5 came at Darlington last Fall where he finished 2nd after leading 32% of the race, running all 147 laps in the Top 15, and he ended with the 2nd best Driver Rating at 124.2. This was his 2nd race at Darlington and the first ended up in a DNF giving him a poor 20.0 Avg. Finish with a 76.85 Avg. Driver Rating. With his Darlington race last year and speed he had at Dover I expect Creed to run near the front all day and finish with a Top 5, possibly a win, or outside the Top 20.
Sheldon Creed is notable because of his race last Fall at Darlington. In Dover Creed was fast but a mid-race spin put him behind the 8-ball causing him to finish 11th. Creed has now finished half the races this year in the Top 10 and the other half out of the Top 10. Of his 5 Top 10’s he has 1 Top 2 and 2 Top 3’s, but everything else has been between 6th and 10th. His performance in races this year has given Creed the 11th best Avg. Finish at 14.5 and 11th best Avg. Driver Rating as well at 88.74, but his best stats are his stages where he has the most Stage T10’s (17) and the 2nd most Stage Pts (89). That has not been the case in Creed’s last 11 Intermediate races as he has 0.95 Stage Pts Per Stage. His finishes haven’t been much better as he has an 18.0 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 4 finishes out of the Top 20, and 3 DNF’s. More bad news is that in these races he’s only ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 75.84 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news for Creed is that his 1 Top 5 came at Darlington last Fall where he finished 2nd after leading 32% of the race, running all 147 laps in the Top 15, and he ended with the 2nd best Driver Rating at 124.2. This was his 2nd race at Darlington and the first ended up in a DNF giving him a poor 20.0 Avg. Finish with a 76.85 Avg. Driver Rating. With his Darlington race last year and speed he had at Dover I expect Creed to run near the front all day and finish with a Top 5, possibly a win, or outside the Top 20.
18th in Points/ 8th in Owner Points – Ryan Truex
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.0 | 1st of 35 | 15th of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 35 | T1st of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 87.15% | 2nd of 35 | 33rd of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.46 | 3rd of 35 | 29th of 291‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 71 | T17th of 552 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 71 | T37th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T3rd of 71 | T21st of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T3rd of 71 | T24th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T6th of 71 | T47th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T13th of 71 | T100th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T4th of 71 | T15th of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T14th of 71 | T103rd of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 36 | T13th of 71 | T66th of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | 3rd of 71 | T12th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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
- 2022/23 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 22.0(34th), 92.66% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.27(19th), Best 6th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 98.05%, 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, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Spring Darlington Race
- Finished 30th, Started 28th, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 123 Laps in Top15 (83.67% of laps he ran), had 76.7 Driver Rating (ranked 16th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 3 Races
- 23.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 29th)
- Best Finish: 15th, Worst: 30th
- Completed 96.6% of laps (% ranks T25th)
- 55.63% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 21st)
- 73.83 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 22nd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 33.33% (% ranks T23rd)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 66.67% (% ranks T31st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
Outlook
Ryan Truex is notable because of how well he’s run in the 5 races he’s run this year. At Dover Truex ran a tremendous race picking up 2 Stage Wins and his first NASCAR Top 3 Series race win. This was Truex’s 3rd Top 3 in his 5 races this year and puts his Avg. Finish at 7.0, the best among anyone with 5+ starts this year. Additionally he has a 104.46 Avg. Driver Rating, ranks 3rd, has ran 87.15% of his laps in the Top 15, ranks 2nd, and he’s ran all 934 laps of the races he’s been in. However, that’s it for the good news. In the 3 Intermediate races Truex has ran since the start of 2022 his best finish is 6th and is his only Top 20. This puts his Avg. Finish at a dismal 22.0, and his Avg. Driver Rating is only 88.27 as well. The only bit of good news is that in the 3 races he’s ran 92.66% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage. Truex’s worst finish in the 3 races was 30th which came at Darlington last Spring after a last lap wreck while battling for a Top 10. In the race he finished 9th in both stages, ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, but still had the 16th best Driver Rating at 76.7. This is unfortunately the way Truex’s races have gone here as in 3 starts he has a best finish of 15th, an Avg. Finish of 23.33, and has only ran 55.63% of his laps in the Top 15. Truex has had a good season, but his 2 bad races were finishes out of the Top 10. That’s what I see this weekend, a decent run all day but ending up 9th or worse.
Ryan Truex is notable because of how well he’s run in the 5 races he’s run this year. At Dover Truex ran a tremendous race picking up 2 Stage Wins and his first NASCAR Top 3 Series race win. This was Truex’s 3rd Top 3 in his 5 races this year and puts his Avg. Finish at 7.0, the best among anyone with 5+ starts this year. Additionally he has a 104.46 Avg. Driver Rating, ranks 3rd, has ran 87.15% of his laps in the Top 15, ranks 2nd, and he’s ran all 934 laps of the races he’s been in. However, that’s it for the good news. In the 3 Intermediate races Truex has ran since the start of 2022 his best finish is 6th and is his only Top 20. This puts his Avg. Finish at a dismal 22.0, and his Avg. Driver Rating is only 88.27 as well. The only bit of good news is that in the 3 races he’s ran 92.66% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage. Truex’s worst finish in the 3 races was 30th which came at Darlington last Spring after a last lap wreck while battling for a Top 10. In the race he finished 9th in both stages, ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, but still had the 16th best Driver Rating at 76.7. This is unfortunately the way Truex’s races have gone here as in 3 starts he has a best finish of 15th, an Avg. Finish of 23.33, and has only ran 55.63% of his laps in the Top 15. Truex has had a good season, but his 2 bad races were finishes out of the Top 10. That’s what I see this weekend, a decent run all day but ending up 9th or worse.
33rd in Owner Points – Ross Chastain
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 10 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 24.0 | – of 35 | – of 291 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 35 | – of 291 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 10.0% | – of 35 | – of 291 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 52.2 | – of 35 | – of 291‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T8th of 71 | T57th of 552 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 71 | T37th of 552 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T14th of 71 | T93rd of 552 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T17th of 71 | T118th of 552 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T24th of 71 | T155th of 552 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T34th of 71 | T234th of 552 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 35 | – of 291 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T12th of 71 | T77th of 476* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T31st of 71 | T223rd of 476* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T24th of 71 | T173rd of 476* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 71 | T66th of 476* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 10 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 77 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(15th), 88.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 83.75(22nd), Best 5th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s
- Darlington Statistics
- 2022 Fall Darlington Race
- Finished 15th, Started 11th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 121 Laps in Top15 (82.31% of laps he ran), had 80.3 Driver Rating (ranked 14th)
- Notable Darlington Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 7 Races
- 14.71 Avg. Finish (Ranks 15th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 29th
- Completed 95.44% of laps (% ranks 27th)
- 67.14% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
- 93.56 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 13.63% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Pole, 14.29% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Top 2, 14.29% (% ranks 6th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 71.43% (% ranks 9th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 28.57% (% ranks 18th)
- 1 DNF, 14.29% (% ranks T32nd)
- 2 Stage Wins, 20.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 7 Stage T10’s, 70.0% (% ranks 7th)
Outlook
Ross Chastain is notable because of his career stats here at Darlington. The last (and only) Xfinity race Chastain has competed in this year was at Auto Club, over 2 months ago. The race was a struggle for him as he ran just 10% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 24th place finish, and his Driver Rating was a very poor 52.2. That’s it for his stats this year and his 2022/23 Intermediate stats aren’t much more. Chastain has ran just 2 races in this span and neither were in an underfunded type car he will be running this weekend. Nonetheless his Avg. Finish in the 2 races is 10.0, his Avg. Driver Rating is 83.75, he has 1 Top 5, and he’s ran 88.33% of his laps in the Top 15. However, one of the races he ran was at Darlington last Fall where Chastain finished 15th after running 82.31% of his laps in the Top 15. In the race he led 0 laps, got 1 Stage T10, and had the 14th best Driver Rating at 80.3. In all Chastain has ran 7 races at Darlington and in those 7 races he has 1 Pole, 1 Top 2/Top 5, and 5 Top 15’s leading to a decent 14.71 Avg. Finish. In addition he’s ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.56 Avg. Driver Rating, and has only finished outside the Top 20 twice. This weekend for Chastain is hard to predict based on stats since he isn’t with a typically good ride. However, his stats are good so I think he ends up finishing somewhere between 15th and 25th.
Ross Chastain is notable because of his career stats here at Darlington. The last (and only) Xfinity race Chastain has competed in this year was at Auto Club, over 2 months ago. The race was a struggle for him as he ran just 10% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 24th place finish, and his Driver Rating was a very poor 52.2. That’s it for his stats this year and his 2022/23 Intermediate stats aren’t much more. Chastain has ran just 2 races in this span and neither were in an underfunded type car he will be running this weekend. Nonetheless his Avg. Finish in the 2 races is 10.0, his Avg. Driver Rating is 83.75, he has 1 Top 5, and he’s ran 88.33% of his laps in the Top 15. However, one of the races he ran was at Darlington last Fall where Chastain finished 15th after running 82.31% of his laps in the Top 15. In the race he led 0 laps, got 1 Stage T10, and had the 14th best Driver Rating at 80.3. In all Chastain has ran 7 races at Darlington and in those 7 races he has 1 Pole, 1 Top 2/Top 5, and 5 Top 15’s leading to a decent 14.71 Avg. Finish. In addition he’s ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.56 Avg. Driver Rating, and has only finished outside the Top 20 twice. This weekend for Chastain is hard to predict based on stats since he isn’t with a typically good ride. However, his stats are good so I think he ends up finishing somewhere between 15th and 25th.
