Last week at Charlotte we saw Ben Rhodes and ThorSport Racing get their first win of the 2023 season. This week we go from a 1.5 mile high banked Intermediate track to a 1.25 low banked Small track, Gateway or as it’s now known World Wide Technology Raceway. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Small track stats, 1 based on the last Gateway race and 2 based on their overall Gateway 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 11 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Small track (1-1.3 mile) statistics and Gateway statistics.
1st in Points – Corey Heim
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.45 | 1st of 30 | 13th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.44% | 12th of 30 | T82nd of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.96% | 1st of 30 | 29th of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 109.08 | 1st of 30 | 9th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 88 | T19th of 632 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 88 | T4th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T1st of 88 | T10th of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T2nd of 88 | T20th of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T3rd of 88 | T29th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | 1st of 88 | T6th of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T8th of 30 | T48th of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T1st of 88 | T8th of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 14 | T2nd of 88 | T34th of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 107 | 2nd of 88 | 14th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 9 | 3rd of 88 | 15th of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 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
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(2nd), 98.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 120.6(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 7.84% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 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, 7.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 1st, Started 1st, Led 20 laps (12.12%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, ran 162 Laps in Top15 (98.18% of laps he ran), had 129.9 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 1 Race
- 1.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 1st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 98.18% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 129.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 12.12% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 1 Win, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Pole, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Outlook
Corey Heim is notable because of his race at Gateway last year. Last week Heim led the most laps and had the best Driver Rating, but ended up finishing 2nd. This was Heim’s 3rd Top 2 of the year, tied for series lead, and his series high 9th Top 10. In fact these stats plus his 8.45 Avg. Finish, 84.96 Laps in Top15%, 109.08 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Poles, and 4 Stage Wins are either 1st or T1st in the 2023 Ranks above. His other stats aren’t bad either as his worst rank besides Completed Laps% and DNF’s is T3rd. The news only keeps getting better as Heim is on a 5 race Top 10 streak, longest this season by any driver, and both Small track races last resulted in Top 10’s for him. In the 2 races Heim had a 4.0 Avg. Finish, 120.6 Avg. Driver Rating, and ran 98.75% of his laps in the Top 15. In addition he had a Win, a worst finish of 7th, and got 7 Stage Pts Per Stage. That Win for Heim came here at Gateway where he started 1st, ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, got 12 Stage Pts, and ended with the best Driver Rating of the race at 129.9. This is Heim’s only career start here so that’s all the data we have, but man it’s good. With all this I expect Heim to, at the very least, get a Top 10, probably a Top 5, and be in contention for the win at the end of the race.
Corey Heim is notable because of his race at Gateway last year. Last week Heim led the most laps and had the best Driver Rating, but ended up finishing 2nd. This was Heim’s 3rd Top 2 of the year, tied for series lead, and his series high 9th Top 10. In fact these stats plus his 8.45 Avg. Finish, 84.96 Laps in Top15%, 109.08 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Poles, and 4 Stage Wins are either 1st or T1st in the 2023 Ranks above. His other stats aren’t bad either as his worst rank besides Completed Laps% and DNF’s is T3rd. The news only keeps getting better as Heim is on a 5 race Top 10 streak, longest this season by any driver, and both Small track races last resulted in Top 10’s for him. In the 2 races Heim had a 4.0 Avg. Finish, 120.6 Avg. Driver Rating, and ran 98.75% of his laps in the Top 15. In addition he had a Win, a worst finish of 7th, and got 7 Stage Pts Per Stage. That Win for Heim came here at Gateway where he started 1st, ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, got 12 Stage Pts, and ended with the best Driver Rating of the race at 129.9. This is Heim’s only career start here so that’s all the data we have, but man it’s good. With all this I expect Heim to, at the very least, get a Top 10, probably a Top 5, and be in contention for the win at the end of the race.
2nd in Points – Ty Majeski
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.09 | 2nd of 30 | T23rd of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.49% | 9th of 30 | 70th of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 78.43% | 3rd of 30 | 54th of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.66 | 4th of 30 | 32nd of 244‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 88 | T58th of 632 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 88 | T45th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T4th of 88 | T24th of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T2nd of 88 | T20th of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | 1st of 88 | T5th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | 2nd of 88 | T14th of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 30 | T1st of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T7th of 88 | T38th of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 14 | T2nd of 88 | T34th of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 92 | 3rd of 88 | T27th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T8th of 88 | T48th of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 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
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 26.0(T33rd), 67.24% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.05(11th), Best 20th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 90.91%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 32nd, Started 11th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 49 Laps in Top15 (36.03% of laps he ran), had 79.3 Driver Rating (ranked 11th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 3 Races
- 24.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 36th)
- Best Finish: 9th, Worst: 33rd
- Completed 83.61% of laps (% ranks 34th)
- 74.51% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 17th)
- 79.67 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 16th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 33.33% (% ranks T18th)
- 1 Top 15, 33.33% (% ranks T25th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 66.67% (% ranks T33rd)
- 1 DNF, 33.33% (% ranks T29th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 66.67% (% ranks 9th)
Outlook
Ty Majeski is notable because of his stats this year. At Charlotte Majeski ran a good race coming home 7th, his 8th Top 10 of the year. This bettered his Avg. Finish to 9.09 and his race as a whole improved his Avg. Driver Rating to 97.66. Furthermore he’s ran 78.43% of his laps in the Top 15 this year (3rd best) and his 6 Top 5’s are the most of anyone. His stages have been good as well as even with only 1 Stage Win he has 14 Stage T10’s (T2nd best) and 92 Stage Pts (3rd best). However, the rest of the stats in this article are not in Majeski’s favor. In the 2 Small track races last year he had finishes of 20th and 32nd running just 67.24% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he was involved in an incident in both races which is why his Avg. Driver Rating was a respectable 84.05. His worst of the 2 races was here at Gateway where Majeski was involved in a wreck around a quarter of the way through the race causing him to run just 36% of his laps in the Top 15 and finish 32nd. Despite all this he still had the 11th best Driver Rating of the race at 79.3 and came away with 5 Stage Pts. This race is unfortunately common for Majeski at Gateway as in 3 races his best finish is 9th, his Avg. Finish is 24.67, and he has 1 DNF. All this put together I think shows Majeski will have a good truck this weekend. However, at the end of the race I think Majeski ends up out of the Top 5 and I’ll say he finishes out of the Top 10 as well.
Ty Majeski is notable because of his stats this year. At Charlotte Majeski ran a good race coming home 7th, his 8th Top 10 of the year. This bettered his Avg. Finish to 9.09 and his race as a whole improved his Avg. Driver Rating to 97.66. Furthermore he’s ran 78.43% of his laps in the Top 15 this year (3rd best) and his 6 Top 5’s are the most of anyone. His stages have been good as well as even with only 1 Stage Win he has 14 Stage T10’s (T2nd best) and 92 Stage Pts (3rd best). However, the rest of the stats in this article are not in Majeski’s favor. In the 2 Small track races last year he had finishes of 20th and 32nd running just 67.24% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he was involved in an incident in both races which is why his Avg. Driver Rating was a respectable 84.05. His worst of the 2 races was here at Gateway where Majeski was involved in a wreck around a quarter of the way through the race causing him to run just 36% of his laps in the Top 15 and finish 32nd. Despite all this he still had the 11th best Driver Rating of the race at 79.3 and came away with 5 Stage Pts. This race is unfortunately common for Majeski at Gateway as in 3 races his best finish is 9th, his Avg. Finish is 24.67, and he has 1 DNF. All this put together I think shows Majeski will have a good truck this weekend. However, at the end of the race I think Majeski ends up out of the Top 5 and I’ll say he finishes out of the Top 10 as well.
3rd in Points – Zane Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.91 | 6th of 30 | T74th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.83% | 10th of 30 | 78th of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 72.03% | 7th of 30 | 77th of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 99.42 | 3rd of 30 | 26th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T1st of 88 | T9th of 632 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 88 | T4th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T1st of 88 | T10th of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 1st of 88 | T4th of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | 2nd of 88 | T13th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T5th of 88 | T62nd of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T8th of 30 | T48th of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T7th of 88 | T38th of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 17 | 1st of 88 | T9th of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 109 | 1st of 88 | T12th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 2nd of 88 | T8th of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 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
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(T4th), 88.09% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 128.05(1st), Best 1st, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 29.15% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 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, 2 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 9th, Started 2nd, Led 16 laps (9.70%), Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2, ran 127 Laps in Top15 (76.97% of laps he ran), had 106.4 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 4 Races
- 14.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T15th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 35th
- Completed 90.12% of laps (% ranks 30th)
- 84.93% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 97.85 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 8th)
- Led 13.7% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks 10th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks 9th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks 20th)
- 1 DNF, 25.0% (% ranks 27th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Outlook
Zane Smith is notable because of his 2022 Small track stats. Charlotte continued the string of bad races for Smith as he ended up spinning late to finish 23rd. This now has Smith with 2 Wins, 5 Top 3’s and 6 finishes of 14th or worse this year. Needless to say it’s been very up and down for him and now has his Avg. Finish ranking 6th best at 12.91. The good news is he still has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 99.42 plus the most Stage T10’s (17) and Stage Pts (109) this year. More good news for Smith is that he had a 5.0 Avg. Finish in the 2 Small track races last year and the best Avg. Driver Rating at 128.05. In addition he led 29.15% of his laps, had 1 Win, and 2 Stage Wins. His worst of the two races was at Gateway where he started 2nd, finished 9th, ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 4th best Driver Rating at 106.4. This still isn’t bad, though, and is actually typical of how Smith does here as in 4 races he has just 1 Top 5, but 3 Top 10’s. However, his only non-Top 10 was a DNF, and that’s hurt his Avg. Finish here as it sits at 14.0. He does, however, have a good Avg. Driver Rating at 97.85, has ran 85% of his laps here in the Top 15, and has led 13.7% of his laps he’s run. I think this race may be just what Smith needs to break his bad luck streak as I think he runs good and ends with a 5th-10th place finish.
Zane Smith is notable because of his 2022 Small track stats. Charlotte continued the string of bad races for Smith as he ended up spinning late to finish 23rd. This now has Smith with 2 Wins, 5 Top 3’s and 6 finishes of 14th or worse this year. Needless to say it’s been very up and down for him and now has his Avg. Finish ranking 6th best at 12.91. The good news is he still has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 99.42 plus the most Stage T10’s (17) and Stage Pts (109) this year. More good news for Smith is that he had a 5.0 Avg. Finish in the 2 Small track races last year and the best Avg. Driver Rating at 128.05. In addition he led 29.15% of his laps, had 1 Win, and 2 Stage Wins. His worst of the two races was at Gateway where he started 2nd, finished 9th, ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 4th best Driver Rating at 106.4. This still isn’t bad, though, and is actually typical of how Smith does here as in 4 races he has just 1 Top 5, but 3 Top 10’s. However, his only non-Top 10 was a DNF, and that’s hurt his Avg. Finish here as it sits at 14.0. He does, however, have a good Avg. Driver Rating at 97.85, has ran 85% of his laps here in the Top 15, and has led 13.7% of his laps he’s run. I think this race may be just what Smith needs to break his bad luck streak as I think he runs good and ends with a 5th-10th place finish.
4th in Points – Grant Enfinger
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.09 | 3rd of 30 | 35th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.93% | T1st of 30 | T9th of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.99% | 2nd of 30 | 37th of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.89 | 5th of 30 | 49th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 88 | T19th of 632 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 88 | T45th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 88 | T42nd of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T9th of 88 | T67th of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T3rd of 88 | T29th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T3rd of 88 | T39th of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 30 | T1st of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T13th of 88 | T71st of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T4th of 88 | T41st of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 62 | 7th of 88 | T54th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T5th of 88 | T28th of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 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 (active streak)
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(T16th), 66.25% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.35(10th), Best 6th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.37%, Led 1.26% 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, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 28th, Started 10th, Led 4 laps (2.42%), Finished 7th in Stage 1, ran 61 Laps in Top15 (37.42% of laps he ran), had 74.4 Driver Rating (ranked 16th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 6 Races
- 15.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 20th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 28th
- Completed 98.14% of laps (% ranks 22nd)
- 72.42% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 19th)
- 86.17 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 9.68% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 1 Pole, 16.67% (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 16.67% (% ranks 12th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T26th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 10th)
Outlook
Grant Enfinger is notable because he is 4th in Truck points. Last week Enfinger had an Enfinger race where he ran well, but not well enough to be talked about much, ending up 5th. This was his 4th Top 5 and 6th Top 10 of the year helping him to have the 3rd best Avg. Finish this year at 10.09. Furthermore he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15 (2nd best) and has ran 99.93% of the laps this year, tied best in the 2023 Ranks above. The only bad thing for him is the consistency as his longest Top 10 streak is 2 races. He is on one of those streaks now and it could extend as last year in the 2 Small track races he finished in the Top 10 in one of them, a 6th at Phoenix. However, his Avg. Finish in the 2 races was a meager 17.0 and his Avg. Driver Rating was 85.35 while only running 66% of his laps in the Top 15. Last year at Gateway Enfinger was going for the lead when he spun out, causing him to be behind the rest of the race. In the end he ran just 37% of his laps in the Top 15, led only 4 laps, finished 28th, and had the 16th best Driver Rating at 74.4. This is about right for Enfinger here as in his 6 races he has either finished Top 10 or out of the Top 20 with a best of 5th. In all he has a 15.5 Avg. Finish, an 86.17 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage Wins, and 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend Enfinger will either finish Top 10 or out of the Top 20, but with how good he’s been I think he ends with a Top 10 between 4th and 10th.
Grant Enfinger is notable because he is 4th in Truck points. Last week Enfinger had an Enfinger race where he ran well, but not well enough to be talked about much, ending up 5th. This was his 4th Top 5 and 6th Top 10 of the year helping him to have the 3rd best Avg. Finish this year at 10.09. Furthermore he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15 (2nd best) and has ran 99.93% of the laps this year, tied best in the 2023 Ranks above. The only bad thing for him is the consistency as his longest Top 10 streak is 2 races. He is on one of those streaks now and it could extend as last year in the 2 Small track races he finished in the Top 10 in one of them, a 6th at Phoenix. However, his Avg. Finish in the 2 races was a meager 17.0 and his Avg. Driver Rating was 85.35 while only running 66% of his laps in the Top 15. Last year at Gateway Enfinger was going for the lead when he spun out, causing him to be behind the rest of the race. In the end he ran just 37% of his laps in the Top 15, led only 4 laps, finished 28th, and had the 16th best Driver Rating at 74.4. This is about right for Enfinger here as in his 6 races he has either finished Top 10 or out of the Top 20 with a best of 5th. In all he has a 15.5 Avg. Finish, an 86.17 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage Wins, and 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend Enfinger will either finish Top 10 or out of the Top 20, but with how good he’s been I think he ends with a Top 10 between 4th and 10th.
5th in Points – Ben Rhodes
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.0 | 5th of 30 | T57th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.64% | 11th of 30 | 80th of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.33% | 10th of 30 | 94th of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.76 | 6th of 30 | 58th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 88 | T19th of 632 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 88 | T45th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 88 | T42nd of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T6th of 88 | T42nd of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T6th of 88 | T48th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T3rd of 88 | T39th of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T8th of 30 | T48th of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T13th of 88 | T71st of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T4th of 88 | T41st of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 70 | 6th of 88 | 46th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T5th of 88 | T28th of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(T4th), 92.79% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.9(6th), Best 2nd, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 15.99% 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, 1 Stage Win, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 8th, Started 15th, Led 43 laps (26.06%), Finished 1st in Stage 2, ran 142 Laps in Top15 (86.06% of laps he ran), had 99.3 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 7 Races
- 8.43 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 19th
- Completed 99.73% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 88.27% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 96.17 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 4.18% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 14.29% (% ranks T7th)
- 2 Top 3’s, 28.57% (% ranks 7th)
- 5 Top 10’s, 71.43% (% ranks 10th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 8.33% (% ranks 5th)
- 9 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks 8th)
- 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Outlook
Ben Rhodes is notable because of his stats on the 2 Small track Truck races last year. Last week Rhodes picked up his first win and 3rd Top 5 of the season. This gives Rhodes a modest 12.0 Avg. Finish (ranks 5th) and 90.76 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 6th), but his 69.33 Laps in Top15% isn’t as good as it ranks 10th. Despite this most of his 2023 Ranks above are actually between 4th and 6th so it makes sense he is 5th in points. In fact even without a Stage Win he still has the 6th most Stage Pts (70). This week is a Small track where in the 2 races last year on this style Rhodes had a 5.0 Avg. Finish with a 2nd and 8th. In addition he had a 101.9 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, led 16% of his laps, and acquired 1 Stage Win in the 4 stages. That Stage Win came at Gateway, Stage 2, where in the end Rhodes finished 8th and led 26% of the laps. In the race he also ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15 and ended with the 7th best Driver Rating at 99.3. This was Rhodes 7th race here and in those 7 races he has a 2nd, a 3rd, and a total of 5 Top 10’s. In addition his worst finish is only 19th which has his Avg. Finish at 8.43, and his Avg. Driver Rating is good too at 96.17. In the races he’s only won 1 Stage but does have 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, and has ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15. This weekend I expect Rhodes to continue his momentum from last week and end up with a solid finish anywhere in the Top 10.
Ben Rhodes is notable because of his stats on the 2 Small track Truck races last year. Last week Rhodes picked up his first win and 3rd Top 5 of the season. This gives Rhodes a modest 12.0 Avg. Finish (ranks 5th) and 90.76 Avg. Driver Rating (ranks 6th), but his 69.33 Laps in Top15% isn’t as good as it ranks 10th. Despite this most of his 2023 Ranks above are actually between 4th and 6th so it makes sense he is 5th in points. In fact even without a Stage Win he still has the 6th most Stage Pts (70). This week is a Small track where in the 2 races last year on this style Rhodes had a 5.0 Avg. Finish with a 2nd and 8th. In addition he had a 101.9 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, led 16% of his laps, and acquired 1 Stage Win in the 4 stages. That Stage Win came at Gateway, Stage 2, where in the end Rhodes finished 8th and led 26% of the laps. In the race he also ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15 and ended with the 7th best Driver Rating at 99.3. This was Rhodes 7th race here and in those 7 races he has a 2nd, a 3rd, and a total of 5 Top 10’s. In addition his worst finish is only 19th which has his Avg. Finish at 8.43, and his Avg. Driver Rating is good too at 96.17. In the races he’s only won 1 Stage but does have 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, and has ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15. This weekend I expect Rhodes to continue his momentum from last week and end up with a solid finish anywhere in the Top 10.
6th in Points – Christian Eckes
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.73 | 10th of 30 | T98th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.02% | 20th of 30 | 141st of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.55% | 6th of 30 | 73rd of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 99.55 | 2nd of 30 | 25th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T1st of 88 | T9th of 632 |
| Poles | 1 | T4th of 88 | T12th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T4th of 88 | T24th of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T2nd of 88 | T20th of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T6th of 88 | T48th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T5th of 88 | T62nd of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T27th of 30 | T188th of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T1st of 88 | T8th of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T7th of 88 | T53rd of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 90 | 4th of 88 | 29th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 1st of 88 | 6th of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(T13th), 72.47% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.1(7th), Best 2nd, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.06%, Led 2.85% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 5th, Led 9 laps (5.45%), Finished 8th in Stage 1, ran 158 Laps in Top15 (95.76% of laps he ran), had 118.9 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 5 Races
- 21.4 Avg. Finish (Ranks 29th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 32nd
- Completed 78.59% of laps (% ranks 36th)
- 98.43% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 96.78 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 15.75% of laps he’s run (% ranks 4th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 20.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 1 Top 10, 20.0% (% ranks 22nd)
- 2 Top 15’s, 40.0% (% ranks 24th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 60.0% (% ranks T31st)
- 3 DNF’s, 60.0% (% ranks 41st)
- 1 Stage Win, 10.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 8 Stage T10’s, 80.0% (% ranks 7th)
- 4.8 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Christian Eckes is notable because of his 2023 stats. Charlotte was good to Eckes as he was one of four drivers to spend all night in the Top 15, coming home 6th. This was Eckes’ 5th Top 10 of the year and 3rd in a row. The race also improved his Avg. Finish to 14.73 but actually decreased his Avg. Driver Rating to 99.55, however that’s still 2nd best this year. In all he’s ran 73.55% of his laps in the Top 15, has 2 Wins, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Stage Wins, 90 Stage Pts, and has the most Playoff Pts as well at 14. The thing that’s really hurt Eckes are his 3 DNF’s, but the good news is that in the 2 Small track races last year he has 0 DNF’s. The bad news is that his finishes were all over the place as one was 2nd and the other was 30th. In all he ran 72.47% of his laps in the Top 15, led 2.85% of his laps, and had a pretty good Avg. Driver Rating at 92.1. However, the good news in this is that his better of the 2 races was at Gateway where he finished 2nd with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 118.9. Even better is that he led 9 laps and ran 95.76% of his laps in the Top 15 that race. Back to bad news, this was Eckes’ best race here and his only Top 10 in 5 races. Even worse, 3 of the 5 races have ended in a DNF which brings his Avg. Finish to 21.4, but he does have a decent 96.78 Avg. Driver Rating and has gotten 4.8 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend Eckes either DNF’s or finishes Top 10, but I have a feeling it ends up being a DNF this weekend.
Christian Eckes is notable because of his 2023 stats. Charlotte was good to Eckes as he was one of four drivers to spend all night in the Top 15, coming home 6th. This was Eckes’ 5th Top 10 of the year and 3rd in a row. The race also improved his Avg. Finish to 14.73 but actually decreased his Avg. Driver Rating to 99.55, however that’s still 2nd best this year. In all he’s ran 73.55% of his laps in the Top 15, has 2 Wins, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Stage Wins, 90 Stage Pts, and has the most Playoff Pts as well at 14. The thing that’s really hurt Eckes are his 3 DNF’s, but the good news is that in the 2 Small track races last year he has 0 DNF’s. The bad news is that his finishes were all over the place as one was 2nd and the other was 30th. In all he ran 72.47% of his laps in the Top 15, led 2.85% of his laps, and had a pretty good Avg. Driver Rating at 92.1. However, the good news in this is that his better of the 2 races was at Gateway where he finished 2nd with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 118.9. Even better is that he led 9 laps and ran 95.76% of his laps in the Top 15 that race. Back to bad news, this was Eckes’ best race here and his only Top 10 in 5 races. Even worse, 3 of the 5 races have ended in a DNF which brings his Avg. Finish to 21.4, but he does have a decent 96.78 Avg. Driver Rating and has gotten 4.8 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend Eckes either DNF’s or finishes Top 10, but I have a feeling it ends up being a DNF this weekend.
10th in Points – Matt DiBenedetto
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.45 | 14th of 30 | T119th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.01% | 18th of 30 | 130th of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.72% | 9th of 30 | 92nd of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 81.41 | 11th of 30 | 94th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 88 | T58th of 632 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 88 | T45th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T15th of 88 | T101st of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T9th of 88 | T67th of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T13th of 88 | T107th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T5th of 88 | T62nd of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T18th of 30 | T119th of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T13th of 88 | T71st of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | 9th of 88 | T66th of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 55 | T8th of 88 | T59th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T11th of 88 | T63rd of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 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 (active streak)
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 14.0(11th), 76.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.9(12th), Best 6th, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 99.69%, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 6th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 120 Laps in Top15 (72.72% of laps he ran), had 89.0 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 1 Race
- 6.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 6th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 72.73% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 18th)
- 89.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage T10’s
Outlook
Matt DiBenedetto is notable because of how he’s done in his 1 career start at Gateway. Last week DiBenedetto had a good run, finishing 8th. This was DiBenedetto’s 5th Top 10 of the year and 2nd straight Top 10, but he also has more DNF’s (2) than Top 5’s (1). This has his Avg. Finish at 16.45, 14th best, and his 81.41 Avg. Driver Rating at just 11th best. Despite this he’s still run 70% of his laps in the Top 15 this year, sits 10th in points, and is tied for the 8th most Stage Pts at 55. In the 2 Small track races last year DiBenedetto was okay as he didn’t lead any laps but did have a 14.0 Avg. Finish with a best of 6th and worst of 22nd. In the 2 races he ran 76.42% of his laps in the Top 15, had an 80.9 Avg. Driver Rating, but acquired 0 Stage Pts. His best of the two races was here at Gateway where he ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating at 89.0, and finished 6th. This was DiBenedetto’s only race at Gateway and there isn’t any more to add to it. So without further ado I think this weekend DiBenedetto has another good run and could get his career best 3rd straight Truck Top 10 as I think he finishes between 5th and 15th.
Matt DiBenedetto is notable because of how he’s done in his 1 career start at Gateway. Last week DiBenedetto had a good run, finishing 8th. This was DiBenedetto’s 5th Top 10 of the year and 2nd straight Top 10, but he also has more DNF’s (2) than Top 5’s (1). This has his Avg. Finish at 16.45, 14th best, and his 81.41 Avg. Driver Rating at just 11th best. Despite this he’s still run 70% of his laps in the Top 15 this year, sits 10th in points, and is tied for the 8th most Stage Pts at 55. In the 2 Small track races last year DiBenedetto was okay as he didn’t lead any laps but did have a 14.0 Avg. Finish with a best of 6th and worst of 22nd. In the 2 races he ran 76.42% of his laps in the Top 15, had an 80.9 Avg. Driver Rating, but acquired 0 Stage Pts. His best of the two races was here at Gateway where he ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating at 89.0, and finished 6th. This was DiBenedetto’s only race at Gateway and there isn’t any more to add to it. So without further ado I think this weekend DiBenedetto has another good run and could get his career best 3rd straight Truck Top 10 as I think he finishes between 5th and 15th.
11th in Points – Stewart Friesen
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 11 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.91 | 12th of 30 | T112th of 244 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.54% | 3rd of 30 | T28th of 244 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 75.07% | 5th of 30 | 65th of 244 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 81.0 | 12th of 30 | 96th of 244‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 88 | T58th of 632 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 88 | T45th of 632 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 88 | T42nd of 632 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T6th of 88 | T42nd of 632 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T6th of 88 | T48th of 632 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T15th of 88 | T107th of 632 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 30 | T1st of 244 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T13th of 88 | T71st of 554* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T7th of 88 | T53rd of 554* |
| Stage Pts | 48 | 10th of 88 | 65th of 554* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T11th of 88 | T63rd of 554* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 11 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
- 2022 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 4.5(3rd), 89.34% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 103.5(4th), Best 4th, Worst 5th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 5.96% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 4th, Started 3rd, Led 13 laps (7.88%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 138 Laps in Top15 (83.64% of laps he ran), had 101.5 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics
- 5 Races
- 5.8 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 13th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 90.97% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 98.16 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 4.08% of laps he’s run (% ranks 12th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 20.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 80.0% (% ranks 5th)
- 5 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
- 9 Stage T10’s, 90.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 3.9 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 9th)
Outlook
Stewart Friesen is notable because of his career statistics at Gateway. Friesen had a tough day at Charlotte as he ran well most the night but ended up 22nd. This now gives Friesen a 15.91 Avg. Finish this year and an 81.0 Avg. Driver Rating, both 12th best in the 2023 Ranks above. In all he has just 3 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s this year with only 48 Stage Pts. However, this doesn’t exactly show how he’s run as he’s run 99.54% of the laps this year and 75% of those laps have been in the Top 15. What’s even better news is that this weekend is a Small track and last year Friesen was 1 of 2 drivers to finish both Small track races in the Top 5 (the other being Chandler Smith). In all he had a 4.5 Avg. Finish, a 103.5 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 89.34% of his laps in the Top 15, and led 6% of the laps. In addition he got 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage without even winning a stage. His best finish in the 2 races was at Gateway where he finished 4th after leading 8% of the race, running 83% of his laps in the Top 15, and acquiring 8 Stage Pts. All of this gave him the 5th best Driver Rating of the day at 101.5. This was his 5th race here and in those races he has 4 Top 5’s with a best of 3rd and worst of 13th. Furthermore he’s ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 98.16 Avg. Driver Rating. This bodes well for Friesen this weekend and I see him bouncing back this weekend with a finish between 1st and 8th.
Stewart Friesen is notable because of his career statistics at Gateway. Friesen had a tough day at Charlotte as he ran well most the night but ended up 22nd. This now gives Friesen a 15.91 Avg. Finish this year and an 81.0 Avg. Driver Rating, both 12th best in the 2023 Ranks above. In all he has just 3 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s this year with only 48 Stage Pts. However, this doesn’t exactly show how he’s run as he’s run 99.54% of the laps this year and 75% of those laps have been in the Top 15. What’s even better news is that this weekend is a Small track and last year Friesen was 1 of 2 drivers to finish both Small track races in the Top 5 (the other being Chandler Smith). In all he had a 4.5 Avg. Finish, a 103.5 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 89.34% of his laps in the Top 15, and led 6% of the laps. In addition he got 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage without even winning a stage. His best finish in the 2 races was at Gateway where he finished 4th after leading 8% of the race, running 83% of his laps in the Top 15, and acquiring 8 Stage Pts. All of this gave him the 5th best Driver Rating of the day at 101.5. This was his 5th race here and in those races he has 4 Top 5’s with a best of 3rd and worst of 13th. Furthermore he’s ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 98.16 Avg. Driver Rating. This bodes well for Friesen this weekend and I see him bouncing back this weekend with a finish between 1st and 8th.
