The Coke 600 hour, I mean mile, race was pretty good once it finally got started. When it was over we saw Ryan Blaney get the checkered flag, breaking a 59 race winless streak. This week it’s on to Gateway, where the Cup Series will race for only the 2nd time ever. 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 and ranking through 14 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Small track (1-1.3 miles) statistics and Gateway statistics.
1st in Points – Ross Chastain
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.57 | 8th of 37 | T133rd of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.77% | T3rd of 37 | T42nd of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 71.49% | 9th of 37 | 138th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.42 | 5th of 37 | T159th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 53 | T175th of 1133 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 53 | T159th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 53 | T141st of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 53 | T78th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T2nd of 53 | T64th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T6th of 53 | T167th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 37 | T160th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | 2nd of 53 | T5th of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | T2nd of 53 | T27th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 118 | 2nd of 53 | T24th of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T9th of 53 | T51st of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(T11th), 98.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 106.0(4th), Best 2nd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 13.81% 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, 1 Stage Win, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 8th, Started 10th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 1, ran 171 Laps in Top15 (69.8% of laps he ran), had 89.7 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 8.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 8th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 69.8% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 89.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
Outlook
Ross Chastain is notable because he is the points leader thru 14 races. Last week Chastain was pretty much a non-factor all race as he only ran 32% of his laps in the Top 15, finishing 22nd. This raised his Avg. Finish to 13.57, 8th best, and his run overall worsened his Avg. Driver Rating to 91.42, 5th best. On the year he has 5 Top 5’s, but also just 6 Top 10’s with only 1 Top 2 finish. So how is he first in points? Well, he has 5 Stage Wins, 18 Stage T10’s, and a total of 118 Stage Pts; all of these are 2nd best on the year, that’s how. In the 2 Small track races this year Chastain has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 106.0, but thanks to the chicken move by Denny Hamlin at the end of the Phoenix race his Avg. Finish is Tied for 11th best at 13.0. His finishes have been 2nd and 24th, he’s ran 98.61% of his laps in the Top 15, and he’s gotten 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Gateway was the race where the Hamlin/Chastain rivalry started, but in the race he also ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15, had an 89.7 Driver Rating (10th best), and finished 8th. Since this was the inaugural Cup race at Gateway this is all the data we have. So, with that said I think Chastain ends up running well this weekend and, as long as he doesn’t get taken out, I think he finishes in the Top 5.
Ross Chastain is notable because he is the points leader thru 14 races. Last week Chastain was pretty much a non-factor all race as he only ran 32% of his laps in the Top 15, finishing 22nd. This raised his Avg. Finish to 13.57, 8th best, and his run overall worsened his Avg. Driver Rating to 91.42, 5th best. On the year he has 5 Top 5’s, but also just 6 Top 10’s with only 1 Top 2 finish. So how is he first in points? Well, he has 5 Stage Wins, 18 Stage T10’s, and a total of 118 Stage Pts; all of these are 2nd best on the year, that’s how. In the 2 Small track races this year Chastain has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 106.0, but thanks to the chicken move by Denny Hamlin at the end of the Phoenix race his Avg. Finish is Tied for 11th best at 13.0. His finishes have been 2nd and 24th, he’s ran 98.61% of his laps in the Top 15, and he’s gotten 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Gateway was the race where the Hamlin/Chastain rivalry started, but in the race he also ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15, had an 89.7 Driver Rating (10th best), and finished 8th. Since this was the inaugural Cup race at Gateway this is all the data we have. So, with that said I think Chastain ends up running well this weekend and, as long as he doesn’t get taken out, I think he finishes in the Top 5.
2nd in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.71 | 2nd of 37 | T72nd of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.87% | 2nd of 37 | T24th of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.11% | 7th of 37 | 108th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.88 | 8th of 37 | 180th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 53 | T69th of 1133 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 53 | T159th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T3rd of 53 | T44th of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T2nd of 53 | T45th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T6th of 53 | T111th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T1st of 53 | T70th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 37 | T1st of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T7th of 53 | T52nd of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | T10th of 53 | T66th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 79 | 9th of 53 | T58th of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T7th of 53 | T39th of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 2.5(T1st), 99.58% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.05(2nd), Best 2nd, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 4th, Started 5th, Led 12 laps (4.9%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2, ran 217 Laps in Top15 (88.57% of laps he ran), had 118.2 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 4.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 4th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 88.57% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 118.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 4.9% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 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)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T3rd)
Outlook
Ryan Blaney is notable because of how well he’s done in the 2 Small track races this year. At Charlotte Blaney finally broke his winless streak in pretty dominant fashion late, leading 125 of the last 164 laps. This was Blaney’s 3rd Top 2, 4th Top 3, and 8th Top 10 this year; all ranking T3rd or better. In addition he has 0 DNF’s, an 11.71 Avg. Finish (2nd best), and an 89.88 Avg. Driver Rating (8th best). This is all well and good but his stages aren’t as impressive as he only has 79 Stage Pts and 13 Stage T10’s. Charlotte was Blaney’s 2nd straight Top 10 and looking at his Small track stats from this year he’s a shoe-in for a 3rd straight Top 10. In the 2 races he’s finished 2nd and 3rd, ran 99.58% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 112.05, and has acquired 6 Stage Pts Per Stage. As a matter of fact the only bad thing for Blaney at Small tracks this year is that he’s led 0 laps in the 2 races. At Gateway last year Blaney had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 118.2, got 10 Stage Pts, led 12 laps, ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, and finished 4th. This paired with his recent success this year, and his good Small track stats makes me think a Top 10 is a lock for Blaney this weekend; and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes Top 5 and contends for the win also.
Ryan Blaney is notable because of how well he’s done in the 2 Small track races this year. At Charlotte Blaney finally broke his winless streak in pretty dominant fashion late, leading 125 of the last 164 laps. This was Blaney’s 3rd Top 2, 4th Top 3, and 8th Top 10 this year; all ranking T3rd or better. In addition he has 0 DNF’s, an 11.71 Avg. Finish (2nd best), and an 89.88 Avg. Driver Rating (8th best). This is all well and good but his stages aren’t as impressive as he only has 79 Stage Pts and 13 Stage T10’s. Charlotte was Blaney’s 2nd straight Top 10 and looking at his Small track stats from this year he’s a shoe-in for a 3rd straight Top 10. In the 2 races he’s finished 2nd and 3rd, ran 99.58% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 112.05, and has acquired 6 Stage Pts Per Stage. As a matter of fact the only bad thing for Blaney at Small tracks this year is that he’s led 0 laps in the 2 races. At Gateway last year Blaney had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 118.2, got 10 Stage Pts, led 12 laps, ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, and finished 4th. This paired with his recent success this year, and his good Small track stats makes me think a Top 10 is a lock for Blaney this weekend; and I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes Top 5 and contends for the win also.
3rd in Points – William Byron
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.5 | T3rd of 37 | T95th of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.97% | 15th of 37 | 222nd of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 79.79% | 1st of 37 | 53rd of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.6 | 1st of 37 | 34th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 53 | T10th of 1133 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 53 | T20th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T1st of 53 | T20th of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 1st of 53 | T21st of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | 1st of 53 | T17th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T1st of 53 | T70th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T16th of 37 | T389th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 7 | 1st of 53 | T2nd of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 20 | 1st of 53 | T12th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 146 | 1st of 53 | 10th of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 22 | 1st of 53 | 4th of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 2.5(T1st), 99.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 129.1(1st), Best 1st, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 35.84% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 9.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 19th, Started 24th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 37 Laps in Top15 (15.1% of laps he ran), had 59.0 Driver Rating (ranked 23rd)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 19.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 18th)
- Best Finish: 19th, Worst: 19th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 15.1% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 24th)
- 59.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 22nd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage T10’s
Outlook
William Byron is notable because of his impressive stats this year thru 14 races. Byron came within one spot of being on a 2 race Win streak for the 2nd time this year, but he ended up 2nd instead. This did extend a couple of other streaks, though, as he now has 2 straight Top 2’s, 3 straight Top 3’s, 4 straight Top 5’s, and 5 straight Top 10’s. Overall his 2023 stats are flat out stupid good as all of his stats except Avg. Finish, Completed Laps%, and DNF’s rank 1st or T1st this year. In all he has a 12.5 Avg. Finish, 3 Wins, 5 Top 3’s, 8 Top 10’s, 7 Stage Wins, and 146 Stage Pts (that’s 5.03 Stage Pts Per Stage). The news gets even better when looking at his 2023 Small track stats. In the 2 races Byron has finishes of 1st and 4th while also having the best Avg. Driver Rating at 129.1. Furthermore he’s ran 99.86% of his laps in the Top 15, he’s led 35.84% of his laps, he has 2 Stage Wins, and his worst finish in the 4 stages is 2nd. Now for the bad news, this weekend is Gateway where Byron did not fair well last year. In the race he ran just 15% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 23rd best Driver Rating at 59.0, led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Pts, and finished a disappointing 19th. However, based on the way he’s performed this year I expect Byron to be a ton better than that, running Top 15 most the race and ending up with a Top 10 between 3rd and 8th.
William Byron is notable because of his impressive stats this year thru 14 races. Byron came within one spot of being on a 2 race Win streak for the 2nd time this year, but he ended up 2nd instead. This did extend a couple of other streaks, though, as he now has 2 straight Top 2’s, 3 straight Top 3’s, 4 straight Top 5’s, and 5 straight Top 10’s. Overall his 2023 stats are flat out stupid good as all of his stats except Avg. Finish, Completed Laps%, and DNF’s rank 1st or T1st this year. In all he has a 12.5 Avg. Finish, 3 Wins, 5 Top 3’s, 8 Top 10’s, 7 Stage Wins, and 146 Stage Pts (that’s 5.03 Stage Pts Per Stage). The news gets even better when looking at his 2023 Small track stats. In the 2 races Byron has finishes of 1st and 4th while also having the best Avg. Driver Rating at 129.1. Furthermore he’s ran 99.86% of his laps in the Top 15, he’s led 35.84% of his laps, he has 2 Stage Wins, and his worst finish in the 4 stages is 2nd. Now for the bad news, this weekend is Gateway where Byron did not fair well last year. In the race he ran just 15% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 23rd best Driver Rating at 59.0, led 0 laps, got 0 Stage Pts, and finished a disappointing 19th. However, based on the way he’s performed this year I expect Byron to be a ton better than that, running Top 15 most the race and ending up with a Top 10 between 3rd and 8th.
5th in Points – Martin Truex Jr.
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.64 | 5th of 37 | 101st of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.62% | 5th of 37 | T66th of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.97% | 5th of 37 | 99th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.3 | 2nd of 37 | T122nd of 777‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 53 | T69th of 1133 |
| Poles | 1 | T4th of 53 | T52nd of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 53 | T141st of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 53 | T78th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T9th of 53 | T165th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T6th of 53 | T167th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T7th of 37 | T160th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T7th of 53 | T52nd of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 17 | T4th of 53 | T37th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 85 | 8th of 53 | T53rd of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T7th of 53 | T39th of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(T5th), 54.39% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.9(9th), Best 1st, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 9.48% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 6th, Started 13th, Led 42 laps (17.14%), Finished 2nd in Stage 2, ran 222 Laps in Top15 (90.61% of laps he ran), had 106.7 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 6.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 6th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 90.61% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 106.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 17.14% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of how good his stats are this year. At Charlotte Truex was in contention for his 2nd win of the year, but he had to settle for a 3rd place finish instead. This was Truex’s 3rd Top 3/Top 5 and 6th Top 10 this year with only 1 DNF which leads to him having a 12.64 Avg. Finish, 5th best. In addition his 99.62 Completed Laps% and 74.97 Laps in Top 15% are also 5th best. His stages stats are good too as he has 17 Stage T10’s with 85 Stage Pts, but his best stat is his 94.3 Avg. Driver Rating which is 2nd best this year. In the 2 Small track races this year Truex had one end in a Win and the other end in a 17th place finish. His races have given him a 9.0 Avg. Finish, T5th best, and a 92.9 Avg. Driver Rating, 9th best, but it’s a little concerning that he’s only ran 54.39% of his laps in the Top 15. In addition he’s only gotten 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 stages. The nice thing is that this weekend is Gateway where last year Truex ran 90.61% of his laps in the Top 15, his 106.7 Driver Rating was 5th best, and he finished 6th. In the race he also led 17% of the race and got 9 Stage Pts. Taking all of this into account I think Truex ends up with a good run this weekend, but doesn’t really compete for the lead much and ends up finishing somewhere between 5th and 17th.
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of how good his stats are this year. At Charlotte Truex was in contention for his 2nd win of the year, but he had to settle for a 3rd place finish instead. This was Truex’s 3rd Top 3/Top 5 and 6th Top 10 this year with only 1 DNF which leads to him having a 12.64 Avg. Finish, 5th best. In addition his 99.62 Completed Laps% and 74.97 Laps in Top 15% are also 5th best. His stages stats are good too as he has 17 Stage T10’s with 85 Stage Pts, but his best stat is his 94.3 Avg. Driver Rating which is 2nd best this year. In the 2 Small track races this year Truex had one end in a Win and the other end in a 17th place finish. His races have given him a 9.0 Avg. Finish, T5th best, and a 92.9 Avg. Driver Rating, 9th best, but it’s a little concerning that he’s only ran 54.39% of his laps in the Top 15. In addition he’s only gotten 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 stages. The nice thing is that this weekend is Gateway where last year Truex ran 90.61% of his laps in the Top 15, his 106.7 Driver Rating was 5th best, and he finished 6th. In the race he also led 17% of the race and got 9 Stage Pts. Taking all of this into account I think Truex ends up with a good run this weekend, but doesn’t really compete for the lead much and ends up finishing somewhere between 5th and 17th.
6th in Points – Christopher Bell
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.5 | T6th of 37 | T126th of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.32% | 31st of 37 | 466th of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.36% | 6th of 37 | 107th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.51 | 6th of 37 | T166th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 53 | T69th of 1133 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 53 | T159th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 53 | T141st of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 53 | T78th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T2nd of 53 | T64th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T1st of 53 | T70th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T25th of 37 | T587th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 53 | T87th of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | T2nd of 53 | T27th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 87 | 7th of 53 | 52nd of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T9th of 53 | T51st of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(4th), 98.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 107.1(3rd), Best 6th, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.14% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 9th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 6th Stage 2, ran 241 Laps in Top15 (98.37% of laps he ran), had 96.8 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 9.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 9th, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 98.37% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 96.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- 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
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
Outlook
Christopher Bell is notable because of his stats in the 2 Small track races this year. Last week Bell was running in the Top 5 when he was collected in the last caution relegating him to a 24th place finish. This race now has Bell’s 13.5 Avg. Finish, 74.36 Laps in Top15%, and 90.51 Avg. Driver Rating all being 6th best on the year. In addition to these stats he has collected 1 Win, 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, and 8 Top 10’s, which is tied for the most Top 10’s this year. Stages have also been good for him as he has 18 Stage T10’s (T2nd most) and 87 Stage Pts (7th most), but what’s hurt him is his 3 DNF’s that he has on the year. The good news for Bell is that none of these DNF’s came in the 2 Small track races as he finished 6th in both of them. In the races he’s also ran 98.33% of his laps in the Top 15, has collected 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 107.1. At Gateway last year Bell spent all but 4 laps in the Top 15, collected 6 Stage Pts, led 0 laps, and finished 9th. His Driver Rating in the race was better than his finish, however, as his 96.8 Driver Rating was 7th best that day. Looking at all the data I think Bell has a good run this weekend and ends up with a finish in the Top 10, more specifically 6th or better.
Christopher Bell is notable because of his stats in the 2 Small track races this year. Last week Bell was running in the Top 5 when he was collected in the last caution relegating him to a 24th place finish. This race now has Bell’s 13.5 Avg. Finish, 74.36 Laps in Top15%, and 90.51 Avg. Driver Rating all being 6th best on the year. In addition to these stats he has collected 1 Win, 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, and 8 Top 10’s, which is tied for the most Top 10’s this year. Stages have also been good for him as he has 18 Stage T10’s (T2nd most) and 87 Stage Pts (7th most), but what’s hurt him is his 3 DNF’s that he has on the year. The good news for Bell is that none of these DNF’s came in the 2 Small track races as he finished 6th in both of them. In the races he’s also ran 98.33% of his laps in the Top 15, has collected 4.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 107.1. At Gateway last year Bell spent all but 4 laps in the Top 15, collected 6 Stage Pts, led 0 laps, and finished 9th. His Driver Rating in the race was better than his finish, however, as his 96.8 Driver Rating was 7th best that day. Looking at all the data I think Bell has a good run this weekend and ends up with a finish in the Top 10, more specifically 6th or better.
10th in Points – Kyle Busch
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.64 | 9th of 37 | 138th of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.88% | 20th of 37 | 296th of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 63.5% | 12th of 37 | 196th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 85.96 | 11th of 37 | T214th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T2nd of 53 | T29th of 1133 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 53 | T159th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T3rd of 53 | T44th of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 53 | T78th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T9th of 53 | T165th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T4th of 53 | T118th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T25th of 37 | T587th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 53 | T87th of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T11th of 53 | T81st of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 57 | 13th of 53 | T81st of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 10 | 3rd of 53 | T22nd of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 14.5(T15th), 42.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.7(14th), Best 8th, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 99.58%, Led 3.5% 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, 0.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 12th, Led 66 laps (26.94%), Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 245 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 135.4 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 2.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 2nd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 100% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks T1st)
- 135.4 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 26.94% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 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)
- 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T1st)
Outlook
Kyle Busch is notable because of how good his stats are here at Gateway in his one Cup Series start. Last week Busch ran most of his race in the Top 10 coming home with a solid 6th place finish. This was Busch’s 2nd straight Top 10 and his 7th Top 10 on the year. In addition he has 2 Wins and 3 Top 2’s, but those are his only Top 5’s as well. Overall on the year he has a 13.64 Avg. Finish with an 85.96 Avg. Driver Rating. However, more concerning is that he’s only ran 63.5% of his laps in the Top 15, has only 11 Top 10’s, and has just 57 Stage Pts. What’s worse is that in the 2 Small track races this year Busch’s best finish is 8th and his Avg. Finish is 14.5. In addition he’s only ran 42.02% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 14th best Avg. Driver Rating at 77.7, and worst of all he’s only collected 1 Stage Pt in the 4 stages. However, there is good news. Last year Busch finished 2nd at Gateway, led 26.94% of the race, ran all 245 laps in the Top 15, and left with the best Driver Rating in the inaugural Gateway Cup race at 135.4. This bodes well for Busch this weekend, but his Small track stats this year are a bit concerning. For this reason I see a backend Top 10 being the best he does this weekend, finishing 8th-20th probably.
Kyle Busch is notable because of how good his stats are here at Gateway in his one Cup Series start. Last week Busch ran most of his race in the Top 10 coming home with a solid 6th place finish. This was Busch’s 2nd straight Top 10 and his 7th Top 10 on the year. In addition he has 2 Wins and 3 Top 2’s, but those are his only Top 5’s as well. Overall on the year he has a 13.64 Avg. Finish with an 85.96 Avg. Driver Rating. However, more concerning is that he’s only ran 63.5% of his laps in the Top 15, has only 11 Top 10’s, and has just 57 Stage Pts. What’s worse is that in the 2 Small track races this year Busch’s best finish is 8th and his Avg. Finish is 14.5. In addition he’s only ran 42.02% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 14th best Avg. Driver Rating at 77.7, and worst of all he’s only collected 1 Stage Pt in the 4 stages. However, there is good news. Last year Busch finished 2nd at Gateway, led 26.94% of the race, ran all 245 laps in the Top 15, and left with the best Driver Rating in the inaugural Gateway Cup race at 135.4. This bodes well for Busch this weekend, but his Small track stats this year are a bit concerning. For this reason I see a backend Top 10 being the best he does this weekend, finishing 8th-20th probably.
14th in Points – Joey Logano
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.14 | 16th of 37 | T292nd of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.2% | 32nd of 37 | 515th of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 51.66% | 15th of 37 | 284th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 77.41 | 14th of 37 | T306th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 53 | T69th of 1133 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 53 | T20th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T3rd of 53 | T44th of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 53 | T78th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T9th of 53 | T165th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T6th of 53 | T167th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T25th of 37 | T587th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T3rd of 53 | T32nd of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | T13th of 53 | T95th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 64 | T11th of 53 | T72nd of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T4th of 53 | T32nd of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(25th), 23.55% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 62.65(22nd), Best 11th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 96.51%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 1st, Started 7th, Led 22 laps (8.98%), Finished 7th in Stage 1, ran 227 Laps in Top15 (92.65% of laps he ran), had 118.1 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 1.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 1st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 92.65% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 118.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 8.98% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 1 Win, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
Outlook
Joey Logano is notable because of how he did in last years Gateway race. Last week was not too good for Logano as he spent most the race out of the Top 15, finishing 21st. This puts Logano’s Avg. Finish at 17.14 now, 16th best, and on the year he’s only spent 51.66% of his laps in the Top 15, 15th best. In addition his 77.41 Avg. Driver Rating is just 14th best, but his saving grace is that he has 1 Win so he’s locked in to the playoffs (most likely). However, something more problematic is that he has the same amount of Top 5’s and DNF’s (3). Moreover, his stage stats aren’t that great either as he has just 9 Stage T10’s with only 64 Stage Pts. When looking at his stats from the 2 Small track races this year the news only gets worse. In the races Logano has ran just 23.55% of his laps in the Top 15, has an Avg. Driver Rating of 62.65, and 21.0 Avg. Finish with a best of 11th. To go along with this he’s also gotten 0 Stage T10’s in the 4 stages, so his results and runs have been bad. Now to the good news. Last year at Gateway Logano won the race after leading 9% of the race and running in the Top 15 for 92.65% of the race. All of this got him the 3rd best Driver Rating of the race at 118.1. I don’t think this year will be as kind to Logano here as his struggles this year lead me to believe he will struggle again this weekend. At the end of the race I expect to see Logano finishing somewhere between 9th and 30th.
Joey Logano is notable because of how he did in last years Gateway race. Last week was not too good for Logano as he spent most the race out of the Top 15, finishing 21st. This puts Logano’s Avg. Finish at 17.14 now, 16th best, and on the year he’s only spent 51.66% of his laps in the Top 15, 15th best. In addition his 77.41 Avg. Driver Rating is just 14th best, but his saving grace is that he has 1 Win so he’s locked in to the playoffs (most likely). However, something more problematic is that he has the same amount of Top 5’s and DNF’s (3). Moreover, his stage stats aren’t that great either as he has just 9 Stage T10’s with only 64 Stage Pts. When looking at his stats from the 2 Small track races this year the news only gets worse. In the races Logano has ran just 23.55% of his laps in the Top 15, has an Avg. Driver Rating of 62.65, and 21.0 Avg. Finish with a best of 11th. To go along with this he’s also gotten 0 Stage T10’s in the 4 stages, so his results and runs have been bad. Now to the good news. Last year at Gateway Logano won the race after leading 9% of the race and running in the Top 15 for 92.65% of the race. All of this got him the 3rd best Driver Rating of the race at 118.1. I don’t think this year will be as kind to Logano here as his struggles this year lead me to believe he will struggle again this weekend. At the end of the race I expect to see Logano finishing somewhere between 9th and 30th.
25th in Points – Aric Almirola
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 14 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 22.86 | 30th of 37 | T512th of 820 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.31% | T26th of 37 | T398th of 820 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 37.84% | 20th of 37 | 377th of 777‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 67.92 | 20th of 37 | 424th of 777‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 53 | T175th of 1133 |
| Poles | 0 | T8th of 53 | T159th of 1133 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 53 | T274th of 1133 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T19th of 53 | T344th of 1133 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T23rd of 53 | T448th of 1133 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T27th of 53 | T489th of 1133 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T25th of 37 | T587th of 820 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T7th of 53 | T52nd of 370* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T21st of 53 | T136th of 370* |
| Stage Pts | 25 | T23rd of 53 | T132nd of 370* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T12th of 53 | T80th of 370* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 14 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 39 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 28.5(T31st), 0.99% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 47.05(29th), Best 24th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.02%, 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, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Gateway Statistics
- 2022 Gateway Race
- Finished 5th, Started 8th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 5th in Stage 2, ran 245 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 112.2 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Gateway Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 5.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 5th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 100% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks T1st)
- 112.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 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)
- 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T1st)
Outlook
Aric Almirola is notable because of his stats in his 1 career Cup start at Gateway. Last week Almirola stunk as he ran just 9% of the race in the Top 15 and finished as the last car on the lead lap in 25th. This is the story of Almirola this season as his Avg. Finish is an abomination at 22.86 (30th best) and he’s only ran 37.84% of his laps in the Top 15 this year. Furthermore he only has the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating this year at 67.92, and he has more DNF’s (3) than Top 10’s (1). Even worse is that even with 1 Stage Win he only has 25 Stage Pts in the 29 stages this year. As if that’s not bad enough Almirola’s 2023 Small track stats are even worse. In the 2 races he’s only ran 1% of his laps in the Top 15 with finishes of 24th and 33rd leading to a 28.5 Avg. Finish (ranks T31st). Furthermore his Avg. Driver Rating is 29th best at 47.05, but the good news is that this weekend is Gateway. Last year here Almirola had the 4th best Driver Rating at 112.2, ran all 245 laps in the Top 15 and finished 5th in the race. Based on how Almirola has done this year I do not see him replicating that Gateway success from last year. In fact I see Almirola barely running Top 15 this weekend and finishing out of the Top 15 most likely, but I’ll say the range of where he finishes is 12th-28th.
Aric Almirola is notable because of his stats in his 1 career Cup start at Gateway. Last week Almirola stunk as he ran just 9% of the race in the Top 15 and finished as the last car on the lead lap in 25th. This is the story of Almirola this season as his Avg. Finish is an abomination at 22.86 (30th best) and he’s only ran 37.84% of his laps in the Top 15 this year. Furthermore he only has the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating this year at 67.92, and he has more DNF’s (3) than Top 10’s (1). Even worse is that even with 1 Stage Win he only has 25 Stage Pts in the 29 stages this year. As if that’s not bad enough Almirola’s 2023 Small track stats are even worse. In the 2 races he’s only ran 1% of his laps in the Top 15 with finishes of 24th and 33rd leading to a 28.5 Avg. Finish (ranks T31st). Furthermore his Avg. Driver Rating is 29th best at 47.05, but the good news is that this weekend is Gateway. Last year here Almirola had the 4th best Driver Rating at 112.2, ran all 245 laps in the Top 15 and finished 5th in the race. Based on how Almirola has done this year I do not see him replicating that Gateway success from last year. In fact I see Almirola barely running Top 15 this weekend and finishing out of the Top 15 most likely, but I’ll say the range of where he finishes is 12th-28th.
