Last week was a nice break and the only off weekend in the Cup Series this year. The week before we got to see Martin Truex Jr. become king of the road yet again by dominating the Sonoma race for his 2nd win of the season. This week we head to Nashville for a little 1.33 mile fun on concrete. 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 Nashville race and 2 based on their overall Nashville stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 16 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Intermediate track (1.3-1.5 mile) statistics and Nashville statistics.
1st in Points – Martin Truex Jr.
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.44 | 1st of 37 | T65th of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.65% | 5th of 37 | 55th of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 75.88% | 5th of 37 | 89th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.3 | 2nd of 37 | 81st of 771‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 57 | T35th of 1220 |
| Poles | 1 | T5th of 57 | T65th of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T6th of 57 | T88th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T4th of 57 | T62nd of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T3rd of 57 | T90th of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T5th of 57 | T115th of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T6th of 37 | T134th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T9th of 57 | T61st of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 20 | T3rd of 57 | T29th of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 105 | 4th of 57 | 48th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 4th of 57 | 26th of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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 5 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 12.25(T7th), 97.45% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.18(2nd), Best 3rd, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 98.78%, Led 18.64% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 5.11 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 22nd, Started 10th, Led 82 laps (27.33%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 286 Laps in Top15 (95.33% of laps he ran), had 111.0 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 22.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 24th)
- Best Finish: 22nd, Worst: 22nd
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T22nd)
- 67.78% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 86.85 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 13.69% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Top 15’s
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T25th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Stage Wins, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Outlook
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his stats in the 4 Intermediate races this year. At Sonoma Truex dominated leading 51 of the final 78 laps en route to his 2nd Win of the year. After this race Truex now has the best Avg. Finish this year at 11.44 and 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 97.3. As a matter of fact all of his 2023 Ranks above are 9th or better, and all but 3 rank 5th or better. This includes, but is not limited to his 4 Top 3’s, 8 Top 10’s, 20 Stage T10’s, and 105 Stage Pts. Moreover Truex is now on a 3 race Top 5 streak, but when looking at his finishes on Intermediate tracks this year that may come to an end this weekend. In the 4 races Truex has a 12.25 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 5, but he does have 3 Top 10’s. However, he has ran well as he’s ran 97.45% of his laps in the Top 15, led 18.64% of laps he’s run, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 112.18, and he’s accumulated 5.11 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Nashville was similar to this in the sense that Truex led 27% of the race, ran in the Top 15 for 95% of the race, won both stages and ended with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 111.0, but he ultimately finished 22nd. This was Truex’s 2nd race here and he’s finished 22nd both times. However, he has ran 68% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 86.85 Avg. Driver Rating, and 2 Stage Wins. This weekend based on Truex’s momentum and speed at Intermediates I think he gets a Top 10, and could get a Top 5 if things go right.
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his stats in the 4 Intermediate races this year. At Sonoma Truex dominated leading 51 of the final 78 laps en route to his 2nd Win of the year. After this race Truex now has the best Avg. Finish this year at 11.44 and 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 97.3. As a matter of fact all of his 2023 Ranks above are 9th or better, and all but 3 rank 5th or better. This includes, but is not limited to his 4 Top 3’s, 8 Top 10’s, 20 Stage T10’s, and 105 Stage Pts. Moreover Truex is now on a 3 race Top 5 streak, but when looking at his finishes on Intermediate tracks this year that may come to an end this weekend. In the 4 races Truex has a 12.25 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 5, but he does have 3 Top 10’s. However, he has ran well as he’s ran 97.45% of his laps in the Top 15, led 18.64% of laps he’s run, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating at 112.18, and he’s accumulated 5.11 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Nashville was similar to this in the sense that Truex led 27% of the race, ran in the Top 15 for 95% of the race, won both stages and ended with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 111.0, but he ultimately finished 22nd. This was Truex’s 2nd race here and he’s finished 22nd both times. However, he has ran 68% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 86.85 Avg. Driver Rating, and 2 Stage Wins. This weekend based on Truex’s momentum and speed at Intermediates I think he gets a Top 10, and could get a Top 5 if things go right.
2nd in Points – William Byron
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.31 | 5th of 37 | 89th of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.14% | 14th of 37 | 202nd of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.35% | 1st of 37 | 45th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.19 | 1st of 37 | 42nd of 771‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 57 | T15th of 1220 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 57 | T26th of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T2nd of 57 | T30th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | T1st of 57 | T33rd of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | 1st of 57 | T31st of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | T1st of 57 | T76th of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T15th of 37 | T355th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 7 | 1st of 57 | T4th of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 23 | 1st of 57 | T10th of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 164 | 1st of 57 | 9th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 22 | 1st of 57 | T6th of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 1.75(1st), 88.73% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 126.08(1st), Best 1st, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 23.03% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 4 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 6.22 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 35th, Started 13th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 47 Laps in Top15 (17.94% of laps he ran), had 55.8 Driver Rating (ranked 23rd)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 19.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T20th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 35th
- Completed 93.67% of laps (% ranks 31st)
- 45.37% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
- 77.15 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T19th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 25.0% (% ranks T10th)
Outlook
William Byron is notable because of his impressive 2023 season stats. Last race was an up and down day for Byron as he ran 66% of the race in the Top 15 but finished in just 14th place. With this race his Avg. Finish is now at 12.31, his Laps in Top15% is at 80.35, and his Avg. Driver Rating is at 103.19. In other stats he has 3 Wins, 5 Top 3’s, 9 Top 10’s, 7 Stage Wins (tied 4th most thru 16 races in Cup history), 23 Stage T10’s, and 164 Stage Pts. All of the stats mentioned, aside from Avg. Finish, are 1st in the 2023 Ranks above showing just how good he’s been. What could be better than this? His Intermediate stats, that’s what. In the 4 races this year Byron has a 1.75 Avg. Finish, 2 Wins, and a worst finish of 3rd. Furthermore he’s ran 88.73% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 126.08 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage Wins, and 6.22 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Nashville Byron was able to only run 50 laps before a steering issue forced him behind the wall. This led to him running just 18% of his laps in the Top 15, having a 55.8 Driver Rating, and resulted in a P35 finish. This was his 2nd Cup race here and skewed his stats quite a bit. Nonetheless he has finishes of 3rd and 35th, a 77.15 Avg. Driver Rating, he’s ran just 45% of his laps in the Top 15, and just 1 Stage T10. Last year makes Byron’s Nashville stats unreliable, but based on this year it won’t matter. If nothing goes wrong he will run great all day, finish in the Top 5, and battle for the win.
William Byron is notable because of his impressive 2023 season stats. Last race was an up and down day for Byron as he ran 66% of the race in the Top 15 but finished in just 14th place. With this race his Avg. Finish is now at 12.31, his Laps in Top15% is at 80.35, and his Avg. Driver Rating is at 103.19. In other stats he has 3 Wins, 5 Top 3’s, 9 Top 10’s, 7 Stage Wins (tied 4th most thru 16 races in Cup history), 23 Stage T10’s, and 164 Stage Pts. All of the stats mentioned, aside from Avg. Finish, are 1st in the 2023 Ranks above showing just how good he’s been. What could be better than this? His Intermediate stats, that’s what. In the 4 races this year Byron has a 1.75 Avg. Finish, 2 Wins, and a worst finish of 3rd. Furthermore he’s ran 88.73% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 126.08 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage Wins, and 6.22 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year at Nashville Byron was able to only run 50 laps before a steering issue forced him behind the wall. This led to him running just 18% of his laps in the Top 15, having a 55.8 Driver Rating, and resulted in a P35 finish. This was his 2nd Cup race here and skewed his stats quite a bit. Nonetheless he has finishes of 3rd and 35th, a 77.15 Avg. Driver Rating, he’s ran just 45% of his laps in the Top 15, and just 1 Stage T10. Last year makes Byron’s Nashville stats unreliable, but based on this year it won’t matter. If nothing goes wrong he will run great all day, finish in the Top 5, and battle for the win.
3rd in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.56 | 6th of 37 | T96th of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.88% | 2nd of 37 | T21st of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.05% | 6th of 37 | 104th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.83 | 8th of 37 | 183rd of 771‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 57 | T77th of 1220 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 57 | T173rd of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T4th of 57 | T53rd of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T4th of 57 | T62nd of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T9th of 57 | T141st of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | T1st of 57 | T76th of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 37 | T1st of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T4th of 57 | T34th of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 15 | T9th of 57 | T68th of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 98 | 7th of 57 | 54th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T6th of 57 | T37th of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 9.75(5th), 90.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.3(6th), Best 1st, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 13.54% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 6th, Led 1 lap (0.33%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 238 Laps in Top15 (79.33% of laps he ran), had 98.6 Driver Rating (ranked 8th)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 20.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T22nd)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 37th
- Completed 58.83% of laps (% ranks T22nd)
- 67.42% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 65.95 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 21st)
- Led 0.28% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T19th)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T31st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T7th)
Outlook
Ryan Blaney is notable because he is 3rd in points after 16 races. Blaney pretty much ran like crap at Sonoma but found himself in the Top 10 late, only to be spun a few times and finish 31st. This race worsened a lot of Blaney’s stats as he now has a 12.56 Avg. Finish, an 88.83 Avg. Driver Rating, and a 74.05 Laps in Top 15%. More stats for him are that he has 1 Win, 3 Top 2’s, 9 Top 10’s, 2 Stage Wins, and 98 Stage Pts on the year. Most of these stats I have mentioned are between 4th and 9th in the 2023 Ranks above, showing that he hasn’t been great this year, but hasn’t been bad either. This could explain Blaney on Intermediates this year as well. In the 4 races he has 1 Win, but also only 1 Top 5, and just 2 Top 10’s leading to a 9.75 Avg. Finish with a 98.3 Avg. Driver Rating. However, a few really good stats are that he’s led 13.54% of his laps and he’s ran 90.75% of his laps in the Top 15 getting 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage in the process. In this race last year Blaney started 6th, led 1 lap, ran 79% of the laps in the Top 15, and finished 3rd. Despite this his 98.6 Driver Rating was still only good for 8th best. This still was better than his 1st race here as he finished with a 37th place DNF and a 33.3 Driver Rating. Overall in his 2 starts he’s ran just 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, and a 65.95 Avg. Driver Rating. This weekend I see a bit of a struggle for Blaney and I think he finishes 8th or worse.
Ryan Blaney is notable because he is 3rd in points after 16 races. Blaney pretty much ran like crap at Sonoma but found himself in the Top 10 late, only to be spun a few times and finish 31st. This race worsened a lot of Blaney’s stats as he now has a 12.56 Avg. Finish, an 88.83 Avg. Driver Rating, and a 74.05 Laps in Top 15%. More stats for him are that he has 1 Win, 3 Top 2’s, 9 Top 10’s, 2 Stage Wins, and 98 Stage Pts on the year. Most of these stats I have mentioned are between 4th and 9th in the 2023 Ranks above, showing that he hasn’t been great this year, but hasn’t been bad either. This could explain Blaney on Intermediates this year as well. In the 4 races he has 1 Win, but also only 1 Top 5, and just 2 Top 10’s leading to a 9.75 Avg. Finish with a 98.3 Avg. Driver Rating. However, a few really good stats are that he’s led 13.54% of his laps and he’s ran 90.75% of his laps in the Top 15 getting 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage in the process. In this race last year Blaney started 6th, led 1 lap, ran 79% of the laps in the Top 15, and finished 3rd. Despite this his 98.6 Driver Rating was still only good for 8th best. This still was better than his 1st race here as he finished with a 37th place DNF and a 33.3 Driver Rating. Overall in his 2 starts he’s ran just 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, and a 65.95 Avg. Driver Rating. This weekend I see a bit of a struggle for Blaney and I think he finishes 8th or worse.
4th in Points – Ross Chastain
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.88 | 10th of 37 | T149th of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.79% | T3rd of 37 | T31st of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.53% | 9th of 37 | 145th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.14 | 7th of 37 | 167th of 771‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 57 | T193rd of 1220 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 57 | T173rd of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T9th of 57 | T158th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T7th of 57 | T98th of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T3rd of 57 | T90th of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T7th of 57 | T172nd of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T6th of 37 | T134th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | 2nd of 57 | T6th of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 21 | 2nd of 57 | T22nd of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 131 | 2nd of 57 | T24th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T9th of 57 | T55th of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(17th), 75.84% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.65(9th), Best 5th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.35%, Led 7.84% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 5th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 7th in Stage 2, ran 256 Laps in Top15 (85.33% of laps he ran), had 109.4 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 3.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 5th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 83.5% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 107.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 0.67% of laps he’s run (% ranks T7th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 5’s, 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, 25.0% (% ranks T10th)
Outlook
Ross Chastain is notable because of how well he’s done in the 2 races here at Nashville. Sonoma was going not so great for Chastain until strategy put him up front helping him finish 10th. This race was Chastain’s 7th Top 10 and improved his Avg. Finish to 13.88, but worsened his Avg. Driver Rating to 90.4. This shows his struggles this year as does his 2023 Ranks above, the only non-stage stats that are 6th or better are his 99.79 Completed Laps% (T3rd), 5 Top 5’s (T3rd), and 1 DNF (T6th). However his 5 Stage Wins, 21 Stage T10’s, and 131 Stage Pts are all 2nd best this year; so if he can finish like he’s performed in stages he’d be in great shape. The same can be said for Chastain’s performance on Intermediate tracks this year as in 4 races he has just 1 Top 10 (5th at Kansas), a 17.0 Avg. Finish, and has ran 75.84% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he has 1 Stage Win, 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage, and the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating at 92.65. Last year at Nashville Chastain ran 85.33% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 4th best Driver Rating at 109.4, and finished 5th. This was Chastain’s worst finish here as in 2 races he has a 2nd and 5th with a 107.7 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s ran 83.5% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he’s also led just 0.67% of his laps and has just 1 Stage T10. Based on all this I see Chastain having an okay race and getting 7+ Stage Pts, but only finishing between 6th and 15th.
Ross Chastain is notable because of how well he’s done in the 2 races here at Nashville. Sonoma was going not so great for Chastain until strategy put him up front helping him finish 10th. This race was Chastain’s 7th Top 10 and improved his Avg. Finish to 13.88, but worsened his Avg. Driver Rating to 90.4. This shows his struggles this year as does his 2023 Ranks above, the only non-stage stats that are 6th or better are his 99.79 Completed Laps% (T3rd), 5 Top 5’s (T3rd), and 1 DNF (T6th). However his 5 Stage Wins, 21 Stage T10’s, and 131 Stage Pts are all 2nd best this year; so if he can finish like he’s performed in stages he’d be in great shape. The same can be said for Chastain’s performance on Intermediate tracks this year as in 4 races he has just 1 Top 10 (5th at Kansas), a 17.0 Avg. Finish, and has ran 75.84% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he has 1 Stage Win, 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage, and the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating at 92.65. Last year at Nashville Chastain ran 85.33% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 4th best Driver Rating at 109.4, and finished 5th. This was Chastain’s worst finish here as in 2 races he has a 2nd and 5th with a 107.7 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s ran 83.5% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he’s also led just 0.67% of his laps and has just 1 Stage T10. Based on all this I see Chastain having an okay race and getting 7+ Stage Pts, but only finishing between 6th and 15th.
8th in Points – Denny Hamlin
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.56 | T11th of 37 | T178th of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.58% | 30th of 37 | T449th of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 79.52% | 2nd of 37 | 52nd of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.44 | 3rd of 37 | 107th of 771‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 57 | T77th of 1220 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 57 | T26th of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T6th of 57 | T88th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 57 | T154th of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T9th of 57 | T141st of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T12th of 57 | T217th of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T15th of 37 | T355th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | 3rd of 57 | T18th of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 20 | T3rd of 57 | T29th of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 122 | 3rd of 57 | T29th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | 5th of 57 | T31st of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 14.75(T14th), 84.58% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.7(5th), Best 1st, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 82.56%, Led 7.17% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 2.78 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 6th, Started 1st, Led 114 laps (38.0%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 296 Laps in Top15 (98.67% of laps he ran), had 131.2 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 13.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 12th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 21st
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T22nd)
- 86.81% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 110.95 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 19.03% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Pole, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T19th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Outlook
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats thru 16 races in the 2023 season. Sonoma was good for Hamlin… until he inexplicably hit the turn 12 wall causing him to finish last. This was Hamlin’s 2nd DNF this year and hurt his Avg. Finish as it now sits at 14.56, T11th best. Furthermore he only has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, and 6 Top 10’s; all of which rank 9th or worst in the 2023 Ranks above. The good news for him is that his 95.44 Avg. Driver Rating is 3rd best, his 79.52 Laps in Top15% is 2nd best, and all of his stage stats are 3rd most this year. These stats kind of match Hamlin’s Intermediate stats this year where in 4 races he has just 1 Top 10 and a 14.75 Avg. Finish, but he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 98.7. Essentially he’s run well, but can’t seal the deal at the end of a race. This was the case for him at Nashville last year too. In the race Hamlin led 114 laps, finished 2nd in both stages, ran 98.7% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the best Driver Rating at 131.2. However, he ended up finishing in 6th place, not bad but not where he ran all race. This was Hamlin’s 2nd race here and overall he has a 13.5 Avg. Finish, a 110.95 Avg. Driver Rating (2nd best), has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 6 Stage Pts Per Stage. Based on these stats I see Hamlin being fast this weekend, but can he seal the deal? If so he probably wins, if not he probably finishes outside the Top 5.
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats thru 16 races in the 2023 season. Sonoma was good for Hamlin… until he inexplicably hit the turn 12 wall causing him to finish last. This was Hamlin’s 2nd DNF this year and hurt his Avg. Finish as it now sits at 14.56, T11th best. Furthermore he only has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, and 6 Top 10’s; all of which rank 9th or worst in the 2023 Ranks above. The good news for him is that his 95.44 Avg. Driver Rating is 3rd best, his 79.52 Laps in Top15% is 2nd best, and all of his stage stats are 3rd most this year. These stats kind of match Hamlin’s Intermediate stats this year where in 4 races he has just 1 Top 10 and a 14.75 Avg. Finish, but he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating at 98.7. Essentially he’s run well, but can’t seal the deal at the end of a race. This was the case for him at Nashville last year too. In the race Hamlin led 114 laps, finished 2nd in both stages, ran 98.7% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the best Driver Rating at 131.2. However, he ended up finishing in 6th place, not bad but not where he ran all race. This was Hamlin’s 2nd race here and overall he has a 13.5 Avg. Finish, a 110.95 Avg. Driver Rating (2nd best), has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 6 Stage Pts Per Stage. Based on these stats I see Hamlin being fast this weekend, but can he seal the deal? If so he probably wins, if not he probably finishes outside the Top 5.
10th in Points – Kyle Larson
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.5 | T15th of 37 | T265th of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.07% | 28th of 37 | T424th of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.67% | 8th of 37 | 144th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.73 | 4th of 37 | 144th of 771‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 57 | T35th of 1220 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 57 | T26th of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T2nd of 57 | T30th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T4th of 57 | T62nd of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | 2nd of 57 | T56th of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T7th of 57 | T172nd of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T34th of 37 | T755th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T4th of 57 | T34th of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | 7th of 57 | T46th of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 99 | T5th of 57 | T51st of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 12 | 3rd of 57 | T21st of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 13.5(10th), 86.53% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.45(3rd), Best 2nd, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 98.13%, Led 14.71% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 4th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 240 Laps in Top15 (80.0% of laps he ran), had 98.2 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 2.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 4th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 90.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 123.95 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 44.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 5’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 7.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Outlook
Kyle Larson is notable because of his career stats here at Nashville. In Sonoma Larson was so-so, he wasn’t bad but wasn’t a contender either and ended up finishing 8th. This was Larson’s 1st finish this year in the Top 10 that wasn’t also a Top 5 as he now has 7 Top 10’s, 6 Top 5’s, and a 16.5 Avg. Finish. The good news for him is that his 70.67 Laps in Top15% is 8th and his 92.73 Avg. Finish is 4th in the 2023 Ranks above. Moreover his 6 Top 5’s ranks 2nd best, his 4 Top 2’s ranks T2nd best, and his 12 Playoff Pts ranks 3rd best. More good news is that Larson is on a 2 race Top 10 streak, tied for his longest this year, and he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating on Intermediates this year at 104.45. In addition he’s ran 86.53% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 2 Top 3’s in the 4 races, but unfortunately he also has just 2 Top 15’s and his Avg. Finish is just 13.5. However, the rest of the stats are good news for Larson as he’s run well at Nashville. Last year he ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 9th best Driver Rating at 98.2, and finished 4th. Overall in his 2 races here Larson has a Win, a 4th, a 123.95 Avg. Finish, and he’s run 90% of his laps in the Top 15 while getting 7.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. The stats say Larson will no doubt run well this weekend at Nashville, but this year’s stats can’t promise a good finish. Nevertheless, with his good track stats I think Larson gets a for sure Top 10 this weekend.
Kyle Larson is notable because of his career stats here at Nashville. In Sonoma Larson was so-so, he wasn’t bad but wasn’t a contender either and ended up finishing 8th. This was Larson’s 1st finish this year in the Top 10 that wasn’t also a Top 5 as he now has 7 Top 10’s, 6 Top 5’s, and a 16.5 Avg. Finish. The good news for him is that his 70.67 Laps in Top15% is 8th and his 92.73 Avg. Finish is 4th in the 2023 Ranks above. Moreover his 6 Top 5’s ranks 2nd best, his 4 Top 2’s ranks T2nd best, and his 12 Playoff Pts ranks 3rd best. More good news is that Larson is on a 2 race Top 10 streak, tied for his longest this year, and he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating on Intermediates this year at 104.45. In addition he’s ran 86.53% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 2 Top 3’s in the 4 races, but unfortunately he also has just 2 Top 15’s and his Avg. Finish is just 13.5. However, the rest of the stats are good news for Larson as he’s run well at Nashville. Last year he ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 9th best Driver Rating at 98.2, and finished 4th. Overall in his 2 races here Larson has a Win, a 4th, a 123.95 Avg. Finish, and he’s run 90% of his laps in the Top 15 while getting 7.25 Stage Pts Per Stage. The stats say Larson will no doubt run well this weekend at Nashville, but this year’s stats can’t promise a good finish. Nevertheless, with his good track stats I think Larson gets a for sure Top 10 this weekend.
15th in Points – Bubba Wallace
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.19 | 17th of 37 | T293rd of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.51% | 17th of 37 | 251st of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 54.93% | 15th of 37 | 259th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 74.87 | 17th of 37 | 347th of 771‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 57 | T193rd of 1220 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 57 | T173rd of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 57 | T294th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T19th of 57 | T365th of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T9th of 57 | T141st of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T15th of 57 | T274th of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T34th of 37 | T755th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 57 | T94th of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T17th of 57 | T125th of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 32 | T20th of 57 | T125th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T19th of 57 | T104th of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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 5 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 4.25(2nd), 78.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.75(4th), Best 4th, Worst 5th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.97% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 12th, Started 30th, Led 0 laps, Finished 7th in Stage 1, ran 109 Laps in Top15 (36.33% of laps he ran), had 79.6 Driver Rating (ranked 12th)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 16.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T15th)
- Best Finish: 12th, Worst: 20th
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T22nd)
- 24.54% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 24th)
- 69.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 16th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 25.0% (% ranks T10th)
Outlook
Bubba Wallace is notable because of how well he’s ran at Intermediates tracks this year. Wallace had a typical Sonoma race for him, not good, as he ran most the race out of the Top 20 and finished 17th. This actually improved Wallace’s Avg. Finish on the year to 17.19, but unfortunately that’s only good for 17th best, as is his 74.87 Avg. Driver Rating. Part of the reason for these bad averages is that he has more DNF’s (5) than Top 5’s (4) and the same amount of DNF’s as Top 10’s. Even his stages are less than stellar as he has just 7 Top 10’s and only 32 Stage Pts. However, the one very big bright spot for Wallace this year has been Intermediates where he has a 4.25 Avg. Finish in 4 races (2nd best) with three 4th place finishes and one 5th place finish. In addition he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 99.75, he’s run 78% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage. Still, he’s only led 0.97% of his laps this year at Intermediates and last year at Nashville he failed to lead any laps. This race wasn’t all that good for Wallace as he ran just 36% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 12th best Driver Rating at 79.6, and finished 12th as well. This is the better of his 2 races here as he has a 16.0 Avg. Finish, a 69.0 Avg. Driver Rating, only 1 Stage T10, and he’s only ran 24.54% of his laps in the Top 15. For this reason I see Wallace doing worse than he has on Intermediates this year, but I still see him finishing between 7th and 15th.
Bubba Wallace is notable because of how well he’s ran at Intermediates tracks this year. Wallace had a typical Sonoma race for him, not good, as he ran most the race out of the Top 20 and finished 17th. This actually improved Wallace’s Avg. Finish on the year to 17.19, but unfortunately that’s only good for 17th best, as is his 74.87 Avg. Driver Rating. Part of the reason for these bad averages is that he has more DNF’s (5) than Top 5’s (4) and the same amount of DNF’s as Top 10’s. Even his stages are less than stellar as he has just 7 Top 10’s and only 32 Stage Pts. However, the one very big bright spot for Wallace this year has been Intermediates where he has a 4.25 Avg. Finish in 4 races (2nd best) with three 4th place finishes and one 5th place finish. In addition he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating at 99.75, he’s run 78% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage. Still, he’s only led 0.97% of his laps this year at Intermediates and last year at Nashville he failed to lead any laps. This race wasn’t all that good for Wallace as he ran just 36% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 12th best Driver Rating at 79.6, and finished 12th as well. This is the better of his 2 races here as he has a 16.0 Avg. Finish, a 69.0 Avg. Driver Rating, only 1 Stage T10, and he’s only ran 24.54% of his laps in the Top 15. For this reason I see Wallace doing worse than he has on Intermediates this year, but I still see him finishing between 7th and 15th.
27th in Points – Chase Elliott
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 16 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.56 | 8th of 37 | T132nd of 813 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 87.54% | 34th of 37 | T706th of 813 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 58.79% | 13th of 37 | 229th of 771‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 80.14 | 13th of 37 | 280th of 771‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 57 | T193rd of 1220 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 57 | T173rd of 1220 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T9th of 57 | T158th of 1220 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 57 | T154th of 1220 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T13th of 57 | T194th of 1220 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T15th of 57 | T274th of 1220 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T15th of 37 | T355th of 813 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T9th of 57 | T61st of 391* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T22nd of 57 | T141st of 391* |
| Stage Pts | 26 | 24th of 57 | T136th of 391* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T12th of 57 | T82nd of 391* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 16 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 Intermediate track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate track start, 42 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 14.67(13th), 83.13% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.4(14th), Best 3rd, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 77.65%, Led 1.47% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Nashville Statistics
- 2022 Nashville Race
- Finished 1st, Started 4th, Led 42 laps (14.0%), Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 268 Laps in Top15 (89.33% of laps he ran), had 122.3 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Nashville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Nashville, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 20.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T22nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 92.67% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 110.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 9.17% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T19th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Outlook
Chase Elliott is notable because of his race last year here at Nashville. Sonoma was decent for Elliott, but not up to his expectations as he only led 7 laps and finished 5th. This was Elliott’s 3rd Top 5 and 5th Top 10 in the 9 races he’s competed in which has helped him to his 13.56 Avg. Finish, 8th best in the 2023 Ranks above. However, his 58.79 Laps in Top15% and 80.14 Avg. Driver Rating aren’t as good at 13th best. His stages have been lacking as well as he only has 5 Stage T10’s and 26 Stage Pts in 19 stages (that’s 1.37 Stage Pts Per Stage). Of these 9 races 3 have been on Intermediates and in those races Elliott has 1 Top 3, 2 Top 10’s, and 1 DNF that makes his Avg. Finish 14.67. Furthermore he’s ran 83.13% of his laps in the Top 15, but on the bad side of the stats he has just a 77.14 Avg. Driver Rating and 0 Stage T10’s. Nevertheless there is good news, and that is his race at Nashville last year. In the race Elliott ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, led 14% of the race, had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 122.3, and won the race. This was his best race of the 2 races at Nashville as the first he finished 39th after he was disqualified for loose lug nuts. Nonetheless he’s ran 92.67% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 110.2. This weekend the stats don’t show a win is on the horizon, but I do think he gets another Top 10 this year and finishes between 4th and 10th.
Chase Elliott is notable because of his race last year here at Nashville. Sonoma was decent for Elliott, but not up to his expectations as he only led 7 laps and finished 5th. This was Elliott’s 3rd Top 5 and 5th Top 10 in the 9 races he’s competed in which has helped him to his 13.56 Avg. Finish, 8th best in the 2023 Ranks above. However, his 58.79 Laps in Top15% and 80.14 Avg. Driver Rating aren’t as good at 13th best. His stages have been lacking as well as he only has 5 Stage T10’s and 26 Stage Pts in 19 stages (that’s 1.37 Stage Pts Per Stage). Of these 9 races 3 have been on Intermediates and in those races Elliott has 1 Top 3, 2 Top 10’s, and 1 DNF that makes his Avg. Finish 14.67. Furthermore he’s ran 83.13% of his laps in the Top 15, but on the bad side of the stats he has just a 77.14 Avg. Driver Rating and 0 Stage T10’s. Nevertheless there is good news, and that is his race at Nashville last year. In the race Elliott ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, led 14% of the race, had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 122.3, and won the race. This was his best race of the 2 races at Nashville as the first he finished 39th after he was disqualified for loose lug nuts. Nonetheless he’s ran 92.67% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 110.2. This weekend the stats don’t show a win is on the horizon, but I do think he gets another Top 10 this year and finishes between 4th and 10th.
