The ARCA cars, I mean Xfinity cars, brought a lot of questionable driving and cautions to Nashville, but also another win for A.J. Allmendinger. This makes him the 3rd driver to win multiple Xfinity races this year. This week we go to an unknown track and track type, the Chicago Street Course; the first Street Course for any of NASCAR’s top 3 series. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 2 based on the 2023 point standings, 3 based on 2023 stats, and 3 based on Road Course stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 15 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Road Course (right & left turns) statistics and the empty Chicago statistics.
1st in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.6 | 2nd of 35 | 17th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.34% | 9th of 35 | 57th of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 87.85% | 1st of 35 | 25th of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 109.13 | 1st of 35 | 14th of 288‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 2nd of 79 | T12th of 630 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 79 | T17th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | 1st of 79 | T6th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 2nd of 79 | T18th of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T3rd of 79 | T18th of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T1st of 79 | T6th of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 35 | T40th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T1st of 79 | T12th of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 22 | 2nd of 79 | T16th of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 151 | 1st of 79 | T11th of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 2nd of 79 | T12th of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 17.67(T20th), 86.63% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.97(10th), Best 10th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.49% 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, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of how he’s run in the 2023 season. Nemechek had an okay, but not great, day at Nashville as he led 0 laps but still ended up finishing 6th. This was his 12th Top 10 of the year, tied for most this year, and it improved his Avg. Finish to 8.6, 2nd best this year. In addition to this his 87.85 Laps in Top15%, 109.13 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, 5 Top 2’s, 4 Stage Wins, 22 Stage T10’s, and 151 Stage Pts all either rank 1st or 2nd as well. As a matter of fact his 5 Top 2’s and 12 Top 10’s are tied for 6th most thru 15 races since the Playoffs started for Xfinity in 2016. However, only one of these Top 10’s has come at a Road Course, a 10th at Portland, and that’s his only Top 15 in the 3 races as well. Overall in the 3 races Nemechek has a 17.67 Avg. Finish (T20th best) with a best finish of 10th and worst of 27th, but he does sport a 91.97 Avg. Driver Rating (10th best) and 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. That’s it, the stats this weekend are so little since this is the first Chicago race that really there is not enough to go off of, but I’ll try anyway. Based on the stats I think Nemechek will run good this weekend but in the end I think he finishes between 8th and 20th.
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of how he’s run in the 2023 season. Nemechek had an okay, but not great, day at Nashville as he led 0 laps but still ended up finishing 6th. This was his 12th Top 10 of the year, tied for most this year, and it improved his Avg. Finish to 8.6, 2nd best this year. In addition to this his 87.85 Laps in Top15%, 109.13 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, 5 Top 2’s, 4 Stage Wins, 22 Stage T10’s, and 151 Stage Pts all either rank 1st or 2nd as well. As a matter of fact his 5 Top 2’s and 12 Top 10’s are tied for 6th most thru 15 races since the Playoffs started for Xfinity in 2016. However, only one of these Top 10’s has come at a Road Course, a 10th at Portland, and that’s his only Top 15 in the 3 races as well. Overall in the 3 races Nemechek has a 17.67 Avg. Finish (T20th best) with a best finish of 10th and worst of 27th, but he does sport a 91.97 Avg. Driver Rating (10th best) and 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. That’s it, the stats this weekend are so little since this is the first Chicago race that really there is not enough to go off of, but I’ll try anyway. Based on the stats I think Nemechek will run good this weekend but in the end I think he finishes between 8th and 20th.
2nd in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.33 | 1st of 35 | T15th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.63% | 8th of 35 | 52nd of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.32% | 2nd of 35 | 39th of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 105.41 | 2nd of 35 | 22nd of 288‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 79 | T5th of 630 |
| Poles | 2 | 2nd of 79 | T10th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T3rd of 79 | T20th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 79 | T33rd of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T1st of 79 | T9th of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T1st of 79 | T6th of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 35 | T40th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T3rd of 79 | T19th of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 19 | T6th of 79 | T37th of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 133 | 3rd of 79 | 22nd of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 1st of 79 | T5th of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 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
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 16.67(T16th), 98.82% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.6(13th), Best 5th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 83.66%, Led 2.37% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 season stats thus far in the season. Last week Hill had contact with Ty Gibbs that took the pre-race favorite out of the race. However, Hill ended up coming back from the contact to finish 4th, his 8th Top 5 and 12th Top 10 on the year. This now has him tied for the most Top 5’s and Top 10’s this year and helped improve his series best Avg. Finish to 8.33. Still, these stats, his 18 Playoff Pts, and 3 Wins are his only 2023 Ranks above that are 1st, but the rest aren’t too shabby as they all are between 2nd and 8th. This includes, but is not limited to, his 105.41 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage Wins, and 133 Stage Pts. In addition to all of this Hill is also on a 6 race Top 10 streak. That streak could continue this weekend as well as in the 3 Road Course races this year Hill has finished Top 10 in 2 of them, and the one he didn’t was a 37th place DNF. That one finish unfortunately has his Avg. Finish at 16.67 (T16th best) and his Avg. Driver Rating at 90.6 (13th best), but the good news is he’s ran 98.82% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. With that being all the data we have it appears this weekend will be a good one for Hill and he’ll definitely run in the Top 15 most the day. In the end, as long as he doesn’t DNF, then I see him coming home with a modest Top 10 finish between 4th and 10th.
Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 season stats thus far in the season. Last week Hill had contact with Ty Gibbs that took the pre-race favorite out of the race. However, Hill ended up coming back from the contact to finish 4th, his 8th Top 5 and 12th Top 10 on the year. This now has him tied for the most Top 5’s and Top 10’s this year and helped improve his series best Avg. Finish to 8.33. Still, these stats, his 18 Playoff Pts, and 3 Wins are his only 2023 Ranks above that are 1st, but the rest aren’t too shabby as they all are between 2nd and 8th. This includes, but is not limited to, his 105.41 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Stage Wins, and 133 Stage Pts. In addition to all of this Hill is also on a 6 race Top 10 streak. That streak could continue this weekend as well as in the 3 Road Course races this year Hill has finished Top 10 in 2 of them, and the one he didn’t was a 37th place DNF. That one finish unfortunately has his Avg. Finish at 16.67 (T16th best) and his Avg. Driver Rating at 90.6 (13th best), but the good news is he’s ran 98.82% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. With that being all the data we have it appears this weekend will be a good one for Hill and he’ll definitely run in the Top 15 most the day. In the end, as long as he doesn’t DNF, then I see him coming home with a modest Top 10 finish between 4th and 10th.
3rd in Points – Justin Allgaier
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.33 | 4th of 35 | 37th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.63% | T15th of 35 | T115th of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 79.91% | 5th of 35 | 58th of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.1 | 3rd of 35 | 31st of 288‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 79 | T30th of 630 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 79 | T17th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | 2nd of 79 | T11th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | 1st of 79 | T2nd of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T1st of 79 | T9th of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T4th of 79 | T22nd of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T26th of 35 | T165th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T1st of 79 | T12th of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 20 | 5th of 79 | T31st of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 140 | 2nd of 79 | 17th of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 9 | 3rd of 79 | 20th of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 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 2 finishes (T26th best all-time)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (T29th best all-time)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.67(5th), 96.04% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.13(5th), Best 2nd, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.39% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Justin Allgaier is notable because of his 2023 Road Course stats. Allgaier’s Nashville race started and finished the same way, with a wreck on lap 1 and wreck on the last lap. In between he ran about three fourths of his laps in the Top 15, ending up 15th. Even with this finish Allgaier still has the most Top 3’s this year (7), is tied for the most Top 5’s (8), and has the 2nd most Top 2’s (4). However, he also has 3 DNF’s which hurts his Avg. Finish as it sits at 10.33 (4th best). In addition to all of this he’s also ran 79.91% of his laps in the Top 15 (5th best), has a 102.1 Avg. Driver Rating (3rd best), 4 Stage Wins (tied for most), and 140 Stage Pts (2nd most). All of this is pretty good but his Road Course stats this year are pretty incredible. In the 3 races Allgaier has the best Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating amongst Xfinity regulars at 4.67 and 112.13 with a best finish of 2nd and worst of 7th. Moreover he’s ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 11.39% of his laps, and has accumulated 5.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. Based on these stats there is a case to be made that Allgaier is the driver to beat this weekend since no Cup drivers will be in the field. However, this track is a different beast so he is anything but a lock for a win. Still, think he ends up with a Top 10, but if it isn’t a Top 10 then it’s outside the Top 20.
Justin Allgaier is notable because of his 2023 Road Course stats. Allgaier’s Nashville race started and finished the same way, with a wreck on lap 1 and wreck on the last lap. In between he ran about three fourths of his laps in the Top 15, ending up 15th. Even with this finish Allgaier still has the most Top 3’s this year (7), is tied for the most Top 5’s (8), and has the 2nd most Top 2’s (4). However, he also has 3 DNF’s which hurts his Avg. Finish as it sits at 10.33 (4th best). In addition to all of this he’s also ran 79.91% of his laps in the Top 15 (5th best), has a 102.1 Avg. Driver Rating (3rd best), 4 Stage Wins (tied for most), and 140 Stage Pts (2nd most). All of this is pretty good but his Road Course stats this year are pretty incredible. In the 3 races Allgaier has the best Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating amongst Xfinity regulars at 4.67 and 112.13 with a best finish of 2nd and worst of 7th. Moreover he’s ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 11.39% of his laps, and has accumulated 5.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. Based on these stats there is a case to be made that Allgaier is the driver to beat this weekend since no Cup drivers will be in the field. However, this track is a different beast so he is anything but a lock for a win. Still, think he ends up with a Top 10, but if it isn’t a Top 10 then it’s outside the Top 20.
4th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.67 | 3rd of 35 | T30th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.92% | 1st of 35 | T5th of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.23% | 3rd of 35 | 40th of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 98.51 | 4th of 35 | 41st of 288‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 79 | T30th of 630 |
| Poles | 3 | 1st of 79 | T3rd of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | 3rd of 79 | T22nd of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | 5th of 79 | T27th of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T4th of 79 | T22nd of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T3rd of 79 | T19th of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 21 | T3rd of 79 | T22nd of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 120 | 5th of 79 | T27th of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | 4th of 79 | T21st of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 9 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak and longest streak this year)
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(T11th), 68.66% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.47(11th), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.5%, Led 2.49% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Cole Custer is notable because he’s 4th in points. Custer was fast at Nashville as he finished 2nd in both stages and was running 2nd late before a caution put him in the last laps craziness where he finished 9th. This finish, while disappointing, was still Custer’s 9th straight Top 10, the longest of anyone this year, and his 10th Top 10 on the season. It also kept his Avg. Finish steady as it sits at 9.67 (3rd best) and his race as a whole improved his Avg. Driver Rating to 98.51 (4th best). In addition he’s now ran 99.92% of the laps this season (1st best), has ran 85.23% of his laps in the Top 15 (3rd best), has 3 Poles (1st best), 3 Stage Wins (T3rd best), and 21 Stage T10’s (T3rd best). Custer’s Road Course stats this year aren’t too bad either as he has a 13.0 Avg. Finish with a Win, 2 Top 10’s, and a 32nd place finish to his name. In the races he’s spent just 69% of his laps in the Top 15 but still has the 11th best Avg. Driver Rating at 91.47 with 1 Stage Win, and 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend at Chicago Custer will probably have another fast car that will put him near the front, but I think he will get used up like he did at COTA and end up with a finish out of the Top 20. However based on the stats, assuming he doesn’t get used up, I easily see him getting his 10th straight Top 10 finish, finishing anywhere in the Top 10.
Cole Custer is notable because he’s 4th in points. Custer was fast at Nashville as he finished 2nd in both stages and was running 2nd late before a caution put him in the last laps craziness where he finished 9th. This finish, while disappointing, was still Custer’s 9th straight Top 10, the longest of anyone this year, and his 10th Top 10 on the season. It also kept his Avg. Finish steady as it sits at 9.67 (3rd best) and his race as a whole improved his Avg. Driver Rating to 98.51 (4th best). In addition he’s now ran 99.92% of the laps this season (1st best), has ran 85.23% of his laps in the Top 15 (3rd best), has 3 Poles (1st best), 3 Stage Wins (T3rd best), and 21 Stage T10’s (T3rd best). Custer’s Road Course stats this year aren’t too bad either as he has a 13.0 Avg. Finish with a Win, 2 Top 10’s, and a 32nd place finish to his name. In the races he’s spent just 69% of his laps in the Top 15 but still has the 11th best Avg. Driver Rating at 91.47 with 1 Stage Win, and 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage. This weekend at Chicago Custer will probably have another fast car that will put him near the front, but I think he will get used up like he did at COTA and end up with a finish out of the Top 20. However based on the stats, assuming he doesn’t get used up, I easily see him getting his 10th straight Top 10 finish, finishing anywhere in the Top 10.
5th in Points – Josh Berry
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.8 | 5th of 35 | 41st of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.96% | 5th of 35 | 43rd of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.87% | 7th of 35 | 71st of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.35 | 6th of 35 | 58th of 288‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 79 | T76th of 630 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 79 | T57th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T8th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T3rd of 79 | T18th of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | 3rd of 79 | T14th of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 35 | T40th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T10th of 79 | T53rd of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 16 | 9th of 79 | T52nd of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 77 | 9th of 79 | 53rd of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T10th of 79 | T55th of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 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
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T14th), 36.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 76.13(19th), Best 4th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 98.51%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Josh Berry is notable because of he’s 5th in points thru 15 races. Berry had a quiet day at Nashville running most of the race from 5th to 10th place and in the end actually finished there too, in 5th. This gives Berry 7 Top 5’s (T3rd most) and 11 Top 10’s (3rd best) on the year now. In addition to this he has the 5th best Avg. Finish in the 2023 Ranks above at 10.8, the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 92.35, and only 1 DNF. Stages are a different story, however, as his 1 Stage Win is Tied for only 10th most this year and his 16 Stage T10’s and 77 Stage Pts are both only 9th most this year. The Road Course stats for Berry aren’t the prettiest either as he’s only ran 36% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 3 races and his 76.13 Avg. Driver Rating is only good for 19th best. Furthermore his 15.0 Avg. Finish is just T14th best and he’s led 0 laps, but he does have a best finish of 4th and 2 Top 10’s in the 3 races. Based on all the stats it seems hard to say how Berry will do this weekend as he’s finished better than he’s ran typically. This weekend I think he ends up running around 10th to 15th most the race and comes home somewhere between 5th and 15th.
Josh Berry is notable because of he’s 5th in points thru 15 races. Berry had a quiet day at Nashville running most of the race from 5th to 10th place and in the end actually finished there too, in 5th. This gives Berry 7 Top 5’s (T3rd most) and 11 Top 10’s (3rd best) on the year now. In addition to this he has the 5th best Avg. Finish in the 2023 Ranks above at 10.8, the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 92.35, and only 1 DNF. Stages are a different story, however, as his 1 Stage Win is Tied for only 10th most this year and his 16 Stage T10’s and 77 Stage Pts are both only 9th most this year. The Road Course stats for Berry aren’t the prettiest either as he’s only ran 36% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 3 races and his 76.13 Avg. Driver Rating is only good for 19th best. Furthermore his 15.0 Avg. Finish is just T14th best and he’s led 0 laps, but he does have a best finish of 4th and 2 Top 10’s in the 3 races. Based on all the stats it seems hard to say how Berry will do this weekend as he’s finished better than he’s ran typically. This weekend I think he ends up running around 10th to 15th most the race and comes home somewhere between 5th and 15th.
6th in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.13 | 6th of 35 | 68th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.63% | T15th of 35 | T115th of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.65% | 4th of 35 | 45th of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 93.47 | 5th of 35 | 53rd of 288‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T4th of 79 | T30th of 630 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 79 | T17th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T8th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | 6th of 79 | T50th of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T9th of 79 | T77th of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T26th of 35 | T165th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T7th of 79 | T31st of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 19 | T6th of 79 | T37th of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 103 | T6th of 79 | T38th of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T5th of 79 | T23rd of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.67(9th), 47.03% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.97(20th), Best 9th, Worst 14th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2023 season stats. Smith probably had the best car last weekend at Nashville as he led 74 laps and won stage 2, but the ending wasn’t as good as he got caught up in a first overtime restart leading to a disappointing 12th place finish. Even with this the race still helped Smith’s Avg. Finish as it now sits at 13.13 (6th best) and helped his Avg. Driver Rating as well as it is now at 93.47 (5th best). Overall most of his 2023 Ranks above are between 4th and 7th, hence why he’s 6th in points. This includes his 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s, 2 Stage Wins, 19 Stage T10’s, and 103 Stage Wins. In terms of Road Courses this year Smith has been good at finishing but okay at best during the races. In the 3 races he has an 11.67 Avg. Finish (9th best) with a best finish of 9th and a worst of only 14th. However, he’s also only ran 47% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating at 74.97, and has a total of 0 Stage T10’s. In all I wouldn’t be surprised to see Smith struggle this weekend and spend most of his race outside the Top 10 coming home somewhere between 9th and 21st.
Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2023 season stats. Smith probably had the best car last weekend at Nashville as he led 74 laps and won stage 2, but the ending wasn’t as good as he got caught up in a first overtime restart leading to a disappointing 12th place finish. Even with this the race still helped Smith’s Avg. Finish as it now sits at 13.13 (6th best) and helped his Avg. Driver Rating as well as it is now at 93.47 (5th best). Overall most of his 2023 Ranks above are between 4th and 7th, hence why he’s 6th in points. This includes his 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s, 2 Stage Wins, 19 Stage T10’s, and 103 Stage Wins. In terms of Road Courses this year Smith has been good at finishing but okay at best during the races. In the 3 races he has an 11.67 Avg. Finish (9th best) with a best finish of 9th and a worst of only 14th. However, he’s also only ran 47% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating at 74.97, and has a total of 0 Stage T10’s. In all I wouldn’t be surprised to see Smith struggle this weekend and spend most of his race outside the Top 10 coming home somewhere between 9th and 21st.
7th in Points – Sam Mayer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.87 | 7th of 35 | 75th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.59% | 11th of 35 | 70th of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 75.67% | 9th of 35 | 77th of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.55 | 7th of 35 | 60th of 288‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 79 | T76th of 630 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 79 | T57th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T4th of 79 | T33rd of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T7th of 79 | T63rd of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | 6th of 79 | T35th of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T26th of 35 | T165th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T14th of 79 | T90th of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | 8th of 79 | T40th of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 82 | 8th of 79 | T48th of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 79 | T71st of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 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)
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(7th), 81.19% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.0(8th), Best 3rd, Worst 10th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Sam Mayer is notable because of his stats in the 3 Road Course races this year. Mayer had a decent day in Nashville running Top 10 most of the day and then using a good pit call late to bolster his finishing position to 3rd. This was Mayer’s 3rd straight Top 10 and his 3rd Top 3 finish this year. The unfortunate thing is that this was also his 3rd Top 5 finish as well, but in better news it was his 9th Top 10 too. All in all he has a 13.87 Avg. Finish this year, a 91.55 Avg. Driver Rating (both rank 7th best in the 2023 Ranks above), 3 DNF’s, and just 18 Stage T10’s with 82 Stage Pts (both rank 8th most). The season stats aren’t terrible but the best news for Mayer is that we are heading to a Road Course this weekend. In the 3 Road Course races this year he has a 6.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 3 (3rd place at Portland) and 3 Top 10’s. Furthermore despite running just 81% of his laps in the Top 15 and having led 0 laps he still has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating at 96.0. However, even with this success he’s still struggled to have stage success as he’s only gotten 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. Overall based on the stats I see more stage struggles for Mayer this weekend getting few if any Stage Pts, but I think he runs well though and ends up between 5th and 15th.
Sam Mayer is notable because of his stats in the 3 Road Course races this year. Mayer had a decent day in Nashville running Top 10 most of the day and then using a good pit call late to bolster his finishing position to 3rd. This was Mayer’s 3rd straight Top 10 and his 3rd Top 3 finish this year. The unfortunate thing is that this was also his 3rd Top 5 finish as well, but in better news it was his 9th Top 10 too. All in all he has a 13.87 Avg. Finish this year, a 91.55 Avg. Driver Rating (both rank 7th best in the 2023 Ranks above), 3 DNF’s, and just 18 Stage T10’s with 82 Stage Pts (both rank 8th most). The season stats aren’t terrible but the best news for Mayer is that we are heading to a Road Course this weekend. In the 3 Road Course races this year he has a 6.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 3 (3rd place at Portland) and 3 Top 10’s. Furthermore despite running just 81% of his laps in the Top 15 and having led 0 laps he still has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating at 96.0. However, even with this success he’s still struggled to have stage success as he’s only gotten 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage. Overall based on the stats I see more stage struggles for Mayer this weekend getting few if any Stage Pts, but I think he runs well though and ends up between 5th and 15th.
8th in Points – Sheldon Creed
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 15 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.53 | 10th of 35 | 86th of 288 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.3% | 14th of 35 | 89th of 288 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.71% | 8th of 35 | 73rd of 288 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.51 | 9th of 35 | 73rd of 288‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 79 | T76th of 630 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 79 | T17th of 630 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T7th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T8th of 79 | T56th of 630 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T14th of 79 | T83rd of 630 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T9th of 79 | T77th of 630 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 35 | T40th of 288 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T7th of 79 | T31st of 545* |
| Stage T10s | 23 | 1st of 79 | T12th of 545* |
| Stage Pts | 122 | 4th of 79 | 26th of 545* |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 9th of 79 | T48th of 545* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 15 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(8th), 97.03% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 109.13(6th), Best 7th, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 31.19% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Chicago Street Course Statistics
- This is the first race at the Chicago Street Course
- Notable Chicago Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Chicago, 0 drivers)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Sheldon Creed is notable because of how he’s run on Road Courses this year. Creed was busted for his performance last week as NASCAR handed him a penalty for intentionally wrecking Sammy Smith. This was all part of the up and down day for Creed that ultimately saw him end up in a down, finishing 17th. This race lowered his Avg. Finish to 15.53 (10th best) and his Avg. Driver Rating to 88.51 (9th best). In fact his 2023 Ranks above are as up and down as his Nashville race as his best rank is his 23 Stage T10’s (ranks 1st) and his worst ranks are his 2 Top 5’s/96.3 Completed Laps% (ranks 14th and T14th). Furthermore he only has 6 Top 10’s this year as well, but what’s keeping him afloat in the points standings are his 2 Stage Wins (T7th best) and 122 Stage Pts (4th best). However, the best stats for Creed are his Road Course stats. In the 3 Road Course races this year he has a 9.0 Avg. Finish (8th best) with 2 Top 10’s and 3 Top 15’s. In addition he has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 109.13, has ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 31.19% of his laps ran, has 2 Stage Wins, and an impressive 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. This Road Course success leads me to believe that Creed will have success this weekend, running well all race and coming home somewhere between 1st and 8th.
Sheldon Creed is notable because of how he’s run on Road Courses this year. Creed was busted for his performance last week as NASCAR handed him a penalty for intentionally wrecking Sammy Smith. This was all part of the up and down day for Creed that ultimately saw him end up in a down, finishing 17th. This race lowered his Avg. Finish to 15.53 (10th best) and his Avg. Driver Rating to 88.51 (9th best). In fact his 2023 Ranks above are as up and down as his Nashville race as his best rank is his 23 Stage T10’s (ranks 1st) and his worst ranks are his 2 Top 5’s/96.3 Completed Laps% (ranks 14th and T14th). Furthermore he only has 6 Top 10’s this year as well, but what’s keeping him afloat in the points standings are his 2 Stage Wins (T7th best) and 122 Stage Pts (4th best). However, the best stats for Creed are his Road Course stats. In the 3 Road Course races this year he has a 9.0 Avg. Finish (8th best) with 2 Top 10’s and 3 Top 15’s. In addition he has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 109.13, has ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 31.19% of his laps ran, has 2 Stage Wins, and an impressive 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage. This Road Course success leads me to believe that Creed will have success this weekend, running well all race and coming home somewhere between 1st and 8th.
