At Charlotte we got to see the 4th straight Xfinity race where the winner got their first Xfinity win of 2023 as Justin Allgaier saved enough fuel to pick up the victory. This weekend we could see the 5th straight weekend where a driver picks up their first 2023 win as we head to the 2nd Road Course of the year, Portland. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Road Course stats, 1 based on the last Portland race and 2 based on their overall Portland stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 12 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 Portland statistics.
1st in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.08 | 1st of 34 | T14th of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.05% | 9th of 34 | T73rd of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.47% | 1st of 34 | 22nd of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 111.98 | 1st of 34 | 11th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 2nd of 74 | T10th of 581 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 74 | T16th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | 1st of 74 | T3rd of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 2nd of 74 | T10th of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T1st of 74 | T5th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | 1st of 74 | T4th of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 34 | T54th of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T1st of 74 | T8th of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 17 | T2nd of 74 | T20th of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 122 | 1st of 74 | 13th of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 2nd of 74 | 9th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 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 (active streak)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 22.5(T41st), 56.38% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 68.65(29th), Best 18th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- did not race
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2023 season stats. Last week Nemechek ran all 200 laps in the Top 15, but in saving enough gas to finish the race he ended up 2nd. This was Nemechek’s 3rd straight Top 5 and his 5th Top 2 finish this season, which is tied for 3rd most thru 12 races since 2016. In addition he has an 8.08 Avg. Finish, 111.98 Avg. Driver Rating, has ran 89.47% of his laps in the Top 15, 7 Top 5’s, 10 Top 10’s, 4 Stage Wins, and 122 Stage Pts; all of these are ether 1st or T1st in the 2023 Ranks above. As a matter of fact all of his 2023 Ranks are good as all but 3 statistics are 1st or 2nd. That’s the good news, the bad news is that in the 2 Road Course races Nemechek has ran since the start of 2022 he’s finished 18th and 27th. Furthermore in those races he only ran 56% of his laps in the Top 15, had a 68.65 Avg. Driver Rating, and led 0 laps. There has only been one Xfinity race here at Portland and Nemechek didn’t compete in it, so there is no data for him at this track. Nemechek has been good this year, but his Road Course stats give me a bit of hesitation in thinking he will contend for the win. However, I do think he improves his Road Course stats and ends up with a good run finishing between 6th and 20th.
John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his 2023 season stats. Last week Nemechek ran all 200 laps in the Top 15, but in saving enough gas to finish the race he ended up 2nd. This was Nemechek’s 3rd straight Top 5 and his 5th Top 2 finish this season, which is tied for 3rd most thru 12 races since 2016. In addition he has an 8.08 Avg. Finish, 111.98 Avg. Driver Rating, has ran 89.47% of his laps in the Top 15, 7 Top 5’s, 10 Top 10’s, 4 Stage Wins, and 122 Stage Pts; all of these are ether 1st or T1st in the 2023 Ranks above. As a matter of fact all of his 2023 Ranks are good as all but 3 statistics are 1st or 2nd. That’s the good news, the bad news is that in the 2 Road Course races Nemechek has ran since the start of 2022 he’s finished 18th and 27th. Furthermore in those races he only ran 56% of his laps in the Top 15, had a 68.65 Avg. Driver Rating, and led 0 laps. There has only been one Xfinity race here at Portland and Nemechek didn’t compete in it, so there is no data for him at this track. Nemechek has been good this year, but his Road Course stats give me a bit of hesitation in thinking he will contend for the win. However, I do think he improves his Road Course stats and ends up with a good run finishing between 6th and 20th.
2nd in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.0 | 2nd of 34 | 20th of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.39% | 8th of 34 | 65th of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.8% | 4th of 34 | 41st of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 107.11 | 2nd of 34 | 18th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 74 | T3rd of 581 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 74 | T8th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T2nd of 74 | T14th of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T3rd of 74 | T26th of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | 3rd of 74 | T15th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | T2nd of 74 | T12th of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 34 | T54th of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | 3rd of 74 | T13th of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 16 | T5th of 74 | T31st of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 118 | 2nd of 74 | 14th of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 1st of 74 | 5th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 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 (active streak)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 16.29(18th), 62.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.03(16th), Best 2nd, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 89.79%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.71 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 2nd, Led 0 laps, Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 66 Laps in Top15 (88.0% of laps he ran), had 122.5 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 3.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 3rd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 88.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 122.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 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)
- 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Outlook
Austin Hill is notable because of his career (2022) stats at Portland. In Charlotte a bold pit strategy would have put Hill in victory lane if the Top 3 ran out of gas, but alas they did not so he ended up 4th. This was Hill’s 3rd straight Top 5 and 6th Top 5 this year. This finish improved his Avg. Finish to 9.0 and his race as a whole improved his Avg. Driver Rating to 107.11, both rank 2nd best in the 2023 Ranks above. On the year he has 3 Wins, 9 Top 10’s, 3 Stage Wins, 118 Stage Pts, and 18 Playoff Pts; all of which rank 2nd or better this year. In fact his 18 Playoff Pts are 5th most in Xfinity history thru 12 races. This weekend is a Road Course where in the last 7 races Hill has a 16.29 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 4 Top 10’s. The bad thing is that his 3 non-Top 10’s have also been out of the Top 20 and he’s only ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15. The good news is that one of his better races was at Portland last year where he finished 2nd in Stage 1, 3rd in Stage 2, and 3rd in the race. In addition he ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 122.5. This, as is the case with everyone, was his only race at Portland so there is no more to add. In all Hill has been pretty good at Road Courses in the Xfinity Series and he’s been really good this year. For that reason I think Hill runs good this weekend and ends up with a nice Top 10. That’s if he doesn’t get caught up in an accident.
Austin Hill is notable because of his career (2022) stats at Portland. In Charlotte a bold pit strategy would have put Hill in victory lane if the Top 3 ran out of gas, but alas they did not so he ended up 4th. This was Hill’s 3rd straight Top 5 and 6th Top 5 this year. This finish improved his Avg. Finish to 9.0 and his race as a whole improved his Avg. Driver Rating to 107.11, both rank 2nd best in the 2023 Ranks above. On the year he has 3 Wins, 9 Top 10’s, 3 Stage Wins, 118 Stage Pts, and 18 Playoff Pts; all of which rank 2nd or better this year. In fact his 18 Playoff Pts are 5th most in Xfinity history thru 12 races. This weekend is a Road Course where in the last 7 races Hill has a 16.29 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 4 Top 10’s. The bad thing is that his 3 non-Top 10’s have also been out of the Top 20 and he’s only ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15. The good news is that one of his better races was at Portland last year where he finished 2nd in Stage 1, 3rd in Stage 2, and 3rd in the race. In addition he ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 2nd best Driver Rating at 122.5. This, as is the case with everyone, was his only race at Portland so there is no more to add. In all Hill has been pretty good at Road Courses in the Xfinity Series and he’s been really good this year. For that reason I think Hill runs good this weekend and ends up with a nice Top 10. That’s if he doesn’t get caught up in an accident.
3rd in Points – Justin Allgaier
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.92 | 5th of 34 | T42nd of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.71% | T18th of 34 | T144th of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 78.85% | 7th of 34 | 64th of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.55 | 3rd of 34 | 35th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 74 | T20th of 581 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 74 | T16th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T2nd of 74 | T14th of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | 1st of 74 | T3rd of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T1st of 74 | T5th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | 4th of 74 | T23rd of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T27th of 34 | T205th of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T1st of 74 | T8th of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 16 | T5th of 74 | T31st of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 110 | 3rd of 74 | T18th of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 9 | 3rd of 74 | T14th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 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 (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 14.43(15th), 83.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.17(15th), Best 3rd, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 81.9%, Led 2.27% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.43 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- Finished 5th, Started 9th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 7th in Stage 2, ran 63 Laps in Top15 (84.0% of laps he ran), had 92.6 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 5.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 5th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 84.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 92.6 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 8th)
- 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)
- 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T8th)
Outlook
Justin Allgaier is notable because of his season stats thru 12 races this year. Last week Allgaier’s team gambled on fuel and hit the jackpot pulling off the first win for Allgaier and JRM this year. This was also his 2nd straight Top 2, 3rd straight Top 3, and overall 6th Top 3 on the year; which is tied for 3rd most thru 12 races since 2016. In addition he has 7 Top 5’s and 8 Top 10’s this year, but also 3 DNF’s. This gives him a 10.92 Avg. Finish on the year and, despite running only 78.85% of his laps in the Top 15 this year, his 101.55 Avg. Driver Rating is 3rd best. He has also been good in stages acquiring 4 Stage Wins, 16 Stage T10’s, and 110 Stage Pts. Some of this success may continue this weekend as the last 7 Xfinity Road Course races have produced 1 Top 3, 4 Top 10’s, and 3.43 Stages Pts Per Stage for Allgaier. Furthermore he’s ran 83.29% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 85.17 Avg. Driver Rating, and only finished out of the Top 20 twice. One of these good races for Allgaier was at Portland last year where he ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, got 5 Stage Pts, had the 9th best Driver Rating at 92.6, and ended up finishing 5th. Based on the data, and the hot streak Allgaier is on, he will either get a Top 5 or fall victim to the law of averages and end up with a finish out of the Top 15.
Justin Allgaier is notable because of his season stats thru 12 races this year. Last week Allgaier’s team gambled on fuel and hit the jackpot pulling off the first win for Allgaier and JRM this year. This was also his 2nd straight Top 2, 3rd straight Top 3, and overall 6th Top 3 on the year; which is tied for 3rd most thru 12 races since 2016. In addition he has 7 Top 5’s and 8 Top 10’s this year, but also 3 DNF’s. This gives him a 10.92 Avg. Finish on the year and, despite running only 78.85% of his laps in the Top 15 this year, his 101.55 Avg. Driver Rating is 3rd best. He has also been good in stages acquiring 4 Stage Wins, 16 Stage T10’s, and 110 Stage Pts. Some of this success may continue this weekend as the last 7 Xfinity Road Course races have produced 1 Top 3, 4 Top 10’s, and 3.43 Stages Pts Per Stage for Allgaier. Furthermore he’s ran 83.29% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 85.17 Avg. Driver Rating, and only finished out of the Top 20 twice. One of these good races for Allgaier was at Portland last year where he ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, got 5 Stage Pts, had the 9th best Driver Rating at 92.6, and ended up finishing 5th. Based on the data, and the hot streak Allgaier is on, he will either get a Top 5 or fall victim to the law of averages and end up with a finish out of the Top 15.
4th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.75 | 4th of 34 | T37th of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.9% | 1st of 34 | 14th of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.99% | 2nd of 34 | 38th of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.23 | 5th of 34 | 48th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 74 | T67th of 581 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 74 | T8th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T15th of 74 | T103rd of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T3rd of 74 | T26th of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T4th of 74 | T25th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | 5th of 74 | T35th of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 34 | T1st of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T4th of 74 | T20th of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 17 | T2nd of 74 | T20th of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 88 | T5th of 74 | T33rd of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | T8th of 74 | T43rd of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 17.75(24th), 78.7% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 95.48(11th), Best 3rd, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 97.3%, Led 2.78% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- did not race
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Cole Custer is notable because he is 4th in points. At Charlotte, last week, Custer ran a good race coming home with his 2nd straight Top 3 and 6th straight Top 10, finishing 3rd. Despite this success Custer’s best finish this year is 3rd (3 times), but he still has the 4th best Avg. Finish at 10.75. In addition he has 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 0 DNF’s, a 96.23 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15. Stages have also been good to Custer as he has 17 Stage T10’s (T2nd most) and 88 Stage Pts (T5th most). Since the start of last year Custer has competed in 4 Road Courses races coming home with a best finish of 3rd, a worst of 32nd, and an Avg. Finish of 17.75. In fact he’s achieved a 95.48 Avg. Driver Rating over the 4 races, but his best finish of 3rd is also his only Top 10 in any of the 4 races. As a matter of fact 2 of the 4 finishes came out of the Top 20. The good news is that Custer has led 2.78% of the laps he ran and he’s ran 78.7% of his laps in the Top 15. Custer did not race at Portland last year so that concludes the data for him. Taking all this in I think Custer will run decent this weekend, but won’t be stellar finishing somewhere between 5th and 12th or outside the Top 20.
Cole Custer is notable because he is 4th in points. At Charlotte, last week, Custer ran a good race coming home with his 2nd straight Top 3 and 6th straight Top 10, finishing 3rd. Despite this success Custer’s best finish this year is 3rd (3 times), but he still has the 4th best Avg. Finish at 10.75. In addition he has 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 0 DNF’s, a 96.23 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15. Stages have also been good to Custer as he has 17 Stage T10’s (T2nd most) and 88 Stage Pts (T5th most). Since the start of last year Custer has competed in 4 Road Courses races coming home with a best finish of 3rd, a worst of 32nd, and an Avg. Finish of 17.75. In fact he’s achieved a 95.48 Avg. Driver Rating over the 4 races, but his best finish of 3rd is also his only Top 10 in any of the 4 races. As a matter of fact 2 of the 4 finishes came out of the Top 20. The good news is that Custer has led 2.78% of the laps he ran and he’s ran 78.7% of his laps in the Top 15. Custer did not race at Portland last year so that concludes the data for him. Taking all this in I think Custer will run decent this weekend, but won’t be stellar finishing somewhere between 5th and 12th or outside the Top 20.
8th in Points – Sammy Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.17 | 7th of 34 | T68th of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.08% | 12th of 34 | 90th of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.52% | 13th of 34 | 97th of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 93.28 | 8th of 34 | 56th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 74 | T20th of 581 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 74 | T44th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T4th of 74 | T25th of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T6th of 74 | T43rd of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T7th of 74 | T56th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T9th of 74 | T74th of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 34 | T54th of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T14th of 74 | T82nd of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T10th of 74 | T56th of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 60 | 12th of 74 | 55th of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T7th of 74 | T29th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.33(8th), 78.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 100.63(6th), Best 3rd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 98.3%, Led 3.47% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- did not race
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 0 Races
Outlook
Sammy Smith is notable because of how he’s performed in his 3 Road Course starts since the start of 2022. Last week Smith was able to pull out a Top 10 despite the fuel mileage craziness, finishing 10th. This week Smith looks to finish in the Top 10 for 2 straight weeks for the first time in his career. In his rookie season he has 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s leading to a respectable 13.17 Avg. Finish. The part where Smith has struggled is the stages and running Top 15 as he’s only gotten 60 Stage Pts and has ran in the Top 15 for just 66.52% of his laps. However, his Avg. Driver Rating is 93.28; so he must be doing something right in the races. In his 3 Road Course starts since the start of 2022 Smith has a 10.33 Avg. Finish (8th best over that span) with 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 5’s. In fact the only race finish not in the Top 5 was a DNF. Furthermore he’s ran 78.61% of his laps in the Top 15, led 3.47% of his laps, and has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 100.63 while getting 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of his 3 races was not at Portland so this weekend will be his first start here, and I think it will be a good one. Based on the stats I think Smith gets back to back Top 10’s for the first time in his Xfinity career and ends up with a Top 5 at that, probably challenging for the Win as well.
Sammy Smith is notable because of how he’s performed in his 3 Road Course starts since the start of 2022. Last week Smith was able to pull out a Top 10 despite the fuel mileage craziness, finishing 10th. This week Smith looks to finish in the Top 10 for 2 straight weeks for the first time in his career. In his rookie season he has 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s leading to a respectable 13.17 Avg. Finish. The part where Smith has struggled is the stages and running Top 15 as he’s only gotten 60 Stage Pts and has ran in the Top 15 for just 66.52% of his laps. However, his Avg. Driver Rating is 93.28; so he must be doing something right in the races. In his 3 Road Course starts since the start of 2022 Smith has a 10.33 Avg. Finish (8th best over that span) with 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 5’s. In fact the only race finish not in the Top 5 was a DNF. Furthermore he’s ran 78.61% of his laps in the Top 15, led 3.47% of his laps, and has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 100.63 while getting 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage. One of his 3 races was not at Portland so this weekend will be his first start here, and I think it will be a good one. Based on the stats I think Smith gets back to back Top 10’s for the first time in his Xfinity career and ends up with a Top 5 at that, probably challenging for the Win as well.
10th in Points – Daniel Hemric
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.67 | 10th of 34 | T85th of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.2% | 17th of 34 | T138th of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.25% | 12th of 34 | 85th of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 87.63 | 11th of 34 | 78th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 74 | T67th of 581 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 74 | T44th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 74 | T44th of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T10th of 74 | T66th of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T13th of 74 | T104th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T6th of 74 | T50th of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T19th of 34 | T120th of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T14th of 74 | T82nd of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T10th of 74 | T56th of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 61 | 11th of 74 | 54th of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 74 | T68th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 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 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 19.43(33rd), 58.81% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 76.3(21st), Best 6th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 89.56%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.43 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- Finished 6th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 4th in Stage 1, ran 49 Laps in Top15 (65.33% of laps he ran), had 98.2 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 6.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 6th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 65.33% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 98.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- 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 T3rd)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Outlook
Daniel Hemric is notable because of his Portland career stats (A.K.A last years race stats at Portland). Charlotte was rough for Hemric as he had to pit on a green flag run for a loose wheel and could only muster up a 22nd place finish. This hurt Hemric’s Avg. Finish as it now sits at 14.67, 10th best, and his 87.63 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t any better at 11th best. Even worse is that he’s only ran 73.25% of his laps in the Top 15, 12th best, and he only has 1 Top 5 this year. The lone bright spots in the 2023 stats above are that he has 6 Top 10’s this year and his only Top 5 was a 2nd place finish. The stats aren’t much better when you look at the 2022/23 Road Course stats. In the 7 races Hemric has just 2 Top 10’s, a best of 6th, and 4 finishes out of the Top 20 leading to a 19.43 Avg. Finish. What’s more is that in the 7 races he’s only ran 58.81% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 0 laps and has a 76.3 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news for Hemric is that one of the 2 Top 10’s was here at Portland last year where he finished 6th with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 98.2 despite running only 65% of his laps in the Top 15. The stats do not look to be too promising for Hemric this weekend but his good Portland run gives some hope. I think he does run decent this weekend but in the end I see him finishing out of the Top 10 between 12th and 25th.
Daniel Hemric is notable because of his Portland career stats (A.K.A last years race stats at Portland). Charlotte was rough for Hemric as he had to pit on a green flag run for a loose wheel and could only muster up a 22nd place finish. This hurt Hemric’s Avg. Finish as it now sits at 14.67, 10th best, and his 87.63 Avg. Driver Rating isn’t any better at 11th best. Even worse is that he’s only ran 73.25% of his laps in the Top 15, 12th best, and he only has 1 Top 5 this year. The lone bright spots in the 2023 stats above are that he has 6 Top 10’s this year and his only Top 5 was a 2nd place finish. The stats aren’t much better when you look at the 2022/23 Road Course stats. In the 7 races Hemric has just 2 Top 10’s, a best of 6th, and 4 finishes out of the Top 20 leading to a 19.43 Avg. Finish. What’s more is that in the 7 races he’s only ran 58.81% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 0 laps and has a 76.3 Avg. Driver Rating. The good news for Hemric is that one of the 2 Top 10’s was here at Portland last year where he finished 6th with the 3rd best Driver Rating at 98.2 despite running only 65% of his laps in the Top 15. The stats do not look to be too promising for Hemric this weekend but his good Portland run gives some hope. I think he does run decent this weekend but in the end I see him finishing out of the Top 10 between 12th and 25th.
11th in Points – Sam Mayer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.0 | 12th of 34 | T98th of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.17% | 11th of 34 | 89th of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.68% | 11th of 34 | 82nd of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.51 | 9th of 34 | 70th of 285‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 74 | T67th of 581 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 74 | T44th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T6th of 74 | T44th of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T10th of 74 | T66th of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T13th of 74 | T104th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T6th of 74 | T50th of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T27th of 34 | T205th of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T14th of 74 | T82nd of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 13 | 9th of 74 | T51st of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 63 | T9th of 74 | T51st of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 74 | T68th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 13.43(13th), 74.46% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.11(13th), Best 5th, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 85.38%, Led 0.82% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 2.29 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- Finished 38th (crash), Started 4th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 8 Laps in Top15 (66.67% of laps he ran), had 40.0 Driver Rating (ranked 33rd)
- Notable Portland Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year)
- 1 Race
- 38.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 27th)
- Best Finish: 38th, Worst: 38th
- Completed 16.0% of laps (% ranks 27th)
- 66.67% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 40.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 24th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T14th)
- 1 DNF, 100% (% ranks T18th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage T10’s
Outlook
Sam Mayer is notable because of how he’s performed at Road Courses in 2022/23. Last week Mayer had a good run going until he spun and hit the wall resulting in a 35th place finish. This puts Mayer’s Avg. Finish at 16.0 now, 12th best, but his Avg. Driver Rating is an 89.51, 9th best, despite running just 74% of his laps in the Top 15. As far as traditional stats go they are similar to Hemric above as he has 6 Top 10’s and his only Top 5 was a 2nd place finish. In addition he’s gotten 13 Stage T10’s, 63 Stage Pts, and what’s really hurt him this year, 3 DNF’s. Mayer’s 2022/23 Road Course stats are much nicer, though. In the 7 races he has a 13.43 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, and only 1 finish out of the Top 15. Additionally, he’s ran 74.46% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 88.11 Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Stage Win, and his only finish out of the Top 15 was a 38th place DNF. The unfortunate part for Mayer is that 38th place DNF came here at Portland where after 12 laps he was caught up in a wreck. This left him with a poor 40.0 Driver Rating, but in good news he ran 66.67% of his laps in the Top 15 that day at least. This Portland race I see going much better for Mayer since, based on his overall Road Course stats, he’s been good. In the end I think he gets another Top 10 on a Road Course, finishing between 4th and 8th.
Sam Mayer is notable because of how he’s performed at Road Courses in 2022/23. Last week Mayer had a good run going until he spun and hit the wall resulting in a 35th place finish. This puts Mayer’s Avg. Finish at 16.0 now, 12th best, but his Avg. Driver Rating is an 89.51, 9th best, despite running just 74% of his laps in the Top 15. As far as traditional stats go they are similar to Hemric above as he has 6 Top 10’s and his only Top 5 was a 2nd place finish. In addition he’s gotten 13 Stage T10’s, 63 Stage Pts, and what’s really hurt him this year, 3 DNF’s. Mayer’s 2022/23 Road Course stats are much nicer, though. In the 7 races he has a 13.43 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, and only 1 finish out of the Top 15. Additionally, he’s ran 74.46% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 88.11 Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Stage Win, and his only finish out of the Top 15 was a 38th place DNF. The unfortunate part for Mayer is that 38th place DNF came here at Portland where after 12 laps he was caught up in a wreck. This left him with a poor 40.0 Driver Rating, but in good news he ran 66.67% of his laps in the Top 15 that day at least. This Portland race I see going much better for Mayer since, based on his overall Road Course stats, he’s been good. In the end I think he gets another Top 10 on a Road Course, finishing between 4th and 8th.
40th in Points/7th in Owner Points – Myatt Snider
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 12 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 5.0 | – of 34 | – of 285 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 34 | – of 285 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.0% | – of 34 | – of 285 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.1 | – of 34 | – of 285‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T10th of 74 | T67th of 581 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 74 | T44th of 581 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T15th of 74 | T103rd of 581 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T18th of 74 | T130th of 581 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T13th of 74 | T104th of 581 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T25th of 74 | T172nd of 581 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 34 | – of 285 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T14th of 74 | T82nd of 504* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T28th of 74 | T191st of 504* |
| Stage Pts | 1 | T22nd of 74 | T167th of 504* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 74 | T68th of 504* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 12 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2022/23 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 76 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 20.0(34th), 26.83% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 59.0(40th), Best 2nd, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 85.19%, Led 5.79% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.58 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Portland Statistics
- 2022 Portland Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 25th, Led 19 laps (25.33%), Finished 1st in Stage 2, ran 90.9 Laps in Top15 (64.0% of laps he ran), had 90.9 Driver Rating (ranked 11th)
- Notable Portland 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)
- 64.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 90.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 25.33% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T3rd)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T2nd)
Outlook
Myatt Snider is notable because of how he performed at Portland last year. Snider’s only race this year came in the opening race at Daytona where he finished 5th. In that race he got 1 Stage Pt, ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, and had a 97.1 Driver Rating. That’s all there is to be said about him in the 2023 stats, but the 19 car he will be driving has gotten 1 Win and 6 Top 5’s in the 12 races this season. Since the start of 2022 Snider has ran 6 of the 7 Road Course races and in them he had a 20.0 Avg. Finish with a disappointing 59.0 Avg. Driver Rating. What’s more is that he’s only ran 26.83% of his laps in the Top 15 with more finishes out of the Top 20 (3) than inside the Top 10 (2). The good news is that one of the Top 10’s was a 2nd place finish, and even better news is that 2nd place came here at Portland last year. In the race he won Stage 2, led 25% of the race, ran 64% of his laps in the Top 15, but only had the 11th best Driver Rating at 90.9. This race did come with a lot of rain, however, so that played a part in the race. This weekend the rain is suppose to hold off so this could be a different kind of race, but Snider is also in better equipment this year. With that said I think he comes home with a good run and a finish between 8th and 16th.
Myatt Snider is notable because of how he performed at Portland last year. Snider’s only race this year came in the opening race at Daytona where he finished 5th. In that race he got 1 Stage Pt, ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, and had a 97.1 Driver Rating. That’s all there is to be said about him in the 2023 stats, but the 19 car he will be driving has gotten 1 Win and 6 Top 5’s in the 12 races this season. Since the start of 2022 Snider has ran 6 of the 7 Road Course races and in them he had a 20.0 Avg. Finish with a disappointing 59.0 Avg. Driver Rating. What’s more is that he’s only ran 26.83% of his laps in the Top 15 with more finishes out of the Top 20 (3) than inside the Top 10 (2). The good news is that one of the Top 10’s was a 2nd place finish, and even better news is that 2nd place came here at Portland last year. In the race he won Stage 2, led 25% of the race, ran 64% of his laps in the Top 15, but only had the 11th best Driver Rating at 90.9. This race did come with a lot of rain, however, so that played a part in the race. This weekend the rain is suppose to hold off so this could be a different kind of race, but Snider is also in better equipment this year. With that said I think he comes home with a good run and a finish between 8th and 16th.
