John Hunter Nemechek continued his hot streak at New Hampshire by absolutely dominating and winning the race. This was Nemechek’s 2nd win and 3rd Top 2 finish in the last 3 races. This week the hot streak could continue as we head to the 2.5 mile tricky triangle known as Pocono. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 2 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Big track stats, 1 based on the last Pocono race and 2 based on their overall Pocono stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 18 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2022/23 Big track (2+ miles tracks) statistics and Pocono statistics.
1st in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.39 | 1st of 33 | 5th of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.57% | 8th of 33 | 44th of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 88.16% | 1st of 33 | 23rd of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 112.57 | 1st of 33 | 7th of 272‡ |
| Wins | 4 | 1st of 87 | T6th of 669 |
| Poles | 1 | T4th of 87 | T19th of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 8 | 1st of 87 | T2nd of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T1st of 87 | T8th of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T1st of 87 | T10th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | 1st of 87 | T2nd of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 33 | T29th of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 3rd of 87 | T18th of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 26 | T1st of 87 | T18th of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 181 | 1st of 87 | T13th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 24 | 1st of 87 | 6th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 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 Wins (active streak, longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 15th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series, tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 2022/23 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(T10th), 72.99% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.7(6th), Best 1st, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.64%, Led 17.88% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- did not race
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 9.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 12th)
- Best Finish: 7th, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 83.25% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
- 91.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 3.94% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T16th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Main Points & Outlook
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his incredible 2023 stats thru 18 races
– Last week at New Hampshire Nemechek led over 65% of the race en route to his Series leading 4th Win of the season
– He ranks 1st or T1st in 11 of the 15 2023 Ranks above including his 7.39 Avg. Finish, 112.57 Avg. Driver Rating, 8 Top 2’s, 15 Top 10’s, and 181 Stage Pts
– His 8 Top 2’s and 15 Top 10’s are tied for 2nd most thru 18 races since 2016
– He’s won 2 straight races, has 3 straight Top 2 finishes, and 4 straight Top 10 finishes
– He’s ran 2 Big track races since the start of 2022 and has a 10.0 Avg. Finish in them
– In the 2 races he has 1 Win, just 1 Top 15, a 108.7 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15 while leading 18% of the laps he’s ran
– Nemechek did not race in the Xfinity Pocono race last year
– In his Xfinity career he’s ran 2 races at Pocono
– In his two races he has a 9.5 Avg. Finish and a 91.8 Avg. Driver Rating
– His best finish is 7th here, worst is 12th, he’s led 4% of the laps he’s run, and has finished in the Top 10 in all 4 stages he’s competed in here
Outlook for this weekend
Based on Nemechek’s phenomenal stats this year and his not so bad Pocono and Big track stats I see him finishing in the Top 10 of both stages (pending strategy), then finishing in the Top 10 and probably in the Top 5.
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his incredible 2023 stats thru 18 races
– Last week at New Hampshire Nemechek led over 65% of the race en route to his Series leading 4th Win of the season
– He ranks 1st or T1st in 11 of the 15 2023 Ranks above including his 7.39 Avg. Finish, 112.57 Avg. Driver Rating, 8 Top 2’s, 15 Top 10’s, and 181 Stage Pts
– His 8 Top 2’s and 15 Top 10’s are tied for 2nd most thru 18 races since 2016
– He’s won 2 straight races, has 3 straight Top 2 finishes, and 4 straight Top 10 finishes
– He’s ran 2 Big track races since the start of 2022 and has a 10.0 Avg. Finish in them
– In the 2 races he has 1 Win, just 1 Top 15, a 108.7 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15 while leading 18% of the laps he’s ran
– Nemechek did not race in the Xfinity Pocono race last year
– In his Xfinity career he’s ran 2 races at Pocono
– In his two races he has a 9.5 Avg. Finish and a 91.8 Avg. Driver Rating
– His best finish is 7th here, worst is 12th, he’s led 4% of the laps he’s run, and has finished in the Top 10 in all 4 stages he’s competed in here
Outlook for this weekend
Based on Nemechek’s phenomenal stats this year and his not so bad Pocono and Big track stats I see him finishing in the Top 10 of both stages (pending strategy), then finishing in the Top 10 and probably in the Top 5.
2nd in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.06 | 2nd of 33 | 12th of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.82% | 7th of 33 | 40th of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.06% | 3rd of 33 | 32nd of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 105.58 | 2nd of 33 | 21st of 272‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 2nd of 87 | T10th of 669 |
| Poles | 2 | 3rd of 87 | T12th of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T3rd of 87 | T25th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | 4th of 87 | T31st of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T1st of 87 | T10th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | 2nd of 87 | T9th of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 33 | T29th of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T4th of 87 | T23rd of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 24 | 6th of 87 | T28th of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 163 | 3rd of 87 | T17th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 2nd of 87 | T9th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 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 (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.5(13th), 67.36% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.48(18th), Best 5th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.43%, Led 1.71% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- Finished 8th, Started 8th, Led 4 laps (4.44%), Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2, ran 87 Laps in Top15 (96.67% of laps he ran), had 92.3 Driver Rating (ranked 8th)
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 16.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 25th)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 25th
- Completed 99.44% of laps (% ranks T29th)
- 74.3% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 21st)
- 79.3 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 24th)
- Led 2.23% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T16th)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T23rd)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T33rd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T13th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 stats
– At New Hampshire Hill ran most of his laps out of the Top 10, but thanks to some late cautions he was able to sneak his way to a 3rd place finish
– His 3 Wins, 10 Top 5’s, 14 Top 10’s, 18 Playoff Pts all rank 10th or better thru 18 races since 2016; and his 8.06 Avg. Finish ranks 12th thru 18 races since 2016
– All of his 2023 Ranks above are 7th or better
– He’s raced in all 4 Big track races since the start of last year getting an 11.5 Avg. Finish and a 85.48 Avg. Driver Rating
– In the 4 races he has 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, a 27th, and has ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15
– He’s only gotten 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 8 stages at Big tracks
– Last year at Pocono Hill started 8th, finished 8th, had the 8th best Driver Rating (92.3), and ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15
– This was his 2nd race here and his 1st Top 15 as his first race he finished 25th
– Overall he has ran 74% of his laps here in the Top 15 and has a 79.3 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
When looking at the stats I don’t see anything spectacular coming for Hill this weekend, but a solid run should come as he’ll probably finish between 5th and 10th.
– Austin Hill is notable because of his 2023 stats
– At New Hampshire Hill ran most of his laps out of the Top 10, but thanks to some late cautions he was able to sneak his way to a 3rd place finish
– His 3 Wins, 10 Top 5’s, 14 Top 10’s, 18 Playoff Pts all rank 10th or better thru 18 races since 2016; and his 8.06 Avg. Finish ranks 12th thru 18 races since 2016
– All of his 2023 Ranks above are 7th or better
– He’s raced in all 4 Big track races since the start of last year getting an 11.5 Avg. Finish and a 85.48 Avg. Driver Rating
– In the 4 races he has 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, a 27th, and has ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15
– He’s only gotten 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 8 stages at Big tracks
– Last year at Pocono Hill started 8th, finished 8th, had the 8th best Driver Rating (92.3), and ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15
– This was his 2nd race here and his 1st Top 15 as his first race he finished 25th
– Overall he has ran 74% of his laps here in the Top 15 and has a 79.3 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
When looking at the stats I don’t see anything spectacular coming for Hill this weekend, but a solid run should come as he’ll probably finish between 5th and 10th.
3rd in Points – Justin Allgaier
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.06 | 4th of 33 | 31st of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.4% | 12th of 33 | 98th of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.74% | 5th of 33 | 54th of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.38 | 3rd of 33 | 31st of 272‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 87 | T35th of 669 |
| Poles | 1 | T4th of 87 | T19th of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | 2nd of 87 | T16th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T1st of 87 | T8th of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | 3rd of 87 | T14th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T3rd of 87 | T20th of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T20th of 33 | T120th of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | T1st of 87 | T10th of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 26 | T1st of 87 | T18th of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 181 | T1st of 87 | T13th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 10 | 4th of 87 | T23rd of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 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 (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest in Xfinity all-time)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2022/23 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.0(5th), 93.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 115.98(3rd), Best 2nd, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.19% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- Finished 7th, Started 1st, Led 22 laps (24.44%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 85 Laps in Top15 (94.44% of laps he ran), had 105.5 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 7 Races
- 15.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 22nd)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 39th
- Completed 88.36% of laps (% ranks 43rd)
- 91.34% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 102.13 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 14.62% of laps he’s run (% ranks 4th)
- 1 Pole, 14.29% (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 3’s, 28.57% (% ranks 7th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 57.14% (% ranks 15th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 28.57% (% ranks T28th)
- 2 DNF’s, 28.57% (% ranks T44th)
- 3 Stage Wins, 25.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 11 Stage T10’s, 91.67% (% ranks 10th)
- 6.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Justin Allgaier is notable because of how good he’s run in the last 4 Big track races
– Allgaier was fast at New Hampshire until a restart melee took him out of contention, but still he found himself P6 at the end of the race
– He is now tied for 1st in 2023 Top 3’s (8), Stage Wins (5), Stage T10’s (26), and Stage Pts (181)
– He only has 2 ranks out of the Top 5 in the 2023 Ranks above (3 DNF’s ranks T20th, 95.4 Completed Laps% ranks 12th)
– In the last 4 Big track races he has the 5th best Avg. Finish (5.0) and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (115.98)
– In the 4 races he has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 10’s, a best finish of 2nd, and worst of 8th
– At the 4 Big track races he’s ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 5.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Pocono last year Allgaier started 1st, led 24% of the race, ran 94% of the race in the Top 15, won stage 1, had the 5th best Driver Rating (105.5), and finished 7th
– In 7 starts at Pocono he has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 10’s, and 2 DNF’s
– He has a 15.0 Avg. Finish here, a 102.13 Avg. Driver Rating, 6.67 Stage Pts Per Stage, and has only finished out of the Top 10 in a stage once
Outlook for this weekend
Looking at the data it is easy to see that Allgaier will be a contender this weekend all race long. In the end he’ll probably come home somewhere between 1st and 7th.
– Justin Allgaier is notable because of how good he’s run in the last 4 Big track races
– Allgaier was fast at New Hampshire until a restart melee took him out of contention, but still he found himself P6 at the end of the race
– He is now tied for 1st in 2023 Top 3’s (8), Stage Wins (5), Stage T10’s (26), and Stage Pts (181)
– He only has 2 ranks out of the Top 5 in the 2023 Ranks above (3 DNF’s ranks T20th, 95.4 Completed Laps% ranks 12th)
– In the last 4 Big track races he has the 5th best Avg. Finish (5.0) and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (115.98)
– In the 4 races he has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 10’s, a best finish of 2nd, and worst of 8th
– At the 4 Big track races he’s ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 5.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Pocono last year Allgaier started 1st, led 24% of the race, ran 94% of the race in the Top 15, won stage 1, had the 5th best Driver Rating (105.5), and finished 7th
– In 7 starts at Pocono he has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 10’s, and 2 DNF’s
– He has a 15.0 Avg. Finish here, a 102.13 Avg. Driver Rating, 6.67 Stage Pts Per Stage, and has only finished out of the Top 10 in a stage once
Outlook for this weekend
Looking at the data it is easy to see that Allgaier will be a contender this weekend all race long. In the end he’ll probably come home somewhere between 1st and 7th.
4th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.5 | 3rd of 33 | T23rd of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.89% | 1st of 33 | T4th of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 87.09% | 2nd of 33 | 30th of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.31 | 4th of 33 | 32nd of 272‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 87 | T19th of 669 |
| Poles | 4 | 1st of 87 | T5th of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T5th of 87 | T40th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | 3rd of 87 | T16th of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | 4th of 87 | T18th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T3rd of 87 | T20th of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 33 | T1st of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | T1st of 87 | T10th of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 25 | T4th of 87 | T21st of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 153 | 4th of 87 | T24th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 15 | 3rd of 87 | T15th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 10th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 11 straight Top 10 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 24th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 2022/23 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 12.67(16th), 81.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.43(7th), Best 1st, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.75%, Led 31.19% 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, 3 Stage Wins, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- Finished 10th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 76 Laps in Top15 (84.44% of laps he ran), had 78.5 Driver Rating (ranked 13th)
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 5.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 91.86% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 110.95 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 24.17% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 25.0% (% ranks 3rd)
- 2 Poles, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 4th)
- 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Cole Custer is notable because of his career Xfinity stats at Pocono
– Custer was looking good to extend his Top 10 streak to 12 races, until a last lap wreck took him out of the Top 10 and had him finish 22nd
– He now has a 9.5 Avg. Finish, a 102.31 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, 6 Top 3’s, 8 Top 5’s, and 12 Top 10’s
– His 99.89 Completed Laps%, 4 Poles, 0 DNF’s, 5 Stage Wins all rank 1st in the 2023 Ranks above and his worst rank is only 5th
– He’s raced in 3 Big track races since the start of 2022 and has a 12.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, 2 Top 10’s, and a 27th place finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran 82% of laps in the Top 15, led 31% of his laps, has a 105.43 Avg. Driver Rating, and 3 Stage Wins
– In the Xfinity Pocono race last year Custer ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, got a mediocre 78.5 Driver Rating, and finished 10th
– This was his 4th Top 10 at Pocono in 4 races with 1 Win, 2 Poles, and 2 Top 5’s
– In all he has a 5.75 Avg. Finish here, a 110.95 Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Stage Win, and he’s led 24% of his laps here while running 92% of his laps in the Top 15
Outlook for this weekend
With these stats above I see Custer having a pretty good race this weekend, spending most of the race in the Top 15, and finishing in the Top 10 for sure while probably finishing in the Top 5 as well.
– Cole Custer is notable because of his career Xfinity stats at Pocono
– Custer was looking good to extend his Top 10 streak to 12 races, until a last lap wreck took him out of the Top 10 and had him finish 22nd
– He now has a 9.5 Avg. Finish, a 102.31 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, 6 Top 3’s, 8 Top 5’s, and 12 Top 10’s
– His 99.89 Completed Laps%, 4 Poles, 0 DNF’s, 5 Stage Wins all rank 1st in the 2023 Ranks above and his worst rank is only 5th
– He’s raced in 3 Big track races since the start of 2022 and has a 12.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, 2 Top 10’s, and a 27th place finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran 82% of laps in the Top 15, led 31% of his laps, has a 105.43 Avg. Driver Rating, and 3 Stage Wins
– In the Xfinity Pocono race last year Custer ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, got a mediocre 78.5 Driver Rating, and finished 10th
– This was his 4th Top 10 at Pocono in 4 races with 1 Win, 2 Poles, and 2 Top 5’s
– In all he has a 5.75 Avg. Finish here, a 110.95 Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Stage Win, and he’s led 24% of his laps here while running 92% of his laps in the Top 15
Outlook for this weekend
With these stats above I see Custer having a pretty good race this weekend, spending most of the race in the Top 15, and finishing in the Top 10 for sure while probably finishing in the Top 5 as well.
5th in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.61 | 6th of 33 | 57th of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.36% | 13th of 33 | 99th of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.52% | 4th of 33 | 35th of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.91 | 5th of 33 | 44th of 272‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 87 | T35th of 669 |
| Poles | 3 | 2nd of 87 | T7th of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T5th of 87 | T40th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T5th of 87 | T43rd of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | 6th of 87 | T47th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | 9th of 87 | T64th of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T20th of 33 | T120th of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T8th of 87 | T37th of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 25 | T4th of 87 | T21st of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 126 | 6th of 87 | 36th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T5th of 87 | T26th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series, tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 10th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2022/23 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 4.0(3rd), 96.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.9(5th), Best 4th, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.67% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- did not race
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 0 Races
Main Points & Outlook
– Chandler Smith is notable because he’s 5th in points
– Smith got his 2nd straight Pole at New Hampshire, and after a wild race ended up P2 at the end of the race
– He now has 3 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, and 8 Top 10’s on the year
– His Avg. Driver Rating is 6th best at 12.61 and his Avg. Driver Rating is 5th best at 95.91
– Smith has ran one Big track race in his Xfinity career (Fontana this year)
– In the race he finished 4th, ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, got 9 Stage Pts, and had a 108.9 Driver Rating
– Smith has never ran an Xfinity race at Pocono, but did dominate and win the Truck race here last year
Outlook for this weekend
With Smith’s success this year, prowess for quick learning, and success last year in the Truck race at Pocono I think he has a good race this weekend finishing between 5th and 10th at the end of the race.
– Chandler Smith is notable because he’s 5th in points
– Smith got his 2nd straight Pole at New Hampshire, and after a wild race ended up P2 at the end of the race
– He now has 3 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, and 8 Top 10’s on the year
– His Avg. Driver Rating is 6th best at 12.61 and his Avg. Driver Rating is 5th best at 95.91
– Smith has ran one Big track race in his Xfinity career (Fontana this year)
– In the race he finished 4th, ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, got 9 Stage Pts, and had a 108.9 Driver Rating
– Smith has never ran an Xfinity race at Pocono, but did dominate and win the Truck race here last year
Outlook for this weekend
With Smith’s success this year, prowess for quick learning, and success last year in the Truck race at Pocono I think he has a good race this weekend finishing between 5th and 10th at the end of the race.
5th in Owner Points – Daniel Suarez
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 27.0 | – of 33 | – of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 33 | – of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 17.72% | – of 33 | – of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 61.8 | – of 33 | – of 272‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 87 | T77th of 669 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 87 | T62nd of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T18th of 87 | T124th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T20th of 87 | T154th of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T28th of 87 | T209th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T42nd of 87 | T297th of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 33 | – of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 87 | T101st of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T38th of 87 | T277th of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T27th of 87 | T203rd of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T13th of 87 | T75th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 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 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 0 Races
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- did not race
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 7.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 10th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 88.89% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 14th)
- 105.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 0.65% of laps he’s run (% ranks 17th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 50.0% (% ranks T13th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Daniel Suarez is notable because of how he’s run in his 2 Pocono starts
– Suarez’s only Xfinity start this year came at Sonoma where he ran just 18% of his laps in the Top 15, got a 61.8 Driver Rating, and finished 27th after a late restart violation
– He has not raced at a Big track in the Xfinity Series since the start of 2022
– Suarez has 2 Xfinity starts at Pocono, last coming in 2017
– In the 2 races he’s finished 5th and 9th leading to a 7.0 Avg. Finish
– At Pocono he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 105.0 Avg. Driver Rating, and just 1 Stage T10 in 2 stages
Outlook for this weekend
There is extremely little data to go off of for Suarez and because of that I have a broad outlook for him this weekend, but keep in mind he is in a good Kaulig car. I think he spends most of his laps in the Top 15 this weekend and ultimately finishes between 4th and 20th.
– Daniel Suarez is notable because of how he’s run in his 2 Pocono starts
– Suarez’s only Xfinity start this year came at Sonoma where he ran just 18% of his laps in the Top 15, got a 61.8 Driver Rating, and finished 27th after a late restart violation
– He has not raced at a Big track in the Xfinity Series since the start of 2022
– Suarez has 2 Xfinity starts at Pocono, last coming in 2017
– In the 2 races he’s finished 5th and 9th leading to a 7.0 Avg. Finish
– At Pocono he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 105.0 Avg. Driver Rating, and just 1 Stage T10 in 2 stages
Outlook for this weekend
There is extremely little data to go off of for Suarez and because of that I have a broad outlook for him this weekend, but keep in mind he is in a good Kaulig car. I think he spends most of his laps in the Top 15 this weekend and ultimately finishes between 4th and 20th.
6th in Points – Josh Berry
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.28 | 5th of 33 | 53rd of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.07% | T4th of 33 | T31st of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.75% | 7th of 33 | 74th of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.02 | 6th of 33 | 57th of 272‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 87 | T77th of 669 |
| Poles | 0 | T9th of 87 | T62nd of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T10th of 87 | T65th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T9th of 87 | T64th of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | 5th of 87 | T29th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | 5th of 87 | T33rd of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 33 | T29th of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T10th of 87 | T59th of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 19 | T8th of 87 | T53rd of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 99 | 8th of 87 | 49th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T10th of 87 | T56th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 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
- 2022/23 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 4.5(4th), 91.13% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.03(8th), Best 3rd, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.83% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- Finished 3rd, Started 7th, Led 9 laps (10.0%), Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 5th in Stage 2, ran 90 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 111.6 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 6.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 76.67% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 18th)
- 96.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 5.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T3rd)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Josh Berry is notable because of his 2022/23 stats on Big tracks
– New Hampshire was a rough race for Berry as he only spent 78% of his race in the Top 15 and finished 17th.
– He now has only 5 of his 15 2023 Ranks above being 5th or better, and his best is only T4th (his 99.07 Completed Laps%)
– He only has 1 Top 2 and 2 Top 3’s this year, but does have 7 Top 5 and 11 Top 10’s leading to a 12.28 Avg. Finish
– His best stage stat ranking is only 8th (99 Stage Pts)
– He’s ran all 4 Big track races since the start of 2022 finishing between 3rd and 6th in every race
– He has a 4.5 Avg. Finish in the 4 races, a 105.03 Avg. Driver Rating, and has ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15
– Berry ran every lap in the Top 15 at Pocono last year, led 9 laps, got the 3rd best Driver Rating at 111.6, and finished 3rd
– This was his 2nd race at Pocono, his best finish, and his 2nd Top 10
– He’s ran 76.67% of his laps in the Top 15 here, led 5% of his laps, and has never finished outside the Top 10 in a stage here
Outlook for this weekend
This year hasn’t been what was expected of Berry, but he’s ran very well in the last 4 Big track races. So, this weekend I expect Berry to run better as he’ll run all of his laps in or near the Top 15, get 8+ Stage Pts, and finish between 3rd and 8th.
– Josh Berry is notable because of his 2022/23 stats on Big tracks
– New Hampshire was a rough race for Berry as he only spent 78% of his race in the Top 15 and finished 17th.
– He now has only 5 of his 15 2023 Ranks above being 5th or better, and his best is only T4th (his 99.07 Completed Laps%)
– He only has 1 Top 2 and 2 Top 3’s this year, but does have 7 Top 5 and 11 Top 10’s leading to a 12.28 Avg. Finish
– His best stage stat ranking is only 8th (99 Stage Pts)
– He’s ran all 4 Big track races since the start of 2022 finishing between 3rd and 6th in every race
– He has a 4.5 Avg. Finish in the 4 races, a 105.03 Avg. Driver Rating, and has ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15
– Berry ran every lap in the Top 15 at Pocono last year, led 9 laps, got the 3rd best Driver Rating at 111.6, and finished 3rd
– This was his 2nd race at Pocono, his best finish, and his 2nd Top 10
– He’s ran 76.67% of his laps in the Top 15 here, led 5% of his laps, and has never finished outside the Top 10 in a stage here
Outlook for this weekend
This year hasn’t been what was expected of Berry, but he’s ran very well in the last 4 Big track races. So, this weekend I expect Berry to run better as he’ll run all of his laps in or near the Top 15, get 8+ Stage Pts, and finish between 3rd and 8th.
10th in Points – Sheldon Creed
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 18 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.67 | 13th of 33 | T97th of 272 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.9% | 19th of 33 | 122nd of 272 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.68% | 8th of 33 | 76th of 272 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 87.08 | 10th of 33 | 72nd of 272‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 87 | T77th of 669 |
| Poles | 1 | T4th of 87 | T19th of 669 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T10th of 87 | T65th of 669 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T9th of 87 | T64th of 669 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T15th of 87 | T96th of 669 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | 12th of 87 | T94th of 669 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T10th of 33 | T62nd of 272 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T4th of 87 | T23rd of 582* |
| Stage T10s | 26 | T1st of 87 | T18th of 582* |
| Stage Pts | 143 | 5th of 87 | T28th of 582* |
| Playoff Pts² | 3 | 9th of 87 | T47th of 582* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 18 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 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Big track start, 61 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 17.75(22nd), 86.76% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.9(16th), Best 5th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 98.3%, Led 2.88% 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, 0 Stage Wins, 2.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Pocono Statistics
- 2022 Pocono race
- Finished 5th, Started 6th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 87 Laps in Top15 (96.67% of laps he ran), had 104.1 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Pocono Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Pocono, 58 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 5.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 5th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 96.67% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 104.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 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
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Sheldon Creed is notable because of his race at Pocono last year
– Creed had a good Top 5 finish going at New Hampshire until he and Cole Custer go into it on the last lap causing Creed to finish 21st
– He has 2 Top 3’s this year, but only has 2 Top 5’s this year as well
– This year he has 6 Top 10’s and a 16.67 Avg. Finish so far
– The best stats for him are his stage stats where he has 26 Stage T10’s, 3 Stage Wins, and 143 Stage Pts (all of which rank 5th or better)
– In his last 4 Big track Xfinity races he has just 1 Top 10, a 17.75 Avg. Finish, and an 86.9 Avg. Driver Rating
– 2 of the 4 races he’ finished out of the Top 20, but he has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15
– Pocono last year was Creed’s best Big track race as he finished 5th, got 13 Stage Pts, ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 6th best Driver Rating (104.1)
– Last year was his only Pocono race in the Xfinity Series
Outlook for this weekend
This year Creed has had good runs but can’t close them out at the finish. This weekend, based on last years Pocono race mostly, I believe he will close it out and come home with a finish between 4th and 10th. However, if he doesn’t end up there he’ll be out of the Top 20 most likely.
– Sheldon Creed is notable because of his race at Pocono last year
– Creed had a good Top 5 finish going at New Hampshire until he and Cole Custer go into it on the last lap causing Creed to finish 21st
– He has 2 Top 3’s this year, but only has 2 Top 5’s this year as well
– This year he has 6 Top 10’s and a 16.67 Avg. Finish so far
– The best stats for him are his stage stats where he has 26 Stage T10’s, 3 Stage Wins, and 143 Stage Pts (all of which rank 5th or better)
– In his last 4 Big track Xfinity races he has just 1 Top 10, a 17.75 Avg. Finish, and an 86.9 Avg. Driver Rating
– 2 of the 4 races he’ finished out of the Top 20, but he has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15
– Pocono last year was Creed’s best Big track race as he finished 5th, got 13 Stage Pts, ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 6th best Driver Rating (104.1)
– Last year was his only Pocono race in the Xfinity Series
Outlook for this weekend
This year Creed has had good runs but can’t close them out at the finish. This weekend, based on last years Pocono race mostly, I believe he will close it out and come home with a finish between 4th and 10th. However, if he doesn’t end up there he’ll be out of the Top 20 most likely.
