Monday, December 23, 2024
HomeCup SeriesCup Series Notable Drivers Statistics & Outlook: Indy Road Course

Cup Series Notable Drivers Statistics & Outlook: Indy Road Course

Chris Buescher held off Monday Martin at Michigan last week to pick up his 2nd win in a row. This week we go to a track style Buescher has been exceptional on since the Next Gen car has arrived, Road Courses. This time it’s the crapshoot known as the Indy Road Course where hopefully we have a better race than last year. 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 Indy Road Course race and 2 based on their overall Indy 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 23 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Road Course (right and left turns) statistics and Indy Road Course statistics.

1st in Points – Martin Truex Jr.

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 11.26 1st of 35 46th of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 99.71% 1st of 35 T22nd of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 77.28% 2nd of 35 63rd of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 100.97 1st of 35 53rd of 761‡
 Wins 3 T2nd of 59 T32nd of 1314
 Poles 1 T6th of 59 T90th of 1314
 Top 2’s 5 T1st of 59 T35th of 1314
 Top 3’s 8 1st of 59 T21st of 1314
 Top 5’s 9 2nd of 59 T49th of 1314
 Top 10’s 13 T1st of 59 T68th of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 1 T2nd of 35 T78th of 803
 Stage Wins 5 T2nd of 59 T12th of 417*
 Stage T10s 32 1st of 59 T14th of 417*
 Stage Pts 192 2nd of 59 T20th of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 20 2nd of 59 T13th of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 16.67(14th), 77.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.17(4th), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.62%, Led 19.47% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 21st, Started 25th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 57 Laps in Top15 (66.28% of laps he ran), had 78.8 Driver Rating (ranked 14th)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 18.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 18th)
  • Best Finish: 15th, Worst: 21st
  • Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
  • 56.91% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
  • 78.25 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 16th)
  • Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
  • 0 Top 10’s
  • 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
  • 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T15th)
  • 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
  • 0 Stage Wins
  • 1 Stage T10, 25.0% (% ranks T15th)
Main Points & Outlook
Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his incredible 2023 stats
Truex had the best car at Michigan last week but couldn’t pass Chris Buescher late and ended up 2nd
This was his 4th straight Top 10, tied longest active Cup streak
All but one of his 2023 Ranks above is 1st or 2nd, the only one that isn’t is his 1 Pole that ranks T6th
Some of his stats that rank 1st this year are his 11.26 Avg. Finish, 100.97 Avg. Driver Rating, 5 Top 2’s, 13 Top 10’s, and 32 Stage T10’s
In the 3 Road Course races this year he has 1 Win, but only 1 Top 15 leading to the 14th best Avg. Finish (16.67)
In the 3 races he’s ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (98.17)
The 6 Road Course stages have given him 0 Stage Wins and 3.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
In the 2023 Indy Road Course race Truex ran only 66% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, had the 14th best Driver Rating (78.8), and finished 21st
This was his 2nd Indy Road Course race and in the 2 races he’s finished 15th and 21st
In his career here he’s ran only 57% of his laps in the Top 15, has just a 78.25 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1 Stage T10 in 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Truex’s 2023 stats above show that he has clearly been the best driver this year. However, Road Courses are a different story as he’s struggled to finish them well despite running well. All of this along with his struggles at the Indy Road Course tell me that Truex may run decent but will ultimately finish between 10th and 20th.

2nd in Points – Denny Hamlin

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 11.91 2nd of 35 T67th of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 96.06% 23rd of 35 332nd of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 82.52% 1st of 35 29th of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 98.07 3rd of 35 81st of 761‡
 Wins 2 T4th of 59 T59th of 1314
 Poles 3 T1st of 59 T18th of 1314
 Top 2’s 4 T4th of 59 T63rd of 1314
 Top 3’s 6 T2nd of 59 T50th of 1314
 Top 5’s 8 T3rd of 59 T67th of 1314
 Top 10’s 11 T3rd of 59 T136th of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 2 T10th of 35 T228th of 803
 Stage Wins 4 T4th of 59 T21st of 417*
 Stage T10s 29 T2nd of 59 T22nd of 417*
 Stage Pts 180 3rd of 59 T23rd of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 14 4th of 59 T23rd of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 3 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series, tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series)
  • 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(24th), 63.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 83.2(15th), Best 11th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 93.16%, Led 13.47% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 14th, Started 15th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 2, ran 44 Laps in Top15 (51.16% of laps he ran), had 69.3 Driver Rating (ranked 17th)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 18.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 19th)
  • Best Finish: 14th, Worst: 23rd
  • Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
  • 70.17% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
  • 82.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
  • Led 14.92% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
  • 0 Top 10’s
  • 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
  • 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T15th)
  • 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
  • 0 Stage Wins
  • 1 Stage T10, 25.0% (% ranks T15th)
Main Points & Outlook
Denny Hamlin is notable because of his overall 2023 stats thru 23 races
Hamlin led only 1 lap last week but ran 83% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to his 3rd straight Top 3 finish, finishing 3rd
This was his 3rd straight Top 3 but also his 4th straight Top 10
9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T3rd or better including his 11.91 Avg. Finish, 82.52 Laps in Top15%, and 98.07 Avg. Driver Rating
Only 1 of his 2023 Ranks above is worse than 10th (96.06 Completed Laps%)
His 3 Poles are tied for 18th most thru 23 races since 2004
In 3 Road Course races this year he has 0 Top 10’s, only 1 Top 15, a DNF, and a 21.0 Avg. Finish
In the 3 races he’s ran 64% of his laps in the Top 15, led 13.47% of his laps, and has an 83.2 Avg. Driver Rating
He only has 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage on Road Courses this year, but does have 1 Stage Win
Last year at the Indy Road Course race Hamlin ran just 51% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 17th best Driver Rating (69.3), and finished 14th
In his 2 Indy Road Course races he’s ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 15% of his laps
He’s finished the 2 races here in 14th and 22nd, respectively
Outlook for this weekend
Hamlin is on a hot streak of good finishes and his 2023 stats reflect his good streak. His Road Course stats are a different story, though, as he hasn’t finished in the Top 10 in any of the 3 races, or at the Indy Road Course either. These Road Course stats scare me, but the curse has to end sometime so I think Hamlin ends up between 8th and 15th this weekend.

3rd in Points – William Byron

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 13.52 7th of 35 T125th of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 96.03% 24th of 35 T333rd of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 74.07% 3rd of 35 98th of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 98.26 2nd of 35 77th of 761‡
 Wins 4 1st of 59 T13th of 1314
 Poles 3 T1st of 59 T18th of 1314
 Top 2’s 5 T1st of 59 T35th of 1314
 Top 3’s 6 T2nd of 59 T50th of 1314
 Top 5’s 8 T3rd of 59 T67th of 1314
 Top 10’s 11 T3rd of 59 T136th of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 3 T20th of 35 T410th of 803
 Stage Wins 7 1st of 59 T6th of 417*
 Stage T10s 29 T2nd of 59 T22nd of 417*
 Stage Pts 206 1st of 59 13th of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 27 1st of 59 T8th of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • 2 straight Wins (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 3 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
  • 6 straight Top 10 finishes
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.67(7th), 68.82% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.57(8th), Best 5th, Worst 14th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.65% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 31st (crash), Started 23rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 3rd in Stage 1, ran 70 Laps in Top15 (88.61% of laps he ran), had 93.1 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 32.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T32nd)
  • Best Finish: 31st, Worst: 33rd
  • Completed 86.19% of laps (% ranks 31st)
  • 92.95% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
  • 95.95 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
  • Led 0.64% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
  • 1 Pole, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
  • 0 Top 15’s
  • 2 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T29th)
  • 2 DNF’s, 100% (% ranks T34th)
  • 0 Stage Wins
  • 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T14th)
Main Points & Outlook
William Byron is notable because he’s 3rd in points
Byron was one of the many victims of getting lose and hitting the wall at Michigan which caused him to finish 35th with a DNF
He has a 6 race Top 10 streak this year, but he’s now finished the last 4 races out of the Top 10
9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st, T1st, 2nd, or T2nd including his 98.26 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Wins, and 5 Top 2’s
All of his 2023 stage stats (7 Stage Wins, 29 Stage T10’s, 206 Stage Pts) are tied for 2nd best or better this year
His 4 Wins, 3 Poles, 7 Stage Wins, and 206 Stage Pts all ranks T18th or better thru 23 races since 2004
In the 3 Road Course races this year he’s gotten just 1 Top 10, but does have 3 Top 15’s
In the races he’s ran 69% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (93.57), and has gotten 1 Stage Win
At the Indy Road Course race last year Byron ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 7th best Driver Rating (93.1) before crashing out late to finish 31st
The 2 races at the Indy Road Course races have seen him finish 31st and 33rd with 2 DNF’s
His 92.95% of Laps run in the Top15 at the Indy Road Course in his career is the best percentage of any active driver
He has a 95.95 Avg. Driver Rating in his career at the Indy Road Course
Outlook for this weekend
The last couple weeks have been a struggle for Byron, but his 2023 stats as a whole are still not too bad. His Road Course races are decent as well as are his Indy Road Course race stats, but he’s struggled terribly to finish well here. However, that probably changes this week and if he can avoid a DNF I see Byron finishing between 6th and 15th.

13th in Points – Tyler Reddick

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 17.52 17th of 35 322nd of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 95.22% 26th of 35 T397th of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 70.12% 5th of 35 135th of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 89.03 6th of 35 186th of 761‡
 Wins 1 T7th of 59 T114th of 1314
 Poles 1 T6th of 59 T90th of 1314
 Top 2’s 3 T7th of 59 T90th of 1314
 Top 3’s 4 T7th of 59 T111th of 1314
 Top 5’s 6 T7th of 59 T129th of 1314
 Top 10’s 9 T12th of 59 T217th of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 3 T20th of 35 T410th of 803
 Stage Wins 4 T4th of 59 T21st of 417*
 Stage T10s 25 6th of 59 T48th of 417*
 Stage Pts 164 4th of 59 T35th of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 9 8th of 59 T41st of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • 3 straight Top 5 finishes
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.67(23rd), 72.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.4(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.62%, Led 18.7% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 1st, Started 1st, Led 38 laps (44.19%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 86 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 144.2 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 11.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T8th)
  • Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 21st
  • Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
  • 71.27% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
  • 110.65 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
  • Led 24.31% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
  • 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
  • 1 Pole, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
  • 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
  • 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T15th)
  • 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
  • 2 Stage Wins, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
  • 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
  • 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
Tyler Reddick is notable because of his stats in his 2 career Cup starts here at the Indy Road Course
Michigan was the same song different verse for Reddick as he had a fast car but also pit road issues that plagued him yet again, causing him to finish 30th
He’s finished 6 of the last 9 races out of the Top 25
Only his 70.12 Laps in Top15%, 4 Stage Wins, and 164 Stage Pts rank 5th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
Just 4 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are worse than 10th in the 2023 Ranks above
In the 3 Road Course races this year he has a 20.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and 2 finishes out of the Top 20 with 0 DNF’s
The 3 races have seen him run 72% of his laps in the Top 15 and lead 18.7% of his laps
He has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating on Road Courses this year (104.4) and he’s gotten 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
In the 2022 Indy Road Course race Reddick won the Pole, ran every lap in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (144.2), and won the race
His 144.2 Driver Rating in the race last year was the 4th best Driver Rating of any driver in any race last year
In the 2 races at the Indy Road Course he’s finished 1st and 21st with 2 Stage Wins in the process
His 110.65 Avg. Driver Rating, 24.31 Laps Led%, 50.0 Win%, 50.0 Pole%, and 50.0 Stage Win% at the Indy Road Course all rank 1st best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
His 2023 overall stats and Road Course stats above point to the fact that Reddick has ran well this year, but hasn’t finished well. The same could be said for his overall Indy Road Course stats, but he does have a Road Course win this year and he won the Indy Road Course race last year. Taking all this in Reddick will probably have a good run this weekend, but will finish either Top 5 or out of the Top 20.

17th in Points – Michael McDowell

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 18.7 19th of 35 T371st of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 98.01% 12th of 35 159th of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 31.45% 21st of 35 412th of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 65.41 22nd of 35 454th of 761‡
 Wins 0 T14th of 59 T240th of 1314
 Poles 0 T13th of 59 T227th of 1314
 Top 2’s 0 T20th of 59 T357th of 1314
 Top 3’s 0 T23rd of 59 T428th of 1314
 Top 5’s 1 T20th of 59 T394th of 1314
 Top 10’s 5 T21st of 59 T373rd of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 1 T2nd of 35 T78th of 803
 Stage Wins 0 T18th of 59 T107th of 417*
 Stage T10s 11 T18th of 59 T118th of 417*
 Stage Pts 56 17th of 59 115th of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 0 T20th of 59 T124th of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • 2 straight Top 10 finishes
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 8.67(T5th), 87.45% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.67(3rd), Best 7th, Worst 12th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.38% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 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, 0 Stage Wins, 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 8th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 71 Laps in Top15 (82.56% of laps he ran), had 99.8 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 19.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T20th)
  • Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 30th
  • Completed 96.13% of laps (% ranks 24th)
  • 58.05% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 15th)
  • 86.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
  • Led 0.57% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
  • 0 Top 5’s
  • 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T6th)
  • 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T15th)
  • 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T23rd)
  • 0 Stage Wins
  • 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T11th)
Main Points & Outlook
Michael McDowell is notable because of his impressive 2023 stats on Road Courses this year
McDowell struggled at Michigan running only 15% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 24th
His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 races
His best 2023 Rank above is his 1 DNF (ranks T2nd), but this is also his only 2023 Rank better than 12th
7 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 20th or worse including his 31.45 Laps in Top15%, 1 Top 5, and 65.41 Avg. Driver Rating
He’s finished between 7th and 12th in all 3 Road Course races this year with 2 Top 10’s
His 101.67 Avg. Driver Rating on Road Courses this year is 3rd best, he’s ran 87.45% of his laps in the Top 15, and he’s gotten 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
Last year in the Indy Road Course race McDowell started 7th, had the 5th best Driver Rating (99.8), and finished 8th in the race
In the 2 Indy Road Course races he’s finished 8th and 30th with an 86.2 Avg. Driver Rating and a DNF
In these 2 races he’s ran 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and has gotten 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
McDowell has had a surprising season in the fact that he’s in the hunt to make the playoffs based on points with 3 races left. However, his 2023 stats are not too great. The good thing is that there is back to back Road Course races and his 2023 Road Course stats are really good. Overall I feel McDowell has a good race this weekend, gets 5+ Stage Pts, and finishes somewhere in the Top 10.

19th in Points – A.J. Allmendinger

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 19.0 20th of 35 T379th of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 97.52% 17th of 35 T206th of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 24.9% 26th of 35 454th of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 65.67 21st of 35 451st of 761‡
 Wins 0 T14th of 59 T240 of 1314
 Poles 0 T13th of 59 T227th of 1314
 Top 2’s 0 T20th of 59 T357th of 1314
 Top 3’s 1 T14th of 59 T283rd of 1314
 Top 5’s 1 T20th of 59 T394th of 1314
 Top 10’s 4 25th of 59 T409th of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 3 T20th of 35 T410th of 803
 Stage Wins 0 T18th of 59 T107th of 417*
 Stage T10s 11 T18th of 59 T118th of 417*
 Stage Pts 48 20th of 59 T119th of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 0 T20th of 59 T124th of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • 2 straight Top 10 finishes
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.0(19th), 84.68% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.67(11th), Best 6th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 94.3%, Led 0.00% 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 7th, Started 20th, Led 3 laps (3.49%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 60 Laps in Top15 (69.77% of laps he ran), had 97.4 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 4.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T2nd)
  • Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 7th
  • Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
  • 67.4% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
  • 100.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
  • Led 2.76% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
  • 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
  • 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
  • 0 Stage T10’s
Main Points & Outlook
A.J. Allmendinger is notable because of his stats in a Cup car here at the Indy Road Course
At Michigan Allmendinger ran 40% of his laps in the Top 15 but a bad last pit stop caused him to fall to 26th at the end
His best 2023 Ranks above are his 0 Poles, 0 Wins, and 1 Top 3 that rank T13th and T14th respectively
9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 20th or worse including his 19.0 Avg. Finish, 24.9 Laps in Top 15%, 65.67 Avg. Driver Rating, and 48 Stage Pts
All 3 of his 2023 stage stats (0 Stage Wins, 11 Stage T10’s, 48 Stage Pts) rank T18th or worse in the 2023 Ranks above
On Road Courses this year he has a best finish of only 6th and just 1 Top 15 with 1 DNF in 3 starts
He’s ran 85% of his laps on Road Courses this year in the Top 15 and has the 11th best Avg. Driver Rating (91.67)
He’s led 0 laps on Road Courses this year
In the 2022 Indy Road Course race Allmendinger led 3 laps, ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 6th best Driver Rating (97.4), and finished 7th
He’s finished 1st and 7th in the 2 Cup races at the Indy Road Course race
He’s one of only 2 drivers to finish in the Top 10 of both Cup races here
In the 2 races he’s ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 100.2 Avg. Driver Rating, but has only led 2.76% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Allmendinger is another surprise driver that could point his way into the playoffs, but his 2023 stats above, including his Road Course stats, are in no way impressive. The only good news for him is that he’s ran well in the 2 Indy Road Course races for the Cup Series. Overall I think this wins out for Allmendinger this weekend as he ends up with a Top 10 finish and challenges for the win.

21st in Points – Austin Cindric

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.¹ 20.91 T25th of 35 T450th of 803
 Completed Laps%¹ 99.04% 5th of 35 T76th of 803
Laps in Top15%¹ 25.74% 25th of 35 448th of 761‡
Avg. Driver Rating¹ 62.96 23rd of 35 472nd of 761‡
 Wins 0 T14th of 59 T240th of 1314
 Poles 0 T13th of 59 T227th of 1314
 Top 2’s 0 T20th of 59 T357th of 1314
 Top 3’s 0 T23rd of 59 T428th of 1314
 Top 5’s 0 T29th of 59 T524th of 1314
 Top 10’s 3 T26th of 59 T441st of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 2 T10th of 35 T228th of 803
 Stage Wins 1 T12th of 59 T75th of 417*
 Stage T10s 9 T21st of 59 T133rd of 417*
 Stage Pts 54 T18th of 59 T116th of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 1 T15th of 59 T100th of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • none
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 3 Races, Avg. Finish 12.33(10th), 31.94% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 69.77(18th), Best 6th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.76% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • Finished 2nd, Started 2nd, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 79 Laps in Top15 (91.86% of laps he ran), had 109.8 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 2 Races
  • 5.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
  • Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 9th
  • Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
  • 56.35% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 17th)
  • 87.75 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
  • Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
  • 0 Wins
  • 1 Top 2, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
  • 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
  • 0 Stage T10’s
Main Points & Outlook
Austin Cindric is notable because of how well he ran at the Indy Road Course last year
Cindric had a good race at Michigan as he ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 12th
His 99.04 Completed Laps% and 2 DNF’s are his only 2023 Ranks above that are 10th or better
4 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 25th or worse including his 20.91 Avg. Finish and 0 Top 5’s
In the 3 Road Course races this year he has 2 Top 10’s and a 25th place finish
He’s only ran 32% of his laps on Road Courses this year in the Top 15 and he has just the 18th best Avg. Driver Rating (69.77)
In the 3 races he’s led 0.76% of his laps and has gotten just 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
Last year in the Indy Road Course race he led 0 laps, but ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (109.8), and finished 2nd in the race
In the 2 Cup races at the Indy Road Course he’s finished 2nd and 9th giving him the 4th best active Avg. Finish here at 5.5
He’s one of only 2 drivers to finish in the Top 10 of both Cup races here
He’s only ran 56% of his laps here in the Top 15 but has a decent 87.75 Avg. Driver Rating
He’s led 0 laps here in a Cup car and has 0 Stage T10’s as well
Outlook for this weekend
Cindric’s sophomore season in the Cup Series has been disappointing to say the least as he has 0 Top 5’s through 23 races. However, the good news is that his best finish (6th, twice) has come in 2 Road Course races and his stats here at the Indy Road Course in a Cup car are impressive. While Cindric’s season has been bad I see him doing well this weekend finishing between 6th and 16th in the race.

36th in Points – Shane Van Gisbergen

2023 Stats
Category Statistic 2023 Rank ÂŞRank Thru 23 Races
 Avg. Fin.Âą 1.0 – of 35 – of 803
 Completed Laps%Âą 100% – of 35 – of 803
Laps in Top15%Âą 93.59% – of 35 – of 761‡
Avg. Driver RatingÂą 138.1 – of 35 – of 761‡
 Wins 1 T7th of 59 T114th of 1314
 Poles 0 T13th of 59 T227th of 1314
 Top 2’s 1 T11th of 59 T197th of 1314
 Top 3’s 1 T14th of 59 T283rd of 1314
 Top 5’s 1 T20th of 59 T394th of 1314
 Top 10’s 1 T31st of 59 T552nd of 1314
 DNF’sÂą 0 – of 35 – of 803
 Stage Wins 0 T18th of 59 T107th of 417*
 Stage T10s 2 T31st of 59 T190th of 417*
 Stage Pts 15 27th of 59 T173rd of 417*
 Playoff Pts² 5 T12th of 59 T68th of 417*

ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2004
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0

  • Notable Streaks this year
  • none
  • 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 44 drivers)
  • 1 Race, Avg. Finish 1.0(1st), 93.59% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 138.1(1st), Best 1st, Worst 1st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.54% 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, 7.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
  • Indy Road Course Statistics
  • 2022 Indy Road Course Race
  • did not race
  • Notable Indy Road Course Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Indy Road Course, 38 drivers)
  • 0 Races
Main Points & Outlook
Shane Van Gisbergen is notable because of his 2023 Road Course stats
Van Gisbergen’s only start this year came at the Chicago Street Course where he led 11.54% of the laps en route to winning his 1st NASCAR race in his 1st NASCAR start
He was the first driver in over 60 years to win in his first NASCAR Cup Series start
In the race he had a 138.1 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 93.59% of his laps in the Top 15, and got 15 Stage Pts
As this is his only race in the Cup Series there is no more to add as he has never raced at the Indy Road Course
Outlook for this weekend
Van Gisbergen has basically no stats to go off of. However, his one start in his NASCAR Cup Series career was damn impressive to say the least. I don’t think he replicates that success this weekend, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. In the end I think he either ends up with a DNF or between 5th and 15th.
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Daniel Smith
Daniel Smithhttps://pitpassnetwork.com
Cup drivers: Kyle Larson & Ross Chastain, Xfinity drivers: SVG & Ryan Sieg, Truck drivers: Grant Enfinger & Jake Garcia

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