At the Indy Road Course we got to see the Xfinity race be dominated by Cup drivers as Ty Gibbs and A.J. Allmendinger combined to lead 79% of the race. In the end it was Gibbs who won, picking up his first Xfinity win of the year. This week we go to the 2nd straight Road Course for the Xfinity Series and 7th on the year, Watkins Glen. 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 Watkins Glen race and 2 based on their overall Watkins Glen stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 22 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Road Course (right and left turns) statistics and Watkins Glen statistics.
1st in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 7.45 | 1st of 33 | 7th of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.95% | 5th of 33 | T30th of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.08% | 2nd of 33 | 34th of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.71 | 2nd of 33 | 25th of 274‡ |
| Wins | 4 | 2nd of 90 | T11th of 762 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 90 | T16th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T2nd of 90 | T22nd of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T3rd of 90 | T20th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 13 | 1st of 90 | T6th of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 17 | 1st of 90 | T9th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T3rd of 33 | T21st of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T4th of 90 | T28th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 29 | T4th of 90 | T28th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 182 | 4th of 90 | T26th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 23 | 2nd of 90 | T10th of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 10.33(8th), 95.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.27(7th), Best 3rd, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 90.24%, Led 1.31% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.08 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- Finished 30th, Started 8th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 9 Laps in Top15 (12.33% of laps he ran), had 55.7 Driver Rating (ranked 25th)
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 30.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T54th)
- Best Finish: 30th, Worst: 30th
- Completed 89.02% of laps (% ranks 44th)
- 12.33% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 43rd)
- 55.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 44th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T44th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage T10’s
Main Points & Outlook
– Austin Hill is notable because he’s 1st in points
– Hill ran 60 of 62 laps in the Top 15 last week at the Indy Road Course (the most of anyone) en route to a 4th place finish
– All 15 of his 2023 Ranks above are 5th or better
– 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are either 1st or 2nd including his series leading 7.45 Avg. Finish, 13 Top 5’s, and 17 Top 10’s
– Since 2016 his 7.45 Avg. Finish, 13 Top 15’s, 17 Top 10’s, and 23 Playoff Pts all rank tied for 10th best or better thru 22 races
– Earlier this year he had a 4 race Top 5 streak and a 7 race Top 10 streak
– In 6 Road Course races this year he has a 10.33 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, and a 98.27 Avg. Driver Rating
– His only finish out of the Top 10 on a Road Course this year was a 37th place DNF
– On Road Courses this year he’s ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 3.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, but he’s only led 1.31% of laps he’s run
– In the 2022 Watkins Glen race Hill suffered a broken axle early in the race causing him to run only 12% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 30th place finish
– This is his only Xfinity start at Watkins Glen
Outlook for this weekend
I would say Hill’s season has been a bit of a surprise with all of his 2023 Ranks being 5th or better, but what’s even more surprising is how well he’s been on Road Courses this year. Unfortunately his Watkins Glen start last year doesn’t give much to go off of, but if he can avoid an issue or DNF this weekend then I say Hill finishes between 4th and 9th.
– Austin Hill is notable because he’s 1st in points
– Hill ran 60 of 62 laps in the Top 15 last week at the Indy Road Course (the most of anyone) en route to a 4th place finish
– All 15 of his 2023 Ranks above are 5th or better
– 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are either 1st or 2nd including his series leading 7.45 Avg. Finish, 13 Top 5’s, and 17 Top 10’s
– Since 2016 his 7.45 Avg. Finish, 13 Top 15’s, 17 Top 10’s, and 23 Playoff Pts all rank tied for 10th best or better thru 22 races
– Earlier this year he had a 4 race Top 5 streak and a 7 race Top 10 streak
– In 6 Road Course races this year he has a 10.33 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, and a 98.27 Avg. Driver Rating
– His only finish out of the Top 10 on a Road Course this year was a 37th place DNF
– On Road Courses this year he’s ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 3.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, but he’s only led 1.31% of laps he’s run
– In the 2022 Watkins Glen race Hill suffered a broken axle early in the race causing him to run only 12% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 30th place finish
– This is his only Xfinity start at Watkins Glen
Outlook for this weekend
I would say Hill’s season has been a bit of a surprise with all of his 2023 Ranks being 5th or better, but what’s even more surprising is how well he’s been on Road Courses this year. Unfortunately his Watkins Glen start last year doesn’t give much to go off of, but if he can avoid an issue or DNF this weekend then I say Hill finishes between 4th and 9th.
2nd in Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.68 | 2nd of 33 | T25th of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.05% | 10th of 33 | T41st of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.37% | 1st of 33 | 32nd of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 110.24 | 1st of 33 | 11th of 274‡ |
| Wins | 5 | 1st of 90 | T3rd of 762 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 90 | T25th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 9 | 1st of 90 | T2nd of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 9 | 1st of 90 | T9th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 11 | 2nd of 90 | T11th of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | 2nd of 90 | T15th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T8th of 33 | T48th of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | T2nd of 90 | T15th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | T2nd of 90 | T20th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 217 | 2nd of 90 | 15th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 30 | 1st of 90 | 6th of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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 (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 15th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(19th), 89.06% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.1(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 94.67%, Led 0.94% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- did not race
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 12.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T15th)
- Best Finish: 12th, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 69.51% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 21st)
- 81.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 24th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 10’s
- 1 Top 15, 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)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Main Points & Outlook
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his amazing 2023 stats
– Nemechek had a good Top 10 run going at the Indy Road Course but got collected in an incident late to finish 13th
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his 9.68 Avg. Finish, 110.24 Avg. Driver Rating, 5 Wins, 9 Top 2’s, 5 Stage Wins, and 217 Stage Pts
– His 5 Wins, 9 Top 2’s, and 30 Playoff Pts are all 6th most or better thru 22 races since 2016
– His 86.37 Laps in Top 15% thru 22 races is the best this year, but only 32nd best since 2016
– He had a 2 race Win streak earlier this year, but his longest Top 10 streak is only 5 races
– In 6 Road Course races this year he has only 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, and just 3 Top 15’s
– His 17.0 Avg. Finish in the 6 races is only 19th best and his 96.1 Avg. Driver Rating is only 10th best
– He’s gotten 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage on Road Courses this year
– Nemechek did not race in the 2022 Xfinity Watkins Glen race
– He has one start at Watkins Glen in 2019 where he had an 81.0 Avg. Driver Rating and finished 12th
– In the race he ran 69.51% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and got 2 Stage T10’s
Outlook for this weekend
Looking at Nemechek’s 2023 stats it’s clear to see why I consider him the favorite for the championship this year, and luckily for him there is only 1 Road Course in the playoffs. Since he’s only had one start at Watkins Glen then there isn’t much to go off leaving just his 2023 stats to go off of. With that being all there is I think Nemechek does okay this weekend getting 5+ Stage Pts and finishing between 6th and 13th.
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his amazing 2023 stats
– Nemechek had a good Top 10 run going at the Indy Road Course but got collected in an incident late to finish 13th
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his 9.68 Avg. Finish, 110.24 Avg. Driver Rating, 5 Wins, 9 Top 2’s, 5 Stage Wins, and 217 Stage Pts
– His 5 Wins, 9 Top 2’s, and 30 Playoff Pts are all 6th most or better thru 22 races since 2016
– His 86.37 Laps in Top 15% thru 22 races is the best this year, but only 32nd best since 2016
– He had a 2 race Win streak earlier this year, but his longest Top 10 streak is only 5 races
– In 6 Road Course races this year he has only 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, and just 3 Top 15’s
– His 17.0 Avg. Finish in the 6 races is only 19th best and his 96.1 Avg. Driver Rating is only 10th best
– He’s gotten 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage on Road Courses this year
– Nemechek did not race in the 2022 Xfinity Watkins Glen race
– He has one start at Watkins Glen in 2019 where he had an 81.0 Avg. Driver Rating and finished 12th
– In the race he ran 69.51% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and got 2 Stage T10’s
Outlook for this weekend
Looking at Nemechek’s 2023 stats it’s clear to see why I consider him the favorite for the championship this year, and luckily for him there is only 1 Road Course in the playoffs. Since he’s only had one start at Watkins Glen then there isn’t much to go off leaving just his 2023 stats to go off of. With that being all there is I think Nemechek does okay this weekend getting 5+ Stage Pts and finishing between 6th and 13th.
3rd in Points – Justin Allgaier
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.95 | 3rd of 33 | 44th of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.88% | 12th of 33 | 83rd of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.52% | 5th of 33 | 56th of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.75 | 3rd of 33 | 30th of 274‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 90 | T39th of 762 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 90 | T25th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T2nd of 90 | T22nd of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | 2nd of 90 | T12th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | 3rd of 90 | T16th of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | T4th of 90 | T37th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T16th of 33 | T95th of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | 1st of 90 | T5th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 33 | 1st of 90 | T12th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 238 | 1st of 90 | 9th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 13 | 4th of 90 | T21st of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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 (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(6th), 93.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.25(5th), Best 2nd, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 19.23% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 6.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- Finished 38th (crash), Started 10th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 0 Laps in Top15 (0.00% of laps he ran), had 26.2 Driver Rating (ranked 37th)
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 11 Races
- 12.55 Avg. Finish (Ranks 17th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 38th
- Completed 84.97% of laps (% ranks 49th)
- 79.97% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 87.61 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 1.82% of laps he’s run (% ranks 14th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 2 Top 3’s, 18.18% (% ranks 6th)
- 7 Top 10’s, 63.64% (% ranks T10th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 18.18% (% ranks 26th)
- 2 DNF’s, 18.18% (% ranks T41st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3.8 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Justin Allgaier is notable because of his 2023 Xfinity Road Course stats
– The Indy Road Course was a good race for Allgaier as he ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 5th
– This was Allgaier’s first Top 5 since the Chicago Street Course race
– The only 2023 Ranks above that he leads the series in are his stage stats (8 Stage Wins, 33 Stage T10’s, and 238 Stage Pts)
– His 8 Top 3’s, 8 Stage Wins, 33 Stage T10’s, and 238 Stage Pts thru 22 races all rank tied for 12th or better since 2016
– He has almost as many DNF’s this year (3) as he does Top 2 finishes (4)
– On the 6 Road Courses this year he has a 6.67 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s, but 0 Wins
– In the 6 races he’s led 19.23% of his laps, has a 100.25 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Stage Wins, and has gotten 6.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Watkins Glen last year Allgaier had an issue in qualifying causing him to start in the rear, then he wrecked on lap 4 leaving him to finish 38th (last) in the race
– This was his 11th Xfinity race at Watkins Glen and in them he has a 12.55 Avg. Finish, 7 Top 10’s, and 2 DNF’s
– He’s ran 80% of his laps here in the Top 15, has an 87.61 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 3.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Allgaier has had a good season but can’t find a way to stick the car in victory lane much. The good news is that he’s ran well in stages and has been one of the best Xfinity drivers at Road Courses. However, he’s only been okay at Watkins Glen in his career and last year he DNF’d too early to take anything from it. This weekend, based on his 2023 Road Course stats I think Allgaier will be one to reckon with finishing somewhere in the Top 5.
– Justin Allgaier is notable because of his 2023 Xfinity Road Course stats
– The Indy Road Course was a good race for Allgaier as he ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 5th
– This was Allgaier’s first Top 5 since the Chicago Street Course race
– The only 2023 Ranks above that he leads the series in are his stage stats (8 Stage Wins, 33 Stage T10’s, and 238 Stage Pts)
– His 8 Top 3’s, 8 Stage Wins, 33 Stage T10’s, and 238 Stage Pts thru 22 races all rank tied for 12th or better since 2016
– He has almost as many DNF’s this year (3) as he does Top 2 finishes (4)
– On the 6 Road Courses this year he has a 6.67 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s, but 0 Wins
– In the 6 races he’s led 19.23% of his laps, has a 100.25 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Stage Wins, and has gotten 6.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Watkins Glen last year Allgaier had an issue in qualifying causing him to start in the rear, then he wrecked on lap 4 leaving him to finish 38th (last) in the race
– This was his 11th Xfinity race at Watkins Glen and in them he has a 12.55 Avg. Finish, 7 Top 10’s, and 2 DNF’s
– He’s ran 80% of his laps here in the Top 15, has an 87.61 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 3.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Allgaier has had a good season but can’t find a way to stick the car in victory lane much. The good news is that he’s ran well in stages and has been one of the best Xfinity drivers at Road Courses. However, he’s only been okay at Watkins Glen in his career and last year he DNF’d too early to take anything from it. This weekend, based on his 2023 Road Course stats I think Allgaier will be one to reckon with finishing somewhere in the Top 5.
4th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.64 | 4th of 33 | 49th of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.49% | 2nd of 33 | 19th of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.7% | 3rd of 33 | 37th of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 100.74 | 4th of 33 | 36th of 274‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T3rd of 90 | T25th of 762 |
| Poles | 4 | 1st of 90 | T5th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T6th of 90 | T48th of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T3rd of 90 | T20th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T4th of 90 | T34th of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | T4th of 90 | T37th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T3rd of 33 | T21st of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | T2nd of 90 | T15th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | T2nd of 90 | T20th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 191 | 3rd of 90 | 22nd of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 15 | 3rd of 90 | 19th of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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)
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 12.67(12th), 76.9% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.63(6th), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 97.34%, Led 9.12% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 3 Stage Wins, 4.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- Finished 11th, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 66 Laps in Top15 (80.49% of laps he ran), had 77.8 Driver Rating (ranked 13th)
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 9.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T9th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 78.96% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 91.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 4 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 12.5% (% ranks 28th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Cole Custer is notable because of his 2023 Xfinity stats thru 22 races
– Custer’s bad luck streak of finishes stopped last week as he came home 6th
– Only 1 of his 15 2023 Ranks above is worse than T4th (2 Top 2’s, ranks T6th)
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 3rd or 4th including his 11.64 Avg. Finish, 100.74 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, 8 Top 5’s, 13 Top 10’s, and 191 Stage Pts
– His 5 Stage Wins thru 22 races is tied for 15th most since 2016 and his 4 Poles are tied for 5th most thru 22 races since 2016
– His 2 straight Poles earlier this year is tied for 10th longest in Xfinity Series history and his 11 straight Top 10’s is tied for 24th longest in Xfinity Series history
– In 6 Road Course races this year he has 2 Wins and 4 Top 10’s with 1 DNF leading to a 12.67 Avg. Finish
– He’s only ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 6 races, but he has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 105.63
– He’s led 9.12% of his laps on Road Courses this year and has gotten 3 Stage Wins with 4.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Watkins Glen last year Custer ran 80.49% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 13th best Driver Rating (77.8), and finished 11th
– In 4 Xfinity races at Watkins Glen he has a 9.0 Avg. Finish with all his finishes coming between 6th and 12th
– In his race here he’s ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 91.9 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1 Stage T10
Outlook for this weekend
Custer’s 2023 stats aren’t what most people were expecting this year, but the good news is that his 2 Wins have come on Road Courses. However, those 2 Wins are his only Top 5’s on Road Courses and last year at Watkins Glen he didn’t even finish in the Top 10. This along with his mediocre Watkins Glen career stats tell me that Custer will be okay this weekend finishing between 6th and 10th.
– Cole Custer is notable because of his 2023 Xfinity stats thru 22 races
– Custer’s bad luck streak of finishes stopped last week as he came home 6th
– Only 1 of his 15 2023 Ranks above is worse than T4th (2 Top 2’s, ranks T6th)
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 3rd or 4th including his 11.64 Avg. Finish, 100.74 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, 8 Top 5’s, 13 Top 10’s, and 191 Stage Pts
– His 5 Stage Wins thru 22 races is tied for 15th most since 2016 and his 4 Poles are tied for 5th most thru 22 races since 2016
– His 2 straight Poles earlier this year is tied for 10th longest in Xfinity Series history and his 11 straight Top 10’s is tied for 24th longest in Xfinity Series history
– In 6 Road Course races this year he has 2 Wins and 4 Top 10’s with 1 DNF leading to a 12.67 Avg. Finish
– He’s only ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 6 races, but he has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating at 105.63
– He’s led 9.12% of his laps on Road Courses this year and has gotten 3 Stage Wins with 4.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Watkins Glen last year Custer ran 80.49% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 13th best Driver Rating (77.8), and finished 11th
– In 4 Xfinity races at Watkins Glen he has a 9.0 Avg. Finish with all his finishes coming between 6th and 12th
– In his race here he’s ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 91.9 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1 Stage T10
Outlook for this weekend
Custer’s 2023 stats aren’t what most people were expecting this year, but the good news is that his 2 Wins have come on Road Courses. However, those 2 Wins are his only Top 5’s on Road Courses and last year at Watkins Glen he didn’t even finish in the Top 10. This along with his mediocre Watkins Glen career stats tell me that Custer will be okay this weekend finishing between 6th and 10th.
4th in Owner Points – Kyle Busch
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.5 | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 88.75% | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 109.3 | – of 33 | – of 274‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T14th of 90 | T88th of 762 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 90 | T74th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T20th of 90 | T139th of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T22nd of 90 | T170th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T18th of 90 | T139th of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T23rd of 90 | T179th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 90 | T113th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | T22nd of 90 | T161st of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T29th of 90 | T229th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T14th of 90 | T84th of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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 (active streak of races he’s run)
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 0 Races
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- did not race
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 11 Races
- 13.73 Avg. Finish (Ranks 21st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 37th
- Completed 86.75% of laps (% ranks 47th)
- 80.31% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 108.02 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 19.72% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 9.09% (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Pole, 9.09% (% ranks 2nd)
- 4 Top 2’s, 36.36% (% ranks 3rd)
- 6 Top 5’s, 54.55% (% ranks 3rd)
- 7 Top 10’s, 63.64% (% ranks T10th)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 36.36% (% ranks 31st)
- 2 DNF’s, 18.18% (% ranks T41st)
- 1 Stage Win, 25.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 3 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kyle Busch is notable because of his stats here at Watkins Glen in his 11 Xfinity races
– Busch’s last Xfinity race came at Phoenix where he started last, ran 84.5% of his laps in the Top 15, and finished 9th
– His 2023 Xfinity stats are a bit disappointing as he has a 6.5 Avg. Finish in his 2 starts with 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s
– In his 2 races he’s ran 88.75% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 109.3 Avg. Driver Rating
– Busch hasn’t raced at a Road Course in either of his 2 Xfinity starts this year and did not race in the 2022 Xfinity Watkins Glen race
– He’s ran 11 Xfinity races here at Watkins Glen getting just 1 Win, 6 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, and a 13.73 Avg. Finish
– In his 11 races here he has the same amount of Top 2’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (4)
– His 108.02 Avg. Driver Rating here and 19.72% of laps led both rank 3rd best among active Xfinity drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Busch has been less than impressive in his 2 Xfinity starts this year and his only other stats are his Watkins Glen career Xfinity stats where he has ran well but hasn’t finished all that well at times. In all I think Busch will be a contender this weekend and up front most the day finishing between 1st and 8th.
– Kyle Busch is notable because of his stats here at Watkins Glen in his 11 Xfinity races
– Busch’s last Xfinity race came at Phoenix where he started last, ran 84.5% of his laps in the Top 15, and finished 9th
– His 2023 Xfinity stats are a bit disappointing as he has a 6.5 Avg. Finish in his 2 starts with 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s
– In his 2 races he’s ran 88.75% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 109.3 Avg. Driver Rating
– Busch hasn’t raced at a Road Course in either of his 2 Xfinity starts this year and did not race in the 2022 Xfinity Watkins Glen race
– He’s ran 11 Xfinity races here at Watkins Glen getting just 1 Win, 6 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, and a 13.73 Avg. Finish
– In his 11 races here he has the same amount of Top 2’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (4)
– His 108.02 Avg. Driver Rating here and 19.72% of laps led both rank 3rd best among active Xfinity drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Busch has been less than impressive in his 2 Xfinity starts this year and his only other stats are his Watkins Glen career Xfinity stats where he has ran well but hasn’t finished all that well at times. In all I think Busch will be a contender this weekend and up front most the day finishing between 1st and 8th.
8th in Owner Points – Ty Gibbs
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.57 | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 83.69% | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 91.28% | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 115.19 | – of 33 | – of 274‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 90 | T39th of 762 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 90 | T74th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T12th of 90 | T74th of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 90 | T76th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T7th of 90 | T56th of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T14th of 90 | T107th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | – of 33 | – of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T4th of 90 | T28th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | 14th of 90 | T99th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T29th of 90 | T229th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T14th of 90 | T84th of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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 in races he’s ran
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes in races he’s ran (active streak)
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 2.67(2nd), 97.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 125.7(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.97% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s in 6 stages
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- Finished 27th, Started 2nd, Led 25 laps (30.49%), Finished 2nd in Stage 2, ran 75 Laps in Top15 (91.46% of laps he ran), had 106.2 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 14.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 22nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 27th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 93.29% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 127.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 41.46% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T24th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T32nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ty Gibbs is notable because of his 2023 Xfinity stats on Road Courses
– Gibbs led the final 17 laps last week and picked up his first NASCAR win this year
– This was his 2nd straight Top 5 finish and his 5th Top 5 in his 7 Xfinity races this year
– In his 7 races this year he has 1 Win, an 8.57 Avg. Finish, 3 Stage Wins, and 10 Stage T10’s
– In the races he’s ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 115.19 Avg. Driver Rating
– 3 of his 7 Xfinity races this year have come on Road Courses where he has a 2.67 Avg. Finish, a win, and a worst finish of only 4th
– In the 3 races he’s ran 97.33% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 15% of his laps, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 125.7
– Last year at Watkins Glen Gibbs was in contention for the win before late contact put him 27th at the finish
– In the race he led 30.49% of the laps, ran 91.46% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 5th best Driver Rating (106.2)
– This was his 2nd start at Watkins Glen
– In his 2 races here he’s finished 1st and 27th while lead 41.46% of his laps, running 93% of his laps in the Top 15, and having a 127.7 Avg. Driver Rating
– His 93.29 Laps in Top 15%, 127.7 Avg. Driver Rating, 41.46 Laps Led%, and 50.0 Win% are all best among active drivers at Watkins Glen
Outlook for this weekend
Gibbs hasn’t been spectacular in his 2023 Xfinity races, but he has been consistent and good. He’s especially been good in his 3 Xfinity Road Course races this year and his 2 Watkins Glen races in his Xfinity career have been amazing. All of this together tells me that if nothing goes wrong then Gibbs will finish in the Top 5 for sure and will have a great shot at back to back wins.
– Ty Gibbs is notable because of his 2023 Xfinity stats on Road Courses
– Gibbs led the final 17 laps last week and picked up his first NASCAR win this year
– This was his 2nd straight Top 5 finish and his 5th Top 5 in his 7 Xfinity races this year
– In his 7 races this year he has 1 Win, an 8.57 Avg. Finish, 3 Stage Wins, and 10 Stage T10’s
– In the races he’s ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 115.19 Avg. Driver Rating
– 3 of his 7 Xfinity races this year have come on Road Courses where he has a 2.67 Avg. Finish, a win, and a worst finish of only 4th
– In the 3 races he’s ran 97.33% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 15% of his laps, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating at 125.7
– Last year at Watkins Glen Gibbs was in contention for the win before late contact put him 27th at the finish
– In the race he led 30.49% of the laps, ran 91.46% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 5th best Driver Rating (106.2)
– This was his 2nd start at Watkins Glen
– In his 2 races here he’s finished 1st and 27th while lead 41.46% of his laps, running 93% of his laps in the Top 15, and having a 127.7 Avg. Driver Rating
– His 93.29 Laps in Top 15%, 127.7 Avg. Driver Rating, 41.46 Laps Led%, and 50.0 Win% are all best among active drivers at Watkins Glen
Outlook for this weekend
Gibbs hasn’t been spectacular in his 2023 Xfinity races, but he has been consistent and good. He’s especially been good in his 3 Xfinity Road Course races this year and his 2 Watkins Glen races in his Xfinity career have been amazing. All of this together tells me that if nothing goes wrong then Gibbs will finish in the Top 5 for sure and will have a great shot at back to back wins.
11th in Points – Parker Kligerman
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.36 | 8th of 33 | 75th of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 89.46% | 27th of 33 | 192nd of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 60.47% | 13th of 33 | 108th of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.88 | 12th of 33 | 96th of 274‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T14th of 90 | T88th of 762 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 90 | T74th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T12th of 90 | T74th of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 90 | T76th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T10th of 90 | T71st of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | T7th of 90 | T58th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T8th of 33 | T48th of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T12th of 90 | T66th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | T12th of 90 | T70th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 69 | 13th of 90 | T75th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T12th of 90 | T64th of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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 (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 11.33(9th), 83.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.47(14th), Best 2nd, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.3% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- did not race
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 6.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 6th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 93.9% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 103.6 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 8.54% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 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
- 0 Stage T10’s
Main Points & Outlook
– Parker Kligerman is notable because of his stats at Watkins Glen in his 1 Xfinity start
– At the Indy Road Course Kligerman finished in the Top 10 for the 4th straight race, coming home 7th
– His 4 straight Top 10 finishes are tied for the longest active such streak in the Xfinity Series
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T12th or better including his 14.36 Avg. Finish, 82.88 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Top 3’s, 11 Top 10’s, and 18 Stage T10’s
– His best 2023 Ranks above are his 11 Top 10’s, 14.36 Avg. Finish, and 1 DNF
– In the 6 Road Course races this year he has 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, and the 9th best Avg. Finish at 11.33
– In the 6 races he’s ran 83% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 90.47 Avg. Driver Rating, and 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Kligerman did not race in the 2022 Xfinity race at Watkins Glen
– His only Xfinity Watkins Glen start came back in 2013
– In that race he finished 6th, ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, had a 103.6 Driver Rating, and led 8.54% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Kligerman has been impressive this year as he has a shot to make the playoffs over so big names and big teams. Part of the reason for his success is how he’s performed on Road Courses this year, which has been quite impressive. However, he’s not ran at Watkins Glen since 2013 but at least he was good in that race. This weekend I see another potential Top 10 on a Road Course for Kligerman as he finishes between 4th and 12th.
– Parker Kligerman is notable because of his stats at Watkins Glen in his 1 Xfinity start
– At the Indy Road Course Kligerman finished in the Top 10 for the 4th straight race, coming home 7th
– His 4 straight Top 10 finishes are tied for the longest active such streak in the Xfinity Series
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T12th or better including his 14.36 Avg. Finish, 82.88 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Top 3’s, 11 Top 10’s, and 18 Stage T10’s
– His best 2023 Ranks above are his 11 Top 10’s, 14.36 Avg. Finish, and 1 DNF
– In the 6 Road Course races this year he has 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, and the 9th best Avg. Finish at 11.33
– In the 6 races he’s ran 83% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 90.47 Avg. Driver Rating, and 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Kligerman did not race in the 2022 Xfinity race at Watkins Glen
– His only Xfinity Watkins Glen start came back in 2013
– In that race he finished 6th, ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, had a 103.6 Driver Rating, and led 8.54% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Kligerman has been impressive this year as he has a shot to make the playoffs over so big names and big teams. Part of the reason for his success is how he’s performed on Road Courses this year, which has been quite impressive. However, he’s not ran at Watkins Glen since 2013 but at least he was good in that race. This weekend I see another potential Top 10 on a Road Course for Kligerman as he finishes between 4th and 12th.
12th in Points – Sammy Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 22 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.14 | 13th of 33 | 98th of 274 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 90.01% | 25th of 33 | 180th of 274 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 62.26% | 12th of 33 | 103rd of 274 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 85.15 | 11th of 33 | 87th of 274‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T5th of 90 | T39th of 762 |
| Poles | 0 | T10th of 90 | T74th of 762 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T6th of 90 | T48th of 762 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 90 | T76th of 762 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T10th of 90 | T71st of 762 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T9th of 90 | T64th of 762 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T24th of 33 | T158th of 274 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T12th of 90 | T66th of 654* |
| Stage T10s | 22 | T10th of 90 | T57th of 654* |
| Stage Pts | 102 | 11th of 90 | 57th of 654* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T7th of 90 | T33rd of 654* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 22 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
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 61 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(21st), 61.77% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.0(16th), Best 4th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 96.75%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Watkins Glen Statistics
- 2022 Watkins Glen race
- Finished 3rd, Started 19th, Led 6 laps (7.32%), Finished 1st in Stage 1, ran 58 Laps in Top15 (70.73% of laps he ran), had 105.9 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Watkins Glen Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Watkins Glen, 61 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 3.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 3rd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 70.73% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 20th)
- 105.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 7.32% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Sammy Smith is notable because of his stats from last years Watkins Glen race
– Smith got damage to his car early in the race last week which caused him to run only run 19 laps in the Top 15 and finish 28th
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T12th or better including his 85.15 Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s, 10 Top 10’s, 1 Stage Win, and 102 Stage Pts
– He has as many DNF’s this year as he has Top 5 finishes (4)
– His only Top 10 streak longer than 1 race in his Xfinity Series career came earlier this year and was 4 races
– His 6 Road Course races this year have produced an 18.0 Avg. Finish and just 1 Top 5
– He has the same amount of Top 10’s on Road Courses as he has finishes out of the Top 20 (3)
– In the 6 races he’s ran only 62% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 0 laps, and has only gotten 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Watkins Glen Smith ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, led 6 laps, won Stage 1, had the 6th best Driver Rating (105.9), and finished 3rd
– This is his only Xfinity start here at Watkins Glen
Outlook for this weekend
It’s a good thing Smith has 1 Win this year or else he would be outside the playoffs at the moment, that’s how unimpressive his 2023 season has been. Even worse are his Road Course stats this year as he hasn’t ran well or finished well in the 6 races. The only bit of good news is that he ran well last year in his only Xfinity start here at Watkins Glen. That was last year though and with the way this year has gone I see Smith finishing between 9th and 20th this weekend.
– Sammy Smith is notable because of his stats from last years Watkins Glen race
– Smith got damage to his car early in the race last week which caused him to run only run 19 laps in the Top 15 and finish 28th
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T12th or better including his 85.15 Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s, 10 Top 10’s, 1 Stage Win, and 102 Stage Pts
– He has as many DNF’s this year as he has Top 5 finishes (4)
– His only Top 10 streak longer than 1 race in his Xfinity Series career came earlier this year and was 4 races
– His 6 Road Course races this year have produced an 18.0 Avg. Finish and just 1 Top 5
– He has the same amount of Top 10’s on Road Courses as he has finishes out of the Top 20 (3)
– In the 6 races he’s ran only 62% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 0 laps, and has only gotten 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Watkins Glen Smith ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, led 6 laps, won Stage 1, had the 6th best Driver Rating (105.9), and finished 3rd
– This is his only Xfinity start here at Watkins Glen
Outlook for this weekend
It’s a good thing Smith has 1 Win this year or else he would be outside the playoffs at the moment, that’s how unimpressive his 2023 season has been. Even worse are his Road Course stats this year as he hasn’t ran well or finished well in the 6 races. The only bit of good news is that he ran well last year in his only Xfinity start here at Watkins Glen. That was last year though and with the way this year has gone I see Smith finishing between 9th and 20th this weekend.
