Once again we saw Toyota dominate at Kansas, and yet again we saw the number 45 in victory lane at Kansas. This time it was Tyler Reddick who won and clinched his spot into the Round of 12. This week we head to The Last Great Colosseum, Bristol, where 4 drivers/owners will be eliminated from championship contention. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 3 based on the playoff bubble, 1 based on 2023 stats, 1 based on Short track stats, 1 based on the last Bristol race, and 2 based on their overall Bristol stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 28 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight the 2023 Playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Bristol statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st in Points – Kyle Larson (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.07 | 12th of 35 | T217th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.82% | 26th of 35 | 351st of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.17% | 6th of 35 | 148th of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 93.8 | 4th of 35 | 131st of 770‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T49th of 1363 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 63 | T53rd of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T3rd of 63 | T60th of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T4th of 63 | T88th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 12 | 1st of 63 | T28th of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T3rd of 63 | T125th of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 6 | T33rd of 35 | T687th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T6th of 63 | T32nd of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 33 | T4th of 63 | T35th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 200 | 5th of 63 | 35th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 19 | 3rd of 63 | 20th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 2.5(2nd), 91.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 123.85(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 24.25% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3 Stage T10’s, 6.75 Stage Pts Per Stage, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(T3rd), 71.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 102.67(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.25% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 5th, Started 5th, Led 34 laps (6.8%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 495 Laps in Top15 (99.0% of laps he ran), had 117.4 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 14 Races
- 12.79 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 41st
- Completed 97.32% of laps (% ranks 15th)
- 77.38% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 103.45 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 12.45% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Win, 7.14% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 Pole, 7.14% (% ranks 5th)
- 3 Top 2’s, 21.43% (% ranks T2nd)
- 4 Top 5’s, 28.57% (% ranks 6th)
- 9 Top 10’s, 64.29% (% ranks 1st)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 21.43% (% ranks 8th)
- 1 DNF, 7.14% (% ranks 16th)
- 3 Stage Wins, 18.75% (% ranks 1st)
- 13 Stage T10’s, 81.25% (% ranks 1st)
- 5.56 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his incredible career Bristol statistics
– Last week, at Kansas, Larson had a good car leading 37% of the race, but he only ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 4th
– He is on a 2 race Top 5 finish streak
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T6th or better including his 93.8 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Poles, 6 Top 3’s, 12 Top 5’s, and 200 Stage Pts
– Only 2 of his 14 Top 10 finishes have been between 6th and 10th this year
– In the 2 playoff races he’s ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15, led 24% of his laps, and has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (123.85)
– He has 1 Win and the 2nd best Avg. Finish (2.5) in the 2 races
– He has 2 Wins in the 3 Short track races this year and a 7.0 Avg. Finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran just 71% of his laps in the Top 15 and only 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, but has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (102.67)
– At Bristol last year Larson ran all but 5 laps in the Top 15, led 6.8% of the laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (117.4), and finished 5th
– In his 14 career Cup starts at Bristol he has 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s, a 12.79 Avg. Finish, and has ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15
– His 103.45 Avg. Driver Rating, 64.29 Top 10%, 18.75 Stage Win%, 81.25 Stage T10%, and 5.56 Stage Pts Per Stage at Bristol are the best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Larson had a fast car last week, but issues plagued him again and kept him from a win. This is the story of his 2023 stats above, but the playoffs overall have been a different story as he’s both ran and finished well. At Short tracks this year he’s either been on fire or cold as ice, but luckily for him we are heading to Bristol where his stats have been mostly fire. All of these good stats above lead me to believe Larson ends up 1st-5th this weekend.
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his incredible career Bristol statistics
– Last week, at Kansas, Larson had a good car leading 37% of the race, but he only ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 4th
– He is on a 2 race Top 5 finish streak
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T6th or better including his 93.8 Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Poles, 6 Top 3’s, 12 Top 5’s, and 200 Stage Pts
– Only 2 of his 14 Top 10 finishes have been between 6th and 10th this year
– In the 2 playoff races he’s ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15, led 24% of his laps, and has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (123.85)
– He has 1 Win and the 2nd best Avg. Finish (2.5) in the 2 races
– He has 2 Wins in the 3 Short track races this year and a 7.0 Avg. Finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran just 71% of his laps in the Top 15 and only 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, but has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (102.67)
– At Bristol last year Larson ran all but 5 laps in the Top 15, led 6.8% of the laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (117.4), and finished 5th
– In his 14 career Cup starts at Bristol he has 1 Win, 4 Top 5’s, a 12.79 Avg. Finish, and has ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15
– His 103.45 Avg. Driver Rating, 64.29 Top 10%, 18.75 Stage Win%, 81.25 Stage T10%, and 5.56 Stage Pts Per Stage at Bristol are the best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Larson had a fast car last week, but issues plagued him again and kept him from a win. This is the story of his 2023 stats above, but the playoffs overall have been a different story as he’s both ran and finished well. At Short tracks this year he’s either been on fire or cold as ice, but luckily for him we are heading to Bristol where his stats have been mostly fire. All of these good stats above lead me to believe Larson ends up 1st-5th this weekend.
8th in Points/9th in Owner Points – Ross Chastain (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.89 | 11th of 35 | T208th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.97% | 3rd of 35 | T72nd of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 57.17% | 16th of 35 | 251st of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.63 | 10th of 35 | 259th of 770‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 63 | T133rd of 1363 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 63 | T114th of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 63 | T162nd of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T9th of 63 | T148th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T8th of 63 | T153rd of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | 14th of 63 | T257th of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T4th of 35 | T169th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | T4th of 63 | T18th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 25 | 9th of 63 | T74th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 157 | 7th of 63 | 61st of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 10 | 8th of 63 | T44th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(T7th), 45.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.55(15th), Best 5th, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 1.75 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.33(T13th), 52.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 79.97(18th), Best 3rd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 3.92% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 6th, Started 12th, Led 0 laps, Finished 2nd in Stage 2, ran 406 Laps in Top15 (81.2% of laps he ran), had 89.5 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 6 Races
- 23.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 28th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 39th
- Completed 82.53% of laps (% ranks 36th)
- 17.93% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 27th)
- 53.13 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 29th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 16.67% (% ranks 22nd)
- 2 Top 15’s, 33.33% (% ranks T22nd)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 66.67% (% ranks 32nd)
- 1 DNF, 16.67% (% ranks T29th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 8.33% (% ranks 25th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ross Chastain is notable because he’s only 11 points above the owner points cutline
– Chastain had a fast car last week but got mired in the back mid-race which caused him to run just 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and finish 13th
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better including his 98.98 Completed Laps%, 2 DNF’s, 7 Top 5’s, and 5 Stage Wins
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is just 2 races
– 20% of his Stage T10’s this year have been Stage Wins
– In the two 2023 playoff races he’s ran just 45.51% of his laps in the Top 15, has just 1 Stage T10, and has the 15th best Avg. Driver Rating (77.55)
– His 9.0 Avg. Finish in the 2 races is tied for 7th best and his worst finish is only 13th
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran a dismal 52% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just a 79.97 Avg. Driver Rating
– In the 3 races he has a 13.33 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10 and 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Chastain ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 last year at Bristol en route to the 9th best Driver Rating (89.5) and a 6th place finish
– He’s ran 6 races at Bristol in the Cup Series, but 4 of those have been in an underfunded car
– In the 6 races he has 1 Top 10, a 23.33 Avg. Finish, 4 finishes out of the Top 20, and a 53.13 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Chastain had struggled coming into the playoffs and his runs in the playoffs haven’t been great, but his finishes this round have him in a good spot to move on in the owner and driver playoff. His 2023 stats as a whole show his struggles and his struggles on Short tracks is a bit concerning heading to Bristol. His career Bristol stats aren’t much better, but they are a bit unreliable. In all this weekend I see Chastain coming home between 9th and 17th.
– Ross Chastain is notable because he’s only 11 points above the owner points cutline
– Chastain had a fast car last week but got mired in the back mid-race which caused him to run just 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and finish 13th
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better including his 98.98 Completed Laps%, 2 DNF’s, 7 Top 5’s, and 5 Stage Wins
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is just 2 races
– 20% of his Stage T10’s this year have been Stage Wins
– In the two 2023 playoff races he’s ran just 45.51% of his laps in the Top 15, has just 1 Stage T10, and has the 15th best Avg. Driver Rating (77.55)
– His 9.0 Avg. Finish in the 2 races is tied for 7th best and his worst finish is only 13th
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran a dismal 52% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just a 79.97 Avg. Driver Rating
– In the 3 races he has a 13.33 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10 and 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Chastain ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 last year at Bristol en route to the 9th best Driver Rating (89.5) and a 6th place finish
– He’s ran 6 races at Bristol in the Cup Series, but 4 of those have been in an underfunded car
– In the 6 races he has 1 Top 10, a 23.33 Avg. Finish, 4 finishes out of the Top 20, and a 53.13 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Chastain had struggled coming into the playoffs and his runs in the playoffs haven’t been great, but his finishes this round have him in a good spot to move on in the owner and driver playoff. His 2023 stats as a whole show his struggles and his struggles on Short tracks is a bit concerning heading to Bristol. His career Bristol stats aren’t much better, but they are a bit unreliable. In all this weekend I see Chastain coming home between 9th and 17th.
9th in Points/10th in Owner Points – Chris Buescher (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.43 | T1st of 35 | T84th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.91% | 4th of 35 | T77th of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 58.42% | 15th of 35 | 239th of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 83.46 | 9th of 35 | 252nd of 770‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T49th of 1363 |
| Poles | 0 | T15th of 63 | T250th of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T8th of 63 | T120th of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 8th of 63 | T112th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T8th of 63 | T153rd of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | T7th of 63 | T167th of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T2nd of 35 | T59th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T13th of 63 | T82nd of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 16 | T16th of 63 | T108th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 76 | T18th of 63 | T112th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 16 | 6th of 63 | T26th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T12th), 93.23% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.55(11th), Best 3rd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.84%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- 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 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(18th), 43.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.63(15th), Best 1st, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.83%, Led 7.35% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 1st, Started 20th, Led 169 laps (33.8%), Finished 7th in Stage 1, ran 449 Laps in Top15 (89.8% of laps he ran), had 133.3 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 13 Races
- 20.46 Avg. Finish (Ranks 24th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 86.88% of laps (% ranks 28th)
- 31.66% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 24th)
- 64.4 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 23rd)
- Led 2.99% of laps he’s run (% ranks 12th)
- 1 Win, 7.69% (% ranks T3rd)
- 2 Top 5’s, 15.38% (% ranks T15th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 23.08% (% ranks 27th)
- 8 finishes outside Top 20, 61.54% (% ranks 31st)
- 2 DNF’s, 15.38% (% ranks T26th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 15.0% (% ranks 22nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chris Buescher is notable because of his race last year at Bristol and because he’s just 13 points above the driver cutline and 6 points above the owner cutline
– Buescher ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 last week before cutting down a tire with 5 laps to go causing him to finish 27th
– This broke his 3 race Top 10 streak, the longest Top 10 streak of the season for him
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 9th or better including his 83.46 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Wins, and his Series leading 12.43 Avg. Finish
– All 3 of his stage stats above (1 Stage Win, 16 Stage T10’s, 76 Stage Pts) are T13th or worse in the 2023 Ranks above
– In the 2 playoff races he’s ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 89.55 Avg. Driver Rating
– He’s finished 3rd and 27th in the 2 races, but has gotten just 4 Stage Pts in the 4 playoff stages
– At Short tracks this year Buescher has 1 Win, but also just 1 Top 10 with a 15.0 Avg. Finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran only 43% of his laps in the Top 15, has just an 81.63 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Bristol Buescher led 169 laps, ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (133.3), and got RFK Racing their first win
– He’s ran 13 career Cup races at Bristol and has a 20.46 Avg. Finish with more finishes out of the Top 20 (8) than finishes in the Top 15 (3)
– In his 13 races here he’s ran only 32% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just 3 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
After an unfortunate Kansas race Buescher finds himself too close to the cutlines for comfort. His 2023 stats show he deserves a spot in the Round of 12, but both overall in the 2023 season and playoffs he’s struggled in stages. Another place he’s struggled is Short tracks where he has a Win but other than that his stats aren’t great. The same can be said about his Bristol stats as well, but his win here was just last year. Based on the stats I see Buescher finishing 8th-15th this weekend fighting to move on to the Round of 12.
– Chris Buescher is notable because of his race last year at Bristol and because he’s just 13 points above the driver cutline and 6 points above the owner cutline
– Buescher ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15 last week before cutting down a tire with 5 laps to go causing him to finish 27th
– This broke his 3 race Top 10 streak, the longest Top 10 streak of the season for him
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 9th or better including his 83.46 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Wins, and his Series leading 12.43 Avg. Finish
– All 3 of his stage stats above (1 Stage Win, 16 Stage T10’s, 76 Stage Pts) are T13th or worse in the 2023 Ranks above
– In the 2 playoff races he’s ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 89.55 Avg. Driver Rating
– He’s finished 3rd and 27th in the 2 races, but has gotten just 4 Stage Pts in the 4 playoff stages
– At Short tracks this year Buescher has 1 Win, but also just 1 Top 10 with a 15.0 Avg. Finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran only 43% of his laps in the Top 15, has just an 81.63 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Bristol Buescher led 169 laps, ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (133.3), and got RFK Racing their first win
– He’s ran 13 career Cup races at Bristol and has a 20.46 Avg. Finish with more finishes out of the Top 20 (8) than finishes in the Top 15 (3)
– In his 13 races here he’s ran only 32% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just 3 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
After an unfortunate Kansas race Buescher finds himself too close to the cutlines for comfort. His 2023 stats show he deserves a spot in the Round of 12, but both overall in the 2023 season and playoffs he’s struggled in stages. Another place he’s struggled is Short tracks where he has a Win but other than that his stats aren’t great. The same can be said about his Bristol stats as well, but his win here was just last year. Based on the stats I see Buescher finishing 8th-15th this weekend fighting to move on to the Round of 12.
10th in Points/11th in Owner Points – Christopher Bell (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.71 | 7th of 35 | T150th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.69% | 19th of 35 | T281st of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 67.98% | 8th of 35 | 172nd of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.69 | 6th of 35 | 180th of 770‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 63 | T133rd of 1363 |
| Poles | 4 | T1st of 63 | T14th of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T13th of 63 | T233rd of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T9th of 63 | T148th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T11th of 63 | T186th of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T3rd of 63 | T125th of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T14th of 35 | T327th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 63 | T65th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | 2nd of 63 | T25th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 172 | 6th of 63 | 57th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T11th of 63 | T63rd of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 15.5(T14th), 62.36% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.3(12th), Best 8th, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 99.84%, Led 8.68% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (active streak, longest streak in Cup Series this year and tied 42nd longest streak in Cup Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.33(T13th), 47.71% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.4(16th), Best 4th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 2.17% 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, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 4th, Started 8th, Led 143 laps (28.6%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 476 Laps in Top15 (95.2% of laps he ran), had 131.0 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 17.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 17th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 29th
- Completed 99.0% of laps (% ranks 9th)
- 74.29% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 91.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 7.27% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T24th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 4th)
- 5 Stage T10’s, 62.5% (% ranks T4th)
- 3.88 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Christopher Bell is notable because he’s 13 points above the driver points cutline and just 6 points above the owner points cutline
– Bell won the Pole at Kansas last week then ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 8th
– He is the first driver this year to win back-to-back Poles
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T10th or better including his 13.71 Avg. Finish, 67.98 Laps in Top 15%, 14 Top 10’s, and 35 Stage T10’s
– His 4 Poles this year are tied for most this year and tied for 14th most thru 28 races since 2004
– In the 2 playoff races he’s ran only 62% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just the 12th best Avg. Driver Rating (85.3)
– He’s finished 8th and 23rd in the 2 playoff races with 2 Poles and has led 9% of the laps he’s ran
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran only 48% of his laps in the Top 15, has just an 80.4 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten only 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 3 Short track races he has 1 Top 15 finish and a 13.33 Avg. Finish overall
– At Bristol last year Bell led 143 laps, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (131.0), and finished 4th
– This was his first Top 5 in 4 career Cup races at Bristol and he actually has the same amount of finishes out of the Top 20 here as he does in the Top 10 (2)
– In his 4 races he has 1 Stage Win, has ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, an impressive 91.5 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 7% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Bell’s 2023 Ranks above show he deserves a spot in the Round of 12, but just barely. His playoffs have been a bit underwhelming considering he’s been on the Pole for both and his Short track stats above continue the disappointing stats for him. The good news for Bell is that he has a bit of a points cushion and his Bristol stats aren’t terrible. In all I see Bell making the Round of 12 this weekend after finishing between 8th and 15th.
– Christopher Bell is notable because he’s 13 points above the driver points cutline and just 6 points above the owner points cutline
– Bell won the Pole at Kansas last week then ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 8th
– He is the first driver this year to win back-to-back Poles
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T10th or better including his 13.71 Avg. Finish, 67.98 Laps in Top 15%, 14 Top 10’s, and 35 Stage T10’s
– His 4 Poles this year are tied for most this year and tied for 14th most thru 28 races since 2004
– In the 2 playoff races he’s ran only 62% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just the 12th best Avg. Driver Rating (85.3)
– He’s finished 8th and 23rd in the 2 playoff races with 2 Poles and has led 9% of the laps he’s ran
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran only 48% of his laps in the Top 15, has just an 80.4 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten only 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 3 Short track races he has 1 Top 15 finish and a 13.33 Avg. Finish overall
– At Bristol last year Bell led 143 laps, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (131.0), and finished 4th
– This was his first Top 5 in 4 career Cup races at Bristol and he actually has the same amount of finishes out of the Top 20 here as he does in the Top 10 (2)
– In his 4 races he has 1 Stage Win, has ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, an impressive 91.5 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 7% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Bell’s 2023 Ranks above show he deserves a spot in the Round of 12, but just barely. His playoffs have been a bit underwhelming considering he’s been on the Pole for both and his Short track stats above continue the disappointing stats for him. The good news for Bell is that he has a bit of a points cushion and his Bristol stats aren’t terrible. In all I see Bell making the Round of 12 this weekend after finishing between 8th and 15th.
11th in Points/12th in Owner Points – Joey Logano (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.68 | 10th of 35 | T192nd of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.47% | 29th of 35 | 461st of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 60.06% | 13th of 35 | 230th of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 81.51 | 13th of 35 | T274th of 770‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 63 | T133rd of 1363 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 63 | T53rd of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | 7th of 63 | T87th of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T4th of 63 | T88th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T4th of 63 | T90th of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T3rd of 63 | T125th of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T24th of 35 | T470th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T8th of 63 | T43rd of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 21 | 12th of 63 | T93rd of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 125 | 11th of 63 | T76th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | T9th of 63 | T51st of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 8.5(6th), 62.05% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.55(13th), Best 5th, Worst 12th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.33(2nd), 59.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.1(13th), Best 2nd, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.08% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 27th (suspension), Started 15th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 191 Laps in Top15 (43.71% of laps he ran), had 61.7 Driver Rating (ranked 18th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 26 Races
- 15.42 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 40th
- Completed 98.69% of laps (% ranks 12th)
- 61.94% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 90.51 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 5.96% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 2 Wins, 7.69% (% ranks T3rd)
- 3 Top 3’s, 11.54% (% ranks 10th)
- 6 Top 5’s, 23.08% (% ranks 12th)
- 10 Top 10’s, 38.46% (% ranks T10th)
- 7 finishes outside Top 20, 26.92% (% ranks 13th)
- 2 DNF’s, 7.69% (% ranks 17th)
- 2 Stage Wins, 10.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 11 Stage T10’s, 55.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Joey Logano is notable because he’s only 12 points above the driver points cutline and only 5 points above the owner points cutline
– Last week Logano ran just 76% of his laps in the Top 15, but used pit strategy late to finish 5th
– This was his 2nd Top 5 in the last 3 races
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better including his 1 Win, 6 Top 3’s, 14 Top 10’s, and 3 Stage Wins
– He has more DNF’s (4) than Stage Wins (3) this year
– In the 2 playoff races he has an 8.5 Avg. Finish with a worst finish of only 12th
– He’s ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 races, led 0 laps, and only has 3 Stage Pts
– He is the only driver to finish in the Top 10 in all 3 Short track races this year, and he has 2 Top 5’s as well
– In the 3 races he’s ran just 59% of his laps in the Top 15 and has only 1.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Bristol Logano DNF’d to a 27th place finish after running only 44% of his laps in the Top 15 and getting 0 Stage T10’s
– This was only his 2nd DNF in 26 career Bristol Cup races
– In the 26 races he has 2 Wins and a 15.42 Avg. Finish, but he has more finishes out of the Top 20 (7) than in the Top 5 (6)
Outlook for this weekend
Logano has struggled this year and his 2023 stats above show that, but he still has a good shot at the Round of 12 thanks to yet another good strategy finish. His playoffs have been decent and his Short tracks this have been not good, unless you look at his finishes only. Last year at Bristol is another stat above that’s not good for Logano, but overall at Bristol he’s been decent. This weekend I think he could miss the Round of 12 as he finishes 9th-17th.
– Joey Logano is notable because he’s only 12 points above the driver points cutline and only 5 points above the owner points cutline
– Last week Logano ran just 76% of his laps in the Top 15, but used pit strategy late to finish 5th
– This was his 2nd Top 5 in the last 3 races
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better including his 1 Win, 6 Top 3’s, 14 Top 10’s, and 3 Stage Wins
– He has more DNF’s (4) than Stage Wins (3) this year
– In the 2 playoff races he has an 8.5 Avg. Finish with a worst finish of only 12th
– He’s ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 races, led 0 laps, and only has 3 Stage Pts
– He is the only driver to finish in the Top 10 in all 3 Short track races this year, and he has 2 Top 5’s as well
– In the 3 races he’s ran just 59% of his laps in the Top 15 and has only 1.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Bristol Logano DNF’d to a 27th place finish after running only 44% of his laps in the Top 15 and getting 0 Stage T10’s
– This was only his 2nd DNF in 26 career Bristol Cup races
– In the 26 races he has 2 Wins and a 15.42 Avg. Finish, but he has more finishes out of the Top 20 (7) than in the Top 5 (6)
Outlook for this weekend
Logano has struggled this year and his 2023 stats above show that, but he still has a good shot at the Round of 12 thanks to yet another good strategy finish. His playoffs have been decent and his Short tracks this have been not good, unless you look at his finishes only. Last year at Bristol is another stat above that’s not good for Logano, but overall at Bristol he’s been decent. This weekend I think he could miss the Round of 12 as he finishes 9th-17th.
12th in Points/13th in Owner Points – Kevin Harvick (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.86 | 9th of 35 | T157th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.88% | 5th of 35 | 79th of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.96% | 4th of 35 | 138th of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.51 | 11th of 35 | 263rd of 770‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T15th of 63 | T262nd of 1363 |
| Poles | 0 | T15th of 63 | T250th of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T13th of 63 | T233rd of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T16th of 63 | T309th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T11th of 63 | T186th of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T12th of 63 | T203rd of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T2nd of 35 | T59th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T13th of 63 | T82nd of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 27 | 8th of 63 | T66th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 135 | 10th of 63 | 71st of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T16th of 63 | T107th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T12th), 80.63% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 94.1(8th), Best 11th, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.16% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.67(9th), 93.58% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.3(3rd), Best 5th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.67% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 10th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 2, ran 485 Laps in Top15 (97.0% of laps he ran), had 104.6 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 42 Races
- 13.1 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 97.02% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 72.69% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 97.79 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 5.93% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 3 Wins, 7.14% (% ranks T5th)
- 9 Top 2’s, 21.43% (% ranks T2nd)
- 14 Top 5’s, 33.33% (% ranks T4th)
- 22 Top 10’s, 52.38% (% ranks 4th)
- 31 Top 15’s, 73.81% (% ranks 2nd)
- 10 finishes outside Top 20, 23.81% (% ranks 10th)
- 4 DNF’s, 9.52% (% ranks 19th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 12 Stage T10’s, 60.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kevin Harvick is notable because of his 2023 Short track stats and the fact he’s above the driver cutline by 7 points and below the owner cutline by 5 points
– Harvick ran only 75% of his laps in the Top 15 at Kansas and ended up with an 11th place finish
– 4 of his last 5 finishes have been out of the Top 10
– Only 6 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better (13.86 Avg. Finish, 98.88 Completed Laps%, 70.96 Laps in Top 15%, 1 DNF, 27 Stage T10’s, and 135 Stage Pts)
– In the 2 playoff races he’s finished 11th and 19th, but he’s earned 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2 races he’s ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (94.1), and 3 Stage T10’s
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (99.3), and has gotten 5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He has 2 Top 10’s in the 3 Short track races this year with a best finish of 5th and an Avg. Finish of 11.67
– At Bristol last year Harvick ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 5th best Driver Rating (104.6), got just 1 Stage Pt, and finished 10th
– He’s ran 42 career Cup races here at Bristol and has the 3rd best active Avg. Finish here at 13.1
– In the 42 races he has 3 Wins, 9 Top 2’s, 31 Top 15’s, and more Top 5 finishes (14) than finishes out of the Top 20 (10)
– He’s ran 73% of his laps (since 2005) in the Top 15 here, has a 97.79 Avg. Driver Rating in those races, and has 12 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Harvick hasn’t had the last season he’s wanted but his playoffs have been decent enough to have him above the driver cutline. However the 4 car is still below the cutline, but heading to a Short track is a good thing as he’s performed very well at them this year. What’s also good is that this weekend is Bristol where Harvick has been great in his career. All of these stats tell me Harvick will be good this weekend, make the Round of 12 (for both), and finish somewhere in the Top 10.
– Kevin Harvick is notable because of his 2023 Short track stats and the fact he’s above the driver cutline by 7 points and below the owner cutline by 5 points
– Harvick ran only 75% of his laps in the Top 15 at Kansas and ended up with an 11th place finish
– 4 of his last 5 finishes have been out of the Top 10
– Only 6 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better (13.86 Avg. Finish, 98.88 Completed Laps%, 70.96 Laps in Top 15%, 1 DNF, 27 Stage T10’s, and 135 Stage Pts)
– In the 2 playoff races he’s finished 11th and 19th, but he’s earned 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2 races he’s ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (94.1), and 3 Stage T10’s
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (99.3), and has gotten 5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He has 2 Top 10’s in the 3 Short track races this year with a best finish of 5th and an Avg. Finish of 11.67
– At Bristol last year Harvick ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 5th best Driver Rating (104.6), got just 1 Stage Pt, and finished 10th
– He’s ran 42 career Cup races here at Bristol and has the 3rd best active Avg. Finish here at 13.1
– In the 42 races he has 3 Wins, 9 Top 2’s, 31 Top 15’s, and more Top 5 finishes (14) than finishes out of the Top 20 (10)
– He’s ran 73% of his laps (since 2005) in the Top 15 here, has a 97.79 Avg. Driver Rating in those races, and has 12 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Harvick hasn’t had the last season he’s wanted but his playoffs have been decent enough to have him above the driver cutline. However the 4 car is still below the cutline, but heading to a Short track is a good thing as he’s performed very well at them this year. What’s also good is that this weekend is Bristol where Harvick has been great in his career. All of these stats tell me Harvick will be good this weekend, make the Round of 12 (for both), and finish somewhere in the Top 10.
13th in Points/14th in Owner Points – Martin Truex Jr. (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.5 | 3rd of 35 | 90th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.91% | 24th of 35 | T338th of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.86% | 5th of 35 | 142nd of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.35 | 3rd of 35 | 115th of 770‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T49th of 1363 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 63 | T114th of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T3rd of 63 | T60th of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T1st of 63 | T33rd of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T4th of 63 | T90th of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T1st of 63 | T93rd of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T4th of 35 | T169th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | 3rd of 63 | T15th of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 34 | 3rd of 63 | T29th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 203 | 4th of 63 | T32nd of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 21 | 2nd of 63 | 17th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 27.0(T30th), 9.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 41.35(31st), Best 18th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 58.27%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- 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)
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(T3rd), 70.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.17(9th), Best 3rd, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 6.17% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 36th (steering), Started 22nd, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 72 Laps in Top15 (36.36% of laps he ran), had 43.4 Driver Rating (ranked 30th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 32 Races
- 20.78 Avg. Finish (Ranks 26th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 38th
- Completed 95.43% of laps (% ranks 19th)
- 56.4% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 14th)
- 82.08 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 1.88% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 3.13% (% ranks 12th)
- 2 Top 5’s, 6.25% (% ranks T18th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 12.5% (% ranks T24th)
- 11 Top 15’s, 34.38% (% ranks 21st)
- 15 finishes outside Top 20, 46.88% (% ranks 23rd)
- 5 DNF’s, 15.63% (% ranks 28th)
- 1 Stage Win, 5.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 8 Stage T10’s, 40.0% (% ranks 14th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his 2023 stats and the fact he is 7 points below the driver points cutline and 12 points below the owner points cutline
– Truex had a blown tire on lap 3 last week causing him to DNF for only the 2nd time this season and finish 36th (last)
– He has now finished 3 straight races out of the Top 15
– 13 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 5th or better including his 12.5 Avg. Finish, 95.35 Avg. Driver Rating, 8 Top 3’s, 6 Stage Wins, and 203 Stage Pts
– After last week his Completed Laps% dropped from 99.77% (1st best) to 95.91% (24th best)
– He has ran only 9% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 playoff races and has the 31st best Avg. Driver Rating (41.35)
– His best finish in the 2 races is 18th, he’s led 0 laps, and he has 0 Stage T10’s
– At the 3 Short tracks this year he has a 7.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s, but only 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 3 races he’s ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 88.17 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 6% of his laps
– Truex finished 36th (last) at Bristol last year, ran only 36% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 30th best Driver Rating (43.4)
– In 32 Cup races at Bristol he has more DNF’s (5) than Top 10 finishes (4) and a terrible 20.78 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran 56% of his laps here in the Top 15, has an 82.08 Avg. Driver Rating, and he only has 8 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Truex deserves to be in contention for the championship, but 2 unfortunate races have him begging to make the Round of 12. His 2023 stats are as good as his playoff stats are bad. However, a bit of hope lies in the fact that he’s done well at Short tracks this year, but that hope dies when you look at his career Bristol stats as they are just bad. All of this considered I think Truex finishes 9th-20th this weekend and can make the Round of 12 if others have trouble.
– Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his 2023 stats and the fact he is 7 points below the driver points cutline and 12 points below the owner points cutline
– Truex had a blown tire on lap 3 last week causing him to DNF for only the 2nd time this season and finish 36th (last)
– He has now finished 3 straight races out of the Top 15
– 13 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 5th or better including his 12.5 Avg. Finish, 95.35 Avg. Driver Rating, 8 Top 3’s, 6 Stage Wins, and 203 Stage Pts
– After last week his Completed Laps% dropped from 99.77% (1st best) to 95.91% (24th best)
– He has ran only 9% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 2 playoff races and has the 31st best Avg. Driver Rating (41.35)
– His best finish in the 2 races is 18th, he’s led 0 laps, and he has 0 Stage T10’s
– At the 3 Short tracks this year he has a 7.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s, but only 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 3 races he’s ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 88.17 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 6% of his laps
– Truex finished 36th (last) at Bristol last year, ran only 36% of his laps in the Top 15, and had the 30th best Driver Rating (43.4)
– In 32 Cup races at Bristol he has more DNF’s (5) than Top 10 finishes (4) and a terrible 20.78 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran 56% of his laps here in the Top 15, has an 82.08 Avg. Driver Rating, and he only has 8 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Truex deserves to be in contention for the championship, but 2 unfortunate races have him begging to make the Round of 12. His 2023 stats are as good as his playoff stats are bad. However, a bit of hope lies in the fact that he’s done well at Short tracks this year, but that hope dies when you look at his career Bristol stats as they are just bad. All of this considered I think Truex finishes 9th-20th this weekend and can make the Round of 12 if others have trouble.
18th in Points/8th in Owner Points – Chase Elliott (OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 28 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.62 | 5th of 35 | 99th of 812 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 90.62% | 31st of 35 | 654th of 812 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 65.45% | 10th of 35 | 192nd of 770‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 84.3 | 8th of 35 | 245th of 770‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T15th of 63 | T262nd of 1363 |
| Poles | 0 | T15th of 63 | T250th of 1363 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 63 | T162nd of 1363 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T9th of 63 | T148th of 1363 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T8th of 63 | T153rd of 1363 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T12th of 63 | T203rd of 1363 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T14th of 35 | T327th of 812 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T13th of 63 | T82nd of 431* |
| Stage T10s | 15 | 18th of 63 | T112th of 431* |
| Stage Pts | 78 | 17th of 63 | T109th of 431* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T16th of 63 | T107th of 431* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 28 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
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Playoff start, 38 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(4th), 93.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.15(5th), Best 6th, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 7.4% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 41 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 11.5(8th), 50.25% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.3(20th), Best 10th, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol race
- Finished 2nd, Started 23rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 4th in Stage 2, ran 378 Laps in Top15 (75.6% of laps he ran), had 96.3 Driver Rating (ranked 8th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 43 drivers)
- 12 Races
- 12.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 29th
- Completed 99.47% of laps (% ranks 5th)
- 80.06% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 98.53 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 7.36% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Pole, 8.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Top 2, 8.33% (% ranks 9th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 33.33% (% ranks T4th)
- 8 Top 15’s, 66.67% (% ranks 5th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks T11th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 15.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 14 Stage T10’s, 70.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 5.1 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chase Elliott is notable because of his stats here at Bristol in his 12 career Cup starts and because he is only 12 points above the owner points cutline
– At Kansas Elliott ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and led 47 laps en route to his 3rd straight Top 10 finish, finishing 6th
– He’s now finished in the Top 10 in 4 of the last 5 races
– He’s only ran 21 races this year
– This year he has a 12.62 Avg. Finish, an 84.3 Avg. Driver Rating, 12 Top 10’s, 3 DNF’s, and 78 Stage Pts
– He’s finished 6th and 8th in the 2 playoff races while getting 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2 races he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating (101.15), and has led 7% of his laps
– He’s finished 10th and 13th in the 2 Short track races he’s ran this year
– In the 2 races he’s ran just 50% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating (74.3), and has led 0 laps
– At Bristol last year Elliott ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 8th best Driver Rating (96.3), and finished 2nd
– In his 12 career races at Bristol he has the best active Avg. Finish (12.33) and the best active Laps in Top 15% (80.06%)
– He has 0 Wins here in 12 races, 8 Top 15’s, and more Top 5 finishes (4) than finishes out of the Top 20 (3)
Outlook for this weekend
Elliott may not be in the 2023 drivers playoff but his 9 team is in the owners playoff which, if you know me, means something. Overall Elliott has been good this year and his playoffs have been even better. However, his Short track stats aren’t as good as he’s struggled in the 2 races this year. This is Bristol, though, and here he’s done very well in his career. This weekend I think the 9 team stays in the championship hunt after he finishes 1st-9th.
– Chase Elliott is notable because of his stats here at Bristol in his 12 career Cup starts and because he is only 12 points above the owner points cutline
– At Kansas Elliott ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15 and led 47 laps en route to his 3rd straight Top 10 finish, finishing 6th
– He’s now finished in the Top 10 in 4 of the last 5 races
– He’s only ran 21 races this year
– This year he has a 12.62 Avg. Finish, an 84.3 Avg. Driver Rating, 12 Top 10’s, 3 DNF’s, and 78 Stage Pts
– He’s finished 6th and 8th in the 2 playoff races while getting 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2 races he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating (101.15), and has led 7% of his laps
– He’s finished 10th and 13th in the 2 Short track races he’s ran this year
– In the 2 races he’s ran just 50% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating (74.3), and has led 0 laps
– At Bristol last year Elliott ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 8th best Driver Rating (96.3), and finished 2nd
– In his 12 career races at Bristol he has the best active Avg. Finish (12.33) and the best active Laps in Top 15% (80.06%)
– He has 0 Wins here in 12 races, 8 Top 15’s, and more Top 5 finishes (4) than finishes out of the Top 20 (3)
Outlook for this weekend
Elliott may not be in the 2023 drivers playoff but his 9 team is in the owners playoff which, if you know me, means something. Overall Elliott has been good this year and his playoffs have been even better. However, his Short track stats aren’t as good as he’s struggled in the 2 races this year. This is Bristol, though, and here he’s done very well in his career. This weekend I think the 9 team stays in the championship hunt after he finishes 1st-9th.
