After the race at Bristol, where Denny Hamlin won, we have 4 less drivers in the 2023 Playoffs. To start off the Round of 12 we go to The Lone Star State and Texas Motor Speedway where the first spot in the Round of 8 may be clinched. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 1 based on 2023 stats, 1 based on 2023 Playoffs stats, 2 based on Intermediate stats, 1 based on the last Texas race, and 2 based on their overall Texas stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 29 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight the 2023 Playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Intermediate (1.3-1.5 mile) statistics and Texas statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st in Points – William Byron (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.48 | 4th of 35 | T89th of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.82% | T20th of 35 | T274th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.37% | 2nd of 35 | 111th of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.53 | 2nd of 35 | 89th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 5 | 1st of 63 | T13th of 1366 |
| Poles | 3 | 3rd of 63 | T27th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 6 | T2nd of 63 | T44th of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T3rd of 63 | T68th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | 3rd of 63 | T75th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T1st of 63 | T110th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T13th of 35 | T316th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | 1st of 63 | T9th of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | T3rd of 63 | T32nd of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 247 | 2nd of 63 | T15th of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 33 | 1st of 63 | T8th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.33(T5th), 77.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.77(8th), Best 4th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 2.67 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 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 4.57(1st), 81.78% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 113.59(1st), Best 1st, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 13.33% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 4 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 5.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 7th, Started 3rd, Led 42 laps (12.58%), Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 316 Laps in Top15 (94.61% of laps he ran), had 117.0 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 8 Races
- 13.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 37th
- Completed 96.9% of laps (% ranks 20th)
- 79.32% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 92.51 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 4.67% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 12.5% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 Top 5, 12.5% (% ranks 18th)
- 4 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 12.5% (% ranks 7th)
- 1 DNF, 12.5% (% ranks 25th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 8 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 2.69 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– William Byron is notable because of his stats on Intermediate tracks this year
– Byron was one of just two drivers to run all 500 laps in the Top 15 last week (other was Christopher Bell), then he went on to finish 9th
– He is on a 6 race Top 15 finish streak
– All but 3 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T3rd or better (12.48 Avg. Finish, 96.82 Completed Laps%, 3 DNF’s)
– His 5 Wins, 15 Top 10’s, 8 Stage Wins, and 33 Playoff Pts earned in races are all most or tied for most in the 2023 Ranks above
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has a 9.33 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s and a worst finish of 15th
– He’s ran 78% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15 and has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (93.77), but has led 0 laps
– At Intermediates this year he has 2 Wins, 4 Top 3’s, and 6 Top 10’s in 7 races
– He’s ran 82% of his laps at Intermediates in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (113.59), and has gotten 5.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Texas Byron led 42 laps, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (117.0), but finished 7th
– In 8 races at Texas he has only 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, and a 13.5 Avg. Finish
– At Texas he’s ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15 in his career, led 4.67% of his laps, and has a 92.51 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
The first round of the playoffs went well for Byron and when you see his overall 2023 stats he deserves to be in the spot he’s in. His good position in points could be even better after Texas this weekend as he’s ran tremendously well at Intermediates this year, but his Cup career at Texas has been mediocre. All of this put together tells me that Byron ends up 5th-10th this weekend.
– William Byron is notable because of his stats on Intermediate tracks this year
– Byron was one of just two drivers to run all 500 laps in the Top 15 last week (other was Christopher Bell), then he went on to finish 9th
– He is on a 6 race Top 15 finish streak
– All but 3 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T3rd or better (12.48 Avg. Finish, 96.82 Completed Laps%, 3 DNF’s)
– His 5 Wins, 15 Top 10’s, 8 Stage Wins, and 33 Playoff Pts earned in races are all most or tied for most in the 2023 Ranks above
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has a 9.33 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s and a worst finish of 15th
– He’s ran 78% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15 and has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (93.77), but has led 0 laps
– At Intermediates this year he has 2 Wins, 4 Top 3’s, and 6 Top 10’s in 7 races
– He’s ran 82% of his laps at Intermediates in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (113.59), and has gotten 5.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Texas Byron led 42 laps, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (117.0), but finished 7th
– In 8 races at Texas he has only 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, and a 13.5 Avg. Finish
– At Texas he’s ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15 in his career, led 4.67% of his laps, and has a 92.51 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
The first round of the playoffs went well for Byron and when you see his overall 2023 stats he deserves to be in the spot he’s in. His good position in points could be even better after Texas this weekend as he’s ran tremendously well at Intermediates this year, but his Cup career at Texas has been mediocre. All of this put together tells me that Byron ends up 5th-10th this weekend.
2nd in Points – Martin Truex Jr. (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.72 | 5th of 35 | T101st of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.16% | T24th of 35 | T315th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 67.79% | 7th of 35 | 172nd of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.55 | 3rd of 35 | 118th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T53rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 63 | T116th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 63 | T61st of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | 2nd of 63 | T39th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T4th of 63 | T95th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T1st of 63 | T110th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T4th of 35 | T158th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | 3rd of 63 | T16th of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | T3rd of 63 | T32nd of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 205 | 5th of 63 | 36th of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 21 | 3rd of 63 | 18th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 24.33(T28th), 16.48% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.63(28th), Best 18th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 76.48%, 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, 1 Stage T10, 0.33 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 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T14th), 81.73% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.73(7th), Best 2nd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 87.08%, Led 14.67% of laps he ran, 0 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, 2 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 31st (crash), Started 15th, Led 15 laps (4.49%), Finished 9th in Stage 2, ran 206 Laps in Top15 (77.15% of laps he ran), had 75.1 Driver Rating (ranked 15th)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 33 Races
- 14.52 Avg. Finish (Ranks 11th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 38th
- Completed 94.3% of laps (% ranks 26th)
- 73.84% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 93.47 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 6.64% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Poles, 6.06% (% ranks 3rd)
- 3 Top 2’s, 9.09% (% ranks 9th)
- 5 Top 5’s, 15.15% (% ranks 17th)
- 17 Top 10’s, 51.52% (% ranks 8th)
- 8 finishes outside Top 20, 24.24% (% ranks 13th)
- 6 DNF’s, 18.18% (% ranks 29th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 11 Stage T10’s, 55.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 3.3 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Martin Truex Jr. is notable because he is 2nd (technically tied) in points to begin the Round of 12
– Truex can now breath a sigh of relieve as he got a little lucky to make the Round of 12 after running just 26% of his laps in the Top 15 last week and finishing 19th
– He is on a personal season long 4 race streak of finishes out of the Top 15
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 94.55 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Wins, 8 Top 3’s, and 15 Top 10’s
– His 6 Stage Wins and 21 Playoff Pts both rank better than 20th thru 29 races since 2017
– He’s been awful in the 3 playoff races as his best finish is only 18th and he has just 1 Stage T10
– He’s only ran 16.48% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15 and his 51.63 Avg. Driver Rating is just 28th best
– In 7 Intermediate races this year he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.73 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
– The 7 races have given him 2 Top 3’s, but also 2 DNF’s and 2 finishes out of the Top 15
– Truex ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 15 laps last year at Texas before he crashed out to finish 31st
– In 33 career races at Texas he has more DNF’s (6) than finishes in the Top 5 (5)
– In the 33 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.47 Avg. Driver Rating, and has finished over half of his races in the Top 10
Outlook for this weekend
Truex cannot replicate his awful Round of 16 if he wants to continue to the Round of 8. While his playoffs have not been great his 2023 stats and Ranks above still aren’t that bad, but in terms of Intermediates he’s been hit or miss mostly. His Texas stats don’t offer much more hope as he rarely finishes in the Top 5. Putting all of this together I see Truex finishing 7th-15th or with a DNF.
– Martin Truex Jr. is notable because he is 2nd (technically tied) in points to begin the Round of 12
– Truex can now breath a sigh of relieve as he got a little lucky to make the Round of 12 after running just 26% of his laps in the Top 15 last week and finishing 19th
– He is on a personal season long 4 race streak of finishes out of the Top 15
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 94.55 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Wins, 8 Top 3’s, and 15 Top 10’s
– His 6 Stage Wins and 21 Playoff Pts both rank better than 20th thru 29 races since 2017
– He’s been awful in the 3 playoff races as his best finish is only 18th and he has just 1 Stage T10
– He’s only ran 16.48% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15 and his 51.63 Avg. Driver Rating is just 28th best
– In 7 Intermediate races this year he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.73 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
– The 7 races have given him 2 Top 3’s, but also 2 DNF’s and 2 finishes out of the Top 15
– Truex ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 and led 15 laps last year at Texas before he crashed out to finish 31st
– In 33 career races at Texas he has more DNF’s (6) than finishes in the Top 5 (5)
– In the 33 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.47 Avg. Driver Rating, and has finished over half of his races in the Top 10
Outlook for this weekend
Truex cannot replicate his awful Round of 16 if he wants to continue to the Round of 8. While his playoffs have not been great his 2023 stats and Ranks above still aren’t that bad, but in terms of Intermediates he’s been hit or miss mostly. His Texas stats don’t offer much more hope as he rarely finishes in the Top 5. Putting all of this together I see Truex finishing 7th-15th or with a DNF.
3rd in Points – Denny Hamlin (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.03 | 1st of 35 | T68th of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.82% | T20th of 35 | T274th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.66% | 1st of 35 | 32nd of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 98.79 | 1st of 35 | 69th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T53rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 4 | 2nd of 63 | T18th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | 1st of 63 | T28th of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 9 | 1st of 63 | T28th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 11 | 2nd of 63 | T55th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T6th of 63 | T147th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T4th of 35 | T158th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 7 | 2nd of 63 | T11th of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 38 | 1st of 63 | T17th of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 250 | 1st of 63 | 14th of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 33 | 2nd of 63 | 17th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.33(T5th), 86.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 124.27(1st), Best 1st, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 33.69% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 5 Stage T10’s, 6.67 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak, longest active streak and tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.71(T10th), 86.99% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 107.74(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 90.04%, Led 20.18% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 4 Stage Wins, 4.93 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 10th, Started 8th, Led 2 laps (0.6%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1, ran 236 Laps in Top15 (70.7% of laps he ran), had 93.0 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 32 Races
- 13.59 Avg. Finish (Ranks T9th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 38th
- Completed 98.0% of laps (% ranks 12th)
- 65.64% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 88.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 12th)
- Led 2.79% of laps he’s run (% ranks 13th)
- 3 Wins, 9.38% (% ranks 4th)
- 5 Top 3’s, 15.63% (% ranks 9th)
- 15 Top 10’s, 46.88% (% ranks 14th)
- 22 Top 15’s, 68.75% (% ranks 11th)
- 6 finishes outside Top 20, 18.75% (% ranks 11th)
- 1 DNF, 3.13% (% ranks T16th)
- 1 Stage Win, 5.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 8 Stage T10’s, 40.0% (% ranks 13th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his overall 2023 stats above
– Hamlin led the last 135 laps at Bristol to make for a very boring finish, unless you’re a Hamlin fan, as he went on to win the race convincingly
– He’s either finished in the Top 3 or outside the Top 15 in the last 9 races
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his 12.03 Avg. Finish, 81.66 Laps in Top 15%, 98.79 Avg. Driver Rating, and 250 Stage Pts
– His 81.66 Laps in Top 15%, 4 Poles, 7 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, 7 Stage Wins, 38 Stage T10’s, 250 Stage Pts, and 33 Playoff Pts thru 29 races all rank 32nd or better since 2004
– In the 3 playoff races he’s had finishes of 25th, 2nd, and 1st
– In the 3 races he’s ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, led 34% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating (124.27)
– He has 3 Top 3’s in the 7 Intermediate races this year, but also just 3 Top 10’s with 2 finishes out of the Top 20
– He’s ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 7 races, has a 107.74 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Stage Wins, and 4.93 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Texas Hamlin ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, finished 2nd in Stage 1, and finished 10th in the race
– In 32 career races at Texas he has almost as many finishes in the Top 3 (5) as he does finishes out of the Top 20 (6) with 3 race Wins
– He’s ran 66% of his laps in the 32 races in the Top 15, has an 88.9 Avg. Driver Rating, only 1 DNF, and just 8 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Hamlin finished off the Round of 16 in style by winning, and overall his 2023 Regular Season and Playoff stats have been stylish as well. Not as stylish are his 2023 Intermediate stats as the stats show he’s either been hot or cold with no in between. The good news is this is Texas where Hamlin has done well in his career. With all these stats in mind I see Hamlin coming home in the Top 10 this weekend.
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his overall 2023 stats above
– Hamlin led the last 135 laps at Bristol to make for a very boring finish, unless you’re a Hamlin fan, as he went on to win the race convincingly
– He’s either finished in the Top 3 or outside the Top 15 in the last 9 races
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his 12.03 Avg. Finish, 81.66 Laps in Top 15%, 98.79 Avg. Driver Rating, and 250 Stage Pts
– His 81.66 Laps in Top 15%, 4 Poles, 7 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, 7 Stage Wins, 38 Stage T10’s, 250 Stage Pts, and 33 Playoff Pts thru 29 races all rank 32nd or better since 2004
– In the 3 playoff races he’s had finishes of 25th, 2nd, and 1st
– In the 3 races he’s ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, led 34% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating (124.27)
– He has 3 Top 3’s in the 7 Intermediate races this year, but also just 3 Top 10’s with 2 finishes out of the Top 20
– He’s ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 7 races, has a 107.74 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Stage Wins, and 4.93 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year at Texas Hamlin ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, finished 2nd in Stage 1, and finished 10th in the race
– In 32 career races at Texas he has almost as many finishes in the Top 3 (5) as he does finishes out of the Top 20 (6) with 3 race Wins
– He’s ran 66% of his laps in the 32 races in the Top 15, has an 88.9 Avg. Driver Rating, only 1 DNF, and just 8 Stage T10’s in 20 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Hamlin finished off the Round of 16 in style by winning, and overall his 2023 Regular Season and Playoff stats have been stylish as well. Not as stylish are his 2023 Intermediate stats as the stats show he’s either been hot or cold with no in between. The good news is this is Texas where Hamlin has done well in his career. With all these stats in mind I see Hamlin coming home in the Top 10 this weekend.
4th in Points – Kyle Larson (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.62 | 10th of 35 | T197th of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.1% | 26th of 35 | 325th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.7% | 3rd of 35 | 133rd of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.33 | 4th of 35 | 123rd of 773‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T53rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 63 | T57th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 6 | T2nd of 63 | T44th of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T3rd of 63 | T68th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 13 | 1st of 63 | T26th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T1st of 63 | T110th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 6 | T32nd of 35 | T674th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T6th of 63 | T35th of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | T3rd of 63 | T32nd of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 211 | 4th of 63 | 32nd of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 19 | 4th of 63 | T22nd of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 2.33(1st), 85.64% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.97(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 15.33% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5 Stage T10’s, 6.33 Stage Pts Per Stage, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 9.14(2nd), 89.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 109.21(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 98.94%, Led 15.48% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 9th, Started 9th, Led 19 laps (5.69%), Finished 1st in Stage 1, ran 259 Laps in Top15 (77.54% of laps he ran), had 101.3 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 15 Races
- 17.8 Avg. Finish (Ranks 17th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 90.37% of laps (% ranks 30th)
- 70.68% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 89.37 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 7.75% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 1 Win, 6.67% (% ranks 6th)
- 2 Top 3’s, 13.33% (% ranks 11th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 26.67% (% ranks 11th)
- 9 Top 15’s, 60.0% (% ranks 14th)
- 6 finishes outside Top 20, 40.0% (% ranks T19th)
- 4 DNF’s, 26.67% (% ranks 36th)
- 3 Stage Wins, 18.75% (% ranks 3rd)
- 11 Stage T10’s, 68.75% (% ranks 3rd)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his 2023 Intermediate stats in 7 races
– Larson started shotgun on the field last week at Bristol and after running 78% of his laps in the Top 15 found himself being the bridesmaid as he finished 2nd
– He’s now on a 3 race Top 5 streak, longest active streak in the Cup Series
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 5th including his 94.33 Avg. Driver Rating, 6 Top 2’s, 13 Top 5’s, and 211 Stage Pts
– 87% of his Top 10 finishes this year have been Top 5’s
– He’s finished all 3 playoff races between 1st and 4th while earning 6.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 3 races he’s ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15% of his laps, and has a 118.97 Avg. Driver Rating
– At Intermediates this year he has 1 Win, 3 Top 3’s, and 5 Top 5’s in 7 races
– In the 7 races he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15.48% of his laps, and has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (109.21)
– In the Texas race last year Larson led 6% of the race, won Stage 1, had the 6th best Driver Rating (101.3), and finished 9th
– This was his 15th Cup race at Texas and in the 15 races he has more finishes out of the Top 20 (6) than finishes in the Top 5 and DNF’s (4)
– He’s ran 71% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 8% of his laps, and his 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage is 2nd best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
This first round was kind to Larson as he did phenomenal in the 3 races, and overall this year his stats above are mostly kind as well. The trouble for him has been finishing this year which can also be said about his Intermediate stats as he has good finishes when he does finish. Texas is more of the same as he’s mostly finished really good or really bad. Based on these stats I think Larson ends up between 4th and 8th this weekend or out of the Top 20
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his 2023 Intermediate stats in 7 races
– Larson started shotgun on the field last week at Bristol and after running 78% of his laps in the Top 15 found himself being the bridesmaid as he finished 2nd
– He’s now on a 3 race Top 5 streak, longest active streak in the Cup Series
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 5th including his 94.33 Avg. Driver Rating, 6 Top 2’s, 13 Top 5’s, and 211 Stage Pts
– 87% of his Top 10 finishes this year have been Top 5’s
– He’s finished all 3 playoff races between 1st and 4th while earning 6.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 3 races he’s ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15% of his laps, and has a 118.97 Avg. Driver Rating
– At Intermediates this year he has 1 Win, 3 Top 3’s, and 5 Top 5’s in 7 races
– In the 7 races he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15.48% of his laps, and has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (109.21)
– In the Texas race last year Larson led 6% of the race, won Stage 1, had the 6th best Driver Rating (101.3), and finished 9th
– This was his 15th Cup race at Texas and in the 15 races he has more finishes out of the Top 20 (6) than finishes in the Top 5 and DNF’s (4)
– He’s ran 71% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 8% of his laps, and his 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage is 2nd best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
This first round was kind to Larson as he did phenomenal in the 3 races, and overall this year his stats above are mostly kind as well. The trouble for him has been finishing this year which can also be said about his Intermediate stats as he has good finishes when he does finish. Texas is more of the same as he’s mostly finished really good or really bad. Based on these stats I think Larson ends up between 4th and 8th this weekend or out of the Top 20
6th in Points – Kyle Busch (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.97 | 8th of 35 | 159th of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.65% | 29th of 35 | 583rd of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 58.17% | 14th of 35 | 243rd of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 81.17 | 11th of 35 | 274th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T2nd of 63 | T53rd of 1366 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 63 | T116th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 63 | T61st of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T5th of 63 | T92nd of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T7th of 63 | T124th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T1st of 63 | T110th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T27th of 35 | T588th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T11th of 63 | T66th of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 22 | 11th of 63 | T88th of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 124 | 12th of 63 | T81st of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 17 | 5th of 63 | T26th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 12.67(10th), 47.31% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.63(14th), Best 7th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.83 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)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes (longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.71(T10th), 76.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 87.39(12th), Best 6th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 95.16%, Led 0.63% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.27 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 36th (crash), Started 18th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 22 Laps in Top15 (45.83% of laps he ran), had 33.0 Driver Rating (ranked 33rd)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 32 Races
- 11.66 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 40th
- Completed 96.51% of laps (% ranks 22nd)
- 74.13% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 101.07 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 10.38% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 4 Wins, 12.5% (% ranks 3rd)
- 8 Top 3’s, 25.0% (% ranks 6th)
- 14 Top 5’s, 43.75% (% ranks 7th)
- 23 Top 15’s, 71.88% (% ranks 8th)
- 5 finish outside Top 20, 15.63% (% ranks 8th)
- 1 DNF, 3.13% (% ranks T16th)
- 3 Stage Wins, 15.0% (% ranks 4th)
- 13 Stage T10’s, 65.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 3.65 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kyle Busch is notable because of his career Cup stats at Texas
– At Bristol Busch ran only 24% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 20th place finish
– This was his worst finish since the Indy Road Course in mid August
– Only 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 10th including his 13.97 Avg. Finish, 5 Top 2’s, 15 Top 10’s, and 17 Playoff Pts
– His stage stats (2 Stage Wins, 22 Stage T10’s, 124 Stage Pts) all rank 11th or 12th most this year
– He only has 1 Top 10 and 1 Stage T10 in the 3 playoff races this year
– In the 3 races he’s ran a subpar 47% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has the 14th best Avg. Driver Rating (74.63)
– In the 7 Intermediate races this year he has a 12.71 Avg. Finish with 0 Top 5’s, but does have 4 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 7 races, led only 0.63% of his laps, and has gotten just 2.27 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Busch ran just 46% of his laps in the Top 15 last Fall at Texas before crashing out to finish 36th
– This was his 1st DNF at Texas in his 32 career races here
– In the 32 races he’s won 4 of them, has a Top 5 in almost half of them, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating of any active driver (101.07)
Outlook for this weekend
Busch hasn’t been stellar this year but his 2023 stats above are good enough to be in the Round of 12. The same can be said about his playoff stats so far and the stats don’t get much better when looking at his 2023 Intermediate stats. Last year at Texas wasn’t good either, but overall this track has been pretty good to Busch in his career. All of this makes it a bit hard to figure out an outlook for this weekend for Busch, but I think he runs well and finishes between 5th and 15th.
– Kyle Busch is notable because of his career Cup stats at Texas
– At Bristol Busch ran only 24% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 20th place finish
– This was his worst finish since the Indy Road Course in mid August
– Only 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 10th including his 13.97 Avg. Finish, 5 Top 2’s, 15 Top 10’s, and 17 Playoff Pts
– His stage stats (2 Stage Wins, 22 Stage T10’s, 124 Stage Pts) all rank 11th or 12th most this year
– He only has 1 Top 10 and 1 Stage T10 in the 3 playoff races this year
– In the 3 races he’s ran a subpar 47% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has the 14th best Avg. Driver Rating (74.63)
– In the 7 Intermediate races this year he has a 12.71 Avg. Finish with 0 Top 5’s, but does have 4 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 in the 7 races, led only 0.63% of his laps, and has gotten just 2.27 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Busch ran just 46% of his laps in the Top 15 last Fall at Texas before crashing out to finish 36th
– This was his 1st DNF at Texas in his 32 career races here
– In the 32 races he’s won 4 of them, has a Top 5 in almost half of them, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating of any active driver (101.07)
Outlook for this weekend
Busch hasn’t been stellar this year but his 2023 stats above are good enough to be in the Round of 12. The same can be said about his playoff stats so far and the stats don’t get much better when looking at his 2023 Intermediate stats. Last year at Texas wasn’t good either, but overall this track has been pretty good to Busch in his career. All of this makes it a bit hard to figure out an outlook for this weekend for Busch, but I think he runs well and finishes between 5th and 15th.
8th in Points – Tyler Reddick (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.79 | 14th of 35 | T253rd of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.16% | T24th of 35 | T315th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 70.39% | 4th of 35 | 139th of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.31 | 6th of 35 | 176th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 7th of 63 | T84th of 1366 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 63 | T116th of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 63 | T61st of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T5th of 63 | T92nd of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T4th of 63 | T95th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | T10th of 63 | T186th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T13th of 35 | T316th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T6th of 63 | T35th of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 34 | 6th of 63 | T39th of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 214 | 3rd of 63 | T29th of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 7th of 63 | T36th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(2nd), 77.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.9(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 8.11% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5 Stage T10’s, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 5 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.0(6th), 87.17% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 102.83(4th), Best 1st, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 8.26% of laps he ran, 1 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 1st, Started 4th, Led 70 laps (20.96%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 255 Laps in Top15 (76.35% of laps he ran), had 130.1 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 6.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 15th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 70.13% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 99.88 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 5.61% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 1 Win, 25.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Top 2’s, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 3 Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 4 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 37.5% (% ranks T14th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Tyler Reddick is notable because of his race last year in the Fall Texas race
– At Bristol Reddick ran just 51% of his laps in the Top 15 and ran behind his teammate the last 110 laps to ensure he made it to the Round of 12 as he finished 15th
– This finish broke his 2 race Top 2 streak
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 8th including his 70.39 Laps in Top 15%, 90.31 Avg. Driver Rating, 9 Top 5’s, and 214 Stage Pts
– His 15.79 Avg. Finish this year is only good for 14th best in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 6.0 Avg. Finish in the 3 playoff races this year is 2nd best
– In the 2 races he’s ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (108.9), and he’s gotten 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In 7 Intermediate races this year he’s ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, led 8% of his laps, and has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.83)
– These 7 races have produced a 12.0 Avg. Finish for him with 1 Win and 4 Top 10’s
– In the Texas Fall race last year Reddick ran just 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 0 Stage T10’s, but had the best Driver Rating (130.1) and won the race
– In 4 career races at Texas he has 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 10’s, and a worst finish of 15th
– He has the best Avg. Finish of any active driver here at Texas (6.75) and his 99.88 Avg. Driver Rating is 3rd best of any active driver
Outlook for this weekend
Reddick was able to help his teammate make the next round last week, but that doesn’t take away from how well he did in the first round. His 2023 stats as a whole are decent and deserving a spot in the next round. His Intermediate stats say just as much and his Texas stats show that he’s been strong here in his Cup career. Taking this all in I see a Top 5 finish coming this weekend for Reddick.
– Tyler Reddick is notable because of his race last year in the Fall Texas race
– At Bristol Reddick ran just 51% of his laps in the Top 15 and ran behind his teammate the last 110 laps to ensure he made it to the Round of 12 as he finished 15th
– This finish broke his 2 race Top 2 streak
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 8th including his 70.39 Laps in Top 15%, 90.31 Avg. Driver Rating, 9 Top 5’s, and 214 Stage Pts
– His 15.79 Avg. Finish this year is only good for 14th best in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 6.0 Avg. Finish in the 3 playoff races this year is 2nd best
– In the 2 races he’s ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (108.9), and he’s gotten 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In 7 Intermediate races this year he’s ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, led 8% of his laps, and has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.83)
– These 7 races have produced a 12.0 Avg. Finish for him with 1 Win and 4 Top 10’s
– In the Texas Fall race last year Reddick ran just 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 0 Stage T10’s, but had the best Driver Rating (130.1) and won the race
– In 4 career races at Texas he has 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 10’s, and a worst finish of 15th
– He has the best Avg. Finish of any active driver here at Texas (6.75) and his 99.88 Avg. Driver Rating is 3rd best of any active driver
Outlook for this weekend
Reddick was able to help his teammate make the next round last week, but that doesn’t take away from how well he did in the first round. His 2023 stats as a whole are decent and deserving a spot in the next round. His Intermediate stats say just as much and his Texas stats show that he’s been strong here in his Cup career. Taking this all in I see a Top 5 finish coming this weekend for Reddick.
14th in Points – Kevin Harvick
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.38 | 9th of 35 | T187th of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.89% | 4th of 35 | T76th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.16% | 9th of 35 | 185th of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 81.07 | 12th of 35 | 277th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T15th of 63 | T266th of 1366 |
| Poles | 0 | T15th of 63 | T253rd of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T13th of 63 | T240th of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T16th of 63 | T315th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T12th of 63 | T195th of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | 13th of 63 | T209th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T2nd of 35 | T57th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T13th of 63 | T83rd of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 27 | 8th of 63 | T69th of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 135 | 10th of 63 | T72nd of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T16th of 63 | T109th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.67(21st), 45.11% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 76.27(13th), Best 11th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.56%, Led 0.09% 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 2.5 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 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.43(T8th), 75.31% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.51(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.95%, Led 1.15% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.47 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 19th, Started 23rd, Led 9 laps (2.69%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 170 Laps in Top15 (50.9% of laps he ran), had 67.7 Driver Rating (ranked 17th)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 38 Races
- 10.47 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 42nd
- Completed 97.42% of laps (% ranks 16th)
- 73.09% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 96.58 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 5.59% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 3 Wins, 7.89% (% ranks 5th)
- 8 Top 3’s, 21.05% (% ranks 7th)
- 24 Top 10’s, 63.16% (% ranks 3rd)
- 30 Top 15’s, 78.95% (% ranks 5th)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 10.53% (% ranks 6th)
- 1 DNF, 2.63% (% ranks 15th)
- 5 Stage Wins, 25.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 13 Stage T10’s, 65.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 4.85 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kevin Harvick is notable because of how he’s performed at Texas in his 38 career starts here
– Harvick stunk last week as he finished 29th and his highest running position was only 16th en route to him missing the next round of the playoffs
– He’s now finished 19th or worse in 4 of the last 6 races
– Only 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T12th or better including his 14.38 Avg. Finish, 98.89 Completed Laps%, 6 Top 5’s, and 135 Stage Pts
– He has as many Stage Wins as he does Top 3 finishes (1)
– In the 3 playoff races he has a 19.67 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 11th
– He’s ran just 45% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, has just a 76.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and just 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Intermediate tracks this year he has a 12.43 Avg. Finish with only 2 Top 10’s and 0 Stage Wins in 7 races
– In these 7 races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 88.51 Avg. Driver Rating
– Harvick ran only 51% of his laps in the Texas Fall race last year in the Top 15, got 0 Stage T10’s, and finished a measly P19
– In 38 career Texas races he has a 10.47 Avg. Finish with 8 Top 3’s, and 24 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 73% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 5.59% of his laps, has 5 Stage Wins, and more Top 3 finishes (8) than finishes out of the Top 20 (4)
Outlook for this weekend
Personally I believe Harvick has his crew chief to thank for him not being in the Round of 12. His 2023 playoffs have been underwhelming and his overall 2023 stats show he doesn’t deserve a Round of 12 spot anyways. His Intermediate stats this year have been decent this year, but his Texas stats in his career are pretty incredible. When looking at all the stats above I see Harvick coming home 9th-20th in his last Texas Motor Speedway start this weekend.
– Kevin Harvick is notable because of how he’s performed at Texas in his 38 career starts here
– Harvick stunk last week as he finished 29th and his highest running position was only 16th en route to him missing the next round of the playoffs
– He’s now finished 19th or worse in 4 of the last 6 races
– Only 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T12th or better including his 14.38 Avg. Finish, 98.89 Completed Laps%, 6 Top 5’s, and 135 Stage Pts
– He has as many Stage Wins as he does Top 3 finishes (1)
– In the 3 playoff races he has a 19.67 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 11th
– He’s ran just 45% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, has just a 76.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and just 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Intermediate tracks this year he has a 12.43 Avg. Finish with only 2 Top 10’s and 0 Stage Wins in 7 races
– In these 7 races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15 and has an 88.51 Avg. Driver Rating
– Harvick ran only 51% of his laps in the Texas Fall race last year in the Top 15, got 0 Stage T10’s, and finished a measly P19
– In 38 career Texas races he has a 10.47 Avg. Finish with 8 Top 3’s, and 24 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 73% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 5.59% of his laps, has 5 Stage Wins, and more Top 3 finishes (8) than finishes out of the Top 20 (4)
Outlook for this weekend
Personally I believe Harvick has his crew chief to thank for him not being in the Round of 12. His 2023 playoffs have been underwhelming and his overall 2023 stats show he doesn’t deserve a Round of 12 spot anyways. His Intermediate stats this year have been decent this year, but his Texas stats in his career are pretty incredible. When looking at all the stats above I see Harvick coming home 9th-20th in his last Texas Motor Speedway start this weekend.
18th in Points/12th in Owner Points – Chase Elliott (OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 29 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.36 | 3rd of 35 | 83rd of 815 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 91.46% | 31st of 35 | 629th of 815 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.68% | 8th of 35 | 181st of 773‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 84.58 | 8th of 35 | 240th of 773‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T15th of 63 | T266th of 1366 |
| Poles | 0 | T15th of 63 | T253rd of 1366 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 63 | T165th of 1366 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T10th of 63 | T154th of 1366 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T9th of 63 | T163rd of 1366 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | T10th of 63 | T186th of 1366 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T13th of 35 | T316th of 815 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T13th of 63 | T83rd of 432* |
| Stage T10s | 16 | 18th of 63 | T113th of 432* |
| Stage Pts | 79 | 19th of 63 | T111th of 432* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T16th of 63 | T109th of 432* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 29 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 2+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(3rd), 87.4% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.57(5th), Best 6th, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 4.14% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4 Stage T10’s, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 45 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 10.33(5th), 89.95% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.02(9th), Best 3rd, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 88.67%, Led 3.51% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.77 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2022 Fall Texas race
- Finished 32nd (crash), Started 6th, Led 44 laps (13.17%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 184 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 106.8 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas, 44 drivers)
- 12 Races
- 13.25 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 32nd
- Completed 95.62% of laps (% ranks 24th)
- 76.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 90.93 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 2.32% of laps he’s run (% ranks 14th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 16.67% (% ranks 15th)
- 6 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 9 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks 7th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks 9th)
- 1 DNF, 8.33% (% ranks 22nd)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 10 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chase Elliott is notable because of his 2023 playoff stats
– Elliott only ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15 last week, but was there when it counted as he finished 7th
– He’s on a 4 race Top 10 streak, tied with Brad Keselowski for the longest active streak
– He’s ran just 22 races this year but has 7 Top 5’s and 13 Top 10’s
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (12.36) and 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (84.58) in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 7.0 Avg. Finish in the 3 playoff races is good for 3rd best and his 97.57 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 5th best
– In the 3 races he’s finished between 6th and 8th in all 3, has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and 4 Stage T10’s in 6 stages
– He’s ran in 6 Intermediate races this year and has the 5th best Avg. Finish (10.33) and the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating (90.02)
– In the 6 races he’s ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15, led 3.51% of his laps, and his only finish out of the Top 10 was a DNF
– Every lap Elliott ran in last Fall’s Texas race was in the Top 15, unfortunately it was only 184 laps as he crashed out to finish 32nd
– This was his 2nd finish out of the Top 20 here at Texas in 12 starts and was his first Texas DNF as well
– In 12 races here he has just 2 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, a 90.93 Avg. Driver Rating, and led just 2% of his laps here
Outlook for this weekend
Elliott’s 2023 Ranks and stats above are pretty good for someone who’s missed 7 races this year. What’s more is that he ran consistent and solid in the 3 playoff races thus far. His Intermediate track stats for this year are pretty good, but this is Texas where his stats are not as good. At the end of the race this weekend I expect to see Elliott somewhere between 6th and 12th.
– Chase Elliott is notable because of his 2023 playoff stats
– Elliott only ran 79% of his laps in the Top 15 last week, but was there when it counted as he finished 7th
– He’s on a 4 race Top 10 streak, tied with Brad Keselowski for the longest active streak
– He’s ran just 22 races this year but has 7 Top 5’s and 13 Top 10’s
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (12.36) and 8th best Avg. Driver Rating (84.58) in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 7.0 Avg. Finish in the 3 playoff races is good for 3rd best and his 97.57 Avg. Driver Rating is good for 5th best
– In the 3 races he’s finished between 6th and 8th in all 3, has ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15, and 4 Stage T10’s in 6 stages
– He’s ran in 6 Intermediate races this year and has the 5th best Avg. Finish (10.33) and the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating (90.02)
– In the 6 races he’s ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15, led 3.51% of his laps, and his only finish out of the Top 10 was a DNF
– Every lap Elliott ran in last Fall’s Texas race was in the Top 15, unfortunately it was only 184 laps as he crashed out to finish 32nd
– This was his 2nd finish out of the Top 20 here at Texas in 12 starts and was his first Texas DNF as well
– In 12 races here he has just 2 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, a 90.93 Avg. Driver Rating, and led just 2% of his laps here
Outlook for this weekend
Elliott’s 2023 Ranks and stats above are pretty good for someone who’s missed 7 races this year. What’s more is that he ran consistent and solid in the 3 playoff races thus far. His Intermediate track stats for this year are pretty good, but this is Texas where his stats are not as good. At the end of the race this weekend I expect to see Elliott somewhere between 6th and 12th.
