Two weeks ago at Bristol we saw Corey Heim sneak his way to a berth in the Truck Series Championship 4 after he stole a win away from Christian Eckes. The win surely gives him a sigh of relief as we head to the most unpredictable track of the playoffs this week, Talladega. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on the 2023 Playoff bubble, 1 based on 2023 stats, 1 based on 2023 Playoffs stats, 2 based on Superspeedway stats, 1 based on the last Talladega race, and 2 based on their overall Talladega stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 as well as ranking through 20 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight the 2023 Playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Superspeedway (drafting tracks) statistics and Talladega statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st in Points – Corey Heim (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.47 | 1st of 29 | 3rd of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.04% | 8th of 29 | 45th of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 90.81% | 1st of 29 | 5th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 114.84 | 1st of 29 | 2nd of 230‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T1st of 107 | T8th of 834 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 107 | T5th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 6 | T1st of 107 | T5th of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | 3rd of 107 | T15th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T1st of 107 | T7th of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 17 | 1st of 107 | T2nd of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 29 | T18th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | 3rd of 107 | T17th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 29 | 2nd of 107 | T15th of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 218 | 1st of 107 | 7th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 20 | 2nd of 107 | T10th of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 4.25(3rd), 97.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 119.2(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 13.96% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 8 Stage T10’s, 7.4 Stage Pts Per Stage, 5 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year and tied 13th longest in Truck Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes of races he’s ran
- 8 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, longest active consecutive race streak, and longest consecutive race streak in Truck Series this year)
- 13 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak of races he’s ran, longest active streak and longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(T26th), 75.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.55(10th), Best 8th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 75.0%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 26th (crash), Started 12th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, ran 70 Laps in Top15 (74.47% of laps he ran), had 75.1 Driver Rating (ranked 14th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 26.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T40th)
- Best Finish: 26th, Worst: 26th
- Completed 98.95% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 74.47% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 75.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 21st)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T39th)
- 1 DNF, 100% (% ranks T45th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Corey Heim is notable because of his 2023 season stats thru 20 races
– At Bristol Heim ran all 200 laps in the Top 15 but led just 6 laps, the last 6, en route to winning his 3rd race this season and clinching a spot in the Championship 4
– This was his 13th consecutive race he’s ran that has resulted in him finishing in the Top 10
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his 6.47 Avg. Finish, 3 Wins, 6 Top 2’s, and 29 Stage T10’s
– His 6.47 Avg. Finish, 90.81 Laps in Top 15%, 114.84 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Poles, 6 Top 2’s, and 17 Top 10’s all rank T5th or better thru 20 races since 2016
– 59% of his Top 10 finishes this year have been Top 5’s
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has a 4.25 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and a worst finish of 8th
– He’s ran 97% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (119.2) in the playoffs, and has gotten 7.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He’s finished 8th and 34th in the 2 Superspeedway races this year with 0 laps led
– In the 2 races he’s ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and has only gotten 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Talladega last year Heim ran 74.47% of his laps in the Top 15, had a 75.1 Avg. Driver Rating, and finished 26th after crashing on the last lap
– This is his only career Truck race here at Talladega
Outlook for this weekend
Corey Heim started off the Round of 8 with a win and therefore what happens this weekend doesn’t matter too much for him. His spot in the championship 4 is more than deserved based on his 2023 overall and playoff stats. It’s a good thing he’s in, too, as Superspeedway’s haven’t been great for him this year and his only Talladega start resulted in a DNF. This weekend I expect Heim to run well but end up with a DNF.
– Corey Heim is notable because of his 2023 season stats thru 20 races
– At Bristol Heim ran all 200 laps in the Top 15 but led just 6 laps, the last 6, en route to winning his 3rd race this season and clinching a spot in the Championship 4
– This was his 13th consecutive race he’s ran that has resulted in him finishing in the Top 10
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his 6.47 Avg. Finish, 3 Wins, 6 Top 2’s, and 29 Stage T10’s
– His 6.47 Avg. Finish, 90.81 Laps in Top 15%, 114.84 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Poles, 6 Top 2’s, and 17 Top 10’s all rank T5th or better thru 20 races since 2016
– 59% of his Top 10 finishes this year have been Top 5’s
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has a 4.25 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and a worst finish of 8th
– He’s ran 97% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (119.2) in the playoffs, and has gotten 7.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He’s finished 8th and 34th in the 2 Superspeedway races this year with 0 laps led
– In the 2 races he’s ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 and has only gotten 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Talladega last year Heim ran 74.47% of his laps in the Top 15, had a 75.1 Avg. Driver Rating, and finished 26th after crashing on the last lap
– This is his only career Truck race here at Talladega
Outlook for this weekend
Corey Heim started off the Round of 8 with a win and therefore what happens this weekend doesn’t matter too much for him. His spot in the championship 4 is more than deserved based on his 2023 overall and playoff stats. It’s a good thing he’s in, too, as Superspeedway’s haven’t been great for him this year and his only Talladega start resulted in a DNF. This weekend I expect Heim to run well but end up with a DNF.
2nd in Points – Christian Eckes (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.8 | 3rd of 29 | 39th of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.74% | 17th of 29 | 92nd of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.45% | 3rd of 29 | 24th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.99 | 2nd of 29 | 14th of 230‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T1st of 107 | T8th of 834 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 107 | T5th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 6 | T1st of 107 | T5th of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 9 | 1st of 107 | T4th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | 4th of 107 | T15th of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | T3rd of 107 | T36th of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T21st of 29 | T116th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | T1st of 107 | T12th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 27 | 3rd of 107 | T31st of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 188 | 3rd of 107 | 17th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 21 | 1st of 107 | T8th of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), 99.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 125.13(1st), Best 1st, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 22.57% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 2 Poles, 4 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 8 Stage T10’s, 7.5 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 Truck Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest streak in Truck Series this year and tied 13th longest streak in Truck Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Truck Series)
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), 84.72% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.7(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 25.0% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 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, 2 Stage Wins, 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 5th, Started 13th, Led 25 laps (26.32%), Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 91 Laps in Top15 (95.79% of laps he ran), had 121.4 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 11.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 12th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 18th
- Completed 99.47% of laps (% ranks 16th)
- 85.11% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 102.35 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 16.49% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T36th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Christian Eckes is notable because of his amazing stats in the 4 Truck playoff races this year
– Eckes led 150 laps at Bristol (75% of the race), but a late race pass by Corey Heim relegated Eckes to P2
– He’s now finished 4 straight races in the Top 3, no one has finished 5 straight races in the Top 3 since Johnny Sauter in 2017-2018
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 3rd or better including his series leading 3 Wins, 6 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, 6 Stage Wins, and 21 Playoff Pts
– His only Top 5 finishes this year have been finishes of 3rd or better
– He’s finished all 4 races in the playoffs in the Top 3 with 1 Win
– In the 4 races he’s ran just 1 lap out of the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (125.13), and has a Top 10 in each of the 8 stages
– On Superspeedway’s this year he’s finished 1st and 3rd with 2 Stage Wins in the 2 races
– In these 2 races he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (112.7), and has led 25% of the laps
– In the 2022 Talladega race Eckes ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (121.4), and finished 5th
– This was his 2nd career start at Talladega in the Truck Series and has finishes of 5th and 18th in the 2 races
– He’s ran 85% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 16.49% of his laps, and has the best active Avg. Driver Rating at 102.35
Outlook for this weekend
Eckes narrowly missed out on punching his ticket to the Championship 4 at Bristol, but his 2023 stats are more than deserving of him getting there. Based on the rest of the stats he may punch his ticket this weekend as he’s been fantastic in the playoffs and on Superspeedways this year. In his career at Talladega he’s ran well and finished well in half his starts. In all based on these stats I see Eckes finishing in the Top 5 this weekend if he doesn’t get caught up in a wreck.
– Christian Eckes is notable because of his amazing stats in the 4 Truck playoff races this year
– Eckes led 150 laps at Bristol (75% of the race), but a late race pass by Corey Heim relegated Eckes to P2
– He’s now finished 4 straight races in the Top 3, no one has finished 5 straight races in the Top 3 since Johnny Sauter in 2017-2018
– 12 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 3rd or better including his series leading 3 Wins, 6 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, 6 Stage Wins, and 21 Playoff Pts
– His only Top 5 finishes this year have been finishes of 3rd or better
– He’s finished all 4 races in the playoffs in the Top 3 with 1 Win
– In the 4 races he’s ran just 1 lap out of the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (125.13), and has a Top 10 in each of the 8 stages
– On Superspeedway’s this year he’s finished 1st and 3rd with 2 Stage Wins in the 2 races
– In these 2 races he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (112.7), and has led 25% of the laps
– In the 2022 Talladega race Eckes ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (121.4), and finished 5th
– This was his 2nd career start at Talladega in the Truck Series and has finishes of 5th and 18th in the 2 races
– He’s ran 85% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 16.49% of his laps, and has the best active Avg. Driver Rating at 102.35
Outlook for this weekend
Eckes narrowly missed out on punching his ticket to the Championship 4 at Bristol, but his 2023 stats are more than deserving of him getting there. Based on the rest of the stats he may punch his ticket this weekend as he’s been fantastic in the playoffs and on Superspeedways this year. In his career at Talladega he’s ran well and finished well in half his starts. In all based on these stats I see Eckes finishing in the Top 5 this weekend if he doesn’t get caught up in a wreck.
4th in Points – Grant Enfinger (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.15 | 2nd of 29 | T23rd of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.9% | 1st of 29 | 3rd of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 86.34% | 2nd of 29 | 19th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.04 | 5th of 29 | 29th of 230‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T1st of 107 | T8th of 834 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 107 | T26th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 7th of 107 | T30th of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T5th of 107 | T34th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T5th of 107 | T23rd of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | T6th of 107 | T47th of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 29 | T1st of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T5th of 107 | T29th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 25 | T5th of 107 | T41st of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 135 | 7th of 107 | 47th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | T3rd of 107 | T12th of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 8.25(4th), 94.22% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.93(4th), Best 1st, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 13.98% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 5.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 12.0(T9th), 67.13% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.45(7th), Best 5th, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% 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, 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 29th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 2, ran 52 Laps in Top15 (55.32% of laps he ran), had 65.6 Driver Rating (ranked 20th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 9 Races
- 14.56 Avg. Finish (Ranks 19th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 29th
- Completed 96.74% of laps (% ranks 20th)
- 73.61% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 85.98 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 12th)
- Led 11.57% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Win, 11.11% (% ranks 5th)
- 2 Top 5’s, 22.22% (% ranks 13th)
- 5 Top 15’s, 55.56% (% ranks 19th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 33.33% (% ranks T22nd)
- 2 DNF’s, 22.22% (% ranks 23rd)
- 1 Stage Win, 8.33% (% ranks T5th)
- 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 18th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Grant Enfinger is notable because he and the 23 truck are 4th in points only 14 points above the cutline
– Enfinger was 1 of 5 drivers to run all 200 laps in the Top 15 at Bristol, finishing 3rd
– His longest Top 10 this streak this year is only 3 races long
– Only his 9.15 Avg. Finish, 99.9 Completed Laps%, 86.34 Laps in Top 15%, 3 Wins, 0 DNF’s, and 18 Playoff Pts are better than 4th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He only has 1 Top 3 finish that wasn’t a win this year
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has an 8.25 Avg. Finish with just 2 Top 10’s and 1 Win
– He’s ran 94% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (112.93), and has led 14% of his laps
– At Superspeedway’s this year he has finishes of 5th and 19th while getting 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2 races he’s ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15 but has led 0 laps
– Last year at Talladega Enfinger ran only 55% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 20th best Driver Rating (65.6), and ended up 29th
– In 9 races at Talladega he has 1 Win, but also more finishes out of the Top 20 (3) than finishes in the Top 5 (2) with a 14.56 Avg. Finish
– At Talladega in his career he’s led 12% of his laps, has an 85.98 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats for Enfinger above don’t necessarily say he deserves a Championship 4 spot, but he’s got one right now thanks to his pretty good 2023 playoff stats. At Intermediates this year Enfinger has done decent, but nothing special and his overall Talladega stats are not great by any means. All of this leaves me thinking he finishes between 10th and 20th.
– Grant Enfinger is notable because he and the 23 truck are 4th in points only 14 points above the cutline
– Enfinger was 1 of 5 drivers to run all 200 laps in the Top 15 at Bristol, finishing 3rd
– His longest Top 10 this streak this year is only 3 races long
– Only his 9.15 Avg. Finish, 99.9 Completed Laps%, 86.34 Laps in Top 15%, 3 Wins, 0 DNF’s, and 18 Playoff Pts are better than 4th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He only has 1 Top 3 finish that wasn’t a win this year
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has an 8.25 Avg. Finish with just 2 Top 10’s and 1 Win
– He’s ran 94% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (112.93), and has led 14% of his laps
– At Superspeedway’s this year he has finishes of 5th and 19th while getting 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2 races he’s ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15 but has led 0 laps
– Last year at Talladega Enfinger ran only 55% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 20th best Driver Rating (65.6), and ended up 29th
– In 9 races at Talladega he has 1 Win, but also more finishes out of the Top 20 (3) than finishes in the Top 5 (2) with a 14.56 Avg. Finish
– At Talladega in his career he’s led 12% of his laps, has an 85.98 Avg. Driver Rating, and only 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats for Enfinger above don’t necessarily say he deserves a Championship 4 spot, but he’s got one right now thanks to his pretty good 2023 playoff stats. At Intermediates this year Enfinger has done decent, but nothing special and his overall Talladega stats are not great by any means. All of this leaves me thinking he finishes between 10th and 20th.
5th in Points – Zane Smith (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.45 | 7th of 29 | 67th of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.01% | 9th of 29 | 46th of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 75.57% | 6th of 29 | 67th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 100.25 | 3rd of 29 | 21st of 230‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T5th of 107 | T21st of 834 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 107 | T14th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | 3rd of 107 | T10th of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | 2nd of 107 | T7th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T1st of 107 | T7th of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T8th of 107 | T61st of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T14th of 29 | T64th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 4th of 107 | T23rd of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | 1st of 107 | T7th of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 197 | 2nd of 107 | 13th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 5th of 107 | 21st of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.5(10th), 82.23% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.48(7th), Best 5th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 6.21% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year and tied 13th longest in Truck Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 10.5(8th), 74.54% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 103.05(4th), Best 1st, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 7.87% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 17th, Started 4th, Led 1 laps (1.05%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 40 Laps in Top15 (42.11% of laps he ran), had 67.4 Driver Rating (ranked 17th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 27.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 45th)
- Best Finish: 17th, Worst: 33rd
- Completed 56.94% of laps (% ranks 48th)
- 65.24% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 16th)
- 65.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 30th)
- Led 0.61% of laps he’s run (% ranks 24th)
- 0 Top 15’s
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 66.67% (% ranks 37th)
- 2 DNF’s, 66.67% (% ranks T43rd)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3.17 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 10th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Zane Smith is notable because of his stats in the 2 Superspeedway races this year
– At Bristol Smith led 43 laps and ran 58% of his laps in the Top 15, but the fact no one could pass had him finish 1 lap down in 24th
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 consecutive races
– 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 100.25 Avg. Driver Rating, 5 Top 2’s, 8 Top 3’s, and 31 Stage T10’s
– Only 20% of his 10 Top 10’s this year have been between 4th and 10th
– In 4 playoff races this year he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.48 Avg. Driver Rating, and led 6% of his laps
– These 4 races have produced 2 Top 5’s, an 11.5 Avg. Finish, and has only gotten him 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
– The 2 Superspeedway races have given him a 10.5 Avg. Finish and 1 Win
– In the 2 races he’s led 8% of his laps ran, has a 103.05 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2022 Talladega race Smith ran only 42% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 17th best Driver Rating (67.4), and finished 17th
– In 3 career Truck races at Talladega he’s ran 65% of his laps in the Top 15, but has 0 Top 15 finishes
– His best finish here is 17th and he’s only completed 57% of the laps here at Talladega in his 3 career races
Outlook for this weekend
Smith’s 2023 stats say he deserves a Championship 4 spot this year, but his playoff stats aren’t as good and his points position shows it. A good thing for Smith is that he’s got a win at a Superspeedway this year, but a bad thing is that he’s done terrible at Talladega in his Truck career. Smith could obviously turn this around this weekend and finish Top 10, but based on the stats I see an 11th-25th place finish in store for him.
– Zane Smith is notable because of his stats in the 2 Superspeedway races this year
– At Bristol Smith led 43 laps and ran 58% of his laps in the Top 15, but the fact no one could pass had him finish 1 lap down in 24th
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 consecutive races
– 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 100.25 Avg. Driver Rating, 5 Top 2’s, 8 Top 3’s, and 31 Stage T10’s
– Only 20% of his 10 Top 10’s this year have been between 4th and 10th
– In 4 playoff races this year he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 93.48 Avg. Driver Rating, and led 6% of his laps
– These 4 races have produced 2 Top 5’s, an 11.5 Avg. Finish, and has only gotten him 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
– The 2 Superspeedway races have given him a 10.5 Avg. Finish and 1 Win
– In the 2 races he’s led 8% of his laps ran, has a 103.05 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 2022 Talladega race Smith ran only 42% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 17th best Driver Rating (67.4), and finished 17th
– In 3 career Truck races at Talladega he’s ran 65% of his laps in the Top 15, but has 0 Top 15 finishes
– His best finish here is 17th and he’s only completed 57% of the laps here at Talladega in his 3 career races
Outlook for this weekend
Smith’s 2023 stats say he deserves a Championship 4 spot this year, but his playoff stats aren’t as good and his points position shows it. A good thing for Smith is that he’s got a win at a Superspeedway this year, but a bad thing is that he’s done terrible at Talladega in his Truck career. Smith could obviously turn this around this weekend and finish Top 10, but based on the stats I see an 11th-25th place finish in store for him.
6th in Points – Ben Rhodes (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.9 | 6th of 29 | T61st of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.15% | 7th of 29 | T42nd of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 77.8% | 5th of 29 | 58th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.8 | 7th of 29 | 58th of 230‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 107 | T38th of 834 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 107 | T69th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T8th of 107 | T73rd of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T9th of 107 | T72nd of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T8th of 107 | T73rd of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | T6th of 107 | T47th of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 29 | T18th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T10th of 107 | T58th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 26 | 4th of 107 | T37th of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 146 | 5th of 107 | T37th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 7th of 107 | T41st of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(16th), 84.49% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.75(13th), Best 7th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.72%, Led 0.28% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5 Stage T10’s, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 8.0(4th), 89.35% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.45(6th), Best 5th, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.39% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 15th, Led 2 laps (2.11%), Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 88 Laps in Top15 (92.63% of laps he ran), had 105.6 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 7 Races
- 13.43 Avg. Finish (Ranks 14th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 24th
- Completed 90.88% of laps (% ranks 26th)
- 79.77% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 87.96 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 3.62% of laps he’s run (% ranks 16th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 14.29% (% ranks T7th)
- 2 Top 5’s, 28.57% (% ranks 10th)
- 4 Top 15’s, 57.14% (% ranks T17th)
- 2 finish outside Top 20, 28.57% (% ranks T19th)
- 2 DNF’s, 28.57% (% ranks 27th)
- 1 Stage Win, 8.33% (% ranks T5th)
- 10 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 4.08 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ben Rhodes is notable because of his 2023 season stats thru 20 races
– Bristol was Rhodes’ best race of the playoffs so far as he ran 98.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 7th
– This was his first Top 10 since Pocono in late July
– Only his 77.8 Laps in Top 15%, 1 DNF, 26 Stage T10’s, and 146 Stage Pts are 5th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– His worst 2023 Ranks above are T10th (1 Stage Win) and T11th (0 Poles)
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has a best finish of 7th and the same amount of Top 10’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (1)
– He’s gotten just 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 races, has only an 80.75 Avg. Driver Rating, and has ran just 84.49% of his laps in the Top 15
– He’s finished 5th and 11th in the 2 Superspeedway races this year
– In these 2 races he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (96.45), and has gotten 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Talladega last year Rhodes ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (105.6), and finished 2nd in the race
– In 7 career Truck races at Talladega he has as many Top 5’s as he does DNF’s (2), but his worst finish is only 24th
– He’s gotten 4.08 Stage Pts Per Stage here, ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, and has a decent 87.96 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats above for Rhodes aren’t pretty and his playoff stats are even worse, in short he doesn’t deserve a Championship 4 spot based on these stats. However, his Superspeedway stats say different as he’s done well in the 2 races this year, but overall in his career at Talladega he’s struggled to finish well. All of this taken in I see a finish between 7th and 18th this weekend, or a DNF.
– Ben Rhodes is notable because of his 2023 season stats thru 20 races
– Bristol was Rhodes’ best race of the playoffs so far as he ran 98.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 7th
– This was his first Top 10 since Pocono in late July
– Only his 77.8 Laps in Top 15%, 1 DNF, 26 Stage T10’s, and 146 Stage Pts are 5th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– His worst 2023 Ranks above are T10th (1 Stage Win) and T11th (0 Poles)
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has a best finish of 7th and the same amount of Top 10’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (1)
– He’s gotten just 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 races, has only an 80.75 Avg. Driver Rating, and has ran just 84.49% of his laps in the Top 15
– He’s finished 5th and 11th in the 2 Superspeedway races this year
– In these 2 races he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (96.45), and has gotten 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Talladega last year Rhodes ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (105.6), and finished 2nd in the race
– In 7 career Truck races at Talladega he has as many Top 5’s as he does DNF’s (2), but his worst finish is only 24th
– He’s gotten 4.08 Stage Pts Per Stage here, ran 80% of his laps in the Top 15, and has a decent 87.96 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats above for Rhodes aren’t pretty and his playoff stats are even worse, in short he doesn’t deserve a Championship 4 spot based on these stats. However, his Superspeedway stats say different as he’s done well in the 2 races this year, but overall in his career at Talladega he’s struggled to finish well. All of this taken in I see a finish between 7th and 18th this weekend, or a DNF.
10th in Points – Matt Crafton
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.85 | 10th of 29 | 83rd of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.56% | 4th of 29 | 34th of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 68.09% | 10th of 29 | 90th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 79.55 | 10th of 29 | 96th of 230‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 107 | T90th of 834 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 107 | T69th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 107 | T141st of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T21st of 107 | T169th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T12th of 107 | T106th of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T11th of 107 | T83rd of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 29 | T18th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T10th of 107 | T58th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 14 | 13th of 107 | T83rd of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 74 | 11th of 107 | T75th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T9th of 107 | T73rd of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 15.75(15th), 64.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 76.1(15th), Best 5th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 98.73%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.4 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(6th), 84.72% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.3(3rd), Best 9th, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.35% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 22nd, Started 5th, Led 1 lap (1.05%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 19 Laps in Top15 (20.0% of laps he ran), had 57.2 Driver Rating (ranked 26th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 17 Races
- 15.94 Avg. Finish (Ranks 25th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 31st
- Completed 93.64% of laps (% ranks 24th)
- 59.14% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 20th)
- 76.83 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 19th)
- Led 4.09% of laps he’s run (% ranks 15th)
- 1 Pole, 5.88% (% ranks 4th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 5.88% (% ranks 18th)
- 6 Top 10’s, 35.29% (% ranks 20th)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 29.41% (% ranks 21st)
- 3 DNF’s, 17.65% (% ranks 21st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 8 Stage T10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T6th)
- 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 7th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Matt Crafton is notable because of his 2023 Superspeedway stats
– Crafton ran 102 of the 200 laps at Bristol in the Top 15 before finishing 16th
– After his season long 3 straight Top 10’s he’s now finished 2 straight races out of the Top 15
– Only 7 of his 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better including his 13.85 Avg. Finish, 68.09 Laps in Top 15%, 79.55 Avg. Driver Rating, and 1 DNF
– He has more DNF’s this year (1) than Top 3 finishes this year (0)
– In the 4 playoff races he has a 15.75 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s and 1 finish out of the Top 20
– He has just 1 Stage T10 in the 8 playoff stages and in the 4 races he has just the 15th best Avg. Driver Rating (76.1)
– He’s finished 9th in both Superspeedway races this year and has led 14% of his laps in the 2 races
– In the 2 races he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (104.3), and has gotten 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Talladega last year Crafton ran only 20% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 26th best Driver Rating (57.2), and finished 22nd
– In 17 career races at Talladega he has only 1 Top 5 finish and almost as many finishes out of the Top 20 (5) as he does finishes in the Top 10 (6)
– He’s ran just 59% of his laps here in the Top 15, led just 4% of his laps, and has 0 Stage Wins
Outlook for this weekend
Crafton’s 2023 overall and playoff stats show why he was kicked from the playoffs last round. While this year has been rough for him the Superspeedway races have been a different story as he’s one of just two drivers to finish both races in the Top 10. However, this is Talladega where Crafton has done poorly in his career. This weekend I expect Crafton to run out of the Top 15 most the day and in the end finish between 6th and 15th.
– Matt Crafton is notable because of his 2023 Superspeedway stats
– Crafton ran 102 of the 200 laps at Bristol in the Top 15 before finishing 16th
– After his season long 3 straight Top 10’s he’s now finished 2 straight races out of the Top 15
– Only 7 of his 2023 Ranks above are 10th or better including his 13.85 Avg. Finish, 68.09 Laps in Top 15%, 79.55 Avg. Driver Rating, and 1 DNF
– He has more DNF’s this year (1) than Top 3 finishes this year (0)
– In the 4 playoff races he has a 15.75 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s and 1 finish out of the Top 20
– He has just 1 Stage T10 in the 8 playoff stages and in the 4 races he has just the 15th best Avg. Driver Rating (76.1)
– He’s finished 9th in both Superspeedway races this year and has led 14% of his laps in the 2 races
– In the 2 races he’s ran 85% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (104.3), and has gotten 8.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Talladega last year Crafton ran only 20% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 26th best Driver Rating (57.2), and finished 22nd
– In 17 career races at Talladega he has only 1 Top 5 finish and almost as many finishes out of the Top 20 (5) as he does finishes in the Top 10 (6)
– He’s ran just 59% of his laps here in the Top 15, led just 4% of his laps, and has 0 Stage Wins
Outlook for this weekend
Crafton’s 2023 overall and playoff stats show why he was kicked from the playoffs last round. While this year has been rough for him the Superspeedway races have been a different story as he’s one of just two drivers to finish both races in the Top 10. However, this is Talladega where Crafton has done poorly in his career. This weekend I expect Crafton to run out of the Top 15 most the day and in the end finish between 6th and 15th.
20th in Points – Colby Howard
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 22.1 | 22nd of 29 | 171st of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 90.84% | 25th of 29 | 151st of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 14.62% | 22nd of 29 | 162nd of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 57.54 | 20th of 29 | 151st of 230‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 107 | T90th of 834 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 107 | T69th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 107 | T141st of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T21st of 107 | T169th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T20th of 107 | T141st of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T27th of 107 | T212th of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T27th of 29 | T156th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 107 | T90th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T24th of 107 | T152nd of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 10 | T22nd of 107 | T145th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 107 | T85th of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 23.25(23rd), 4.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 53.85(25th), Best 17th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 82.65%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes 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
- none
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 15.5(19th), 24.88% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.35(19th), Best 4th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 98.61%, Led 0.94% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 8th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 54 Laps in Top15 (56.84% of laps he ran), had 93.5 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 8.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 8th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 56.84% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 22nd)
- 93.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 50.0% (% ranks T10th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Colby Howard is notable because of his stats at Talladega in his 1 career Truck start here
– Howard’s best running position at Bristol was only 18th and at the finish he was 22nd
– This broke a streak of 2 straight Top 20 finishes for him
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T20th or worse including his 22.1 Avg. Finish, 14.62 Laps in Top 15%, 1 Top 10, and 10 Stage Pts
– He has more DNF’s this year (4) than he does Stage T10’s (3)
– In the 4 playoff races he’s ran just 4.51% of his laps in the Top 15, has just a 53.85 Avg. Driver Rating, and has 0 Stage T10’s
– The 4 races have produced 0 Top 10’s for him and a 23.25 Avg. Finish
– In the 2 Superspeedway races this year he’s ran only 25% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 19th best Avg. Driver Rating (74.35)
– His only Top 5/10 this year came on a Superspeedway (4th at Daytona)
– At Talladega last year Howard ran 57% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 7th best Driver Rating (93.5), finished 6th in Stage 1, and 8th in the race
– This is his only career Truck race here at Talladega
Outlook for this weekend
Howard has really struggled this year, but with the equipment he’s in his struggles in the regular season and playoffs aren’t a shock. However, he did get a Top 5 this year and that Top 5 came on a Superspeedway. What’s even better is that in his 1 career start at Talladega he did very well and finished well too. All of these stats tell me that Howard will run poorly most the day at Talladega, but at the end I see him finishing 6th-15th.
– Colby Howard is notable because of his stats at Talladega in his 1 career Truck start here
– Howard’s best running position at Bristol was only 18th and at the finish he was 22nd
– This broke a streak of 2 straight Top 20 finishes for him
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T20th or worse including his 22.1 Avg. Finish, 14.62 Laps in Top 15%, 1 Top 10, and 10 Stage Pts
– He has more DNF’s this year (4) than he does Stage T10’s (3)
– In the 4 playoff races he’s ran just 4.51% of his laps in the Top 15, has just a 53.85 Avg. Driver Rating, and has 0 Stage T10’s
– The 4 races have produced 0 Top 10’s for him and a 23.25 Avg. Finish
– In the 2 Superspeedway races this year he’s ran only 25% of his laps in the Top 15 and has the 19th best Avg. Driver Rating (74.35)
– His only Top 5/10 this year came on a Superspeedway (4th at Daytona)
– At Talladega last year Howard ran 57% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 7th best Driver Rating (93.5), finished 6th in Stage 1, and 8th in the race
– This is his only career Truck race here at Talladega
Outlook for this weekend
Howard has really struggled this year, but with the equipment he’s in his struggles in the regular season and playoffs aren’t a shock. However, he did get a Top 5 this year and that Top 5 came on a Superspeedway. What’s even better is that in his 1 career start at Talladega he did very well and finished well too. All of these stats tell me that Howard will run poorly most the day at Talladega, but at the end I see him finishing 6th-15th.
22nd in Points – Bret Holmes
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 20 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 23.4 | 25th of 29 | 188th of 230 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.38% | 22nd of 29 | 139th of 230 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 9.85% | 24th of 29 | 174th of 230 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 49.61 | 26th of 29 | 180th of 230‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 107 | T90th of 834 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 107 | T69th of 834 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 107 | T141st of 834 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T21st of 107 | T169th of 834 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T30th of 107 | T208th of 834 |
| Top 10’s | 0 | T43rd of 107 | T325th of 834 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T21st of 29 | T116th of 230 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 107 | T90th of 729* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T38th of 107 | T226th of 729* |
| Stage Pts | 1 | 34th of 107 | 229th of 729* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 107 | T85th of 729* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 20 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 2+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 22.75(22nd), 3.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 47.05(28th), Best 19th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.29%, Led 0.28% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 22.0(31st), 15.59% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 53.65(33rd), Best 13th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 86.11%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Talladega Statistics
- 2022 Talladega Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 23rd, Led 6 laps (6.32%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 77 Laps in Top15 (81.05% of laps he ran), had 105.6 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Talladega Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Talladega, 52 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 9.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 15th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 73.71% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 95.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 8.76% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 25.0% (% ranks T18th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Bret Holmes is notable because of his career Talladega statistics in the Truck Series
– At Bristol Holmes best running position was 23rd, worst was 32nd, and at the finish he was 27th
– His best finish this year is 13th at Atlanta this Spring
– His 1 Stage T10 and 1 Stage Pt rank T38th and 34th in the 2023 Ranks above
– 42 different drivers have recorded a Top 10 in the Truck Series this year, Holmes is not one of them
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has a 22.75 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 19th and worst of 27th
– He’s ran only 4% of his laps in the 4 playoff races in the Top 15 and has just the 28th best Avg. Driver Rating (47.05)
– In the 2 Superspeedway races this year he’s finished 13th and 31st with 1 DNF
– In the 2 races he’s ran 15.59% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has just the 33rd best Avg. Driver Rating (53.65)
– Holmes ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 at Talladega last year, led 6 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (105.6), and finished 3rd in the race
– He’s finished 3rd and 15th in his 2 career Truck races here at Talladega
– In the 2 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, led 9% of his laps, and has a 95.2 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Holmes 2023 season has been pretty bad as he hasn’t recorded a Top 10 yet this season and Talladega is probably his last shot to do so. The playoffs haven’t been great either as he’s finished half the races out of the Top 20. Even Superspeedway’s haven’t been his friend this year, but this weekend is Talladega where he has performed great in his 2 career Truck races. Taking all this in I feel Holmes either gets a DNF this weekend or finishes anywhere in the Top 15.
– Bret Holmes is notable because of his career Talladega statistics in the Truck Series
– At Bristol Holmes best running position was 23rd, worst was 32nd, and at the finish he was 27th
– His best finish this year is 13th at Atlanta this Spring
– His 1 Stage T10 and 1 Stage Pt rank T38th and 34th in the 2023 Ranks above
– 42 different drivers have recorded a Top 10 in the Truck Series this year, Holmes is not one of them
– In the 4 playoff races this year he has a 22.75 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 19th and worst of 27th
– He’s ran only 4% of his laps in the 4 playoff races in the Top 15 and has just the 28th best Avg. Driver Rating (47.05)
– In the 2 Superspeedway races this year he’s finished 13th and 31st with 1 DNF
– In the 2 races he’s ran 15.59% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has just the 33rd best Avg. Driver Rating (53.65)
– Holmes ran 81% of his laps in the Top 15 at Talladega last year, led 6 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (105.6), and finished 3rd in the race
– He’s finished 3rd and 15th in his 2 career Truck races here at Talladega
– In the 2 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, led 9% of his laps, and has a 95.2 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Holmes 2023 season has been pretty bad as he hasn’t recorded a Top 10 yet this season and Talladega is probably his last shot to do so. The playoffs haven’t been great either as he’s finished half the races out of the Top 20. Even Superspeedway’s haven’t been his friend this year, but this weekend is Talladega where he has performed great in his 2 career Truck races. Taking all this in I feel Holmes either gets a DNF this weekend or finishes anywhere in the Top 15.
