At Kansas we saw two playoff drivers have issues which ended up causing Matt Crafton to be eliminated from playoff contention. In addition the other Matt (DiBenedetto) did not move on despite a 3rd place finish while Christian Eckes won his 3rd race of the season. This week it’s the start of the Round of 8 at the last Short track for the Trucks this year, Bristol. 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 Short track stats, 1 based on the last Bristol race, and 2 based on their overall Bristol stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 as well as ranking through 19 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight the 2023 Playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Bristol statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st in Points – Corey Heim (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.78 | 1st of 29 | 3rd of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.88% | 10th of 29 | T50th of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 90.09% | 1st of 29 | 6th of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 114.27 | 1st of 29 | 3rd of 227‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T4th of 106 | T20th of 812 |
| Poles | 3 | 2nd of 106 | T5th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T1st of 106 | T8th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T2nd of 106 | T9th of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | 1st of 106 | T2nd of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 29 | T20th of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | 2nd of 106 | T16th of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 27 | 2nd of 106 | T21st of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 208 | 1st of 106 | T3rd of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 15 | 4th of 106 | T17th of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 5.33(3rd), 96.07% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 117.23(3rd), Best 4th, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 18.27% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 8.2 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)
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes of races he’s ran
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, longest active consecutive race streak, and longest consecutive race streak in Truck Series this year)
- 12 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak of races he’s ran, longest active streak and longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.25(6th), 98.06% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 124.1(4th), Best 1st, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 22.28% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 8.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 10th, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1, ran 144 Laps in Top15 (72.0% of laps he ran), had 92.5 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T11th)
- Best Finish: 10th, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 72.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 19th)
- 92.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- 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 T12th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Corey Heim is notable because of his overall 2023 season stats
– Heim ran 98.5% of his laps at Kansas in the Top 15 and ended with his 9th Top 5 finish of the season
– This was his 12th consecutive race he’s ran that has resulted in him finishing in the Top 10
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his Series leading 6.78 Avg. Finish, 90.09 Laps in Top 15%, 5 Top 2’s, and 208 Stage Pts
– 8 of his 15 Rank Thru 19 Races above are better than 10th including his 16 Top 10’s (T2nd), 3 Poles (T5th), and 114.27 Avg. Driver Rating (3rd)
– More than half of his Top 10’s this year have been Top 5’s
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has 2 Top 5’s and a worst finish of 8th
– He’s ran 96% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, led 18% of his laps, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (117.23)
– At Short tracks this year he has a 5.25 Avg. Finish with a Top 10 in all 4 races and 1 win (his only Top 5)
– In the 4 races he’s ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, led 22.28% of his laps, and has gotten 8.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year in the Bristol Truck race Heim ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 9th best Driver Rating (92.5), and finished 10th
– This is his only career Truck race here at Bristol
Outlook for this weekend
The Round of 10 wasn’t bad for Heim, but was a little disappointing considering how good his overall 2023 stats are above. He’s definitely been one of the best drivers this year and the same goes on Short tracks this year as he has an amazing 8.88 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year Heim performed decently at Bristol and since this is his only start here that’s all we can go off of. Based on all of the stats I feel this weekend he finishes 4th-10th.
– Corey Heim is notable because of his overall 2023 season stats
– Heim ran 98.5% of his laps at Kansas in the Top 15 and ended with his 9th Top 5 finish of the season
– This was his 12th consecutive race he’s ran that has resulted in him finishing in the Top 10
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st or 2nd including his Series leading 6.78 Avg. Finish, 90.09 Laps in Top 15%, 5 Top 2’s, and 208 Stage Pts
– 8 of his 15 Rank Thru 19 Races above are better than 10th including his 16 Top 10’s (T2nd), 3 Poles (T5th), and 114.27 Avg. Driver Rating (3rd)
– More than half of his Top 10’s this year have been Top 5’s
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has 2 Top 5’s and a worst finish of 8th
– He’s ran 96% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, led 18% of his laps, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (117.23)
– At Short tracks this year he has a 5.25 Avg. Finish with a Top 10 in all 4 races and 1 win (his only Top 5)
– In the 4 races he’s ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, led 22.28% of his laps, and has gotten 8.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last year in the Bristol Truck race Heim ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 9th best Driver Rating (92.5), and finished 10th
– This is his only career Truck race here at Bristol
Outlook for this weekend
The Round of 10 wasn’t bad for Heim, but was a little disappointing considering how good his overall 2023 stats are above. He’s definitely been one of the best drivers this year and the same goes on Short tracks this year as he has an amazing 8.88 Stage Pts Per Stage. Last year Heim performed decently at Bristol and since this is his only start here that’s all we can go off of. Based on all of the stats I feel this weekend he finishes 4th-10th.
2nd in Points – Christian Eckes (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.26 | 4th of 29 | 45th of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.43% | 18th of 29 | 98th of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 83.31% | 3rd of 29 | 34th of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.84 | 2nd of 29 | 18th of 227‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T1st of 106 | T8th of 812 |
| Poles | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T11th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T1st of 106 | T8th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T1st of 106 | T4th of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T4th of 106 | T18th of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | T3rd of 106 | T39th of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T21st of 29 | T121st of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T3rd of 106 | T21st of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 25 | 3rd of 106 | T36th of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 168 | 4th of 106 | 21st of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 19 | 1st of 106 | 9th of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), 99.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.6(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.96% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 6.7 Stage Pts Per Stage, 5 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak and longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Truck Series)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 13.25(T15th), 82.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 95.73(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.88%, Led 0.36% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 8th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 190 Laps in Top15 (95.0% of laps he ran), had 101.7 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T11th)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 94.25% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 91.35 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T17th)
- 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
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Christian Eckes is notable because of his impressive 2023 Playoff stats thru 3 races
– Last week at Kansas Eckes got 11 Stage Pts, ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, and after an incredible last restart got his 3rd win of the year
– This was his 3rd straight Top 3 finish
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T3rd or better including his 83.31 Laps in Top 15%, 101.84 Avg. Driver Rating, 8 Top 3’s, and 19 Playoff Pts
– Only 3 of his 11 Top 10’s have come between 4th and 10th
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has the best Avg. Finish (2.0), 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (118.6), and has ran just 1 lap out of the Top 15
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran just 82.42% of his laps in the Top 15, led only 0.36% of his laps, and has just the 10th best Avg. Driver Rating (95.73)
– In the 4 races he has just 1 Top 10, but does have 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Bristol last year Eckes got 12 Stage Pts, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, and finished 8th
– This was his best finish in his 2 career Truck starts at Bristol
– In the 2 races he’s ran 94.25% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 91.35 Avg. Driver Rating, but has only gotten 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 playoffs for Eckes have been great so far as his worst finish is only 3rd. This checks out as far as his overall 2023 season goes since it’s mostly been Top 3 or bust. Unfortunately for him this is also the case at Short tracks this year where he only has 1 Top 10 (2nd) in 4 races. In terms of Bristol Eckes has done well, but hasn’t done anything spectacular. Based on all of this said above I think his Top 3 streak ends and he finishes somewhere between 8th and 18th.
– Christian Eckes is notable because of his impressive 2023 Playoff stats thru 3 races
– Last week at Kansas Eckes got 11 Stage Pts, ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, and after an incredible last restart got his 3rd win of the year
– This was his 3rd straight Top 3 finish
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T3rd or better including his 83.31 Laps in Top 15%, 101.84 Avg. Driver Rating, 8 Top 3’s, and 19 Playoff Pts
– Only 3 of his 11 Top 10’s have come between 4th and 10th
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has the best Avg. Finish (2.0), 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (118.6), and has ran just 1 lap out of the Top 15
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran just 82.42% of his laps in the Top 15, led only 0.36% of his laps, and has just the 10th best Avg. Driver Rating (95.73)
– In the 4 races he has just 1 Top 10, but does have 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Bristol last year Eckes got 12 Stage Pts, ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, and finished 8th
– This was his best finish in his 2 career Truck starts at Bristol
– In the 2 races he’s ran 94.25% of his laps in the Top 15 and has a 91.35 Avg. Driver Rating, but has only gotten 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage in the 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 playoffs for Eckes have been great so far as his worst finish is only 3rd. This checks out as far as his overall 2023 season goes since it’s mostly been Top 3 or bust. Unfortunately for him this is also the case at Short tracks this year where he only has 1 Top 10 (2nd) in 4 races. In terms of Bristol Eckes has done well, but hasn’t done anything spectacular. Based on all of this said above I think his Top 3 streak ends and he finishes somewhere between 8th and 18th.
3rd in Points – Grant Enfinger (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.47 | 2nd of 29 | T25th of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.89% | 1st of 29 | 3rd of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.34% | 2nd of 29 | 22nd of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.26 | 5th of 29 | 30th of 227‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T1st of 106 | T8th of 812 |
| Poles | 1 | T6th of 106 | T25th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 7th of 106 | T29th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T7th of 106 | T52nd of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | 6th of 106 | T31st of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T6th of 106 | T53rd of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 29 | T1st of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T5th of 106 | T27th of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 24 | T4th of 106 | T39th of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 129 | 7th of 106 | T46th of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | T2nd of 106 | T10th of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(6th), 91.94% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 113.27(4th), Best 1st, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.8%, Led 19.49% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 6.83 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 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.25(13th), 85.09% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.48(15th), Best 9th, Worst 14th, Laps Completed 99.88%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 4th, Started 4th, Led 0 laps, Finished 5th in Stage 1, ran 164 Laps in Top15 (82.0% of laps he ran), had 106.7 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 6 Races
- 5.17 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 96.76% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 2nd)
- 101.78 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 4.74% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 16.67% (% ranks 5th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 66.67% (% ranks 4th)
- 6 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 9 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 3.42 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Grant Enfinger is notable because of his career stats at Bristol in his 6 Truck starts here
– Enfinger had a fast truck at Kansas last week, but a late speeding penalty put him behind the eight ball as he ended up 17th
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better including his 9.47 Avg. Finish, 99.89 Completed Laps%, 0 DNF’s, and 24 Stage T10’s
– His 3 Wins are his only Top 3 finishes
– His worst 2023 Rank above is only (T)7th (3 Top 2’s, 3 Top 3’s, 129 Stage Pts)
– He has 1 Win in the 3 2023 playoff races, but also just 1 Top 10
– In the 3 playoff races he’s gotten 6.83 Stage Pts Per Stage, has a 113.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s led 19.49% of his laps
– In the 4 Short track races this year he has an 11.25 Avg. Driver Rating with a best of 9th and worst of 14th
– He’s ran 85% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has just the 15th best Avg. Driver Rating (86.48)
– Last year at Bristol Enfinger started 4th, ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 5th best Driver Rating (106.7), and finished 4th
– In his 6 career Bristol Truck races he has a best finish of 2nd and a worst finish of only 10th
– In the 6 races he’s ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, led 5% of his laps, and has a fairly good 101.78 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Enfinger’s 2023 overall and playoff stats above don’t necessarily show he’s been one of the better drivers this year, but he does have 3 Wins. His playoff stats actually match his Short track stats as he’s struggled on these this year, but this weekend is Bristol where Enfinger has rarely struggled. Taking this all in I think Enfinger continues his Bristol Top 10 streak and finishes 4th-9th.
– Grant Enfinger is notable because of his career stats at Bristol in his 6 Truck starts here
– Enfinger had a fast truck at Kansas last week, but a late speeding penalty put him behind the eight ball as he ended up 17th
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better including his 9.47 Avg. Finish, 99.89 Completed Laps%, 0 DNF’s, and 24 Stage T10’s
– His 3 Wins are his only Top 3 finishes
– His worst 2023 Rank above is only (T)7th (3 Top 2’s, 3 Top 3’s, 129 Stage Pts)
– He has 1 Win in the 3 2023 playoff races, but also just 1 Top 10
– In the 3 playoff races he’s gotten 6.83 Stage Pts Per Stage, has a 113.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s led 19.49% of his laps
– In the 4 Short track races this year he has an 11.25 Avg. Driver Rating with a best of 9th and worst of 14th
– He’s ran 85% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has just the 15th best Avg. Driver Rating (86.48)
– Last year at Bristol Enfinger started 4th, ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 5th best Driver Rating (106.7), and finished 4th
– In his 6 career Bristol Truck races he has a best finish of 2nd and a worst finish of only 10th
– In the 6 races he’s ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, led 5% of his laps, and has a fairly good 101.78 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Enfinger’s 2023 overall and playoff stats above don’t necessarily show he’s been one of the better drivers this year, but he does have 3 Wins. His playoff stats actually match his Short track stats as he’s struggled on these this year, but this weekend is Bristol where Enfinger has rarely struggled. Taking this all in I think Enfinger continues his Bristol Top 10 streak and finishes 4th-9th.
4th in Points – Carson Hocevar (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.63 | 5th of 29 | T53rd of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.24% | 15th of 29 | 87th of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 80.62% | 4th of 29 | 45th of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.07 | 6th of 29 | 45th of 227‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T1st of 106 | T8th of 812 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 106 | T67th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T4th of 106 | T15th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T5th of 106 | T32nd of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T2nd of 106 | T9th of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 11 | T3rd of 106 | T39th of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T21st of 29 | T121st of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T5th of 106 | T27th of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 23 | 7th of 106 | T44th of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 130 | 6th of 106 | 45th of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | T2nd of 106 | T10th of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(2nd), 97.84% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.8(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.15% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 6 Stage T10’s, 5.83 Stage Pts Per Stage, 1 Playoff Pt earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 5 straight Top 5 finishes (longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.75(T10th), 94.54% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.3(6th), Best 1st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 99.76%, Led 9.71% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 19th, Started 10th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage 10’s, ran 122 Laps in Top15 (61.0% of laps he ran), had 73.5 Driver Rating (ranked 15th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 14.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T20th)
- Best Finish: 6th, Worst: 19th
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T16th)
- 72.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 18th)
- 79.77 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 23rd)
- Led 1.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 14th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 33.33% (% ranks T19th)
- 1 Top 15, 33.33% (% ranks T29th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1.33 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 17th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Carson Hocevar is notable because he’s 4th in points
– At Kansas last week Hocevar was in the running late to get his 4th win of the year, but alas he got shuffled back to 6th
– This was his 4th straight Top 10 finish, and his 9th Top 10 in the last 11 races
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better including his 11.63 Avg. Finish, 3 Wins, 9 Top 5’s, and 3 Stage Wins
– 5 of his 9 Top 5 finishes this year have been either 4th or 5th place finishes
– The 3 playoff races have produced a best finish of 2nd and a worst finish of 6th for him
– In the 3 races he’s ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (118.8), and 5.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran 94.54% of his laps in the Top 15, led 10% of his laps, and has a 108.3 Avg. Driver Rating
– The 4 Short track races have produced 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, and 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage for him
– Bristol was a struggle last year for Hocevar as he ran just 61% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 19th place finish
– In his 3 Bristol Truck races he has just 1 Top 10/15 finish with only 1.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He’s only ran 73% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15 and has a measly 79.77 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Hocevar has had a good 2023 season overall and has had a spectacular 2023 playoffs through 3 races. The good stats keep coming when you look at his 2023 Short track races. However, Bristol has not been kind to Hocevar, but he has had one good race here which gives me some confidence when I say he finishes between 4th and 12th this weekend.
– Carson Hocevar is notable because he’s 4th in points
– At Kansas last week Hocevar was in the running late to get his 4th win of the year, but alas he got shuffled back to 6th
– This was his 4th straight Top 10 finish, and his 9th Top 10 in the last 11 races
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better including his 11.63 Avg. Finish, 3 Wins, 9 Top 5’s, and 3 Stage Wins
– 5 of his 9 Top 5 finishes this year have been either 4th or 5th place finishes
– The 3 playoff races have produced a best finish of 2nd and a worst finish of 6th for him
– In the 3 races he’s ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (118.8), and 5.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran 94.54% of his laps in the Top 15, led 10% of his laps, and has a 108.3 Avg. Driver Rating
– The 4 Short track races have produced 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, and 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage for him
– Bristol was a struggle last year for Hocevar as he ran just 61% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 19th place finish
– In his 3 Bristol Truck races he has just 1 Top 10/15 finish with only 1.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He’s only ran 73% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15 and has a measly 79.77 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Hocevar has had a good 2023 season overall and has had a spectacular 2023 playoffs through 3 races. The good stats keep coming when you look at his 2023 Short track races. However, Bristol has not been kind to Hocevar, but he has had one good race here which gives me some confidence when I say he finishes between 4th and 12th this weekend.
5th in Points – Zane Smith (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.84 | 6th of 29 | 60th of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.9% | 9th of 29 | 49th of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.9% | 5th of 29 | 52nd of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.25 | 3rd of 29 | 37th of 227‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T4th of 106 | T20th of 812 |
| Poles | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T11th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T1st of 106 | T8th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T1st of 106 | T4th of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | 1st of 106 | T6th of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T6th of 106 | T53rd of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T14th of 29 | T67th of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T3rd of 106 | T21st of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 29 | 1st of 106 | T9th of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 182 | 2nd of 106 | 13th of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 5th of 106 | 21st of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 7.33(4th), 91.94% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.57(7th), Best 5th, Worst 12th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.2% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 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, 3.0 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 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.75(T10th), 77.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.88(8th), Best 3rd, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 94.19%, Led 0.64% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 2nd, Started 35th, Led 39 laps (19.5%), Finished 10th in Stage 2, ran 140 Laps in Top15 (70.0% of laps he ran), had 102.9 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 8.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 16th
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T16th)
- 86.31% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 99.67 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 6.51% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 33.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 1 Top 5, 33.33% (% ranks T12th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T10th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 5 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Zane Smith is notable because of how he’s performed at Short tracks this year
– Smith ran all 134 laps in the Top 15 last week at Kansas, but only led 1 of those laps en route to his 10th Top 5 finish of the year, coming home 5th
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 races
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 5th or better including his Series leading 5 Top 2’s, 8 Top 3’s, 10 Top 10’s, and 29 Stage T10’s
– Of his 10 Top 10’s only 2 finishes have come between 4th and 10th with 0 of those coming between 6th and 10th
– In the 3 playoff races thus far he has a 7.33 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 5’s and a worst finish of 12th
– He’s ran 92% of laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, has a 97.57 Avg. Driver Rating in them, and has only led 0.2% of his laps
– At the 4 Short tracks this year he has 3 Top 5’s and 1 DNF leading to a 10.75 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran just 77.51% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, has only led 0.64% of his laps, and has a 97.88 Avg. Driver Rating
– In the Bristol race last year Smith led 39 laps, ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 6th best Driver Rating (102.9), and finished 2nd
– This was his best finish and only Top 5 finish in his 3 career Bristol Truck starts
– In his 3 races here he’s ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15, led 6.51% of his laps, and has the best active Stage Pts Per Stage (4.83) of any driver
Outlook for this weekend
Smith’s 2023 stats are in no way bad, but definitely aren’t what most expected of him this year. His playoff stats are the same way and the fact his longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 races is not good at all. Thankfully for Smith we head to a Short track where he’s been good this year, but aside from last year Bristol has only been okay for him. All this said I expect Smith to finish 1st-8th this weekend.
– Zane Smith is notable because of how he’s performed at Short tracks this year
– Smith ran all 134 laps in the Top 15 last week at Kansas, but only led 1 of those laps en route to his 10th Top 5 finish of the year, coming home 5th
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 races
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 5th or better including his Series leading 5 Top 2’s, 8 Top 3’s, 10 Top 10’s, and 29 Stage T10’s
– Of his 10 Top 10’s only 2 finishes have come between 4th and 10th with 0 of those coming between 6th and 10th
– In the 3 playoff races thus far he has a 7.33 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 5’s and a worst finish of 12th
– He’s ran 92% of laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, has a 97.57 Avg. Driver Rating in them, and has only led 0.2% of his laps
– At the 4 Short tracks this year he has 3 Top 5’s and 1 DNF leading to a 10.75 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran just 77.51% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, has only led 0.64% of his laps, and has a 97.88 Avg. Driver Rating
– In the Bristol race last year Smith led 39 laps, ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 6th best Driver Rating (102.9), and finished 2nd
– This was his best finish and only Top 5 finish in his 3 career Bristol Truck starts
– In his 3 races here he’s ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15, led 6.51% of his laps, and has the best active Stage Pts Per Stage (4.83) of any driver
Outlook for this weekend
Smith’s 2023 stats are in no way bad, but definitely aren’t what most expected of him this year. His playoff stats are the same way and the fact his longest Top 10 streak this year is only 2 races is not good at all. Thankfully for Smith we head to a Short track where he’s been good this year, but aside from last year Bristol has only been okay for him. All this said I expect Smith to finish 1st-8th this weekend.
6th in Points – Ty Majeski (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.63 | 3rd of 29 | T39th of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.68% | 11th of 29 | T56th of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.31% | 6th of 29 | 65th of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 100.02 | 4th of 29 | 21st of 227‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 106 | T37th of 812 |
| Poles | 2 | T3rd of 106 | T11th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T4th of 106 | T15th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | T3rd of 106 | T20th of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T4th of 106 | T18th of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | 2nd of 106 | T19th of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 29 | T20th of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | 1st of 106 | T11th of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 24 | T4th of 106 | T39th of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 174 | 3rd of 106 | T18th of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 6th of 106 | T24th of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 8.67(5th), 76.23% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 106.97(5th), Best 1st, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 99.8%, Led 35.24% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4 Stage T10’s, 4.17 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 2.25(3rd), 93.22% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 124.13(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 42.01% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 4 Stage Wins, 6.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 1st, Started 6th, Led 45 laps (22.5%), Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 193 Laps in Top15 (96.5% of laps he ran), had 139.0 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 1.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 1st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 96.5% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 139.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 22.5% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 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 T12th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ty Majeski is notable because of his race last year at Bristol
– At Kansas Majeski ran just 44% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 18th
– This broke his 5 race Top 10 streak
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better including his 10.63 Avg. Finish, 100.02 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Top 2’s, 8 Top 5’s, and 24 Stage T10’s
– All 3 of his stage stats (6 Stage Wins, 24 Stage T10’s, 174 Stage Pts) are between 1st and T4th in the 2023 Ranks above
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has 1 Win and 2 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 76% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, led 35% of his laps, and he has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating (106.97)
– He’s finished all 4 Short track races this year between 1st and 4th
– In these 4 races he has a 124.13 Avg. Driver Rating, led 42% of his laps, and has won half of the stages
– At Bristol last year Majeski had the best Driver Rating (139.0), ran 96.5% of his laps in the Top 15, led the last 45 laps and won the race
– This is his only Bristol start in the Truck Series
Outlook for this weekend
Majeski is fortunate to have won in the last round otherwise the penalty he received would have kept him out of this round. His 2023 playoffs and season overall have been pretty good, but they pale in comparison to his magnificent Short track stats. What makes things even better for Majeski is that in his only Bristol Truck race, he won. All of this put together tells me Majeski is a force to be reckon with this weekend and will finish most likely finish in the Top 3.
– Ty Majeski is notable because of his race last year at Bristol
– At Kansas Majeski ran just 44% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 18th
– This broke his 5 race Top 10 streak
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better including his 10.63 Avg. Finish, 100.02 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Top 2’s, 8 Top 5’s, and 24 Stage T10’s
– All 3 of his stage stats (6 Stage Wins, 24 Stage T10’s, 174 Stage Pts) are between 1st and T4th in the 2023 Ranks above
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has 1 Win and 2 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 76% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, led 35% of his laps, and he has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating (106.97)
– He’s finished all 4 Short track races this year between 1st and 4th
– In these 4 races he has a 124.13 Avg. Driver Rating, led 42% of his laps, and has won half of the stages
– At Bristol last year Majeski had the best Driver Rating (139.0), ran 96.5% of his laps in the Top 15, led the last 45 laps and won the race
– This is his only Bristol start in the Truck Series
Outlook for this weekend
Majeski is fortunate to have won in the last round otherwise the penalty he received would have kept him out of this round. His 2023 playoffs and season overall have been pretty good, but they pale in comparison to his magnificent Short track stats. What makes things even better for Majeski is that in his only Bristol Truck race, he won. All of this put together tells me Majeski is a force to be reckon with this weekend and will finish most likely finish in the Top 3.
10th in Points – Matt Crafton
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.74 | 9th of 29 | 83rd of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.45% | T5th of 29 | T38th of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.34% | 10th of 29 | 90th of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 80.02 | 10th of 29 | 93rd of 227‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 106 | T85th of 812 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 106 | T67th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 106 | T137th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T21st of 106 | T164th of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T11th of 106 | T104th of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T10th of 106 | T80th of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T5th of 29 | T20th of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T10th of 106 | T57th of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 14 | T12th of 106 | T81st of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 74 | 11th of 106 | T73rd of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T9th of 106 | T70th of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.67(15th), 69.94% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.93(14th), Best 5th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 98.23%, 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, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 12.25(14th), 83.78% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.2(16th), Best 7th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- Finished 5th, Started 16th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 144 Laps in Top15 (72.0% of laps he ran), had 94.9 Driver Rating (ranked 8th)
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 20 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T11th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 32nd
- Completed 96.6% of laps (% ranks 29th)
- 81.14% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 15th)
- 92.76 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 3.32% of laps he’s run (% ranks 12th)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 2’s, 10.0% (% ranks 9th)
- 5 Top 5’s, 25.0% (% ranks 14th)
- 14 Top 10’s, 70.0% (% ranks 9th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 15.0% (% ranks 21st)
- 1 DNF, 5.0% (% ranks 29th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 9 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Matt Crafton is notable because of his career stats here at Bristol
– Crafton ran just 38% of his laps in the Top 15 and, after wall contact ruined his night, ended up 33rd missing out on the Round of 8 by 11 points
– This broke his 3 race Top 10 streak
– Only 2 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 9th (98.45 Completed Laps%, 1 DNF)
– He only has 2 Top 5’s and just 1.95 Stage Pts Per Stage in 19 races this year
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has a 15.67 Avg. Finish with as many Top 5’s as Stage T10’s (1)
– He’s ran just 70% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, has a 77.93 Avg. Driver Rating, and only earned 3 Stage Pts
– In the 4 Short track races this year he has a 12.25 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 10’s
– His Avg. Driver Rating in the 4 races is a respectable 86.2 and he’s ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, but he’s only gotten 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Bristol last year Crafton got just 1 Stage Pt, had the 8th best Driver Rating (94.9), and finished 5th
– This was his 5th Top 5 in his 20 Bristol races
– In his 20 races here he has a 10.0 Avg. Finish with 0 Wins, a 92.76 Avg. Driver Rating, and 9 Stage T10’s in 12 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Crafton had a heartbreaking way to exit the playoffs last week, but when looking at his 2023 stats above it’s easy to say he didn’t deserve to be in the Round of 8 anyway. However, his 2023 playoffs have been pretty decent which can also be said about his Short track races this year. The same can also be applied to his career Bristol stats where even without a win he sports a 10.0 Avg. Finish. All of this tell me this weekend will be decent for Crafton as he ends up 6th-12th.
– Matt Crafton is notable because of his career stats here at Bristol
– Crafton ran just 38% of his laps in the Top 15 and, after wall contact ruined his night, ended up 33rd missing out on the Round of 8 by 11 points
– This broke his 3 race Top 10 streak
– Only 2 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are better than 9th (98.45 Completed Laps%, 1 DNF)
– He only has 2 Top 5’s and just 1.95 Stage Pts Per Stage in 19 races this year
– In the 3 playoff races this year he has a 15.67 Avg. Finish with as many Top 5’s as Stage T10’s (1)
– He’s ran just 70% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, has a 77.93 Avg. Driver Rating, and only earned 3 Stage Pts
– In the 4 Short track races this year he has a 12.25 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 10’s
– His Avg. Driver Rating in the 4 races is a respectable 86.2 and he’s ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, but he’s only gotten 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Bristol last year Crafton got just 1 Stage Pt, had the 8th best Driver Rating (94.9), and finished 5th
– This was his 5th Top 5 in his 20 Bristol races
– In his 20 races here he has a 10.0 Avg. Finish with 0 Wins, a 92.76 Avg. Driver Rating, and 9 Stage T10’s in 12 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Crafton had a heartbreaking way to exit the playoffs last week, but when looking at his 2023 stats above it’s easy to say he didn’t deserve to be in the Round of 8 anyway. However, his 2023 playoffs have been pretty decent which can also be said about his Short track races this year. The same can also be applied to his career Bristol stats where even without a win he sports a 10.0 Avg. Finish. All of this tell me this weekend will be decent for Crafton as he ends up 6th-12th.
30th in Points/ 19th in Owner Points – William Sawalich
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 19 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.6 | – of 29 | – of 227 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.88% | – of 29 | – of 227 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.69% | – of 29 | – of 227 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 81.88 | – of 29 | – of 227‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T11th of 106 | T85th of 812 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 106 | T67th of 812 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T16th of 106 | T137th of 812 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T21st of 106 | T164th of 812 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T30th of 106 | T203rd of 812 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T18th of 106 | T134th of 812 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | – of 29 | – of 227 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T16th of 106 | T90th of 715* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T17th of 106 | T114th of 715* |
| Stage Pts | 24 | 18th of 106 | 108th of 715* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 106 | T83rd of 715* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 43% of races thru 19 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, 32 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(16th), 89.07% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.05(8th), Best 6th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 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 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 59 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 8.33(7th), 99.48% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.07(12th), Best 6th, Worst 10th, Laps Completed 99.83%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2022 Bristol Race
- did not race
- Notable Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol, 55 drivers)
- 0 Races
Main Points & Outlook
– William Sawalich is notable because of his stats in the 3 Short track races he’s ran this year
– Sawalich’s last race came at Milwaukee where he ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 but ultimately ended up 26th
– He has raced in 5 races this year
– In these 5 races he has 3 Top 10’s with a best finish of 6th
– His 2 race Top 10 streak earlier this year matches the longest Top 10 streak of Zane Smith, Chase Purdy, and Jake Garcia (just to name a few)
– In his 2 playoff races he has a 16.0 Avg. Finish with 3 Stage T10’s
– In the 2 races he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating in the playoffs (88.05)
– He’s ran in 3 Short track races this year and has finished in the Top 10 in all 3 races
– He has the 7th best Avg. Finish at Short tracks this year (8.33) and has the 12th best Avg. Driver Rating (92.07)
– He’s ran an amazing 99.48% of his laps on Short tracks this year in the Top 15
– This will be his first Truck Series start at Bristol
Outlook for this weekend
Despite racing in only 5 races this year Sawalich has more Top 10’s than full-time drivers Rajah Caruth, Hailie Deegan, and FOX’s favorite Daniel Dye. His playoffs have been overall decent with one good race and one bad race. However, the Short tracks are where Sawalich has shined as he’s done amazing on them for as few a starts as he has. This is all the stats we have because this will be his first start at Bristol. In the end I expect to see Sawalich finish 5th-13th this weekend.
– William Sawalich is notable because of his stats in the 3 Short track races he’s ran this year
– Sawalich’s last race came at Milwaukee where he ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15 but ultimately ended up 26th
– He has raced in 5 races this year
– In these 5 races he has 3 Top 10’s with a best finish of 6th
– His 2 race Top 10 streak earlier this year matches the longest Top 10 streak of Zane Smith, Chase Purdy, and Jake Garcia (just to name a few)
– In his 2 playoff races he has a 16.0 Avg. Finish with 3 Stage T10’s
– In the 2 races he’s ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has the 8th best Avg. Driver Rating in the playoffs (88.05)
– He’s ran in 3 Short track races this year and has finished in the Top 10 in all 3 races
– He has the 7th best Avg. Finish at Short tracks this year (8.33) and has the 12th best Avg. Driver Rating (92.07)
– He’s ran an amazing 99.48% of his laps on Short tracks this year in the Top 15
– This will be his first Truck Series start at Bristol
Outlook for this weekend
Despite racing in only 5 races this year Sawalich has more Top 10’s than full-time drivers Rajah Caruth, Hailie Deegan, and FOX’s favorite Daniel Dye. His playoffs have been overall decent with one good race and one bad race. However, the Short tracks are where Sawalich has shined as he’s done amazing on them for as few a starts as he has. This is all the stats we have because this will be his first start at Bristol. In the end I expect to see Sawalich finish 5th-13th this weekend.
