Homestead was crazy. There were 3 playoff drivers who had issues, 1 that just stunk all weekend, and the rest made up the Top 4 including Christopher Bell who took home the victory. This week it’s the last chance to make the Championship 4 and with a couple desperate drivers mayhem could ensue at Martinsville. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 2 based on the playoff bubble, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 1 based on 2023 stats, 2 based on Short track stats, 1 based on the last Martinsville race, and 1 based on their overall Martinsville stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 34 races since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight the 2023 Playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Martinsville statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st in Points – William Byron (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.12 | 1st of 35 | 42nd of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.23% | 14th of 35 | 226th of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.98% | 2nd of 35 | 91st of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 99.02 | 1st of 35 | 70th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 6 | 1st of 64 | T14th of 1418 |
| Poles | 3 | 3rd of 64 | T38th of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 9 | 1st of 64 | T23rd of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 10 | T1st of 64 | T36th of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 14 | T1st of 64 | T38th of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 20 | 1st of 64 | T52nd of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T242nd of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | T1st of 64 | T11th of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 42 | T4th of 64 | T32nd of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 294 | 1st of 64 | 15th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 38 | 1st of 64 | 9th of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 5.5(1st), 81.73% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 102.46(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.97% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 10 Stage T10’s, 3.94 Stage Pts Per Stage, 5 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 19.25(26th), 69.04% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.13(6th), Best 9th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.94%, Led 6.89% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 23rd, Started 8th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 157 Laps in Top15 (39.25% of laps he ran), had 71.2 Driver Rating (ranked 19th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 11 Races
- 15.09 Avg. Finish (Ranks 11th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 96.21% of laps (% ranks 31st)
- 62.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 87.55 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 4.33% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 1 Win, 9.09% (% ranks 4th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 36.36% (% ranks 6th)
- 6 Top 10’s, 54.55% (% ranks 9th)
- 4 finishes outside Top 20, 36.36% (% ranks T14th)
- 2 DNF’s, 18.18% (% ranks 36th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.77 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– William Byron is notable because of his 2023 season stats
– Byron ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 at Homestead last week and led 25 laps en route to his series lead tying 14th Top 5 finish of the year, coming home 4th
– He’s now on a 6 race Top 10 streak, tying his longest such streak this year
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are either 1st or T1st including his 11.12 Avg. Finish, 99.02 Avg. Driver Rating, 6 Wins, 20 Top 10’s, and 294 Stage Pts
– His 6 Wins, 8 Stage Wins, 294 Stage Pts, and 38 Playoff Pts are all 15th or better since 2004 thru 34 races
– He has the best Avg. Finish (5.5) in the playoffs with 1 Win, 5 Top 5’s, and a worst finish of 15th in the 8 races
– In the 8 playoff races he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (102.46), and has gotten 3.94 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 4 Short track races this year he has just a 19.25 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 15 finish
– He’s ran 69% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, but has led 7% of his laps and has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (90.13)
– At Martinsville this Spring Byron ran only 39% of his laps in the Top 15, had only the 19th best Driver Rating (71.2), and finished 23rd
– He’s ran 11 Cup races at Martinsville accumulating a 15.09 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and as many finishes in the Top 5 as out of the Top 20 (4)
– In the 11 races he’s ran only 63% of his laps in the Top 15, has only an 87.55 Avg. Driver Rating, and has earned 2.77 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Byron sits 30 points above the cutlines and based on his 2023overall plus playoff stats he deserves this bit of comfort. It’s a good thing he has this buffer as the 4 Short track races have been good for him, but his finishes have been awful. One of these awful finishes was at Martinsville this Spring, and in his career he’s been just decent here. Taking in all the stats above I see Byron coming home between 8th and 20th this weekend.
– William Byron is notable because of his 2023 season stats
– Byron ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 at Homestead last week and led 25 laps en route to his series lead tying 14th Top 5 finish of the year, coming home 4th
– He’s now on a 6 race Top 10 streak, tying his longest such streak this year
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are either 1st or T1st including his 11.12 Avg. Finish, 99.02 Avg. Driver Rating, 6 Wins, 20 Top 10’s, and 294 Stage Pts
– His 6 Wins, 8 Stage Wins, 294 Stage Pts, and 38 Playoff Pts are all 15th or better since 2004 thru 34 races
– He has the best Avg. Finish (5.5) in the playoffs with 1 Win, 5 Top 5’s, and a worst finish of 15th in the 8 races
– In the 8 playoff races he’s ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (102.46), and has gotten 3.94 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 4 Short track races this year he has just a 19.25 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 15 finish
– He’s ran 69% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, but has led 7% of his laps and has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (90.13)
– At Martinsville this Spring Byron ran only 39% of his laps in the Top 15, had only the 19th best Driver Rating (71.2), and finished 23rd
– He’s ran 11 Cup races at Martinsville accumulating a 15.09 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and as many finishes in the Top 5 as out of the Top 20 (4)
– In the 11 races he’s ran only 63% of his laps in the Top 15, has only an 87.55 Avg. Driver Rating, and has earned 2.77 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Byron sits 30 points above the cutlines and based on his 2023overall plus playoff stats he deserves this bit of comfort. It’s a good thing he has this buffer as the 4 Short track races have been good for him, but his finishes have been awful. One of these awful finishes was at Martinsville this Spring, and in his career he’s been just decent here. Taking in all the stats above I see Byron coming home between 8th and 20th this weekend.
2nd in Points – Christopher Bell (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.44 | 2nd of 35 | 78th of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.31% | 13th of 35 | T220th of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.32% | 6th of 35 | 150th of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.52 | 5th of 35 | 160th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T7th of 64 | T102nd of 1418 |
| Poles | 6 | 1st of 64 | T7th of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T9th of 64 | T143rd of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T6th of 64 | T93rd of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T4th of 64 | T111th of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 18 | 2nd of 64 | T98th of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T242nd of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 9th of 64 | T44th of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 43 | T2nd of 64 | T26th of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 234 | 5th of 64 | T40th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 9th of 64 | T44th of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 8.75(2nd), 71.47% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.36(5th), Best 1st, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 99.96%, Led 15.23% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 4 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 11 Stage T10’s, 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Poles (longest streak in Cup Series this year and tied 12th longest in Cup Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 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, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.75(6th), 63.1% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.95(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.94%, Led 12.54% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 16th, Started 22nd, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 162 Laps in Top15 (40.5% of laps he ran), had 74.3 Driver Rating (ranked 14th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 7 Races
- 14.86 Avg. Finish (Ranks 10th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 28th
- Completed 99.79% of laps (% ranks 2nd)
- 57.6% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 85.54 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 10th)
- Led 4.82% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 1 Win, 14.29% (% ranks T2nd)
- 2 Top 10’s, 28.57% (% ranks T15th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 42.86% (% ranks 18th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 14.29% (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage T10’s, 42.86% (% ranks 11th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Christopher Bell is notable because he’s 2nd in points
– At Homestead Bell ran only 74.5% of his laps in the Top 15, but he took advantage of others misfortunes to pick up his 2nd Win of the year
– He’s now on a 2 race Top 2 finish streak
– Only 5 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better (his 12.44 Avg. Finish, 6 Poles, 10 Top 5’s, 18 Top 10’s, and 43 Stage T10’s)
– Only his 97.31 Completed Laps% is worse than 9th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He has the 2nd best Avg. Finish (8.75) in the 8 playoff races with a whopping 4 Poles, 1 Win, and 3 Top 3’s
– In the 8 playoff races he’s ran 71.47% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15% of his laps, and has gotten 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 4 Short track races this year he’s ran only 63% of his laps in the Top 15, but has led 12.54% of his laps and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (93.95)
– He has a 10.75 Avg. Finish in the 4 races with 2 Top 5’s and also 2 finishes out of the Top 15
– This Spring at Martinsville Bell ran only 40.5% of his laps in the Top 15, got 0 Stage T10’s, and finished just 16th
– In 7 career Cup races at Martinsville he’s ran just 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 6 Stage T10’s in 14 stages, but he’s led 5% of his laps ran here
– He has a 14.86 Avg. Finish in his 7 races here with 1 Win and only 2 Top 10’s
Outlook for this weekend
Last week Bell earned an automatic trip to the Championship 4, but looking at his 2023 overall stats he doesn’t deserve it too much. His playoffs have been better and are pretty decent, but aren’t spectacular. In the 4 Short track races this year he’s either been really good or really bad, and in his career at Martinsville it’s been mostly bad. When you put all these stats above together it tells me that Bell finishes this weekend in the Top 5 or between 10th and 15th.
– Christopher Bell is notable because he’s 2nd in points
– At Homestead Bell ran only 74.5% of his laps in the Top 15, but he took advantage of others misfortunes to pick up his 2nd Win of the year
– He’s now on a 2 race Top 2 finish streak
– Only 5 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better (his 12.44 Avg. Finish, 6 Poles, 10 Top 5’s, 18 Top 10’s, and 43 Stage T10’s)
– Only his 97.31 Completed Laps% is worse than 9th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He has the 2nd best Avg. Finish (8.75) in the 8 playoff races with a whopping 4 Poles, 1 Win, and 3 Top 3’s
– In the 8 playoff races he’s ran 71.47% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15% of his laps, and has gotten 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 4 Short track races this year he’s ran only 63% of his laps in the Top 15, but has led 12.54% of his laps and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (93.95)
– He has a 10.75 Avg. Finish in the 4 races with 2 Top 5’s and also 2 finishes out of the Top 15
– This Spring at Martinsville Bell ran only 40.5% of his laps in the Top 15, got 0 Stage T10’s, and finished just 16th
– In 7 career Cup races at Martinsville he’s ran just 58% of his laps in the Top 15 and has 6 Stage T10’s in 14 stages, but he’s led 5% of his laps ran here
– He has a 14.86 Avg. Finish in his 7 races here with 1 Win and only 2 Top 10’s
Outlook for this weekend
Last week Bell earned an automatic trip to the Championship 4, but looking at his 2023 overall stats he doesn’t deserve it too much. His playoffs have been better and are pretty decent, but aren’t spectacular. In the 4 Short track races this year he’s either been really good or really bad, and in his career at Martinsville it’s been mostly bad. When you put all these stats above together it tells me that Bell finishes this weekend in the Top 5 or between 10th and 15th.
3rd in Points – Ryan Blaney (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.82 | 9th of 35 | T201st of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.17% | 15th of 35 | 228th of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.65% | 5th of 35 | 148th of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 87.01 | 7th of 35 | 209th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T7th of 64 | T102nd of 1418 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | 275th of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 64 | T79th of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T8th of 64 | T122nd of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T13th of 64 | T226th of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | T5th of 64 | T158th of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T242nd of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 5 | T7th of 64 | T32nd of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | T8th of 64 | T71st of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 200 | T7th of 64 | T59th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 15 | 8th of 64 | T41st of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 11.5(4th), 74.12% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.86(6th), Best 1st, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.51%, Led 3.02% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 11 Stage T10’s, 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 17.25(T23rd), 41.13% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 71.4(23rd), Best 7th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 0.12% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 7th, Started 31st, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 293 Laps in Top15 (73.25% of laps he ran), had 87.8 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 15 Races
- 9.53 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 25th
- Completed 99.95% of laps (% ranks 1st)
- 75.65% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 99.06 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 5.16% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Wins
- 2 Top 2’s, 13.33% (% ranks 9th)
- 7 Top 5’s, 46.67% (% ranks 4th)
- 9 Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 6.67% (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 11.54% (% ranks T4th)
- 19 Stage T10’s, 73.08% (% ranks T2nd)
- 4.88 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ryan Blaney is notable because he’s only 10 points above the cutlines and because of his career Martinsville stats
– Homestead was interesting for Blaney as he narrowly avoided getting taken out on pit road, then almost won before setting for his third 2nd place finish this year
– His last 4 finishes have been finishes of 12th or better
– Only 4 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better (his 69.65 Laps in Top 15%, 5 Top 2’s, 16 Top 10’s, and 3 DNF’s)
– 62.5% of his 16 Top 10 finishes this year have been between 6th and 10th
– He has the 4th best Avg. Finish (11.5) in the 8 playoff races with 1 Win and 4 Top 10’s to only 2 finishes out of the Top 20
– In these 8 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 92.86 Avg. Driver Rating, and 11 Stage T10’s in 16 stages
– At Short tracks this year he has a best finish of 7th, a worst finish of 26th, and a 17.25 Avg. Finish in 4 races
– In the 4 races he’s ran a pathetic 41% of his laps in the Top 15, has only a 71.4 Avg. Driver Rating, and hasn’t gotten a single Stage T10 in the 8 stages
– Blaney ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville this Spring, had the 10th best Driver Rating (87.8), and finished 7th
– He’s ran 15 career Cup races at Martinsville running 76% of his laps in the Top 15, leading 5% of his laps, and getting 9 Top 10’s in the 15 races
– His 9.53 Avg. Finish, 99.95 Completed Laps%, 6.67 finish outside Top 20%, and 73.08 Stage T10% all rank 1st or 2nd in the Martinsville stats above
Outlook for this weekend
Going into Martinsville Blaney is just 10 points to the good, and according to his 2023 stats above he doesn’t even deserve to be that good. However, his playoff stats are a little bit better as he’s performed adequately in them. The same can not be said about Short tracks as he’s been pretty bad on them, but this is Martinsville where he had his best Short track race this year and is one of the best active drivers here. All of this tells me Blaney winds up 6th-12th this weekend, barely missing or making the Championship 4.
– Ryan Blaney is notable because he’s only 10 points above the cutlines and because of his career Martinsville stats
– Homestead was interesting for Blaney as he narrowly avoided getting taken out on pit road, then almost won before setting for his third 2nd place finish this year
– His last 4 finishes have been finishes of 12th or better
– Only 4 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T5th or better (his 69.65 Laps in Top 15%, 5 Top 2’s, 16 Top 10’s, and 3 DNF’s)
– 62.5% of his 16 Top 10 finishes this year have been between 6th and 10th
– He has the 4th best Avg. Finish (11.5) in the 8 playoff races with 1 Win and 4 Top 10’s to only 2 finishes out of the Top 20
– In these 8 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 92.86 Avg. Driver Rating, and 11 Stage T10’s in 16 stages
– At Short tracks this year he has a best finish of 7th, a worst finish of 26th, and a 17.25 Avg. Finish in 4 races
– In the 4 races he’s ran a pathetic 41% of his laps in the Top 15, has only a 71.4 Avg. Driver Rating, and hasn’t gotten a single Stage T10 in the 8 stages
– Blaney ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville this Spring, had the 10th best Driver Rating (87.8), and finished 7th
– He’s ran 15 career Cup races at Martinsville running 76% of his laps in the Top 15, leading 5% of his laps, and getting 9 Top 10’s in the 15 races
– His 9.53 Avg. Finish, 99.95 Completed Laps%, 6.67 finish outside Top 20%, and 73.08 Stage T10% all rank 1st or 2nd in the Martinsville stats above
Outlook for this weekend
Going into Martinsville Blaney is just 10 points to the good, and according to his 2023 stats above he doesn’t even deserve to be that good. However, his playoff stats are a little bit better as he’s performed adequately in them. The same can not be said about Short tracks as he’s been pretty bad on them, but this is Martinsville where he had his best Short track race this year and is one of the best active drivers here. All of this tells me Blaney winds up 6th-12th this weekend, barely missing or making the Championship 4.
4th in Points – Kyle Larson (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.24 | 13th of 35 | T219th of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.76% | 23rd of 35 | T356th of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 72.64% | 3rd of 35 | 114th of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.44 | 3rd of 35 | 100th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 4 | 2nd of 64 | T39th of 1418 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 64 | T71st of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | T2nd of 64 | T45th of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T3rd of 64 | T68th of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 14 | T1st of 64 | T38th of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | T5th of 64 | T158th of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 8 | 34th of 35 | T728th of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | T1st of 64 | T11th of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 43 | T2nd of 64 | T26th of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 277 | 3rd of 64 | 20th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 28 | 2nd of 64 | 14th of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 12.63(6th), 85.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.54(1st), Best 1st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 96.78%, Led 23.28% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 5 Stage Wins, 13 Stage T10’s, 6.05 Stage Pts Per Stage, 15 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.75(2nd), 73.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.3(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 8.41% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 1st, Started 19th, Led 30 laps (7.5%), Finished 9th in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2, ran 393 Laps in Top15 (98.25% of laps he ran), had 115.0 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 17 Races
- 18.24 Avg. Finish (Ranks 14th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 42nd
- Completed 91.95% of laps (% ranks 36th)
- 68.05% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 82.3 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 12th)
- Led 2.75% of laps he’s run (% ranks 14th)
- 1 Win, 5.88% (% ranks 9th)
- 3 Top 3’s, 17.65% (% ranks 9th)
- 7 Top 15’s, 41.18% (% ranks 19th)
- 5 finishes outside Top 20, 29.41% (% ranks 12th)
- 4 DNF’s, 23.53% (% ranks 40th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.14 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 11th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his stats on Short tracks this year
– Larson ran well all day at Homestead before trying to avoid Ryan Blaney getting on pit road caused him to hit the sand barrels and finish with his 8th DNF in 34th
– He’s now finished 3 of the last 5 races out of the Top 15
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 72.64 Laps in Top 15%, 96.44 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Wins, and 277 Stage Pts
– His 14 Top 5’s and 8 Stage Wins are both tied for most this year, while his 8 DNF’s are 2nd most this year
– He has a 12.63 Avg. Finish in 8 playoff races with 2 Wins, 4 Top 10’s, and 2 DNF’s
–In the 8 races he’s ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (112.54), and has the most Stage Wins in the 16 stages (5)
– This year in 4 Short track races he has a 5.75 Avg. Finish with 2 Wins and 3 Top 3’s, but 0 Stage Wins
– In the 4 races he’s ran just 73% of his laps in the Top 15, led 8.41% of his laps, and has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (104.3)
– At Martinsville this year Larson ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, led 30 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (115.0), and won the race
– In 17 career Martinsville Cup starts he has an 18.24 Avg. Finish with more DNF’s (4) than Top 3 finishes (3) and the same amount of Top 10’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (5)
– He’s ran 68% of his laps at Martinsville in the Top 15, has just an 82.3 Avg. Driver Rating, and 0 Stage Wins
Outlook for this weekend
Larson was the guy to beat last week, until he wasn’t. Thankfully he’s already locked into the Championship 4 and his 2023 overall stats say it’s deserved. His playoff stats have been good, but also boom or bust mostly. Surprisingly Larson has been great at Short tracks this year and won at Martinsville this Spring. However, his career Martinsville stats are so-so at best. All of this taken in I see a 3rd-10th place finish for Larson this weekend.
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his stats on Short tracks this year
– Larson ran well all day at Homestead before trying to avoid Ryan Blaney getting on pit road caused him to hit the sand barrels and finish with his 8th DNF in 34th
– He’s now finished 3 of the last 5 races out of the Top 15
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 72.64 Laps in Top 15%, 96.44 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Wins, and 277 Stage Pts
– His 14 Top 5’s and 8 Stage Wins are both tied for most this year, while his 8 DNF’s are 2nd most this year
– He has a 12.63 Avg. Finish in 8 playoff races with 2 Wins, 4 Top 10’s, and 2 DNF’s
–In the 8 races he’s ran 86% of his laps in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (112.54), and has the most Stage Wins in the 16 stages (5)
– This year in 4 Short track races he has a 5.75 Avg. Finish with 2 Wins and 3 Top 3’s, but 0 Stage Wins
– In the 4 races he’s ran just 73% of his laps in the Top 15, led 8.41% of his laps, and has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (104.3)
– At Martinsville this year Larson ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, led 30 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (115.0), and won the race
– In 17 career Martinsville Cup starts he has an 18.24 Avg. Finish with more DNF’s (4) than Top 3 finishes (3) and the same amount of Top 10’s as finishes out of the Top 20 (5)
– He’s ran 68% of his laps at Martinsville in the Top 15, has just an 82.3 Avg. Driver Rating, and 0 Stage Wins
Outlook for this weekend
Larson was the guy to beat last week, until he wasn’t. Thankfully he’s already locked into the Championship 4 and his 2023 overall stats say it’s deserved. His playoff stats have been good, but also boom or bust mostly. Surprisingly Larson has been great at Short tracks this year and won at Martinsville this Spring. However, his career Martinsville stats are so-so at best. All of this taken in I see a 3rd-10th place finish for Larson this weekend.
5th in Points – Tyler Reddick (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.18 | 12th of 35 | T217th of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.65% | 18th of 35 | T273rd of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 71.31% | 4th of 35 | 129th of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 90.74 | 6th of 35 | 170th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T7th of 64 | T102nd of 1418 |
| Poles | 2 | T4th of 64 | T71st of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 64 | T79th of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T6th of 64 | T93rd of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T4th of 64 | T111th of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 156 | T5th of 64 | T158th of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T242nd of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | T4th of 64 | T21st of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 42 | T4th of 64 | T32nd of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 259 | 4th of 64 | 31st of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 16 | T6th of 64 | T36th of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 9.5(3rd), 77.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 99.09(4th), Best 1st, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.96%, Led 7.08% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 13 Stage T10’s, 4.88 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 17.25(T23rd), 66.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.33(8th), Best 15th, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 99.94%, Led 4.77% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 22nd, Started 6th, Led 0 laps, Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 358 Laps in Top15 (89.5% of laps he ran), had 90.1 Driver Rating (ranked 9th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 7 Races
- 20.14 Avg. Finish (Ranks 23rd)
- Best Finish: 8th, Worst: 35th
- Completed 90.47% of laps (% ranks 39th)
- 39.38% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 18th)
- 66.57 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 20th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 14.29% (% ranks T22nd)
- 1 Top 15, 14.29% (% ranks 30th)
- 3 finishes outside Top 20, 42.86% (% ranks T21st)
- 1 DNF, 14.29% (% ranks 34th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1.36 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 17th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Tyler Reddick is notable because he’s only 10 points below the cutlines and because of his 2023 playoff stats
– Reddick was the only driver to run all 267 laps in the Top 15 last week en route to his 10th Top 5 this year, finishing 3rd
– He’s now on a 3 race Top 10 streak
– His best 2023 Rank above is only (T)4th, but 7 of his 15 are that including his 71.31 Laps in Top 15%, 5 Top 2’s, and 6 Stage Wins
– Only his 2 Wins, 15.18 Avg. Finish, and 96.65 Completed Laps% are worse than T6th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (9.5) in the 8 playoff races this year with 1 Win and 3 Top 3’s
– In the 8 races he’s ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (99.09), and has gotten 13 Stage T10’s in 16 stages
– He has just 1 Top 15, a best finish of 15th, and only a 17.25 Avg. Finish in the 4 Short track races this year
– In the 4 races he’s ran 66% of his laps in the Top 15, has a decent 88.33 Avg. Driver Rating, and 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Earlier this year at Martinsville Reddick ran 89.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 15 Stage Pts, but ended up 22nd at the finish
– In 7 career Martinsville Cup races Reddick has a miserable 20.14 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 10, 1 DNF, and 3 finishes out of the Top 20
– He’s only ran 39% of his laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville, has never led a lap, and has gotten just 1.36 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Going into Martinsville Reddick is just below the cutlines and his 2023 stats say he should be near the cutline to get into the Championship 4. His playoffs have been pretty good, but his Short track stats this year are just the opposite as he’s struggled big time. His career Martinsville stats just add to the unfortunate stats above as he’s been awful here in 7 starts. All of this said I see Reddick missing the Championship 4 with a 10th-20th place finish.
– Tyler Reddick is notable because he’s only 10 points below the cutlines and because of his 2023 playoff stats
– Reddick was the only driver to run all 267 laps in the Top 15 last week en route to his 10th Top 5 this year, finishing 3rd
– He’s now on a 3 race Top 10 streak
– His best 2023 Rank above is only (T)4th, but 7 of his 15 are that including his 71.31 Laps in Top 15%, 5 Top 2’s, and 6 Stage Wins
– Only his 2 Wins, 15.18 Avg. Finish, and 96.65 Completed Laps% are worse than T6th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (9.5) in the 8 playoff races this year with 1 Win and 3 Top 3’s
– In the 8 races he’s ran 78% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (99.09), and has gotten 13 Stage T10’s in 16 stages
– He has just 1 Top 15, a best finish of 15th, and only a 17.25 Avg. Finish in the 4 Short track races this year
– In the 4 races he’s ran 66% of his laps in the Top 15, has a decent 88.33 Avg. Driver Rating, and 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Earlier this year at Martinsville Reddick ran 89.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 15 Stage Pts, but ended up 22nd at the finish
– In 7 career Martinsville Cup races Reddick has a miserable 20.14 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 10, 1 DNF, and 3 finishes out of the Top 20
– He’s only ran 39% of his laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville, has never led a lap, and has gotten just 1.36 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Going into Martinsville Reddick is just below the cutlines and his 2023 stats say he should be near the cutline to get into the Championship 4. His playoffs have been pretty good, but his Short track stats this year are just the opposite as he’s struggled big time. His career Martinsville stats just add to the unfortunate stats above as he’s been awful here in 7 starts. All of this said I see Reddick missing the Championship 4 with a 10th-20th place finish.
7th in Points/6th in Owner Points – Denny Hamlin (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.76 | 4th of 35 | T91st of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.48% | 19th of 35 | T285th of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.06% | 1st of 35 | 33rd of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 96.84 | 2nd of 35 | T93rd of 780‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T3rd of 64 | T66th of 1418 |
| Poles | 4 | 2nd of 64 | T22nd of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | T2nd of 64 | T45th of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 10 | T1st of 64 | T36th of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 13 | 3rd of 64 | T53rd of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 17 | T3rd of 64 | T131st of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T15th of 35 | T384th of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 7 | 3rd of 64 | T16th of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 45 | 1st of 64 | T19th of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 291 | 2nd of 64 | 18th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 22 | 3rd of 64 | 21st of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 14.13(9th), 81.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 100.05(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 97.09%, Led 20.25% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 12 Stage T10’s, 5.06 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 6.75(3rd), 92.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 115.25(1st), Best 1st, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 15.82% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 4th, Started 11th, Led 36 laps (9.0%), Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 397 Laps in Top15 (99.25% of laps he ran), had 118.1 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 35 Races
- 10.34 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 39th
- Completed 97.01% of laps (% ranks 28th)
- 82.14% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 104.89 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 13.23% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 5 Wins, 14.29% (% ranks T2nd)
- 4 Poles, 11.43% (% ranks 3rd)
- 12 Top 3’s, 34.29% (% ranks 2nd)
- 18 Top 5’s, 51.43% (% ranks 1st)
- 24 Top 10’s, 68.57% (% ranks 1st)
- 7 finishes outside Top 20, 20.0% (% ranks 8th)
- 2 DNF’s, 5.71% (% ranks T24th)
- 5 Stage Wins, 19.23% (% ranks 2nd)
- 19 Stage T10’s, 73.08% (% ranks T2nd)
- 5.58 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats at Martinsville in his 35 career Cup starts
– Hamlin ran all but 3 of his laps in the Top 15 last week, but a wreck near the end caused him to only run 236 of 267 laps and finish 30th
– This is his 2nd finish of 30th or worse, and 2nd DNF in the last 3 races
– Only his 12.76 Avg. Finish, 96.48 Completed Laps%, and 4 DNF’s are worse than T3rd in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 7 Stage Wins, 45 Stage Pts, and 291 Stage Pts are all T19th or better thru 34 races since 2017
– He has just a 14.13 Avg. Finish in the 8 playoff races this year with 1 Win and 4 Top 5’s, but he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (100.05)
– In the 8 races he’s ran 82% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, led 20% of his laps, and has gotten 5.06 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he has 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, and a 6.75 Avg. Finish in 4 races
– He’s ran 92% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, led 16% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating (115.25)
– This Spring at Martinsville Hamlin ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, led 36 laps, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (118.1), and finished 4th
– In 35 career Cup races at Martinsville he has a 10.34 Avg. Finish with 5 Wins and more Top 3 finishes (12) than finishes out of the Top 20 (7)
– His 82.14 Laps in Top 15%, 51.43 Top 5%, and 68.57 Top 10% are all best among active drivers here at Martinsville
Outlook for this weekend
Hamlin’s untimely issue last week leaves him in a decent sized hole headed to Martinsville. This is a shame as his 2023 Ranks say he’s easily been one of the four best drivers this year, and even his playoff stats are decent. What’s better are his 2023 Short track stats and his career Martinsville stats as they both give lots of hope to him making up the deficit to make the Championship 4. This weekend Hamlin may make the Championship 4 with his 1st-7th place finish.
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats at Martinsville in his 35 career Cup starts
– Hamlin ran all but 3 of his laps in the Top 15 last week, but a wreck near the end caused him to only run 236 of 267 laps and finish 30th
– This is his 2nd finish of 30th or worse, and 2nd DNF in the last 3 races
– Only his 12.76 Avg. Finish, 96.48 Completed Laps%, and 4 DNF’s are worse than T3rd in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 7 Stage Wins, 45 Stage Pts, and 291 Stage Pts are all T19th or better thru 34 races since 2017
– He has just a 14.13 Avg. Finish in the 8 playoff races this year with 1 Win and 4 Top 5’s, but he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (100.05)
– In the 8 races he’s ran 82% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, led 20% of his laps, and has gotten 5.06 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he has 1 Win, 3 Top 5’s, and a 6.75 Avg. Finish in 4 races
– He’s ran 92% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15, led 16% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating (115.25)
– This Spring at Martinsville Hamlin ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, led 36 laps, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (118.1), and finished 4th
– In 35 career Cup races at Martinsville he has a 10.34 Avg. Finish with 5 Wins and more Top 3 finishes (12) than finishes out of the Top 20 (7)
– His 82.14 Laps in Top 15%, 51.43 Top 5%, and 68.57 Top 10% are all best among active drivers here at Martinsville
Outlook for this weekend
Hamlin’s untimely issue last week leaves him in a decent sized hole headed to Martinsville. This is a shame as his 2023 Ranks say he’s easily been one of the four best drivers this year, and even his playoff stats are decent. What’s better are his 2023 Short track stats and his career Martinsville stats as they both give lots of hope to him making up the deficit to make the Championship 4. This weekend Hamlin may make the Championship 4 with his 1st-7th place finish.
9th in Points – Brad Keselowski
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.88 | 7th of 35 | T149th of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.39% | 1st of 35 | 24th of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.65% | 7th of 35 | 177th of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.23 | 10th of 35 | 268th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T283rd of 1418 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T275th of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T12th of 64 | T188th of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T13th of 64 | T259th of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T11th of 64 | T196th of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | T5th of 64 | T158th of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T242nd of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | T4th of 64 | T21st of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | 7th of 64 | T61st of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 200 | T7th of 64 | T59th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 13th of 64 | T80th of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 14.0(8th), 76.98% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.75(7th), Best 4th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 98.57%, Led 3.73% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 11 Stage T10’s, 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage, 2 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 12.0(11th), 75.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.38(4th), Best 6th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 6.47% 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, 1 Stage Win, 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 24th, Started 21st, Led 7 laps (1.75%), Finished 5th in Stage 2, ran 218 Laps in Top15 (54.5% of laps he ran), had 74.1 Driver Rating (ranked 15th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 27 Races
- 12.48 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 38th
- Completed 98.6% of laps (% ranks 17th)
- 74.01% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 97.27 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 6.83% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 2 Wins, 7.41% (% ranks 6th)
- 7 Top 3’s, 25.93% (% ranks 4th)
- 12 Top 5’s, 44.44% (% ranks 5th)
- 17 Top 10’s, 62.96% (% ranks 3rd)
- 6 finishes outside Top 20, 22.22% (% ranks 9th)
- 1 DNF, 3.7% (% ranks 20th)
- 4 Stage Wins, 15.38% (% ranks 3rd)
- 17 Stage T10’s, 65.38% (% ranks 5th)
- 4.15 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Brad Keselowski is notable because of his 2023 Short track stats
– Keselowski had a fast car at Homestead leading 16 laps and running 80.5% of his laps in the Top 15, but a late problem caused him to finish 28th
– This is his 3rd finish out of the Top 15 in the last 4 races
– His 99.39 Completed Laps%, 16 Top 10’s, 3 DNF’s, and 6 Stage Wins are all T5th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– Only 12.5% of his 16 Top 10’s have also been Top 3’s
– In the 8 playoff races he has a 14.0 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 5, but 5 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 77% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, has the 7th best Avg. Driver Rating (92.75), and has gotten 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he has a 12.0 Avg. Finish with 0 Top 5’s, but 3 Top 10’s in 4 races
– In the 4 races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, led 6.47% of his laps, and has 1 Stage Win with 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
– This Spring at Martinsville Keselowski ran only 54.5% of his laps in the Top 15, had just the 15th best Driver Rating (74.1), and finished 24th
– He has a 12.48 Avg. Finish in 27 career Cup races at Martinsville with 2 Wins and more finishes in the Top 3 (7) than outside the Top 20 (6)
– In the 27 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 97.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 4.15 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Keselowski is out of the playoffs, but his 2023 stats and playoff stats both say he could be in them as they are pretty good. Another thing that’s pretty good are his Short track stats this year, however they aren’t good enough to inspire a winning confidence. What’s worse is his worst Short track race was at Martinsville, but in his career he’s been pretty darn good here. All of this put together tells me that Keselowski ends up between 5th and 12th this weekend.
– Brad Keselowski is notable because of his 2023 Short track stats
– Keselowski had a fast car at Homestead leading 16 laps and running 80.5% of his laps in the Top 15, but a late problem caused him to finish 28th
– This is his 3rd finish out of the Top 15 in the last 4 races
– His 99.39 Completed Laps%, 16 Top 10’s, 3 DNF’s, and 6 Stage Wins are all T5th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– Only 12.5% of his 16 Top 10’s have also been Top 3’s
– In the 8 playoff races he has a 14.0 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 5, but 5 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 77% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, has the 7th best Avg. Driver Rating (92.75), and has gotten 4.19 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he has a 12.0 Avg. Finish with 0 Top 5’s, but 3 Top 10’s in 4 races
– In the 4 races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, led 6.47% of his laps, and has 1 Stage Win with 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
– This Spring at Martinsville Keselowski ran only 54.5% of his laps in the Top 15, had just the 15th best Driver Rating (74.1), and finished 24th
– He has a 12.48 Avg. Finish in 27 career Cup races at Martinsville with 2 Wins and more finishes in the Top 3 (7) than outside the Top 20 (6)
– In the 27 races he’s ran 74% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 97.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 4.15 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Keselowski is out of the playoffs, but his 2023 stats and playoff stats both say he could be in them as they are pretty good. Another thing that’s pretty good are his Short track stats this year, however they aren’t good enough to inspire a winning confidence. What’s worse is his worst Short track race was at Martinsville, but in his career he’s been pretty darn good here. All of this put together tells me that Keselowski ends up between 5th and 12th this weekend.
30th in Points – Chase Briscoe
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 34 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 20.71 | 26th of 35 | T446th of 824 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.35% | 6th of 35 | T102nd of 824 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 29.91% | 23rd of 35 | 429th of 780‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 60.79 | 27th of 35 | 499th of 780‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T283rd of 1418 |
| Poles | 1 | T9th of 64 | T135th of 1418 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T22nd of 64 | T399th of 1418 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T27th of 64 | T472nd of 1418 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T19th of 64 | T323rd of 1418 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T20th of 64 | T380th of 1418 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | 4th of 35 | T104th of 824 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 450* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T21st of 64 | T136th of 450* |
| Stage Pts | 39 | 24th of 64 | T146th of 450* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T22nd of 64 | T136th of 450* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 34 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 4+ Playoff starts, 35 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 20.25(22nd), 24.72% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 56.06(27th), Best 10th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.6%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s, 0.38 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 13.75(16th), 54.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.95(17th), Best 5th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.71%, Led 6.43% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 5th, Started 4th, Led 109 laps (27.25%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 394 Laps in Top15 (98.5% of laps he ran), had 125.8 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 46 drivers)
- 5 Races
- 14.4 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 27th
- Completed 99.61% of laps (% ranks 8th)
- 42.4% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 17th)
- 79.66 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 14th)
- Led 5.84% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 20.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 60.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 40.0% (% ranks 19th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 12th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chase Briscoe is notable because of how he ran at Martinsville in the Spring race this year
– At Homestead Briscoe ran just 19.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished a mere 17th
– He has just 1 Top 10 in the last 10 races
– Only his 98.35 Completed Laps%, 1 Pole, and 2 DNF’s are 10th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T20th or worse including his 20.71 Avg. Finish, 29.91 Laps in Top 15%, 0 Top 3’s, 7 Top 10’s, and 39 Stage Pts
– He has a 20.25 Avg. Finish in the 8 playoff races this year with just 1 Top 10 and 3 finishes out of the Top 20
– In the 8 races he’s ran just 25% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 27th best Avg. Driver Rating (56.06), and a measly 0.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he has a 13.75 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10, but he does have 3 Top 15’s in 4 races
– In the 4 races he’s ran 55% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 81.95 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 6.43% of his laps
– At Martinsville this Spring he led 27% of the race, ran 98.5% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (125.8), and finished 5th
– This was his 1st Top 5 in 5 career starts at Martinsville where he also has 3 Top 10’s, and a 14.4 Avg. Finish
– He’s only ran 42% of his laps at Martinsville in the Top 15 and has just 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage, but he’s also led 6% of his laps run here
Outlook for this weekend
Briscoe, and SHR as a whole, have struggled this year and his 2023 stats reflect that. His playoff stats aren’t too much better, but what is better are his Short track stats this year. What tops the cake of his Short tracks this year was his amazing run here at Martinsville this Spring, however he’s just decent overall in his 5 career races at Martinsville. Based on all of this I see Briscoe ending up with an 8th-20th place finish this weekend.
– Chase Briscoe is notable because of how he ran at Martinsville in the Spring race this year
– At Homestead Briscoe ran just 19.5% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished a mere 17th
– He has just 1 Top 10 in the last 10 races
– Only his 98.35 Completed Laps%, 1 Pole, and 2 DNF’s are 10th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T20th or worse including his 20.71 Avg. Finish, 29.91 Laps in Top 15%, 0 Top 3’s, 7 Top 10’s, and 39 Stage Pts
– He has a 20.25 Avg. Finish in the 8 playoff races this year with just 1 Top 10 and 3 finishes out of the Top 20
– In the 8 races he’s ran just 25% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 27th best Avg. Driver Rating (56.06), and a measly 0.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Short tracks this year he has a 13.75 Avg. Finish with only 1 Top 10, but he does have 3 Top 15’s in 4 races
– In the 4 races he’s ran 55% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 81.95 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 6.43% of his laps
– At Martinsville this Spring he led 27% of the race, ran 98.5% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (125.8), and finished 5th
– This was his 1st Top 5 in 5 career starts at Martinsville where he also has 3 Top 10’s, and a 14.4 Avg. Finish
– He’s only ran 42% of his laps at Martinsville in the Top 15 and has just 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage, but he’s also led 6% of his laps run here
Outlook for this weekend
Briscoe, and SHR as a whole, have struggled this year and his 2023 stats reflect that. His playoff stats aren’t too much better, but what is better are his Short track stats this year. What tops the cake of his Short tracks this year was his amazing run here at Martinsville this Spring, however he’s just decent overall in his 5 career races at Martinsville. Based on all of this I see Briscoe ending up with an 8th-20th place finish this weekend.
