At Homestead we had our first driver clinch a spot in the Championship 4 as Sam Mayer took advantage of other drivers issues and won. This week we head to the penultimate race of the Xfinity Series 2023 season with a tight points battle that could lead to some desperation racing, Martinsville. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 3 based on the playoff bubble, 1 based on the 2023 point standings, 1 based on Short track stats, 1 based on the last Martinsville race, and 2 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 31 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 Martinsville statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st in Points – John Hunter Nemechek (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.65 | T1st of 32 | T15th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 98.54% | 2nd of 32 | 27th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 88.85% | 1st of 32 | 21st of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 111.61 | 1st of 32 | 8th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 7 | 1st of 104 | T5th of 843 |
 Poles | 2 | 7th of 104 | T22nd of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 12 | 1st of 104 | T2nd of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 15 | 1st of 104 | T2nd of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 17 | 1st of 104 | T7th of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 24 | 1st of 104 | T7th of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 3 | T8th of 32 | T63rd of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 10 | 2nd of 104 | T8th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 47 | 2nd of 104 | T17th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 335 | 2nd of 104 | T11th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 45 | 1st of 104 | 4th of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 3.4(1st), 95.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 113.88(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 4.96% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 4 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 9 Stage T10’s, 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 15th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), 93.25% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 121.57(1st), Best 1st, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 26.25% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 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, 2 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 1st, Started 2nd, Led 198 laps (79.2%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 250 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 150.0 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 1.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 1st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 100% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks T1st)
- 150.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 79.2% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Win, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Stage Wins, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 10.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of his incredible race this Spring at Martinsville
– At Homestead Nemechek ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, led 7 laps, and got his series leading 15th Top 3 of the year, finishing 3rd
– He’s now finished in the Top 3 in 6 of the last 7 Xfinity races
– 13 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T2nd or better including his 8.65 Avg. Finish, 111.61 Avg. Driver Rating, 17 Top 5’s, 47 Stage T10’s, and 335 Stage Pts
– His 111.61 Avg. Driver Rating, 7 Wins, 12 Top 2’s, 15 Top 3’s, 17 Top 5’s, 24 Top 10’s, 10 Stage Wins, and 45 Playoff Pts all rank T8th or better thru 31 races since 2016
– In the 5 playoff races he’s ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, led 5% of his laps, and has 9 Stage T10’s in 10 stages
– He’s finished between 1st and 8th in all 5 races with 4 Top 3 finishes
– At Short tracks this year he has a 2.0 Avg. Finish with a best of 1st and worst of 3rd in the 3 races
– In the 3 races he’s ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, has the best Avg. Driver Rating (121.57), and has led an incredible 26% of his laps
– This Spring Nemechek dominated the Martinsville race as he ran every lap in the Top 15, had a perfect Driver Rating (150.0), won both stages, and won the race
– This is his only career Xfinity race at Martinsville
Outlook for this weekend
Nemechek just needs to avoid disaster this weekend and he’s in the Championship 4, and his 2023 stats say he’s more than deserving of the spot. His playoffs this year have been just remarkable as his worst finish is 8th and his Short track stats are even better as his worst finish is 3rd. His best Short track race was this Spring at Martinsville and as this is his only start here his Martinsville stats are amazing. In all this weekend I see Nemechek easily making the Championship 4, finishing in the Top 5.
2nd in Points – Cole Custer (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.84 | 3rd of 32 | T40th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 96.62% | 7th of 32 | 62nd of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 85.36% | 3rd of 32 | 44th of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.86 | 4th of 32 | 30th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 2 | T5th of 104 | T35th of 843 |
 Poles | 6 | 1st of 104 | T4th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 3 | T5th of 104 | T48th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 8 | 4th of 104 | T25th of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 13 | T3rd of 104 | T26th of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 20 | 3rd of 104 | T28th of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 2 | T3rd of 32 | T28th of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 8 | 3rd of 104 | T13th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 46 | 3rd of 104 | T19th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 302 | 3rd of 104 | 19th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 18 | 5th of 104 | T21st of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 5.6(2nd), 95.66% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 125.06(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 99.9%, Led 32.78% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 8 Stage T10’s, 7.3 Stage Pts Per Stage, 3 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 10th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 11 straight Top 10 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 24th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(2nd), 98.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.6(2nd), Best 3rd, Worst 5th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.25% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 7.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 3rd, Started 1st, Led 5 laps (2.0%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 248 Laps in Top15 (99.2% of laps he ran), had 120.5 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 3.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T2nd)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 3rd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 99.2% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 120.5 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 2.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 1 Pole, 100% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 8.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
– Cole Custer is notable because he’s just 3 points above the cutlines and because of his 2023 playoff stats
– Custer dominated at Homestead until he had a flat tire after the last green flag pit stop that caused him to finish 13th, one lap down
– This finish broke his 4 race Top 10 streak
– Only 4 of his 2023 Ranks above are 5th or worse (96.62 Completed Laps%, 2 Wins, 3 Top 2’s, 18 Playoff Pts)
– Only his 6 Poles are either 1st or 2nd in the 2023 Ranks above
– He has 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, and a 5.6 Avg. Finish in the 5 playoff races
– He’s ran 96% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, led 33% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating in the playoffs (125.06)
– At Short tracks this year he’s ran 98.5% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 118.6 Avg. Driver Rating, and has an unfathomable 7.83 Stage Pts Per Stage in 3 races
– In the 3 races he has a 4.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Poles and a worst finish of 5th
– In the Spring Martinsville race Custer ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (120.5), finished 3rd in both stages, and 3rd in the race
– This is his only career start at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series
Outlook for this weekend
Custer had an unfortunate day at Homestead and now has to fight for his Championship 4 spot at Martinsville. His 2023 stats say he definitely deserves the spot and his playoff stats show he deserves it even more. The good news for Custer is that Short tracks have been his friend this year as he’s performed more than admirably on them. He’s only had one race at Martinsville, but it was impressive. Based on all this I see Custer making the Championship 4 with a 1st-7th place finish.
3rd in Points – Austin Hill (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.65 | T1st of 32 | T15th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 97.48% | 4th of 32 | 44th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 85.75% | 2nd of 32 | 42nd of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.93 | 3rd of 32 | 29th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 4 | T2nd of 104 | T17th of 843 |
 Poles | 3 | T2nd of 104 | T15th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 5 | 4th of 104 | T24th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 7 | 5th of 104 | T31st of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 16 | 2nd of 104 | T11th of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 23 | 2nd of 104 | T15th of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 2 | T3rd of 32 | T28th of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 4 | T5th of 104 | T29th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 44 | 4th of 104 | T22nd of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 281st | 4th of 104 | 24th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 24 | 3rd of 104 | T15th of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 12.0(T8th), 78.1% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 94.62(6th), Best 4th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 91.43%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 4.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.33(21st), 60.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.4(18th), Best 9th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 89.63%, Led 1.12% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 16th, Started 15th, Led 8 laps (3.2%), got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 98 Laps in Top15 (39.2% of laps he ran), had 76.7 Driver Rating (ranked 15th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 9.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 10th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 16th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 61.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 20th)
- 84.53 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 18th)
- Led 1.03% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 35.33% (% ranks T12th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T12th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 33.33% (% ranks T17th)
– Austin Hill is notable because he’s the last driver above the cutlines, just 3 points above the cutlines, and because of his overall 2023 stats
– Hill ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15 last week en route to his 16th Top 5 this year, finishing 4th
– He now has 6 Top 10’s in the last 7 races
– 13 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better, but only his 8.65 Avg. Finish is 1st or tied for 1st
– Only 30% of his 23 Top 10’s this year have been Top 3 finishes
– He has just a 12.0 Avg. Finish in the 5 playoff races, but does have 4 Top 10’s and 4.2 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 5 playoff races he’s ran just 78% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 94.62 Avg. Driver Rating, and has failed to lead a single lap
– At Short tracks this year he has a 19.33 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 15 in 3 races
– In these 3 races he’s ran only 61% of his laps in the Top 15, has just the 18th best Avg. Driver Rating (75.4), and just 1.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– This Spring at Martinsville Hill ran only 39% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 15th best Driver Rating (76.7), and finished 16th
– In his 3 Xfinity starts here at Martinsville he has 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s
– He’s ran just 62% of his laps at Martinsville in the Top 15, led only 1%, and has just 2 Stage T10’s in 6 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Hill is in a tight spot heading to Martinsville, but his 2023 stats say he should head to Phoenix with a shot at the Championship. However, his playoffs say he doesn’t deserve that shot. Worse yet is that his Short track stats this year are pretty bad, and even worse than that is his Spring Martinsville race was bad as well. Overall at Martinsville he’s ran not good, but has finished decent. With all these stats I see Hill finishing 8th-16th, missing the Championship 4.
4th in Points – Sam Mayer (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.13 | 5th of 32 | T62nd of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 87.68% | 24th of 32 | 197th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 70.82% | 9th of 32 | 84th of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.83 | 5th of 32 | 57th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 4 | T2nd of 104 | T17th of 843 |
 Poles | 1 | T8th of 104 | T34th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 7 | 2nd of 104 | T16th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 9 | 3rd of 104 | T22nd of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 12 | 5th of 104 | T32nd of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 18 | T4th of 104 | T42nd of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 6 | T22nd of 32 | T175th of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 104 | T128th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 36 | T7th of 104 | T46th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 167 | 8th of 104 | 48th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 20 | 4th of 104 | 20th of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(12th), 63.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 95.82(4th), Best 1st, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 65.5%, Led 15.14% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 2.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, 10 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 5 straight Top 5 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 27.67(36th), 70.96% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.37(16th), Best 17th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 79.63%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 31st (crash), Started 5th, Led 0 laps, Finished 4th in Stage 1, ran 206 Laps in Top15 (93.21% of laps he ran), had 82.6 Driver Rating (ranked 12th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 11.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks T15th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 31st
- Completed 97.2% of laps (% ranks T38th)
- 76.59% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 92.68 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 3 Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T10th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks T25th)
- 1 DNF, 25.0% (% ranks T44th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 37.5% (% ranks 16th)
– Sam Mayer is notable because he’s 4th in points
– Mayer ran 99% of his laps in the Top 15 at Homestead and took advantage of others misfortune to finish 1st and win his spot into the Championship 4
– He’s finished 1st in 4 of his last 8 Top 5 finishes
– Only 5 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better (4 Wins, 7 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, 18 Top 10’s, 20 Playoff Pts)
– His 87.68 Completed Laps%, 6 DNF’s, and 0 Stage Wins all rank worse than 15th in the 2023 Ranks above
– He has a 16.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Wins and 2 DNF’s in the 5 playoff races
– In the 5 races he’s ran only 63% of his laps in the Top 15 and has just 2.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, but he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (95.82) in the playoffs
– He has a 27.67 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 17th and 2 DNF’s in 3 Short track races this year
– In the 3 races he’s ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15, but only has 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Martinsville this Spring Mayer ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 12th best Driver Rating (82.6), but unfortunately got collected in a wreck, leaving him to finish 31st
– In 4 career Xfinity races at Martinsville he has 2 Top 5’s and an 11.5 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran 97% of his laps in the 4 races in the Top 15 and has a 92.68 Avg. Driver Rating, but hasn’t led a lap here
Outlook for this weekend
Mayer is on house money this weekend after his win at Homestead clinched him a Championship 4 spot. However, his 2023 stats say that spot isn’t exactly deserved and his playoff stats are good, but his finishes are not as good overall. However, it’s not as bad as Short tracks this year as he’s been awful on them, but this is Martinsville where he’s performed well when he’s finished the race. All of this said I see a decent day for Mayer this weekend, finishing between 8th and 13th.
5th in Points – Justin Allgaier (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.19 | 4th of 32 | 45th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 97.03% | 5th of 32 | 54th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 82.02% | 4th of 32 | 55th of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.94 | 2nd of 32 | 26th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 3 | 4th of 104 | T23rd of 843 |
 Poles | 3 | T2nd of 104 | T15th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 6 | 3rd of 104 | T18th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 10 | 2nd of 104 | T18th of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 13 | T3rd of 104 | T26th of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 18 | T4th of 104 | T42nd of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 4 | T12th of 32 | T98th of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 12 | 1st of 104 | T3rd of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 48 | 1st of 104 | T15th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 354 | 1st of 104 | 5th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 27 | 2nd of 104 | T13th of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 12.8(10th), 93.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.06(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 99.17%, Led 27.19% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 4 Stage Wins, 9 Stage T10’s, 7.1 Stage Pts Per Stage, 9 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(4th), 88.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.3(4th), Best 1st, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.75% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 6th, Started 8th, Led 6 laps (2.4%), Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 180 Laps in Top15 (72.0% of laps he ran), had 90.8 Driver Rating (ranked 8th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 6 Races
- 9.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 29th
- Completed 99.93% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 84.24% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 10th)
- 101.1 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 0.78% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 0 Wins)
- 1 Top 2, 16.67% (% ranks T6th)
- 3 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 5 Top 10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T7th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks T18th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4.08 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
– Justin Allgaier is notable because he’s only 3 points below the cutlines and because of his stats on Short tracks this year
– Allgaier had a good run going at Homestead but a vibration caused him to run just 74% of his laps in the Top 15 and finish 15th
– He’s tied for the longest Top 2 streak (3) and longest Top 3 streak (4) this year
– 13 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T4th or better including his 11.19 Avg. Finish, 82.02 Laps in Top 15%, 104.94 Avg. Driver Rating, and 18 Top 10’s
– His 12 Stage Wins and 354 Stage Pts this year rank 5th or better since 2016 thru 31 races
– In the 5 playoff races he has a 12.8 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 5’s and 1 DNF
– In the playoffs he’s ran 93% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (118.06), and an impressive 7.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He has a 6.67 Avg. Finish, 1 Win, and worst finish of 13th in 3 Short track races this year
– In the 3 races he’s ran 88.5% of his laps in the Top 15, led 15% of his laps, and has a 110.3 Avg. Driver Rating
– Allgaier ran just 72% of his laps in the Top 15 this Spring at Martinsville, but had the 8th best Driver Rating (90.8) and finished 6th
– He has a 9.33 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 5’s in 6 career Xfinity Martinsville starts
– He’s ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15 in his career here, has a 101.1 Avg. Driver Rating, and has gotten 4.08 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Allgaier was one of the playoff drivers who finished poorly at Homestead and now is paying the price. He definitely deserves a Championship 4 spot based on his 2023 overall and playoff stats, and looking at his Short track stats he might just get that spot. Adding to this, his stats here at Martinsville are pretty good, so he definitely will have a shot to get his spot. At the end of the race this weekend I expect Allgaier to be between 1st and 8th, advancing to the Championship 4.
6th in Points/7th in Owner Points – Sammy Smith (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.97 | T12th of 32 | T95th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 90.98% | 21st of 32 | 164th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 66.28% | 12th of 32 | 95th of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 85.42 | 11th of 32 | 82nd of 271‡ |
 Wins | 1 | T7th of 104 | T53rd of 843 |
 Poles | 0 | T12th of 104 | T88th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 104 | T68th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 3 | T11th of 104 | T75th of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 5 | T11th of 104 | T79th of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 13 | T10th of 104 | T71st of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 5 | T19th of 32 | T143rd of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 1 | T13th of 104 | T80th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 32 | 10th of 104 | T56th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 147 | 11th of 104 | 60th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 6 | T9th of 104 | T47th of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 9.8(4th), 90.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 95.54(5th), Best 3rd, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.79%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 2.3 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(T7th), 73.88% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.2(8th), Best 2nd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 5.75% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 2nd, Started 7th, Led 6 laps (2.4%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 250 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 119.7 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T11th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 18th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 95.57% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 109.95 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 1.35% of laps he’s run (% ranks 9th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 50.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T26th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks 5th)
- 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T4th)
– Sammy Smith is notable because of his stats in his 2 career starts at Martinsville
– At Homestead Sammy ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15, but he got 0 Stage Pts and only finished 9th
– This was his first Top 10 since a 3rd place finish at Texas a month ago
– Only his 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, 13 Top 10’s, 32 Stage T10’s, and 6 Playoff Pts are T10th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– He’s only getting 2.37 Stage Pts Per Stage this year
– He has a 9.8 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 10’s in the 5 playoff races
– His 95.54 Avg. Driver Rating is 5th best in the playoffs, he’s ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 in the playoffs, and his worst playoff finish is just 17th
– In 3 Short track races this year he has 1 Top 3, 2 Top 10’s, and a 10.0 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran just 74% of his Short track races in the Top 15, but has led 6% of his laps, and has the 8th best Driver Rating (98.2)
– Sammy got 16 Stage Pts in the Spring Martinsville race, ran all 250 laps in the Top 15, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (119.7), and finished runner-up
– In his 2 career Xfinity races here at Martinsville he’s finished 2nd and 18th
– He’s ran 96% of his laps at Martinsville in the Top 15, has an overall 109.95 Avg. Driver Rating here, and has gotten 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy has quite the hole to dig out of this weekend in Martinsville, but his 2023 stats say he doesn’t even deserve to be in the Championship 4 anyway. However, his playoffs have been pretty good, except his stages. There is some hope for him this weekend as he’s done well at Short tracks this year and in his career at Martinsville he’s performed well enough to be optimistic. However, based on all the stats I see Sammy finishing between 3rd and 9th, missing the Championship 4.
7th in Points/8th in Owner Points – Chandler Smith (P & OP)
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.19 | 10th of 32 | T85th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 94.79% | 14th of 32 | 104th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 79.54% | 5th of 32 | 64th of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.32 | 7th of 32 | 65th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 1 | T7th of 104 | T53rd of 843 |
 Poles | 3 | T2nd of 104 | T15th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 104 | T68th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 3 | T11th of 104 | T75th of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 8 | T7th of 104 | T53rd of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 12 | 12th of 104 | T77th of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 6 | T22nd of 32 | T175th of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 104 | T57th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 41 | 5th of 104 | T35th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 190 | 6th of 104 | 44th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 7 | T6th of 104 | T41st of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 11.8(T6th), 82.44% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.28(9th), Best 4th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 93.6%, Led 2.54% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 8 Stage T10’s, 3.4 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 10th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 5.33(3rd), 99.63% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.03(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 10th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.38% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 10th, Started 11th, Led 0 laps, Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 247 Laps in Top15 (98.8% of laps he ran), had 96.9 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T11th)
- Best Finish: 10th, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 98.8% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 96.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- 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
- 2 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
– Chandler Smith is notable because of his 2023 Short track stats
– Chandler only ran 70% of his laps in the Top 15 and even worse is he only ran 70% of the race, picking up his 6th DNF of the year finishing 34th
– His longest Top 5/10 streak this year is only 3 races
– Only his 79.54 Completed Laps%, 3 Poles, and 41 Stage T10’s are 5th or better in the 2023 Ranks above
– His 6 DNF’s this year are tied for 7th most of any driver this year
– He has an 11.8 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 5’s and only 1 finish out of the Top 20 in the 5 playoff races
– In the 5 races he’s ran 82.44% of his laps in the Top 15, led 2.54% of his laps, and has earned 3.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (5.33) at Short tracks this year with 1 Win and 2 Top 5’s in 3 races
– In the 3 races he’s ran just 3 laps out of the Top 15, led 10% of his laps, and has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (112.03)
– This Spring at Martinsville Chandler had his worst Short track run of the year, running all but 3 laps in the Top 15, leading 0 laps, and finishing 10th
– This is his only career Xfinity start here at Martinsville
Outlook for this weekend
Chandler’s unfortunate Homestead has him in a must win situation this weekend, but his 2023 stats show he doesn’t deserve a Championship 4 spot anyway. His playoff stats actually haven’t been too bad, but still aren’t great. However, his Short track stats this year are great, except for his race at Martinsville which is unfortunate as this is his only start here and that’s where we are headed. In all I see Chandler having a good run but ending up 6th-10th this weekend.
14th in Points – Brandon Jones
Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ÂŞRank Thru 31 Races |
 Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.29 | 14th of 32 | 110th of 271 |
 Completed Laps%¹ | 92.4% | 18th of 32 | 140th of 271 |
Laps in Top15%Âą | 68.17% | 11th of 32 | 91st of 271 |
Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 80.72 | 13th of 32 | 100th of 271‡ |
 Wins | 0 | T16th of 104 | T106th of 843 |
 Poles | 0 | T12th of 104 | T88th of 843 |
 Top 2’s | 1 | T15th of 104 | T90th of 843 |
 Top 3’s | 2 | T15th of 104 | T92nd of 843 |
 Top 5’s | 3 | T15th of 104 | T107th of 843 |
 Top 10’s | 10 | 13th of 104 | T95th of 843 |
 DNF’sÂą | 4 | T12th of 32 | T98th of 271 |
 Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 104 | T128th of 721* |
 Stage T10s | 25 | 13th of 104 | 75th of 721* |
 Stage Pts | 125 | 12th of 104 | 66th of 721* |
 Playoff Pts² | 0 | T15th of 104 | T98th of 721* |
ÂŞSince Playoffs started in 2016
ÂąRanks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 31 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 3+ Playoff start, 34 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.6(13th), 72.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.2(11th), Best 8th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 87.4%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 5 Stage T10’s, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 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, 50 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.0(22nd), 95.28% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.63(6th), Best 5th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 84.75%, Led 3.54% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 5.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Spring Martinsville race
- Finished 5th, Started 10th, Led 0 laps, Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 250 Laps in Top15 (100% of laps he ran), had 103.6 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville, 58 drivers)
- 6 Races
- 8.17 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 23rd
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 90.24% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 104.57 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 9.24% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 1 Win, 16.67% (% ranks 4th)
- 1 Pole, 16.67% (% ranks 3rd)
- 3 Top 5’s, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 5 Top 10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T7th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks T18th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Stage Wins,16.67% (% ranks 4th)
- 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 10th)
– Brandon Jones is notable because of his career stats here at Martinsville
– Jones ran just 52.5% of his laps at Homestead in the Top 15, but he found a way to finish 8th
– For only the 2nd time this year Jones has back-to-back Top 10’s (the other was back-to-back-to-back in late July)
– His best 2023 Rank above is just 11th (68.17 Laps in Top 15%)
– He has more DNF’s (4) this year than he does Top 5 finishes (3)
– In the 5 playoff races he has 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, and only a 17.6 Avg. Finish
– He’s ran just 72% of his laps in the playoffs in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has gotten a measly 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In 3 Short track races this year he has a terrible 20.0 Avg. Finish with more finishes out of the Top 20 (2) than in the Top 15 (1)
– He’s ran 95% of his laps in the 3 races in the Top 15, has the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (98.63), and has an impressive 5.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Martinsville this Spring Jones ran all 250 laps in the Top 15, had the 6th best Driver Rating (103.6), and finished 5th
– This was his 3rd Top 5 and 5th Top 10 in 6 career Xfinity Martinsville starts with his only non-Top 10 being last year when he got dumped by Ty Gibbs on the last lap
– He has an impressive 104.57 Avg. Driver Rating here, led 9% of his laps, and has ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15
Outlook for this weekend
Jones failed to make the playoffs this year and his 2023 stats show why as they are pretty bad for a JRM car. His playoff stats aren’t much better as he’s failed to record a single Top 5. What’s even worse than these stats are his Short track stats this year where he’s ran well but has struggled to finish good. However, there is hope as Jones has been magnificent at Martinsville in his career. For this reason I expect Jones to be up front and finish 3rd-7th this weekend.