Welcome, in this article series we will be reviewing and rating how each driver in the NASCAR Cup series has done in the 2023 season (min. 15 races started). Each part will contain 3-4 drivers and have them grouped by organization/satellite team or car manufacturer/future manufacturer teammate as best as possible. The review will include the drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 with season ranking since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Short track (under 1 mile), Small track (1-1.3 mile), intermediate (1.3-1.5 mile), Big track (2-2.5 mile), Road Course, Superspeedway (drafting tracks) and Dirt track statistics. I will grade each section and give a brief reason why, then give a short overview ending with an overall grade A+ thru F- based on a weighted formula from the grades above. To sum up each team, at the end of their last driver I will give an overall team grade based on the grades for each driver. All grades may take into account underfunded/well-funded cars and experience.
Next are the two Ford teams that surprised everyone with what they did this year, RFK Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
RFK Racing Drivers
Chris Buescher – 7th in Driver points/7th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.14 | 2nd of 35 | 75th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.19% | 1st of 35 | 41st of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 61.03% | 12th of 35 | 226th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 84.1 | 8th of 35 | 241st of 781‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T3rd of 64 | T72nd of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T10th of 64 | T151st of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 5 | 11th of 64 | T154th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T9th of 64 | T159th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 17 | T6th of 64 | T156th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T2nd of 35 | T32nd of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T11th of 64 | T70th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 21 | 17th of 64 | 111th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 110 | 15th of 64 | T100th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 17 | T6th of 64 | T36th of 452* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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 stats Grade: B
If this was based on just Wins and Avg. Finish then he gets an A+, but this also takes into account his mediocre Laps in Top15% and his poor stage stats. Therefore he gets a B.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 11.9(5th), 73.66% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.96(9th), Best 3rd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.97%, Led 0.79% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 7 Stage T10’s, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, 1 Playoff Pt earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B
He had good in-race stats in the playoffs, except for the stages were he only got 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage. However, he did get good finishes, but no win which is why he gets a B instead of B+.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 Wins (tied longest streak in Cu Series this year)
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A
If he had a longer Top 10 streak, or even a 3 race Top 5 streak possibly he gets an A+. However, just 3 straight Top 10’s is mediocre, but his 2 race Win streak got him the A.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 11.4(8th), 57.55% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.72(9th), Best 1st, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 4.05% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B
This was almost a B+ because he had 1 Win and 2 Top 5’s, but because of his poor Laps in Top 15% and stage stats I say he gets a high B.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 11.2(8th), 78.96% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.72(10th), Best 5th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.14% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B
He ran pretty good on Small tracks and was the only driver to finish all Small track races in the Top 15, but he also had just 2 Top 10’s so he got another B.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(13th), 56.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 76.49(14th), Best 3rd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.93%, Led 0.47% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.62 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C+
He ran decent at Intermediates this year, but he only had 3 Top 10’s in the 10 races which is good for a C. However, I see RFK as a tier 2 car (for now) and that helped him go from C to C+.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.67(T6th), 65.71% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.97(4th), Best 1st, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 9.29% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A-
He had that 1 Win on a Big track this year, but that was also his only Top 10 in the 3 races. However, he did have a good Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating, but a meh Laps in Top 15% so he got an A-.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 7.83(2nd), 77.21% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.23(9th), Best 4th, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A-
He had the 2nd best Avg. Finish on Road Courses, but only 1 Top 5. However, he finished all 6 races in the Top 11 and ran 77% of his laps in the Top 15. So, I say that deserves an A-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 12.83(T6th), 59.05% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 87.27(5th), Best 1st, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 94.1%, Led 7.15% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: A-
This was close between A- and B+ but ultimately I went A- since he had a Top 5 in half the races. Also his mediocre Laps in Top 15 was outdone by his 5th best Avg. Driver Rating.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(18th), 15.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.5(25th), Best 18th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: C-
He finished 18th in the one Dirt race this year, but only ran 15% of the laps in the Top 15 with his Avg. Driver Rating being amongst the worst. So, I gave him a C-.
Overview
– Buescher got 3 Wins this year and did well enough in the playoffs to finish 7th in points
– Buescher had the best percentage of laps ran this year and the 2nd best Avg. Finish, but the rest of the stats are just okay at best
– His playoffs were decent as he ran well and finished Top 10 most of the time, but his stages were yikes
– He tied William Byron for the longest win streak this year, but only had a longest Top 10 streak of 3 races
– He had a win at a Short track this year, but overall his runs were a little better than okay
– He ran good at Small tracks this year and finished all 5 in the Top 15, but had just 2 Top 10’s
– Buescher struggled to run Top 15 at Intermediates this year, but finished there in half the races
– The Big tracks were decent for him as he had a win, but also 1 Top 10 and very little Stage Pts
– Road Courses were a strong suit for him as he ran well and finished all 6 races 11th or better
– He struggled to run Top 15 at Superspeedways this year, but every other stat is at least decent
– The Dirt track race was his worst style of track this year as he struggled to an 18th place finish
– Buescher got 3 Wins this year and did well enough in the playoffs to finish 7th in points
– Buescher had the best percentage of laps ran this year and the 2nd best Avg. Finish, but the rest of the stats are just okay at best
– His playoffs were decent as he ran well and finished Top 10 most of the time, but his stages were yikes
– He tied William Byron for the longest win streak this year, but only had a longest Top 10 streak of 3 races
– He had a win at a Short track this year, but overall his runs were a little better than okay
– He ran good at Small tracks this year and finished all 5 in the Top 15, but had just 2 Top 10’s
– Buescher struggled to run Top 15 at Intermediates this year, but finished there in half the races
– The Big tracks were decent for him as he had a win, but also 1 Top 10 and very little Stage Pts
– Road Courses were a strong suit for him as he ran well and finished all 6 races 11th or better
– He struggled to run Top 15 at Superspeedways this year, but every other stat is at least decent
– The Dirt track race was his worst style of track this year as he struggled to an 18th place finish
Final Grade: B
Brad Keselowski – 8th in Driver points/8th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.44 | 8th of 35 | T182nd of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.35% | 14th of 35 | 213th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.1% | 8th of 35 | 183rd of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 82.11 | 11th of 35 | 269th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T288th of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T12th of 64 | T194th of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T13th of 64 | T271st of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | T12th of 64 | T205th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | T10th of 64 | T187th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T226th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | T4th of 64 | T24th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 38 | 7th of 64 | T57th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 214 | 8th of 64 | 60th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 13th of 64 | T81st of 452* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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 stats Grade: B-
All of his 2023 Ranks above are between T4th and T16th which is pretty impressive, but he only had 2 Top 3’s and 0 Wins so a B- seems fitting.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(13th), 72.55% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.19(7th), Best 4th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 92.58%, Led 2.91% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 14 Stage T10’s, 4.05 Stage Pts Per Stage, 2 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B-
His in-race stats are pretty good (7th best Avg. Driver Rating and 4.05 Stage Pts Per Stage). However, he only had 1 Top 5 and a 16.0 Avg. Finish which bumps him to a B-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: B
I graded Ty GIbbs (a rookie with better equipment) a B for his 4 straight Top 10’s. So for the veteran BK I feel a B is an acceptable grade for 5 straight Top 10’s
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 16.2(18th), 77.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.26(5th), Best 6th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 91.18%, Led 5.48% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B
He may not have a great Avg. Finish, but he does have great stage stats and an impressive Avg. Driver Rating with 3 Top 10’s. So, a B fits the stats.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 14.8(T14th), 72.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.54(12th), Best 5th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.57% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B-
His in-race stats are a little better than average, but he did get a Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s. So, based on how I’ve graded others a B- is fitting.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 12.4(T5th), 75.64% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.01(9th), Best 4th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.83%, Led 2.83% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.71 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: B-
Pretty all of his stats are a little better than average, and with him being in an RFK car a B- is a little better than average.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(5th), 62.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.4(5th), Best 4th, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 3.04% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 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
2023 Big track Grade: A-
He had the 5th best Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating with 2 Top 10’s and a worst finish of 16th. That’s pretty good so he gets an A-.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 21.33(25th), 22.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.73(28th), Best 15th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 96.51%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.58 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: D
If he had a better Laps in Top 15% I’d say he gets a D+, but his stats are just so poor that he only gets a D.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 11.5(5th), 63.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.4(4th), Best 2nd, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 97.67%, Led 10.29% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 4 Stage Wins, 4.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: A
The difference between his A and his teammates A- is that BK was a little better or same in every stats except wins and then was a lot better in stages.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(17th), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 42.7(30th), Best 17th, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 100%, 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: D
Finishing 17th in the one Dirt race isn’t too bad, but running 0 laps in the Top 15? That’s just awful, so his 17th place finish saved him from a worse grade.
Overview
– Keselowski improved a ton from last year as he made the playoffs and finished 8th in points
– Keselowski didn’t win a race, but he had decent to good 2023 overall stats
– His playoffs were about the same as his 2023 as a whole, good runs with not as good of finishes
– He had no Top 5 streak, but did have a 5 race Top 10 streak this year
– His races on Short tracks were impressive, but unfortunately he had 0 Top 5’s to show for it and only 3 Top 10’s
– Small tracks were about the same as his Short tracks, but he didn’t run as well and had a little better finishes
– The Intermediates were good for Keselowski as he ran pretty well and finished half the races in the Top 10
– The only bad stat for him at Big tracks was his Top 15%, but otherwise he was really good
– To sum up his Road Courses, he had 1 Top 15 and the 28th best Avg. Driver Rating in 6 races
– Superspeedways were his best track getting 4 Stage Wins and an 11.5 Avg. Finish
– He ran 0 laps in the Top 15 at the Dirt race, but finished 17th somehow
– Keselowski improved a ton from last year as he made the playoffs and finished 8th in points
– Keselowski didn’t win a race, but he had decent to good 2023 overall stats
– His playoffs were about the same as his 2023 as a whole, good runs with not as good of finishes
– He had no Top 5 streak, but did have a 5 race Top 10 streak this year
– His races on Short tracks were impressive, but unfortunately he had 0 Top 5’s to show for it and only 3 Top 10’s
– Small tracks were about the same as his Short tracks, but he didn’t run as well and had a little better finishes
– The Intermediates were good for Keselowski as he ran pretty well and finished half the races in the Top 10
– The only bad stat for him at Big tracks was his Top 15%, but otherwise he was really good
– To sum up his Road Courses, he had 1 Top 15 and the 28th best Avg. Driver Rating in 6 races
– Superspeedways were his best track getting 4 Stage Wins and an 11.5 Avg. Finish
– He ran 0 laps in the Top 15 at the Dirt race, but finished 17th somehow
Final Grade: B-
RFK Racing Overall Team Grade: B
Front Row Motorsports Drivers
Michael McDowell – 15th in Driver points/15th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 19.03 | 20th of 35 | 381st of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.13% | 8th of 35 | T122nd of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 33.33% | 22nd of 35 | 407th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 68.03 | 20th of 35 | 423rd of 781‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T11th of 64 | T156th of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T14th of 64 | T269th of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T18th of 64 | T340th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T21st of 64 | T387th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 8 | T20th of 64 | T363rd of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T226th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T11th of 64 | T70th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 17 | 19th of 64 | 116th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 98 | 19th of 64 | 113th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | 12th of 64 | T71st of 452* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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 stats Grade: C
Even for an FRM car these stats are just okay, these cars I consider tier 3 and even with a Win he only had a 19.03 Avg. Finish and just 33% of his laps in the Top 15. However, he almost got a C+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 20.5(21st), 34.09% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 65.09(21st), Best 6th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 98.69%, Led 0.17% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 0.65 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C-
While making the playoffs is a great feat, in the playoffs he only had 2 Top 10’s and the 21st best Avg. Driver Rating. So, this would normally be a D but an FRM car gets a C-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C
2 straight Top 10’s isn’t that great. but for an FRM car that’s pretty good. So I equate it to Joey Logano having a 2 race Top 3/5/10 streak being his long. Thus he gets a C.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 15.6(16th), 39.44% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 71.18(21st), Best 6th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 0.41% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: C
2 Top 10’s is pretty good for this team, but running less than half the laps in the Top 15 isn’t as good and neither in 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. So, C is what I’m giving him.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 13.2(11th), 39.55% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 72.26(17th), Best 9th, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 99.81%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: C+
His 13.2 Avg. Finish ranked 11th best and he had 4 Top 15’s in 5 races. However, his Laps in Top 15% and Stage Pts again were low. So, for an FRM car I gave him a C+.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 25.2(33rd), 17.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 52.64(27th), Best 15th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 95.25%, Led 0.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 8 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.71 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: D-
His best finish in 10 races was only 15th, he had 8 finishes out of the Top 20 and he ran just 17% of his laps in the Top 15. This would be worse if he were in better equipment, but with FRM it’s a D-.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.33(T19th), 26.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.9(26th), Best 18th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 1.07% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C-
The thing that saved him from a D+ is that he got some Stage Pts and he only had 1 race where he finished out of the Top 20.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 15.83(16th), 79.92% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.17(6th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 97.06%, Led 13.64% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A
I know McDowell is a bit of a Road Course expert, but to get these great of in-race numbers in an FRM car is incredible. The only bad stat he had was just 3 Top 10’s and his Avg. Finish.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 20.33(26th), 32.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 62.17(30th), Best 4th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 99.09%, Led 0.42% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C-
He neither ran good at these tracks or finished good as he had just 1 Top 5 and a pretty bad Avg. Finish. For these reasons I gave him a C-.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 11.0(11th), 67.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.8(15th), Best 11th, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: B
Finishing 11th for this team is really good, and what’s even better is he had a good amount of laps in the Top 15 and a decent Avg. Driver Rating. So, he gets a B.
Overview
– McDowell made the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 year, finishing 15th in points
– The 2023 stats for McDowell aren’t great, but he did have 8 Top 10’s. A good effort for this team
– He struggled to run or finish good in the playoffs, over half his finishes were out of the Top 20
– His best streak this year was 2 straight Top 10’s, not bad for a small team
– He ran okay at Short track and ended up with a couple good and couple bad finishes
– His Small track stats are similar to the Short tracks, but he had better finishes
– 80% of McDowell’s Intermediate finishes were out of the Top 20, and he didn’t run good in the races either
– He didn’t run great at Big tracks, but he found ways to finish okay
– He ran extremely well at Road Courses, but a few bad finishes hurt his Avg. Finish
– He ran poorly at Superspeedways and had a difficult time finishing well in them too
– He ran pretty decent at the Dirt race and almost got a Top 10
– McDowell made the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 year, finishing 15th in points
– The 2023 stats for McDowell aren’t great, but he did have 8 Top 10’s. A good effort for this team
– He struggled to run or finish good in the playoffs, over half his finishes were out of the Top 20
– His best streak this year was 2 straight Top 10’s, not bad for a small team
– He ran okay at Short track and ended up with a couple good and couple bad finishes
– His Small track stats are similar to the Short tracks, but he had better finishes
– 80% of McDowell’s Intermediate finishes were out of the Top 20, and he didn’t run good in the races either
– He didn’t run great at Big tracks, but he found ways to finish okay
– He ran extremely well at Road Courses, but a few bad finishes hurt his Avg. Finish
– He ran poorly at Superspeedways and had a difficult time finishing well in them too
– He ran pretty decent at the Dirt race and almost got a Top 10
Final Grade: C
Todd Gilliland – 28th in Driver points/28th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 21.97 | 30th of 35 | T480th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.53% | 24th of 35 | T379th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 15.91% | 29th of 35 | 506th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 51.71 | 30th of 35 | 590th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T288th of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T18th of 64 | T403rd of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T27th of 64 | T473rd of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T32nd of 64 | T564th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | 28th of 64 | T472nd of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 35 | T359th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T31st of 64 | T188th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 8 | 33rd of 64 | T200th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T22nd of 64 | T136th of 452* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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 stats Grade: D+
He got 4 Top 10’s which is good for him, but he had more race Top 10’s than Stage Top 10’s which isn’t good. This mixed with his poor Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating give him a D+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 22.9(29th), 16.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 48.25(31st), Best 6th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 92.68%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 7 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.15 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D
The stats above are really not good for him in the playoffs, but he did get 1 Top 10 and 1 Stage T10. So, he gets a D based on the car he’s in and the numbers combined.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: F+
I gave Cindric an F+ for getting 1 Top 5 and 5 one race Top 10 “streaks”. However, his car is top notch compared to Gilliland so Gilliland gets an F+ as well.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 18.2(25th), 35.59% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 67.16(23rd), Best 10th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 0.00% 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, 0.7 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: C-
He wasn’t terrible on Short tracks, but his in-race stats with his 1 Top 10 and 2 Top 15’s I feel are a little less than what average should be for a 2nd year driver with this team.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 24.6(T28th), 2.56% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 41.62(33rd), Best 15th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.36%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: F
He only ran 2.56% of his laps in the Top 15, that is definitely not worthy of anything higher than F+. Just mix in 4 finishes out of the Top 20 and the rest and you get an F.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 27.2(36th), 3.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 38.19(35th), Best 11th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 87.81%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 9 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: F-
In 10 races he had just 1 Top 15 with the rest being out of the Top 20. In addition just 3% of his laps were run in the Top 15 and he got 0 Stage Pts. Definitely F- worthy.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.33(T19th), 12.57% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 46.5(30th), Best 15th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.46%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: D+
He gets a D+ instead of D because he had more Top 15’s than his teammate. The rest of the stats aren’t great, but at least his Avg. Finish is decent. So, he gets a D+.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 20.67(22nd), 10.7% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 54.0(30th), Best 10th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 99.63%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: D+
He had 1 Top 10 on a Road Course and 2 Top 15’s! However, he ran just 10% of his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating was horrible, but for a small team he still gets a D+.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 18.67(20th), 27.57% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 63.58(29th), Best 10th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 97.01%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.08 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C
His Avg. Finish and 3 Top 15’s aren’t too shabby, however his Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating with very little Stage Pts is bad. So, all of this combined is average I think. Hence, C.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 8.0(8th), 50.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.8(6th), Best 8th, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: A-
He finished 8th and had the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating in the Dirt track this year. However, what kept him from an A is the fact he ran just 50% of his laps in the Top 15.
Overview
– Gilliland had to piece together a season in different rides, winding up 28th in points
– Gilliland’s DNF’s and Top 10’s (4 each) were more than his Stage T10’s (3)
– In the playoffs he had the same amount of DNF’s, Top 10’s, and Stage T10’s (1 each)
– His best “streak” was just 1 straight Top 10 finish
– He ran decent at Short tracks and actually finished pretty decent as well
– All you need to know about him at Small tracks is he ran just 2.56% of his laps in the Top 15
– Gilliland’s Top 15% was also very bad at Intermediates and he got just 1 Top 20 finish in 10 races
– He didn’t run well at Big tracks mostly, but he did end up with 1 Top 15 finish
– His runs at Road Courses were nothing to write home about but he did get a Top 10 in one of the 6 races
– He finished half his Superspeedway races in the Top 15, but overall he didn’t run great in the races
– He finished 8th in the one Dirt race and had the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating
– Gilliland had to piece together a season in different rides, winding up 28th in points
– Gilliland’s DNF’s and Top 10’s (4 each) were more than his Stage T10’s (3)
– In the playoffs he had the same amount of DNF’s, Top 10’s, and Stage T10’s (1 each)
– His best “streak” was just 1 straight Top 10 finish
– He ran decent at Short tracks and actually finished pretty decent as well
– All you need to know about him at Small tracks is he ran just 2.56% of his laps in the Top 15
– Gilliland’s Top 15% was also very bad at Intermediates and he got just 1 Top 20 finish in 10 races
– He didn’t run well at Big tracks mostly, but he did end up with 1 Top 15 finish
– His runs at Road Courses were nothing to write home about but he did get a Top 10 in one of the 6 races
– He finished half his Superspeedway races in the Top 15, but overall he didn’t run great in the races
– He finished 8th in the one Dirt race and had the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating
Final Grade: D
Front Row Motorsports Overall Team Grade: C-
If you liked this article (or even if you didn’t) go check out the season reviews for Cup being done by Robert Cwik and Griffin Fuller on Pit Pass Network titled “2023 Season in Review: *team name*”. Compare and contrast between my numbers based review and their more eye test review with outlook for 2024 and overall team grade.
