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.
Rounding out the Championship 4 teams was this organization, Joe Gibbs Racing.
Joe Gibbs Drivers
Christopher Bell – 4th in Driver points/4th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.94 | 4th of 35 | T108th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.35% | 26th of 35 | T397th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.78% | 5th of 35 | 152nd of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.02 | 5th of 35 | 170th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T8th of 64 | T107th of 1430 |
| Poles | 6 | 1st of 64 | T7th of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T10th of 64 | T151st of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T7th of 64 | T108th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 10 | T5th of 64 | T127th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 19 | T2nd of 64 | T107th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 35 | T359th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 9th of 64 | T47th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 46 | 2nd of 64 | T27th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 240 | 6th of 64 | 47th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 14 | 10th of 64 | T48th 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: A-
He had fast cars (hence 6 Poles), but didn’t always finish great. However, he ran and finished well enough this year to get an A-.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 11.3(4th), 72.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.6(5th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 93.27%, Led 11.97% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 4 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 14 Stage T10’s, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: A-
This was a toss-up between A- and B+ since he ran pretty well and finished well, but only ran 72% of laps in the Top 15. However, his 4 Poles are impressive, so A- it is.
- 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
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A-
His longest Top 10 this year was very unimpressive. However, 3 straight Poles is incredible! This alone is why he gets an A-.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(5th), 71.4% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.54(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.95%, Led 9.69% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 3.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A-
He ran solid on Short tracks this year, had good finishes, good stages, and ran a good amount of laps in the Top 15. So good stats equals A-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.6(18th), 85.3% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.9(8th), Best 6th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 86.9%, Led 0.15% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B-
His Laps in Top 15% is great, however his finishes were very lacking and 2.3 Stage Pts Per Stage really hurt his grade as well.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 12.4(T5th), 76.1% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.77(6th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 96.26%, Led 6.86% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 3 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 4.05 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: B
His Intermediate stats were solid, but that laps in Top 15% with 0 Stage Wins and 3 finishes out of the Top 20 lower his grade to a B.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(13th), 54.46% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.27(18th), Best 6th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 80.0%, Led 0.45% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C-
He did not run good at Big tracks and didn’t finish well either. However, what really gets him that C- instead of C grade is the 0 Stage Pts in 6 stages.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 14.17(11th), 85.24% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.93(4th), Best 3rd, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.63%, Led 10.7% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: B+
He ran well in Road Course races this year, but he only had 1 Top 5 and the 11th best Avg. Finish. So, B+ seems fitting for great runs and decent finishes.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 11.17(T3rd), 51.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.97(13th), Best 3rd, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 2.33% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B
He had a really good Avg. Finish on Superspeedways this year and 2 Top 3’s! However, he had just Top 10’s plus his in-race stats were so-so, so he gets a B.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 1.0(1st), 100% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 139.6(1st), Best 1st, Worst 1st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 40.0% of laps he ran, 1 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: A+
This is an obvious A+ and if you need an explanation for it then you just a Bell hater.
Overview
– Bell had a disappointing Phoenix as a brake issue caused him to DNF and finish 4th in points
– Not many of Bell’s 2023 Ranks are top 4, but his stats are pretty consistent
– Even with the bad Phoenix race his playoff Avg. Finish was still 4th best and Avg. Driver Rating 5th best
– He had an amazing 3 straight Poles this year, but also just a long Top 10 streak of 3
– Short tracks were his best tracks (other than Dirt) as he ran and finished well in them
– He ran decent at Small tracks but didn’t get the finishes to show for it
– At Intermediate’s Bell was mostly sink or swim in terms of finishes
– He was another good driver this year that struggled on Big tracks
– He ran well at Road Courses this year, but had just 1 Top 5 in 6 races
– His finishes at Superspeedways this year were really good, but his in-race stats were meh
– He dominates the stats in the one Dirt race this year
– Bell had a disappointing Phoenix as a brake issue caused him to DNF and finish 4th in points
– Not many of Bell’s 2023 Ranks are top 4, but his stats are pretty consistent
– Even with the bad Phoenix race his playoff Avg. Finish was still 4th best and Avg. Driver Rating 5th best
– He had an amazing 3 straight Poles this year, but also just a long Top 10 streak of 3
– Short tracks were his best tracks (other than Dirt) as he ran and finished well in them
– He ran decent at Small tracks but didn’t get the finishes to show for it
– At Intermediate’s Bell was mostly sink or swim in terms of finishes
– He was another good driver this year that struggled on Big tracks
– He ran well at Road Courses this year, but had just 1 Top 5 in 6 races
– His finishes at Superspeedways this year were really good, but his in-race stats were meh
– He dominates the stats in the one Dirt race this year
Final Grade: A-
Denny Hamlin – 5th in Driver points/5th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.36 | 3rd of 35 | T82nd of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.78% | 18th of 35 | 260th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.62% | 1st of 35 | 26th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 97.68 | 2nd of 35 | 86th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T3rd of 64 | T72nd of 1430 |
| Poles | 4 | T2nd of 64 | T22nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | T2nd of 64 | T52nd of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 11 | 1st of 64 | T36th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 14 | 3rd of 64 | T53rd of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 19 | T2nd of 64 | T107th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 35 | T359th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | T2nd of 64 | T14th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 47 | 1st of 64 | T23rd of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 310 | 1st of 64 | T11th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 23 | 3rd of 64 | T21st 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: A+
Only 2 of his 2023 Ranks above are worse than T3rd, so yeah he deserves an A+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 12.4(T6th), 86.44% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 102.42(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 97.87%, Led 20.44% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 4 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 14 Stage T10’s, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, 8 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: A
He ran well in the 10 playoff races, but his finishes were either sink or swim. Still, the 10 races were impressive enough for an A.
- 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)
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A
He would have gotten an A+ if he had either 3+ straight Top 2 finishes or 5+ straight Top 10 finishes, in addition to the streaks already there.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(3rd), 93.82% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 118.42(1st), Best 1st Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 19.32% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 6.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A+
The only bad thing you can say about his Short track stats is that he had just 1 Win, and that being the worst makes an A+ pretty much a given.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(T4th), 98.54% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 103.42(4th), Best 2nd, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.14% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A
His Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating were both 4th best and despite his 4 Top 10’s and great Laps in Top 15% he only had 2 Top 5’s with 1% of laps led. So, he get an A only.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 13.4(11th), 90.41% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 106.25(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 91.68%, Led 16.46% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 4 Stage Wins, 5.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: B+
His in-race stats are pretty impressive, but only half the races being finished in the Top 10 and having the 11th best Avg. Finish leave him at a B+.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 3.33(1st), 90.54% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 109.17(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 3.75% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A+
Getting 2 Top 3’s in 3 races and having the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating plus the rest of the amazing stats deserves no less than an A+.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 20.17(21st), 67.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 83.52(13th), Best 2nd, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 90.63%, Led 8.92% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 3 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C+
He obviously had Road Course speed with 3 Poles, but only having 2 Top 15’s is pretty bad. So even with his decent stage stats and Avg. Driver Rating he gets a C+.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 13.83(10th), 62.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.88(10th), Best 3rd, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 3.49% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B
Finishing half the races in the Top 15 at Superspeedways isn’t bad and his 10th rank Avg. Finish plus Avg. Driver Rating are good. So, nothing great or bad equals B.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 22.0(22nd), 7.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 42.8(29th), Best 22nd, Worst 22nd, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: D
He ran awful in the one Dirt track race and even worse he only finished 22nd. So, D seems fitting for a poor finish and a poor race.
Overview
– Hamlin was the best of the rest after the championship race at Phoenix, ending up 5th in points
– Hamlin’s 2023 stats say he was deserving of much better than 5th in points standings
– He ran good in the playoffs, but his boom or bust finishes were what did him in
– He ended the year with 2 straight Top 10 finishes
– Short tracks were one of his best track as he was fantastic on them this year
– His Small track races were just very good, but he didn’t lead many laps
– Just like the playoffs, Intermediates were good runs for Hamlin but boom or bust finishes
– Big tracks were his best tracks as his worst finish in 3 races was 6th
– He had speed at Road Courses this year, but couldn’t find a way to turn that into good finishes
– He wasn’t great at Superspeedways this year, but he wasn’t bad either
– He was absolutely awful in the Dirt race this year
– Hamlin was the best of the rest after the championship race at Phoenix, ending up 5th in points
– Hamlin’s 2023 stats say he was deserving of much better than 5th in points standings
– He ran good in the playoffs, but his boom or bust finishes were what did him in
– He ended the year with 2 straight Top 10 finishes
– Short tracks were one of his best track as he was fantastic on them this year
– His Small track races were just very good, but he didn’t lead many laps
– Just like the playoffs, Intermediates were good runs for Hamlin but boom or bust finishes
– Big tracks were his best tracks as his worst finish in 3 races was 6th
– He had speed at Road Courses this year, but couldn’t find a way to turn that into good finishes
– He wasn’t great at Superspeedways this year, but he wasn’t bad either
– He was absolutely awful in the Dirt race this year
Final Grade: A-
Martin Truex Jr. – 11th in Driver points/11th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.33 | 6th of 35 | T126th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.62% | 20th of 35 | T278th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.46% | 7th of 35 | 181st of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.36 | 4th of 35 | 153rd of 781‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T3rd of 64 | T72nd of 1430 |
| Poles | 3 | 4th of 64 | T46th of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T5th of 64 | T87th of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T4th of 64 | T78th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | T9th of 64 | T159th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 17 | T6th of 64 | T156th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T226th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | T4th of 64 | T24th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 43 | 5th of 64 | T39th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 250 | 5th of 64 | 41st of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 21 | T4th of 64 | T24th 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: A-
If this were the regular season stats he would have an A+ most likely. However, these stats above rank mostly 4th or 5th best so I say A- is fitting.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 18.4(17th), 44.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 73.79(16th), Best 6th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 90.25%, Led 2.44% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 9 Stage T10’s, 2.35 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C-
He accumulated the same amount of Top 10’s in the playoffs as finishes out of the Top 20 (2) and his in-race stats are very much not good.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied 43rd longest streak in Cup Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A+
6 straight Top 10’s is impressive, as is his 4 straight Top 5’s and 2 straight Poles. So, A+.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 10.4(T6th), 56.05% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.4(10th), Best 3rd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 5.51% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B-
He had a decent Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating, but his Laps in Top 15% wasn’t great and he only had 2 Top 10’s in 5 races.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(1st), 76.1% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 107.0(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 20.53% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.6 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A+
He had the best Avg. Finish on Small tracks and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating. His Laps in Top 15% wasn’t great, but his laps led% was, so he gets an A+.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(15th), 77.28% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.41(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 89.56%, Led 11.13% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.76 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C+
He ran a fair amount of laps in the Top 15 and had a decent Avg. Driver Rating. However, 0 Wins, 16.0 Avg. Finish, and 5 Top 10’s bump him down to a C+.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 5.33(2nd), 75.18% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.4(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.96% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A
He had the 2nd best Avg. Finish and best Avg. Driver Rating at Big tracks with 2 Top 3’s. However, his Laps in Top 15% and 0 Wins aren’t A+ worthy, therefore he gets an A.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 13.83(10th), 68.69% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.93(11th), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 9.39% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: B
He can thank his 1 Win for his B grade otherwise he’d probably have a B- since he was decent but not much else on Road Courses this year.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 22.0(29th), 60.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 81.97(7th), Best 15th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 3.41% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.92 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C-
His in-race stats are good, but him having just 1 finish in the Top 15 is very much not good. Therefore he gets a little less than average, C-.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 7.0(7th), 68.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.2(12th), Best 7th, Worst 7th, 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, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: B
He finished 7th in the one Dirt race, but he only got 2 Stage Pts Per stage and ran just 68% of his laps in the Top 15.
Overview
– Truex was 1st in points after the regular season but ended up 11th in the final standings
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are either 4th or 5th
– He had the same number of Top 10’s, DNF’s, and Poles in the playoffs (2 each)
– He had a 4 race Top 5 streak this year and a 6 race Top 10 streak
– His Laps in Top 15% wasn’t good at Short tracks, but he still found a way to finish decent mostly
– He was one of the best drivers on Small tracks this year
– Truex was pretty good at Intermediates, but he only had a Top 15 in half the races and 3 DNF’s
– He ran well at Big tracks this year and only had 1 of his 3 starts end outside the Top 3
– His overall Road Course are just average
– At Superspeedways he had a good Avg. Driver rating, but also 3 finishes out of the Top 15 with 1 Top 15
– The Dirt race didn’t go well for him, but in the end he found himself finishing 7th
– Truex was 1st in points after the regular season but ended up 11th in the final standings
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are either 4th or 5th
– He had the same number of Top 10’s, DNF’s, and Poles in the playoffs (2 each)
– He had a 4 race Top 5 streak this year and a 6 race Top 10 streak
– His Laps in Top 15% wasn’t good at Short tracks, but he still found a way to finish decent mostly
– He was one of the best drivers on Small tracks this year
– Truex was pretty good at Intermediates, but he only had a Top 15 in half the races and 3 DNF’s
– He ran well at Big tracks this year and only had 1 of his 3 starts end outside the Top 3
– His overall Road Course are just average
– At Superspeedways he had a good Avg. Driver rating, but also 3 finishes out of the Top 15 with 1 Top 15
– The Dirt race didn’t go well for him, but in the end he found himself finishing 7th
Final Grade: B
Ty Gibbs – 18th in Driver points/18th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 18.39 | 18th of 35 | 353rd of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.38% | T23rd of 35 | 395th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 52.35% | 17th of 35 | 285th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 78.45 | 16th of 35 | 307th 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 | 4 | T16th of 64 | T291st of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | T15th of 64 | T314th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T23rd of 35 | T505th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 23 | 14th of 64 | T103rd of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 101 | 18th of 64 | 109th 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: B-
Overall his stats are probably a C. However, he’s a rookie plus had as many Top 5’s and Top 10’s as Alex Bowman. Additionally his Avg. Driver Rating was around Joey Logano and Chase Elliott, so B- fits.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 19.1(19th), 53.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.76(13th), Best 4th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 92.58%, Led 3.62% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C+
His Avg. Finish wasn’t that great, but he did get 2 Top 5’s in the playoffs. However, the rest of his stats are mediocre at best. Again though, he’s a rookie so C+ fits.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: B
4 straight Top 10’s is impressive for a rookie and matches Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson for their longest this season, but they had Top 5 streaks as well. So, I gave him the same grade, B.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(11th), 72.53% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.64(6th), Best 5th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 99.95%, Led 4.64% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A-
He had the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating, as a rookie, that’s impressive. As is 2 Top 10’s and 2.3 Stage Pts. Normally he’d probably get a B, but considering his experience he gets an A-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 21.8(26th), 46.28% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 68.16(20th), Best 13th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.87%, 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: C-
Even for a rookie a 21.8 Avg. Finish and just 1 Top 10 with 3 finishes out of the Top 20 in 5 races is bad. So C- is good considering these stats would normally be in D range.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 22.1(27th), 50.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 70.72(18th), Best 7th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 90.17%, 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, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.05 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C-
Again the stats above are about a D range, but considering a rookie got 1 Top 10 and 3 Top 15’s in 10 starts I say he gets a C-.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.67(T6th), 56.43% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.63(8th), Best 5th, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.89% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: B+
His Top 15% hurt his grade to make it a B+, but if he could have had 2 Top 10’s I still would have given him an A-. However he only had 1 Top 10, so B+ it is.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 9.5(4th), 71.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 94.27(8th), Best 4th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A
He has the best Road Course grade of anyone thus far because as rookie getting the 4th best Avg. Finish, 8th best Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Top 5’s, and 4 Top 10’s is freaking impressive.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 28.0(40th), 42.66% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 72.8(17th), Best 9th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 88.79%, Led 0.37% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: D
As good as his Road Course stats were his Superspeedways are just the opposite spending less than 50% of his laps in the Top 15 and having an awful Avg. Finish.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(10th), 12.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 70.7(17th), Best 10th, Worst 10th, 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: C+
A Top 10 at the Dirt race is impressive, but he didn’t really run good during the race. I debated between B- and C+ but went with C+ because of the 12% of laps run in the Top 15.
Overview
– Gibbs was close to making the playoffs in his rookie year, but just missed out to finish 18th in points
– The 2023 stats for Gibbs are average mostly, but pretty darn good for a rookie
– The playoffs were a struggle for him, but he was able to pull out 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s
– In his rookie year he had 4 straight Top 10 finishes at one point
– He did really well on Short tracks this year, but only had 2 Top 10’s in 5 races
– One of his worst tracks this year was Small tracks where he had 1 Top 15 in 5 races
– Gibbs didn’t do well at Intermediates this year and struggled to finish in the Top 20 most races
– He ran pretty good at Big tracks, but again struggled to find Top 10 finishes
– Road Courses were amazing for him as he has the best grade on them of any driver so far
– The struggle was real at Superspeedways getting just 1 Top 15 with the rest of the finishes being out of the Top 20
– He didn’t run great at the Dirt race but found himself in the Top 10 at the end
– Gibbs was close to making the playoffs in his rookie year, but just missed out to finish 18th in points
– The 2023 stats for Gibbs are average mostly, but pretty darn good for a rookie
– The playoffs were a struggle for him, but he was able to pull out 2 Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s
– In his rookie year he had 4 straight Top 10 finishes at one point
– He did really well on Short tracks this year, but only had 2 Top 10’s in 5 races
– One of his worst tracks this year was Small tracks where he had 1 Top 15 in 5 races
– Gibbs didn’t do well at Intermediates this year and struggled to finish in the Top 20 most races
– He ran pretty good at Big tracks, but again struggled to find Top 10 finishes
– Road Courses were amazing for him as he has the best grade on them of any driver so far
– The struggle was real at Superspeedways getting just 1 Top 15 with the rest of the finishes being out of the Top 20
– He didn’t run great at the Dirt race but found himself in the Top 10 at the end
Final Grade: C+
Joe Gibbs Racing Overall Team Grade: B
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.
The predictions coming in already for 2024 have him doubling his numbers and a playoff spot. Bob Pockrass has Ty in early prediction in the top 10 and Vegas has him in the playoffs for 2024.