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.
In the penultimate Cup review we have a few one car teams, JTG Daugherty Racing, Rick Ware Racing, and Live Fast Motorsports
JTG Daugherty Racing Driver
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 16th in Driver points/16th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.83 | 17th of 35 | T331st of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.6% | 4th of 35 | 80th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 33.52% | 21st of 35 | 402nd of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 64.72 | 22nd of 35 | 462nd 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 | 9 | 19th of 64 | T338th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T226th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | 23rd of 64 | T139th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 38 | 26th of 64 | 150th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 5 | T14th of 64 | T85th 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
The stats above aren’t too shabby for this team, but the laps in Top 15% is still low and the Stage Pts were very low. I gave McDowell a C and so he also gets a C.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 20.8(T23rd), 23.68% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 54.05(29th), Best 9th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 99.41%, Led 0.46% 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, 1 Stage T10, 0.05 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D+
He had 2 Top 10 finishes which isn’t bad, but also just 1 Stage T10 and just 1 Stage Pt which is not good. In addition his other stats aren’t too good either so he gets a D+.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C
2 straight Top 10’s for this team isn’t too bad, but it’s not great either. Just average. So he gets a C.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.8(23rd), 39.9% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 62.02(24th), Best 8th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 99.23%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: C-
When looking back at Todd Gilliland’s stats Ricky’s are a little better, but Ricky has more experience so I gave him the same grade as Todd.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 21.4(25th), 32.49% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 64.18(23rd), Best 15th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 98.41%, Led 0.19% 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, 0.6 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: C-
He had the 25th best Avg. Finish and 23rd best Avg. Driver Rating. In addition he only had 1 Top 15 and only 32% of his laps were in the Top 15. So, he gets a C- based on the car he’s in.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 17.8(21st), 25.48% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 61.32(22nd), Best 7th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.8%, Led 0.13% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.48 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: D+
I gave him a D+ because while he did get 2 Top 10’s and 4 Top 15’s, he also ran just 25% of his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t too impressive.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.33(T9th), 46.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 71.53(19th), Best 7th, Worst 21st, 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, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C+
He is right at the between state of C and C+ but I bumped him to C+ because he had almost all 3 races finish in the Top 20 with 1 Top 10 and 50% of his laps run in the Top 15.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 20.83(23rd), 25.52% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 54.95(29th), Best 7th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 97.24%, 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C-
He got 3 Top 15’s which is pretty nice for this team, but his Laps in Top 15% and 54.95 Avg. Driver Rating is nowhere near what it should be for a higher grade. So, he gets a C-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 16.5(15th), 39.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.18(15th), Best 1st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 94.44%, Led 2.81% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B-
He got his only win on a Superspeedway which is why he gets a B- as he also had 3 Top 15’s and a pretty decent Avg. Driver Rating. But what almost put him at C+ is his not so good Laps in Top 15%.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(4th), 58.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.2(7th), Best 4th, Worst 4th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 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-
I gave him an A- because while he did finish 4th, he only ran 59% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 0 Stage Pts. However, with this team that’s still impressive so that’s why it’s not lower.
Overview
– Stenhouse won to get in the playoffs, however he ended up last in points among those in the playoffs, 16th
– Stenhouse had a decent Avg. Finish, but he typically didn’t run that great
– Making the playoffs is a great accomplishment, but he didn’t do too well in them
– He had a nice little 2 race Top 10 streak this year
– His finishes at Short tracks were okay, but overall he ran not so great
– His finishes and Laps in Top 15 were worse at Small tracks than Short tracks, but his Avg. Driver Rating was better
– Intermediates weren’t too bad for Stenhouse, but his Top 15% again was bad
– He finished decently well at Big tracks, but he got 0 Stage Pts
– He was able to pull out a few decent finishes at Road Courses despite overall bad runs
– He got his only win on a Superspeedway and finished in the Top 15 in half the races
– He didn’t run great at the Dirt track race, but he did come home 4th
– Stenhouse won to get in the playoffs, however he ended up last in points among those in the playoffs, 16th
– Stenhouse had a decent Avg. Finish, but he typically didn’t run that great
– Making the playoffs is a great accomplishment, but he didn’t do too well in them
– He had a nice little 2 race Top 10 streak this year
– His finishes at Short tracks were okay, but overall he ran not so great
– His finishes and Laps in Top 15 were worse at Small tracks than Short tracks, but his Avg. Driver Rating was better
– Intermediates weren’t too bad for Stenhouse, but his Top 15% again was bad
– He finished decently well at Big tracks, but he got 0 Stage Pts
– He was able to pull out a few decent finishes at Road Courses despite overall bad runs
– He got his only win on a Superspeedway and finished in the Top 15 in half the races
– He didn’t run great at the Dirt track race, but he did come home 4th
Final Grade: C
JTG Daugherty Racing Overall Team Grade: C
Rick Ware Racing Driver
J.J. Yeley – nth in Driver points/34th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 26.96 | 32nd of 35 | 630th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.39% | 30th of 35 | T599th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 2.91% | 34th of 35 | 640th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 36.51 | 34th of 35 | 715th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T288th of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T23rd 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 | 1 | T35th of 64 | T609th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 6 | T28th of 35 | T602nd of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T39th of 64 | T234th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T38th of 64 | T219th 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: F+
The reason he gets an F+ instead of anything worse is because of his terrible Top 15%, Avg. Driver Rating, and stages. Why he gets an F+ instead of worse is cuz he did get 1 Top 10 in a tier 4 car.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 31.33(36th), 1.57% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 31.06(35th), Best 26th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 83.75%, Led 0.24% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 9 Finishes out of Top 20, 5 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: F
Even in a tier 4 car you shouldn’t have a best finish of 26th in 9 races. However, he completed almost 1.6% of his laps in the Top 15 and led some laps with only 2nd worst Avg. Driver Rating. So, F
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: F+
1 straight Top 10 isn’t anything, but in a tier 4 car it’s something so F+ it is.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 33.6(38th), 0.05% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 28.08(39th), Best 26th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 85.55%, 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, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: F-
His stats are just awful. He almost ran 0 laps in the Top 15, he had an Avg. Finish worse than 30, and his Avg. Driver Rating was 4th worst. So, yeah F-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 26.33(33rd), 0.11% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 41.47(34th), Best 24th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.16%, 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: F+
Again the Laps in Top 15% is just very bad. However, he didn’t finish in the 30’s in the 3 races so he gets an F+.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 28.78(38th), 3.36% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 33.7(39th), Best 16th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 94.54%, Led 0.24% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 8 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: F
He had a best finish of 16th which is really good for this team, but that was his only Top 20. This mixed with the rest of the stats gives a solid F instead of F-.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 25.33(30th), 6.63% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 37.9(35th), Best 23rd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.64%, 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: D-
His laps in Top 15% was impressive for a driver with this team and his Avg. Finish wasn’t too bad. However his Avg. Driver Rating was pretty bad so D- it is.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 0 Races
2023 Road Course Grade: Incomplete
He did not compete at a Road Course this year
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 19.8(24th), 5.99% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 44.12(41st), Best 7th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 89.21%, 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: D+
If this was based on just finishes he’d probably get a low B or high C. However, I base this off everything and his in-race stats weren’t great, but add in his finishes and it’s all good enough for a D+ in this car.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 20.0(20th), 18.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 46.8(T27th), Best 20th, Worst 20th, 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 would probably get a higher grade if his Avg. Driver Rating weren’t so low. But it is low so he gets a C only.
Overview
– Yeley at the end of the year was not running for Cup points, but the 15 car did finish 34th in owner points
– As expected from an RWR car Yeley didn’t run well this year, but he did get a Top 10
– He was one of the worst drivers in the playoff statistically speaking
– He had no streaks to speak of this year beyond his 1 straight Top 10
– How bad are his Short track stats? He almost ran 0 laps in the Top 15 in 5 races
– Small tracks weren’t great, but he didn’t finish worse than 28th in his 3 races
– Unsurprisingly Yeley wasn’t good at Intermediates, but he got 1 Top 20 finish
– He ran a surprisingly good amount of laps in the Top 15 for an RWR car at Big tracks
– He did not race a single Road Course in the Cup Series this year
– Superspeedway’s were his best tracks this year as he got 2 Top 15’s, but he still ran pretty poorly in the races
– He finished 20th in the one Dirt race and ran 18% of his laps in the Top 15
– Yeley at the end of the year was not running for Cup points, but the 15 car did finish 34th in owner points
– As expected from an RWR car Yeley didn’t run well this year, but he did get a Top 10
– He was one of the worst drivers in the playoff statistically speaking
– He had no streaks to speak of this year beyond his 1 straight Top 10
– How bad are his Short track stats? He almost ran 0 laps in the Top 15 in 5 races
– Small tracks weren’t great, but he didn’t finish worse than 28th in his 3 races
– Unsurprisingly Yeley wasn’t good at Intermediates, but he got 1 Top 20 finish
– He ran a surprisingly good amount of laps in the Top 15 for an RWR car at Big tracks
– He did not race a single Road Course in the Cup Series this year
– Superspeedway’s were his best tracks this year as he got 2 Top 15’s, but he still ran pretty poorly in the races
– He finished 20th in the one Dirt race and ran 18% of his laps in the Top 15
Final Grade: F
Rick Ware Racing Overall Team Grade: F
Live Fast Motorsports Driver
B.J. McLeod – nth in Driver points/36th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 29.52 | 35th of 35 | T700th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 85.15% | 34th of 35 | 742nd of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 0.48% | 35th of 35 | 727th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 30.76 | 35th of 35 | 769th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T288th of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T23rd 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 | 0 | T37th of 64 | T716th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T23rd of 35 | T505th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 0 | T39th of 64 | T234th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T38th of 64 | T219th 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: F
Honestly none of the stats above are great, but the reason he doesn’t get an F- is because his team is small and not running full-time next year.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 31.14(35th), 0.21% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 27.54(36th), Best 22nd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 78.01%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 7 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: F
I gave him the same grade as J.J. Yeley above simply because he had a better best finish than him.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
2023 Streaks Grade: F-
There was no streaks for him this year, so I have to give him an F-.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 34.33(42nd), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 24.37(42nd), Best 31st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 73.71%, 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: F-
He ran 0 laps in the Top 15 and had the worst Avg. Finish and worst Avg. Driver Rating. It’s hard to give anything but an F-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 31.2(38th), 0.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 28.6(41st), Best 27th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 81.06%, 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, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: F
He gets an F because his Avg. Finish, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating weren’t the worst in their category. However, his best finish was 27th so he still gets the F.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 30.33(41st), 0.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 28.65(42nd), Best 22nd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 87.15%, 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, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: F
I’m being generous and giving him an F just because his best finish was 22nd. Other than this his stats are just very bad and deserving of a worse grade.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 28.0(T36th), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 34.3(37th), Best 24th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.44%, 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: F+
He had a better Avg. Finish than Ryan Preece and his Avg. Driver Rating was too far off that of Chase Briscoe. So, even with 0 laps ran in the Top 15 he gets an F+.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 0 Races
2023 Road Course Grade: Incomplete
He did not race in any of the 6 Road Course races this year
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 26.0(37th), 1.78% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 36.52(44th), Best 18th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 93.36%, Led 0.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: F+
I gave him an F+ because 2 Top 20’s for this team is pretty darn good, but that’s about as good as it gets with these stats as he struggled in the races.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 26.0(26th), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 31.8(37th), Best 26th, Worst 26th, 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 the same amount of laps in the Top 15 as Brad Keselowski and Daniel Suarez, in fact he finished just behind Suarez. So, I gave him the same grade as Keselowski based on finish and Avg. Driver Rating.
Overview
– McLeod ended up not running for Cup points, but his car ended up 36th in owner points
– The best stat to say about McLeod’s season is that his 85.15 Completed Laps% wasn’t worst this year
– The best thing to say about him in the playoffs is he didn’t have the worst Avg. Finish
– He had 0 Top 10’s, so he had no streaks to speak of this year
– At Small tracks he had the worst Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating
– His best finish at Short tracks this year was only 27th, but he ran a few laps in the Top 15
– McLeod did have a best finish of 22nd in his 6 Intermediate races
– He finished 24th and 32nd in his 2 Big track starts this year, but ran 0 laps in the Top 15
– He did not race in any of the 6 Road Course races this year
– His best finish of the year came at a Superspeedway, and he had 2 Top 20’s in 6 races
– He finished 26th at the one Dirt track, but had the worst Avg. Driver Rating
– McLeod ended up not running for Cup points, but his car ended up 36th in owner points
– The best stat to say about McLeod’s season is that his 85.15 Completed Laps% wasn’t worst this year
– The best thing to say about him in the playoffs is he didn’t have the worst Avg. Finish
– He had 0 Top 10’s, so he had no streaks to speak of this year
– At Small tracks he had the worst Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating
– His best finish at Short tracks this year was only 27th, but he ran a few laps in the Top 15
– McLeod did have a best finish of 22nd in his 6 Intermediate races
– He finished 24th and 32nd in his 2 Big track starts this year, but ran 0 laps in the Top 15
– He did not race in any of the 6 Road Course races this year
– His best finish of the year came at a Superspeedway, and he had 2 Top 20’s in 6 races
– He finished 26th at the one Dirt track, but had the worst Avg. Driver Rating
Final Grade: F-
Live Fast Motorsports Overall Team Grade: F-
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.
