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.
First up is the championship team, Team Penske, and their satellite team, Wood Brothers Racing.
Team Penske Drivers
Ryan Blaney – 1st in Driver points/1st in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.08 | 7th of 35 | T166th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.42% | 13th of 35 | T206th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 72.22% | 4th of 35 | 124th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.91 | 7th of 35 | 186th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T3rd of 64 | T72nd of 1430 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 64 | T282nd of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | T2nd of 64 | T52nd of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | T4th of 64 | T78th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | 11th of 64 | T186th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 18 | T4th of 64 | T130th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T226th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 6 | T4th of 64 | T24th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | 8th of 64 | 68th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 219 | 7th of 64 | 58th 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-
He had 7 Top 2 finishes, but only had 8 Top 5’s. So, he was either really good or mediocre.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 9.5(2nd), 80.76% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.52(4th), Best 1st, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.64%, Led 7.05% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 4 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 3 Stage Wins, 15 Stage T10’s, 4.3 Stage Pts Per Stage, 13 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: A
He had the 2nd best Avg. Finish and the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating in the playoffs, but only 6 Top 10’s in the 10 races. So, A seems fitting.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak, longest active streak and tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak and tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series)
2023 Streaks Grade: A+
3 straight Top 2’s tied the longest streak this year, plus having 4 straight Top 10’s this year equals A+.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 14.0(T13th), 54.48% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 83.82(13th), Best 1st, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 6.69% 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, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: C+
He had 1 Win, but that was his only Top 5, he got hardly any Stage Pts, and he was average overall. So, that win gives him a C+ instead of C
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(2nd), 97.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 111.04(2nd), Best 2nd, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 5.4% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.6 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A+
He had the 2nd best Avg. Finish and 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating, ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15 and got 3 Top 3’s. So, even without a win he deserves an A+
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 13.2(9th), 87.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.62(8th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 94.51%, Led 7.84% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.14 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: B
He had a 13.2 Avg. Finish with 1 Win, but only 2 Top 5’s and 5 Top 10’s. So, B or possibly B+ is what he deserves.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 21.67(T24th), 62.59% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.87(13th), Best 9th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.29%, Led 3.42% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C
He had only 1 Top 10 and was tied for the 24th best Avg. Finish, but he did have the 13th best Avg. Driver Rating. So, he was about average, hence a C.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 19.83(T19th), 33.15% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 62.47(25th), Best 9th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 1.1% 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: D
He had just 1 Top 10 in 6 Road Courses, ran only 33% of his laps in the Top 15, and got 0 Stage Pts. So, obviously these stats are bad and deserve a D.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 10.5(1st), 67.22% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.28(1st), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 94.27%, Led 7.49% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 2 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: A+
He had the best Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating, 1 Win, and 5 Top 10’s in 6 Superspeedway races? Impressive and best driver on these, so A+.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 23.0(23rd), 96.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.2(8th), Best 23rd, Worst 23rd, 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, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: B
He finished 23rd in he Dirt race, but he had the 8th best Driver Rating and ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15. That’s so good that it bumps him from C+ to B.
Overview
– Blaney won the Championship, so he gets brownie points for that
– Blaney did well overall this year having 7 2023 Ranks be 4th or better
– He did very well and was one of the better drivers in the playoffs
– He ended the season on some impressive streaks
– His Short track stats are mediocre overall, but he did win 1 of the 5 races
– His Small track stats show he has was of the best drivers on this style of track
– Blaney wasn’t great on Intermediates, but he wasn’t awful either
– There were only 3 Big track races, but wasn’t that good in them
– He pretty much stunk on Road Courses this year
– Superspeedway’s were his best track this year, and he was the best on them
– He did well in his 1 Dirt race this year, but didn’t get the finish to show it
– Blaney won the Championship, so he gets brownie points for that
– Blaney did well overall this year having 7 2023 Ranks be 4th or better
– He did very well and was one of the better drivers in the playoffs
– He ended the season on some impressive streaks
– His Short track stats are mediocre overall, but he did win 1 of the 5 races
– His Small track stats show he has was of the best drivers on this style of track
– Blaney wasn’t great on Intermediates, but he wasn’t awful either
– There were only 3 Big track races, but wasn’t that good in them
– He pretty much stunk on Road Courses this year
– Superspeedway’s were his best track this year, and he was the best on them
– He did well in his 1 Dirt race this year, but didn’t get the finish to show it
Final Grade: A-
Joey Logano – 12th in Driver points/12th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.94 | 11th of 35 | T207th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.34% | 29th of 35 | 549th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 59.27% | 13th of 35 | 240th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 80.67 | 13th of 35 | 287th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T11th of 64 | T156th of 1430 |
| Poles | 2 | T5th of 64 | T81st of 1430 |
| Top 2’s | 4 | T8th of 64 | T119th of 1430 |
| Top 3’s | 6 | T9th of 64 | T134th of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 11 | 4th of 64 | T109th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 17 | T6th of 64 | T156th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T10th of 35 | T505th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | 10th of 64 | T60th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 26 | T12th of 64 | T93rd of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 146 | 11th of 64 | T81st of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | 11th of 64 | T64th 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-
He had only 1 Win this year with both his Avg. Finish and Avg. Finish being outside the 10 best this year, but he did have 4 Top 2’s and 11 Top 5’s.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 14.4(12th), 58.06% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.47(14th), Best 5th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 92.18%, Led 1.71% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C
He only ran 58% of his playoff laps in the Top 15 and had just 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, but he did get 3 Top 5’s in 10 races.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C
He did have 2 straight Top 3 finishes during the year, that’s good. However, his longest Top 10 streak was also just 2 races, that’s not good.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 10.4(T6th), 63.46% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 79.26(18th), Best 2nd, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 89.18%, Led 1.27% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.6 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B
He had great finishes (3 Top 5’s and a 10.4 Avg. Finish), but he had the 18th best Avg. Driver Rating and ran just 63.46% of his laps in the Top 15
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(T9th), 55.62% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 82.76(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 98.41%, Led 0.13% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B-
He had a decent Avg. Finish, Avg. Driver Rating, and had 2 Top 3’s; but his Laps in Top 15% was bad along with his laps led%. So, B- is what he gets.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 15.8(14th), 60.57% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.29(16th), Best 5th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 97.04%, Led 0.59% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 1.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C-
Less than half of his finishes were out of the Top 10, he got only 1 Stage Pt Per Stage, and his Avg. Driver Rating plus Laps in Top 15% were subpar.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.67(T16th), 77.68% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.47(7th), Best 10th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 80.0%, Led 8.93% 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, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: B
His good Avg. Driver Rating, but mediocre Avg. Finish had him at a B-. However, he got 4.33 Stage Pts Per Stage and his only bad finish was a DNF, so B it is.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 14.67(T12th), 70.17% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.75(17th), Best 3rd, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 0.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10s, 4 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: B-
He had 2 Top 5’s and 4 Top 10’s in 6 Road Course races, but also 3 finishes out of the Top 20 with only 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage and the 17th best Avg. Driver Rating.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 13.17(9th), 76.31% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.63(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 18.54% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: A-
He had the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating, the best Laps in Top 15%, and 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage with 1 Win. However, he only had 3 Top 10’s and 2 finishes out of the Top 20 with 0 DNF’s.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 37.0(37th), 14.58% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 33.3(36th), Best 37th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 38.4%, 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: F-
This is simple. He finished last, had the 2nd worst Avg. Driver Rating, and of the laps he ran he only ran 14.58% of them in the Top 15.
Overview
– Logano finished 12th in points after getting knocked out after the 1st round
– Over half of Logano’s 2023 Ranks above are worse than 10th
– His playoff stats are pretty disappointing, especially his stage stats
– He only had a longest Top 10 streak of just 2 races this year
– He ran pretty poor on Short tracks, but found a way to finish well
– His Small track stats about a little better than average
– Logano was pretty bad on Intermediate tracks this year getting just 3 Top 10’s in 10 races
– The 3 Big track races were good for Logano, but 1 DNF really hurt his Avg. Finish
– Road Courses were another track style where he finished better than he ran overall
– His best tracks this year were Superspeedways and he was one of the best on them
– He finished last and ran awful at the only Dirt race
– Logano finished 12th in points after getting knocked out after the 1st round
– Over half of Logano’s 2023 Ranks above are worse than 10th
– His playoff stats are pretty disappointing, especially his stage stats
– He only had a longest Top 10 streak of just 2 races this year
– He ran pretty poor on Short tracks, but found a way to finish well
– His Small track stats about a little better than average
– Logano was pretty bad on Intermediate tracks this year getting just 3 Top 10’s in 10 races
– The 3 Big track races were good for Logano, but 1 DNF really hurt his Avg. Finish
– Road Courses were another track style where he finished better than he ran overall
– His best tracks this year were Superspeedways and he was one of the best on them
– He finished last and ran awful at the only Dirt race
Final Grade: B-
Austin Cindric – 24th in Driver points/24th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 21.64 | 28th of 35 | 474th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.25% | 7th of 35 | 112th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 25.72% | 26th of 35 | 447th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 61.11 | 27th of 35 | 499th 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 | 1 | T25th of 64 | T445th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T26th of 64 | T442nd of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 35 | T359th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T15th of 64 | T90th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T24th of 64 | T142nd of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 63 | 20th of 64 | T125th of 452* |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T18th of 64 | T117th 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 only had 1 Top 5 this entire year, almost had more DNF’s than Top 10’s, and his Avg. Finish was just 28th best. However, it is only his 2nd season, so D+ instead of D.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 23.0(30th), 24.7% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 54.93(28th), Best 5th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 98.78%, Led 0.53% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 7 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D
He got 1 Top 5 in the playoffs, but he did terrible in stages, had 7 finishes out of the Top 20 and didn’t run well in races either.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: F+
He gets an F+ because he did have a 1 race Top 5 “streak” and five 1 race Top 10 “streaks”.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 25.6(T30th), 19.38% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 46.32(30th), Best 9th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.23%, 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, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: D-
He ran terrible at Short tracks this year, got 0 Stage Pts, and led 0 laps. However, he got 1 Top 10 so he gets a D- instead of F+
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 24.8(T30th), 10.28% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 49.88(28th), Best 13th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 98.98%, 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, 0.2 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: F+
He had the T30th best Avg. Finish, 28th best Avg. Driver Rating, and a best finish of only 13th.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 23.8(30th), 15.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 52.39(28th), Best 6th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 98.21%, Led 0.03% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 7 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: F
He had 1 Top 10 in 10 races, got 0 Stage Pts in 21 stages, and only ran 15% of his laps in the Top 15. All of this in a Penske car. So, yeah he gets an F.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(T22nd), 47.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 65.13(21st), Best 12th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 98.93%, 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: D+
It was only 3 races but he did have a 12th place finish and ran almost half his laps in the Top 15, but getting 0.33 Stage Pts Per Stage bumps him to a D+
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 15.5(15th), 37.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 67.75(19th), Best 6th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.37% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C+
His 15.5 Avg. Finish isn’t bad and he did get 2 Top 10’s, but he only ran 37% of his laps in the Top 15 which is not good enough for a B-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 19.0(21st), 73.52% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.88(3rd), Best 5th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 94.1%, Led 2.65% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B
He had the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating and 4.17 Stage Pts Per Stage, so he ran well. However, only 1 Top 10 and a 19.0 Avg. Finish brought his grade down to B.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 19.0(19th), 28.4% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 60.0(20th), Best 19th, Worst 19th, 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 19th after not running too well in the race, so he was average hence C.
Overview
– After last year’s playoff run Cindric wound up 24th in points this year
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are worst than 20th
– Other than his 1 Top 5 finish he ran pretty terrible in the playoffs
– He didn’t finish more than 1 race in a row in the Top 10
– He ran and finished bad on Short tracks this year, not even getting 1 Stage Pt
– Small tracks were about the same as Short tracks, but his best finish was only 13th
– Cindric was awful on Intermediates getting just 2 Top 15’s in 10 races
– His Big track stats are okay, but he had a best finish of 12th and only 0.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He didn’t run too well on Road Courses, but found a way to get 2 Top 10’s
– Superspeedways were his best track this year, despite not having great finishes
– His Dirt race was nothing special, just average
– After last year’s playoff run Cindric wound up 24th in points this year
– 9 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are worst than 20th
– Other than his 1 Top 5 finish he ran pretty terrible in the playoffs
– He didn’t finish more than 1 race in a row in the Top 10
– He ran and finished bad on Short tracks this year, not even getting 1 Stage Pt
– Small tracks were about the same as Short tracks, but his best finish was only 13th
– Cindric was awful on Intermediates getting just 2 Top 15’s in 10 races
– His Big track stats are okay, but he had a best finish of 12th and only 0.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He didn’t run too well on Road Courses, but found a way to get 2 Top 10’s
– Superspeedways were his best track this year, despite not having great finishes
– His Dirt race was nothing special, just average
Final Grade: D
Team Penske Overall Team Grade: C+
Wood Brothers Racing Driver
Harrison Burton – 31st in Driver points/31st in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 24.67 | 31st of 35 | T569th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.96% | 23rd of 35 | T341st of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 9.23% | 32nd of 35 | 563rd of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 47.77 | 31st of 35 | 624th 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 | 2 | T31st of 64 | T540th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 6 | T28th of 35 | T602nd of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 1 | T34th of 64 | T216th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 6 | 34th of 64 | T205th 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+
He had more Top 10 finishes in races than he did in stages (36 races, 73 stages). However, he’s with Wood Brother’s and in his 2nd season, so F+ instead of F.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 27.0(33rd), 2.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 43.2(32nd), Best 15th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 91.33%, 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, 4 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
4 DNF’s, 27.0 Avg. Finish, and only 2% of laps ran in Top 15 speak for itself. However, he had a best finish of 15th so he gets an F instead of F-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: F-
He only had 2 Top 10’s all year and 0 Top 5’s, this is definition of F- in streak category.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 24.4(28th), 0.78% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 42.78(33rd), Best 15th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.5%, 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, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: F+
He had 1 Top 15, 1 finish between 16th and 20th, and his 24.4 Avg. Finish isn’t horrendous. That is what saved him from a lower grade.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 24.8(T30th), 9.34% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 48.0(31st), Best 20th, Worst 35th, 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, 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
He had a best finish of only 20th at Small tracks and a 24.8 Avg. Finish, but he ran 9% of his laps in the Top 15. This saved him from an F-.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 24.7(32nd), 10.08% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 46.46(33rd), Best 6th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 91.51%, 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, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: F
He only had 1 Top 10 and 1 Top 15, but he also had just 6 finishes out of the Top 20 while running 10% of his laps in the Top 15. So, F instead of F-
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.33(T9th), 27.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 62.27(23rd), Best 8th, Worst 17th, 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, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C
He has a pretty good Avg. Finish with 1 Top 10 and every finish between 8th and 17th. However, his Avg. Driver Rating and 27.5 Laps in Top 15% are pretty bad. Hence a C.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 26.17(37th), 3.87% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 40.8(40th), Best 21st, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.82%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10s, 0 Top 15’s, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: F-
He had 0 Top 20’s in 6 starts and had a putrid 40.8 Avg. Driver Rating. So, F- is deserved.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 30.5(43rd), 21.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 52.02(35th), Best 26th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 91.53%, Led 2.27% 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, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: F
He would get an F- due to his terrible finishing results, but he did lead some laps and got his only Stage T10 on a Superspeedway so I decided to be generous.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(15th), 3.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.5(T25th), Best 15th, Worst 15th, 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: C
He finished 15th in the Dirt race, above average, but he ran so few laps in the Top 15 that a C is deserved.
Overview
– Burton finished 31st in points, only above Ty Dillon amongst full-time drivers
– 7 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are worse than 30th!
– He only finished 3 of the 10 playoff races in the Top 20
– He had no streak to speak of this year
– He barely ran any laps in the Top 15 on Short tracks, but he had 1 Top 15 finish
– His Laps in Top 15% wasn’t horrible, but his best finish was only 20th
– Burton got 1 of his 2 Top 10’s on an Intermediate track, but overall wasn’t good
– His finishes at Big tracks were good, but his in-race stats were not
– All you need to know about his Road Courses is that he ran just 4% of his laps in the Top 15
– He got his only Top 10 on a Superspeedway, but his finishes were horrible
– He didn’t run well at the Dirt race this year, but he finished in the Top 15
– Burton finished 31st in points, only above Ty Dillon amongst full-time drivers
– 7 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are worse than 30th!
– He only finished 3 of the 10 playoff races in the Top 20
– He had no streak to speak of this year
– He barely ran any laps in the Top 15 on Short tracks, but he had 1 Top 15 finish
– His Laps in Top 15% wasn’t horrible, but his best finish was only 20th
– Burton got 1 of his 2 Top 10’s on an Intermediate track, but overall wasn’t good
– His finishes at Big tracks were good, but his in-race stats were not
– All you need to know about his Road Courses is that he ran just 4% of his laps in the Top 15
– He got his only Top 10 on a Superspeedway, but his finishes were horrible
– He didn’t run well at the Dirt race this year, but he finished in the Top 15
Final Grade: F
Wood Brothers Racing 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.
