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.
Last up is two Chevy teams that ended up having both drivers be worse than 20th in points, Kaulig Racing and Spire Motorsports
Kaulig Racing Drivers
A.J. Allmendinger – 21st in Driver points/21st in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 19.58 | 21st of 35 | T402nd of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.06% | 9th of 35 | 132nd of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 26.38% | 25th of 35 | 443rd of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 66.9 | 21st of 35 | 439th 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 | 2 | T13th of 64 | T271st of 1430 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T16th of 64 | T291st of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T22nd of 64 | T392nd of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 35 | T359th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 14 | T20th of 64 | T124th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 61 | 21st of 64 | 127th 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-
He was able to get a win and 7 Top 10’s, which is nice. However, his Laps in Top 15% is pretty bad which is why he gets a C- instead of a C.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 20.9(25th), 27.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 64.4(23rd), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.05%, Led 1.56% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 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, 5 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C-
He had a win and 2 Top 5’s in the playoffs, which is good. However, the rest of his stats are really not good (worse than Michael McDowell even). So, he deserves a C-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C
2 straight Top 10’s in a Kaulig car in the Cup Series is about average, so C.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 27.8(33rd), 6.68% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 44.16(32nd), Best 27th, Worst 30th, 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, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: F-
The stats above are pretty awful as he ran barely any laps in the Top 15 and his finishes weren’t any better with a best of 27th. So, he gets an F-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 20.6(23rd), 13.07% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 56.28(27th), Best 14th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.68%, 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 Small track Grade: D+
If he could have had a little better finishes he would have a C-. However, his 0 Stage Pts with 56.28 Avg. Driver Rating and only 1 Top 15 is D+ worthy.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 17.7(20th), 38.63% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 67.77(19th), Best 5th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.49%, Led 0.03% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.48 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C
He actually got 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s with half his Intermediate finishes being Top 15’s. That’s pretty good and his Avg. Driver Rating was pretty nice for this car, so he gets a C.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 26.33(T32nd), 44.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 61.6(24th), Best 17th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 77.5%, 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C-
His finishes weren’t all that good, however his Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t that bad, he ran near half his laps in the Top 15, and he got 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. So, he gets a C-.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 14.67(T12th), 77.27% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.83(5th), Best 1st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 97.06%, Led 9.09% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A
He almost got an A-, however he had 2 Top 5’s in his Kaulig car which is impressive. Add in the great Avg. Driver Rating and impressive laps in Top 15% and you get an A.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 17.17(16th), 29.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 68.13(20th), Best 3rd, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.67%, Led 1.25% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C
Most of his stats are average from Superspeedway’s. However, his Laps in Top 15% isn’t great, but he had 2 Top 10’s and 1 Top 3. So, I gave him a C.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(16th), 0.4% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 42.0(31st), Best 16th, Worst 16th, 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+
He may have finished 16 in the Dirt race, but he only ran 1 lap in the Top 15 and had the 31st best Avg. Driver Rating. So, he gets a D+.
Overview
– Allmendinger didn’t make the playoffs and finished 21st in points
– 2023 gave Allmendinger 1 win, but he didn’t do that great overall this year
– He got his 1 win this year in the playoffs, but again overall he didn’t run or finish well in them
– He was able to piece together a 2 race Top 10 streak this year
– For a Kaulig car he ran pretty darn bad at Short tracks and didn’t finish well either
– His Small track runs weren’t a ton better for him, but he did finish quite a bit better
– Allmendinger struggled to run Top 15 at Intermediates, but he did pull out some good finishes
– He didn’t run too bad at Big tracks, but he couldn’t find a way to finish good
– His only win came on a Road Course this year and even better he ran and finished well mostly
– He didn’t run a great % of laps in the Top 15, but he did get 2 Top 10’s and had a decent Avg. Driver Rating
– He finished 16th in the Dirt race this year, but he ended up having just 1 lap be in the Top 15
– Allmendinger didn’t make the playoffs and finished 21st in points
– 2023 gave Allmendinger 1 win, but he didn’t do that great overall this year
– He got his 1 win this year in the playoffs, but again overall he didn’t run or finish well in them
– He was able to piece together a 2 race Top 10 streak this year
– For a Kaulig car he ran pretty darn bad at Short tracks and didn’t finish well either
– His Small track runs weren’t a ton better for him, but he did finish quite a bit better
– Allmendinger struggled to run Top 15 at Intermediates, but he did pull out some good finishes
– He didn’t run too bad at Big tracks, but he couldn’t find a way to finish good
– His only win came on a Road Course this year and even better he ran and finished well mostly
– He didn’t run a great % of laps in the Top 15, but he did get 2 Top 10’s and had a decent Avg. Driver Rating
– He finished 16th in the Dirt race this year, but he ended up having just 1 lap be in the Top 15
Final Grade: C-
Justin Haley – 26th in Driver points/25th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 21.0 | 27th of 35 | T453rd of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.04% | 16th of 35 | 235th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 10.98% | 30th of 35 | 546th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 55.55 | 28th of 35 | 549th of 781‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 64 | T288th 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 | 1 | T25th of 64 | T445th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | 25th of 64 | T415th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T5th of 35 | T226th of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T28th of 64 | T175th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 15 | T28th of 64 | T180th 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+
This year he had 1 Top 2 finish, but that was his only real good stats. His Laps in Top 15% was especially bad and when taking it all into account he gets a D+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 22.5(28th), 4.24% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 49.89(30th), Best 8th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 91.95%, Led 0.04% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 8 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D
His playoff stats are awfully similar to Todd Gilliland’s, only real difference is Todd ran a better % of laps in the Top 15. Since they are so similar though I gave them the same grade, D.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C+
I gave his teammate a C for his 2 straight Top 10 finishes, but A.J. also has more experience so for that reason I gave Haley a little better grade.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 30.4(34th), 0.51% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 40.32(35th), Best 28th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 88.77%, 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 Short track Grade: F-
His stats at Short tracks are just bad having a best finish of 28th and getting an Avg. Finish outside the Top 30 is bad even for a Kaulig car.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 22.4(27th), 0.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 48.74(29th), Best 16th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.62%, 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+
His Avg. Finish wasn’t awful, but his Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% aren’t that good. Add this to 0 Top 15’s and he gets an F+.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 17.5(18th), 10.21% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.27(24th), Best 8th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.93%, 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, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C-
His Laps in Top 15% was once again what hurt him as the rest of his stats aren’t too bad and 4 Top 15’s is pretty good. What saved him from a D+ was that his worst finish was only 24th.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 25.67(31st), 13.25% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 50.67(28th), Best 21st, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 98.39%, 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, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: D
His best finish was only 21st and his in-race stats weren’t great either. However, he did get some stage pts so D instead of D-.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(24th), 8.12% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 53.73(31st), Best 2nd, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 99.63%, Led 4.24% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 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 Road Course Grade: C-
This would be a D+ as his in-race stats are very unimpressive and his finishes weren’t that great either. However, he had that one 2nd place finish which gives him a C-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(18th), 33.22% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 70.08(18th), Best 6th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.25%, Led 0.08% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C+
He didn’t have the best Laps in Top 15%, but his Avg. Driver Rating was decent as was his finishes as he did get 2 Top 10’s in the 6 races.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(6th), 75.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 86.8(11th), Best 6th, Worst 6th, 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: A
A Kaulig car finishing 6th is pretty impressive. Then add in his good Avg. Driver Rating and running 75% of his laps in the Top 15 with 4 Stage Pts and you get an A.
Overview
– Haley came a Kiwi away from being in the playoffs, but alas he was not and ended up 26th in driver points
– As a whole Haley did not run well in the 2023 season, but he did get a few Top 10’s
– His playoffs were a bunch of bad runs with bad finishes and only one good finish
– He was able to get a 2 race Top 10 streak this year
– He ran hardly any laps in the Top 15 on Short tracks this year and had a best finish of 28th
– His Small track Laps in Top 15% was worst than Short tracks, but overall he finished and did better
– Haley’s finishes were not too bad at Intermediates, however his in-race stats were pretty bad
– Big tracks were another style where his Laps in Top 15% was bad and his finishes weren’t good either
– He got his best finish this year at a Road Course, but that was his only good race on this style
– Superspeedway’s were his best tracks outside of the Dirt race
– He finished 6th at the one Dirt race after running a good majority of his laps in the Top 15
– Haley came a Kiwi away from being in the playoffs, but alas he was not and ended up 26th in driver points
– As a whole Haley did not run well in the 2023 season, but he did get a few Top 10’s
– His playoffs were a bunch of bad runs with bad finishes and only one good finish
– He was able to get a 2 race Top 10 streak this year
– He ran hardly any laps in the Top 15 on Short tracks this year and had a best finish of 28th
– His Small track Laps in Top 15% was worst than Short tracks, but overall he finished and did better
– Haley’s finishes were not too bad at Intermediates, however his in-race stats were pretty bad
– Big tracks were another style where his Laps in Top 15% was bad and his finishes weren’t good either
– He got his best finish this year at a Road Course, but that was his only good race on this style
– Superspeedway’s were his best tracks outside of the Dirt race
– He finished 6th at the one Dirt race after running a good majority of his laps in the Top 15
Final Grade: D+
Kaulig Racing Overall Team Grade: C-
Spire Motorsports Drivers
Corey LaJoie – 25th in Driver points/26th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 20.78 | 25th of 35 | T448th of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.31% | 6th of 35 | T106th of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 18.84% | 28th of 35 | 487th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 54.9 | 29th of 35 | 556th 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 | 2 | T21st of 64 | T387th of 1430 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T29th of 64 | T497th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | 1st of 35 | T1st of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T28th of 64 | T175th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 13 | 32nd of 64 | T190th 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: C-
His stats aren’t great, but getting 2 Top 5’s in a Spire car is pretty impressive. He also had 0 DNF’s which is impressive as well so I gave him 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), 23.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.03(26th), Best 4th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.57%, Led 1.78% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C-
His 20.8 isn’t great but isn’t bad. It helped that he had 1 Top 5 in the playoffs and what put him at a C- is that in this car he got 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: D-
His best streak was just 1 straight, but that includes 2 one straight Top 5 finishes. So, I gave him a D- for that.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 25.2(29th), 19.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.2(28th), Best 21st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.64%, Led 2.33% 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: D
The one good thing about Short tracks for him was that he actually led 2.33% of his laps and got 0.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, but his best finish was only 21st so he gets a D.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 25.0(32nd), 19.97% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 46.02(32nd), Best 14th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 91.67%, 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 Win, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: D
His stats when put together are pretty similar to his Short track stats except he had 1 Top 15 at Small tracks and ran a little worse. So I gave him the same grade, D.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(25th), 9.63% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.17(30th), Best 17th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.73%, Led 0.34% 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: D
What’s good for him at Intermediates was that most of his finishes were between 17th and 20th. However, his best finish was only 17th and the rest of his stats aren’t great. So, D.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 18.67(15th), 37.68% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 64.23(22nd), Best 14th, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.89% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C+
The reason I gave him a C+ over a C is because he had 2 Top 15’s for this car and his Avg. Finish was 15th best. The rest of his stats aren’t great but are good enough to combine to get a C+.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 18.5(17th), 17.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 59.15(27th), Best 11th, Worst 29th, 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 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C
His Laps in Top 15% is pretty low and his Avg. Driver Rating isn’t too great, but he found ways to finish well and in fact only had 1 finish out of the Top 20. All of this is a C for a Spire car.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(13th), 37.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 65.4(27th), Best 4th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.5%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B-
His Laps in Top 15% wasn’t bad, but his Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t good. However, he had 2 Top 5’s and a 15.0 Avg. Finish with 0 DNF’s somehow so he deserves a B-.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 30.0(30th), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 38.7(33rd), Best 30th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 98.8%, 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 0 laps in the Top 15, that’s just bad. To make it worse his Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t great and he finished 30th. So a D seems fitting, if not generous.
Overview
– LaJoie got to race 1 race in the 9 car which helped him be 25th in driver points while his car was 26th in owner points
– LaJoie was able to get 2 Top 5’s, but overall he didn’t do great this year
– 1 of his Top 5’s came in the playoffs and overall he ran about the same as he did all year
– His best streak this year was just 1 straight Top 5, but that’s still good for this car
– He led a good amount of laps for this team at Short tracks, but his best finish was 21st
– His Short track and Small track stats are pretty similar except in Laps Led% and Top 20’s
– Intermediates were one of the few track styles LaJoie didn’t get a Stage T10 at
– He did pretty well for this team on Big tracks getting 2 Top 15’s in 3 races and a decent Avg. Driver Rating
– His in-race stats weren’t great at Road Courses, but he finished decently well
– All of his Top 10’s came on Superspeedway’s this year
– He did not run good or finish good at the Dirt race
– LaJoie got to race 1 race in the 9 car which helped him be 25th in driver points while his car was 26th in owner points
– LaJoie was able to get 2 Top 5’s, but overall he didn’t do great this year
– 1 of his Top 5’s came in the playoffs and overall he ran about the same as he did all year
– His best streak this year was just 1 straight Top 5, but that’s still good for this car
– He led a good amount of laps for this team at Short tracks, but his best finish was 21st
– His Short track and Small track stats are pretty similar except in Laps Led% and Top 20’s
– Intermediates were one of the few track styles LaJoie didn’t get a Stage T10 at
– He did pretty well for this team on Big tracks getting 2 Top 15’s in 3 races and a decent Avg. Driver Rating
– His in-race stats weren’t great at Road Courses, but he finished decently well
– All of his Top 10’s came on Superspeedway’s this year
– He did not run good or finish good at the Dirt race
Final Grade: C-
Ty Dillon – 32nd in Driver points/33rd in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 27.47 | 33rd of 35 | 641st of 825 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 89.58% | 33rd of 35 | 692nd of 825 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 4.22% | 33rd of 35 | 617th of 781‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 39.21 | 33rd of 35 | 693rd 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 | 0 | T37th of 64 | T716th of 1430 |
| DNF’s¹ | 6 | T28th of 35 | T602nd of 825 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T19th of 64 | T114th of 452* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T31st of 64 | T188th of 452* |
| Stage Pts | 14 | T30th of 64 | T185th 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+
His Avg. Finish was worse than J.J. Yeley and he had less Top 10’s. However, his Avg. Driver Rating, stage stats, and Laps in Top 15% are better so he gets an F+ as well.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 26.7(32nd), 3.68% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 40.85(33rd), Best 19th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 91.95%, Led 0.18% 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.1 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D-
He at least got 1 Top 20 in the 10 playoff races and his Avg. Finish was better than his season as a whole. So, he gets a better grade hence his D-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none
2023 Streaks Grade: F-
No streaks is pretty straight forward, F-.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 31.0(35th), 0.1% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 33.84(36th), Best 24th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 88.77%, 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 Short track Grade: F
Neither his in-race stats or finishes are all that good, but he did have a best finish of 24th so he gets an F instead of F-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 43 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 29.0(T35th), 0.91% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 33.76(37th), Best 25th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 76.48%, 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+ instead of F because his Avg. Finish and Laps in Top 15% were better on Small tracks than they were on Short tracks above where I gave him an F.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 46 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 26.6(34th), 2.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 37.64(36th), Best 19th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 99.39%, 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, 9 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.14 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: F+
He at least got 1 Top 20 finish in the 10 races, so that’s something. However, 2% of his laps in the Top 15 and the rest of his stats are still bad.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 26.33(T32nd), 7.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 41.13(32nd), Best 20th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 89.29%, Led 0.4% 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: D+
He did again get 1 Top 20 finish, but he actually got 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage which is why he got a D+ instead of a D.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 49 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 31.5(45th), 3.07% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 34.75(45th), Best 23rd, Worst 39th, Laps Completed 83.82%, 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 Road Course Grade: F-
His best finish was 23rd, his Avg. Finish was 5th worst as was his Avg. Driver Rating. This is just not good stats which is why he gets an F-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 47 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 22.33(T30th), 19.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.13(37th), Best 11th, Worst 40th, Laps Completed 84.55%, Led 0.2% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: D+
He didn’t do bad on Superspeedway’s as he did get 2 Top 15’s and had a 22.33 Avg. Finish. Additionally his in-race stats aren’t awful so he gets a solid D+.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt Track start, 37 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(21st), 30.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 58.5(22nd), Best 21st, Worst 21st, 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: C+
The reason he gets a C+ instead of C is because he ran a decent amount of laps in the Top 15 for this team and his Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t bad either.
Overview
– Dillon wound up the last full-time driver in points this year, 32nd
– In 2023 Dillon had the 3rd worst Avg. Finish, Completed Laps%, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating among qualified drivers
– His 10 playoff races were better than his 2023 races in total
– He had no streak to speak of
– He ran barely any laps in the Top 15 at Short tracks and had an Avg. Finish of 31st
– His Small track races weren’t much better than the Short tracks, but they were a little better in almost every stat
– Dillon didn’t run that great at Intermediate tracks and had just 1 Top 20 in 10 races
– He didn’t do too shabby in stages at Big tracks, but his finishes weren’t as nice
– He had the 5th worst Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating at Road Courses
– His only Top 15’s came at Superspeedway’s and these were his best tracks in total
– He ran decent at the Dirt race for a Spire car
– Dillon wound up the last full-time driver in points this year, 32nd
– In 2023 Dillon had the 3rd worst Avg. Finish, Completed Laps%, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating among qualified drivers
– His 10 playoff races were better than his 2023 races in total
– He had no streak to speak of
– He ran barely any laps in the Top 15 at Short tracks and had an Avg. Finish of 31st
– His Small track races weren’t much better than the Short tracks, but they were a little better in almost every stat
– Dillon didn’t run that great at Intermediate tracks and had just 1 Top 20 in 10 races
– He didn’t do too shabby in stages at Big tracks, but his finishes weren’t as nice
– He had the 5th worst Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating at Road Courses
– His only Top 15’s came at Superspeedway’s and these were his best tracks in total
– He ran decent at the Dirt race for a Spire car
Final Grade: F+
Spire Motorsports Overall Team Grade: D
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.
