I said we’d see desperation at Martinsville and that’s exactly what we saw as Justin Allgaier picked up the win in the demolition derby at the end of the race. This week we see if any of that good fortune pays off in the form of a championship for Allgaier as we head to the last race of the year, Phoenix. I have picked 8 notable drivers to look at, 4 based on the Championship 4 drivers, 1 based on 2023 season stats, 1 based on Small track stats, 1 based on the last Phoenix race, and 1 based on their overall Phoenix stats. Here is a look at those 8 notable drivers 2023 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2023 and ranking through 32 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight the 2023 Playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2023 Small track (1-1.3 mile) statistics and Phoenix statistics.
P = Playoff Driver
OP = Owner Playoff Driver
1st Seed – Sam Mayer (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.5 | 8th of 30 | 72nd of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 88.08% | 23rd of 30 | 191st of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 68.55% | 11th of 30 | 89th of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.25 | 5th of 30 | 57th of 266‡ |
| Wins | 4 | T2nd of 105 | T17th of 855 |
| Poles | 1 | T8th of 105 | T34th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | T2nd of 105 | T16th of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 9 | 3rd of 105 | T22nd of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 12 | 5th of 105 | T34th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 18 | T5th of 105 | T48th of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 7 | T21st of 30 | T193rd of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 105 | T128th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 36 | 8th of 105 | 51st of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 167 | 9th of 105 | 51st of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 20 | 4th of 105 | 22nd of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 17.5(16th), 55.8% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.05(6th), Best 1st, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 71.73%, Led 10.93% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 2.42 Stage Pts Per Stage, 10 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 5 straight Top 5 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 12.67(13th), 89.77% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.67(12th), Best 9th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.66% 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, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 11th, Started 14th, Led 4 laps (2.0%), Finished 8th in Stage 1 and 7th in Stage 2, ran 197 Laps in Top15 (98.5% of laps he ran), had 95.8 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 20.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T38th)
- Best Finish: 11th, Worst: 34th
- Completed 99.13% of laps (% ranks 33rd)
- 73.02% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 28th)
- 79.68 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 30th)
- Led 0.5% of laps he’s run (% ranks 21st)
- 0 Top 10’s
- 2 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T32nd)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T40th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 5 Stage T10’s, 62.5% (% ranks T15th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Sam Mayer is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– Mayer had a rough day at Martinsville as he ended up only running 29% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 25th, 12 laps down
– This race broke the 3 race Top 5 streak he was on
– Only 4 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 4th or better (4 Wins, 7 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, and 4 Playoff Pts)
– His 7 Top 2’s and 4 Wins thru 32 races rank better than T20th since 2016
– He has just a 17.5 Avg. Finish in 6 playoff races this year but has 2 Wins and 3 Top 5’s in those 6 races
– He’s only ran 56% of his playoff laps in the Top 15 and has only 6 Stage T10’s in 12 stages, but he does have the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (92.05)
– At Small tracks this year he has a 12.67 Avg. Finish in 3 races with just 1 Top 10 and a best finish of 9th
– In these 3 races he’s ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15, but has just a 91.67 Avg. Driver Rating and has led only 0.66% of his laps
– At Phoenix this Spring Mayer ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, but he only had the 10th best Driver Rating (95.8) and finished 11th
– This was his 2nd Top 15 finish and best finish at Phoenix in his 4 career starts
– He’s ran 73% of his laps at Phoenix in the Top 15, but has led only 0.5% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats above show Mayer has done good at finishing very well, but that’s it as he doesn’t really deserve his Championship 4 spot beyond that. Even worse is that his playoff stats say he doesn’t deserve the spot either, but he won the right races to get here. All of this is good, but Small tracks haven’t been good for him this year and his Phoenix stats are even worse as he has yet to get a Top 10 here. Going off these stats I don’t see Mayer as a title contender this weekend, finishing between 7th and 15th.
– Sam Mayer is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– Mayer had a rough day at Martinsville as he ended up only running 29% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 25th, 12 laps down
– This race broke the 3 race Top 5 streak he was on
– Only 4 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 4th or better (4 Wins, 7 Top 2’s, 9 Top 3’s, and 4 Playoff Pts)
– His 7 Top 2’s and 4 Wins thru 32 races rank better than T20th since 2016
– He has just a 17.5 Avg. Finish in 6 playoff races this year but has 2 Wins and 3 Top 5’s in those 6 races
– He’s only ran 56% of his playoff laps in the Top 15 and has only 6 Stage T10’s in 12 stages, but he does have the 6th best Avg. Driver Rating (92.05)
– At Small tracks this year he has a 12.67 Avg. Finish in 3 races with just 1 Top 10 and a best finish of 9th
– In these 3 races he’s ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15, but has just a 91.67 Avg. Driver Rating and has led only 0.66% of his laps
– At Phoenix this Spring Mayer ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, but he only had the 10th best Driver Rating (95.8) and finished 11th
– This was his 2nd Top 15 finish and best finish at Phoenix in his 4 career starts
– He’s ran 73% of his laps at Phoenix in the Top 15, but has led only 0.5% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats above show Mayer has done good at finishing very well, but that’s it as he doesn’t really deserve his Championship 4 spot beyond that. Even worse is that his playoff stats say he doesn’t deserve the spot either, but he won the right races to get here. All of this is good, but Small tracks haven’t been good for him this year and his Phoenix stats are even worse as he has yet to get a Top 10 here. Going off these stats I don’t see Mayer as a title contender this weekend, finishing between 7th and 15th.
1st Seed – Justin Allgaier (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.88 | 3rd of 30 | 43rd of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.18% | 4th of 30 | 49th of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.78% | 4th of 30 | 56th of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 105.17 | 2nd of 30 | 26th of 266‡ |
| Wins | 4 | T2nd of 105 | T17th of 855 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 105 | T15th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 7 | T2nd of 105 | T16th of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 11 | 2nd of 105 | T15th of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 14 | 3rd of 105 | T24th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 19 | 4th of 105 | T42nd of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T10th of 30 | T91st of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 13 | 1st of 105 | 3rd of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 49 | 1st of 105 | T16th of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 364 | 1st of 105 | T6th of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 33 | 2nd of 105 | 11th of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 10.83(6th), 89.87% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 117.07(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 99.35%, Led 23.19% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 5 Stage Wins, 10 Stage T10’s, 6.75 Stage Pts Per Stage, 15 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T16th), 82.02% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 97.2(T8th), Best 3rd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 96.37%, Led 8.05% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 3 Stage Wins, 7.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 36th (crash), Started 2nd, Led 20 laps (10.0%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 136 Laps in Top15 (76.4% of laps he ran), had 74.1 Driver Rating (ranked 14th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 26 Races
- 9.54 Avg. Finish (Ranks 14th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 36th
- Completed 99.52% of laps (% ranks 26th)
- 92.28% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 11th)
- 105.89 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 10.48% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 2 Wins, 7.69% (% ranks 6th)
- 6 Top 3’s, 23.08% (% ranks 10th)
- 17 Top 10’s, 65.38% (% ranks 17th)
- 23 Top 15’s, 88.46% (% ranks 13th)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 7.69% (% ranks 18th)
- 1 DNF, 3.85% (% ranks 39th)
- 6 Stage Wins, 23.08% (% ranks 3rd)
- 26 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 6.35 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Justin Allgaier is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– Last week at Martinsville Allgaier ran just 77% of his laps in the Top 15, but when teammates didn’t get along late Allgaier pounced for the victory
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 5 races
– His only 2023 Rank above worse than 4th is his 4 DNF’s (ranks T10th)
– The only stats that his 2023 Ranks are 1st are his stage stats (13 Stage Wins, 49 Stage T10’s, and 364 Stage Pts)
– He’s ran 90% of his playoff laps in the Top 15 this year, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating in the playoffs (117.07), and has won 5 of 12 playoff stages
– In the 6 playoff races he has a 10.83 Avg. Finish with 2 Wins and 3 Top 5’s
– At Small tracks he has a 15.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s in 3 races and a best finish of 3rd
– He has a decent 97.2 Avg. Driver Rating in the 3 Small track races while leading 8% of his laps, and winning half the stages ran
– This Spring at Phoenix Allgaier won the Pole, Stage 1, and Stage 2; but he only ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 before crashing out to finish 36th
– This was his 1st DNF in his 26 career Xfinity races at Phoenix, and he has a 9.54 Avg. Finish with more Top 3 finishes (6) than finishes out of the Top 20 (2)
– In these 26 races here he’s ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15, led 10.48% of his laps, and has a 105.89 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats above say Allgaier more than deserves his spot in the Championship 4, and his playoff stats back this up mostly as he’s done well in the 6 races. His Small track stats aren’t bad, but leave a bit to be desired. What leaves nothing to be desired are his career Phoenix stats as he’s been pretty good here, including the first half of the Spring race here. All in all Allgaier has a good chance at his first Championship this weekend as I see Allgaier finishing 1st-7th.
– Justin Allgaier is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– Last week at Martinsville Allgaier ran just 77% of his laps in the Top 15, but when teammates didn’t get along late Allgaier pounced for the victory
– His longest Top 10 streak this year is only 5 races
– His only 2023 Rank above worse than 4th is his 4 DNF’s (ranks T10th)
– The only stats that his 2023 Ranks are 1st are his stage stats (13 Stage Wins, 49 Stage T10’s, and 364 Stage Pts)
– He’s ran 90% of his playoff laps in the Top 15 this year, has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating in the playoffs (117.07), and has won 5 of 12 playoff stages
– In the 6 playoff races he has a 10.83 Avg. Finish with 2 Wins and 3 Top 5’s
– At Small tracks he has a 15.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s in 3 races and a best finish of 3rd
– He has a decent 97.2 Avg. Driver Rating in the 3 Small track races while leading 8% of his laps, and winning half the stages ran
– This Spring at Phoenix Allgaier won the Pole, Stage 1, and Stage 2; but he only ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15 before crashing out to finish 36th
– This was his 1st DNF in his 26 career Xfinity races at Phoenix, and he has a 9.54 Avg. Finish with more Top 3 finishes (6) than finishes out of the Top 20 (2)
– In these 26 races here he’s ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15, led 10.48% of his laps, and has a 105.89 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
The 2023 stats above say Allgaier more than deserves his spot in the Championship 4, and his playoff stats back this up mostly as he’s done well in the 6 races. His Small track stats aren’t bad, but leave a bit to be desired. What leaves nothing to be desired are his career Phoenix stats as he’s been pretty good here, including the first half of the Spring race here. All in all Allgaier has a good chance at his first Championship this weekend as I see Allgaier finishing 1st-7th.
1st Seed – John Hunter Nemechek (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.94 | 1st of 30 | 17th of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.61% | 1st of 30 | T24th of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 88.82% | 1st of 30 | 22nd of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 111.09 | 1st of 30 | 9th of 266‡ |
| Wins | 7 | 1st of 105 | T5th of 855 |
| Poles | 2 | 7th of 105 | T23rd of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 12 | 1st of 105 | T3rd of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 15 | 1st of 105 | T3rd of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 17 | 1st of 105 | T9th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 24 | 1st of 105 | T12th of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T6th of 30 | T55th of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 10 | 2nd of 105 | T8th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 48 | T2nd of 105 | T18th of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 343 | 2nd of 105 | 13th of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 45 | 1st of 105 | 4th of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 5.83(1st), 93.71% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.72(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 8.33% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 4 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 10 Stage T10’s, 6.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 15th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(T2nd), 94.06% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 126.27(1st), Best 1st, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 25.74% of laps he ran, 1 Win 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 6th, Started 4th, Led 19 laps (9.5%), Finished 9th in Stage 1, ran 182 Laps in Top15 (91.0% of laps he ran), had 116.4 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 6 Races
- 6.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 96.51% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 109.67 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 6th)
- Led 8.47% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 33.33% (% ranks T15th)
- 6 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 10 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T9th)
Main Points & Outlook
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– At Phoenix Nemechek clinched his Championship 4 spot early and ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15 before being wrecking in the last turn to finish 18th
– This race broke his personal season best 7 race Top 10 streak
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st including his 8.94 Avg. Finish, 111.09 Avg. Driver Rating, 24 Top 10’s, and 45 Playoff Pts
– His 7 Wins, 12 Top 2’s, 15 Top 3’s, and 45 Playoff Pts all rank T5th or better since 2016 thru 32 races
– In 6 playoff races he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (110.72), and has led 8% of his laps
– He has the best Avg. Finish in the playoffs (5.83) and has 4 Top 3’s in the 6 races as well
– In the 3 Small track races this year he has a 4.0 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and a worst finish of 6th
– He has the best Avg. Driver Rating at Small tracks this year (126.27), has ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, and has led a whopping 26% of his laps in the 3 races
– Nemechek ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 this Spring at Phoenix, led 19 laps, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (116.4), and finished 6th
– In his 6 Xfinity Phoenix races he has a 6.5 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 4th and a worst finish of only 9th
– He’s ran 96.51% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 8.47% of his laps, and has a 109.67 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
When looking at the stats above it is clear that Nemechek has been the best driver this year, and there is a case that could be made that he’s been the best driver in the playoffs as well. Bottomline he’s been great this year, which includes Small tracks as his stats in the 3 races are best of the Championship 4. The only mark against him above are his Phoenix stats as he’s been good, but not great. Overall based on the stats I see Nemechek finishing between 1st and 8th this weekend, definitely contending for the championship.
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– At Phoenix Nemechek clinched his Championship 4 spot early and ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15 before being wrecking in the last turn to finish 18th
– This race broke his personal season best 7 race Top 10 streak
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st including his 8.94 Avg. Finish, 111.09 Avg. Driver Rating, 24 Top 10’s, and 45 Playoff Pts
– His 7 Wins, 12 Top 2’s, 15 Top 3’s, and 45 Playoff Pts all rank T5th or better since 2016 thru 32 races
– In 6 playoff races he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (110.72), and has led 8% of his laps
– He has the best Avg. Finish in the playoffs (5.83) and has 4 Top 3’s in the 6 races as well
– In the 3 Small track races this year he has a 4.0 Avg. Finish with 1 Win and a worst finish of 6th
– He has the best Avg. Driver Rating at Small tracks this year (126.27), has ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15, and has led a whopping 26% of his laps in the 3 races
– Nemechek ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 this Spring at Phoenix, led 19 laps, had the 2nd best Driver Rating (116.4), and finished 6th
– In his 6 Xfinity Phoenix races he has a 6.5 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 4th and a worst finish of only 9th
– He’s ran 96.51% of his laps here in the Top 15, led 8.47% of his laps, and has a 109.67 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
When looking at the stats above it is clear that Nemechek has been the best driver this year, and there is a case that could be made that he’s been the best driver in the playoffs as well. Bottomline he’s been great this year, which includes Small tracks as his stats in the 3 races are best of the Championship 4. The only mark against him above are his Phoenix stats as he’s been good, but not great. Overall based on the stats I see Nemechek finishing between 1st and 8th this weekend, definitely contending for the championship.
1st Seed – Cole Custer (P & OP)
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.09 | 4th of 30 | T46th of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.8% | 6th of 30 | 55th of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.53% | 2nd of 30 | 43rd of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.69 | 3rd of 30 | 31st of 266‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T5th of 105 | T36th of 855 |
| Poles | 6 | 1st of 105 | T4th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T6th of 105 | T52nd of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 8 | 4th of 105 | T26th of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 13 | 4th of 105 | T29th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 20 | 3rd of 105 | T33rd of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T2nd of 30 | T23rd of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | 3rd of 105 | T14th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 48 | T2nd of 105 | T18th of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 314 | 3rd of 105 | T19th of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 18 | 5th of 105 | T25th of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 7.83(2nd), 94.2% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 120.62(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 26.0% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 10 Stage T10’s, 7.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, 3 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 10th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 11 straight Top 10 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 24th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.67(14th), 93.55% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.97(6th), Best 7th, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 99.83%, Led 8.43% 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 12th, Started 1st, Led 38 laps (19.0%), Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 165 Laps in Top15 (82.5% of laps he ran), had 101.7 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 7 Races
- 8.86 Avg. Finish (Ranks 12th)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 21st
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 89.57% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 15th)
- 101.63 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 3.14% of laps he’s run (% ranks 11th)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Top 2, 14.29% (% ranks 8th)
- 5 Top 10’s, 71.43% (% ranks 14th)
- 6 Top 15’s, 85.71% (% ranks 14th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 14.29% (% ranks T20th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3.71 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Cole Custer is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– At Martinsville Custer ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15 but ended up crossing the finish line backwards in 19th after he was caught up in the last lap madness
– He’s now finished 2 straight races out of the Top 10
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 4th or better including his 11.09 Avg. Finish, 103.69 Avg. Driver Rating, 13 Top 5’s, 20 Top 10’s, and 314 Stage Pts
– His worst 2023 Rank above is (T)6th (his 96.8 Completed Laps% and 3 Top 2’s)
– He’s ran 94% of his laps in the 6 playoff races in the Top 15, has led an incredible 26% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating (120.62)
– In the 6 races he has a 7.83 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s
– In the 3 Small track races this year he has just a 13.67 Avg. Driver Rating with only 1 Top 10 and 1 finish out of the Top 20
– He’s ran 94% of his laps at Small tracks this year in the Top 15, led 8.43% of his laps, and has a 104.97 Avg. Driver Rating
– This Spring at Phoenix Custer ran just 82.5% of his laps in the Top 15, had just the 6th best Driver Rating (101.7), and finished 12th after starting on the Pole
– In his 7 career Phoenix races he has an 8.86 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 2nd and 5 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 89.57% of his laps in the Top 15 here at Phoenix, led 3.14% of his laps, and has a 101.63 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Custer definitely deserves the Championship 4 spot he has based on the 2023 stats above, and based on the playoff stats he absolutely belongs as he’s been arguably the best in them. However, it’s not all good as he’s not finished well on Small tracks this year despite good runs. In his Xfinity career at Phoenix he’s been adequate, but struggled in the Spring which is something he’ll need to fix. Based on all of the data I believe Custer ends up between 3rd and 10th this weekend.
– Cole Custer is notable because he is in the Championship 4
– At Martinsville Custer ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15 but ended up crossing the finish line backwards in 19th after he was caught up in the last lap madness
– He’s now finished 2 straight races out of the Top 10
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 4th or better including his 11.09 Avg. Finish, 103.69 Avg. Driver Rating, 13 Top 5’s, 20 Top 10’s, and 314 Stage Pts
– His worst 2023 Rank above is (T)6th (his 96.8 Completed Laps% and 3 Top 2’s)
– He’s ran 94% of his laps in the 6 playoff races in the Top 15, has led an incredible 26% of his laps, and has the best Avg. Driver Rating (120.62)
– In the 6 races he has a 7.83 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 3’s and 4 Top 10’s
– In the 3 Small track races this year he has just a 13.67 Avg. Driver Rating with only 1 Top 10 and 1 finish out of the Top 20
– He’s ran 94% of his laps at Small tracks this year in the Top 15, led 8.43% of his laps, and has a 104.97 Avg. Driver Rating
– This Spring at Phoenix Custer ran just 82.5% of his laps in the Top 15, had just the 6th best Driver Rating (101.7), and finished 12th after starting on the Pole
– In his 7 career Phoenix races he has an 8.86 Avg. Finish with a best finish of 2nd and 5 Top 10’s
– He’s ran 89.57% of his laps in the Top 15 here at Phoenix, led 3.14% of his laps, and has a 101.63 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Custer definitely deserves the Championship 4 spot he has based on the 2023 stats above, and based on the playoff stats he absolutely belongs as he’s been arguably the best in them. However, it’s not all good as he’s not finished well on Small tracks this year despite good runs. In his Xfinity career at Phoenix he’s been adequate, but struggled in the Spring which is something he’ll need to fix. Based on all of the data I believe Custer ends up between 3rd and 10th this weekend.
5th in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.03 | 2nd of 30 | 21st of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.59% | 3rd of 30 | 40th of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.59% | 3rd of 30 | 46th of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.08 | 4th of 30 | 33rd of 266‡ |
| Wins | 4 | T2nd of 105 | T17th of 855 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 105 | T15th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | 4th of 105 | T26th of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | 5th of 105 | T32nd of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 16 | 2nd of 105 | T11th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 23 | 2nd of 105 | T17th of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T6th of 30 | T55th of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T5th of 105 | T30th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 45 | 4th of 105 | T25th of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 288 | 4th of 105 | 24th of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 24 | 3rd of 105 | 16th of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 13.5(11th), 75.08% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.63(8th), Best 4th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 93.14%, Led 1.93% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 8 Stage T10’s, 4.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.67(4th), 95.54% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.53(4th), Best 3rd, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 6.6% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 7th, Started 8th, Led 22 laps (11.0%), Finished 2nd in Stage 2, ran 197 Laps in Top15 (98.5% of laps he ran), had 115.8 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 11.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T16th)
- Best Finish: 7th, Worst: 17th
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T19th)
- 76.13% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 24th)
- 92.17 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 21st)
- Led 3.67% of laps he’s run (% ranks 10th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 2 Top 10’s, 66.67% (% ranks T15th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 16.67% (% ranks T27th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Austin Hill is notable because his of 2023 season stats
– Hill was an unfortunate victim of late race teammate tomfoolery as he and Sheldon Creed got into it for the lead causing Hill to finish 21st
– This was his first finish out of the Top 20 since Bristol in mid September, which was another case of teammate shenanigans
– Only his 7 Top 3’s, 3 DNF’s, and 4 Stage Wins are worse than T4th in the 2023 Ranks above
– His best 2023 Ranks above are only (T)2nd (9.03 Avg. Finish, 4 Wins, 3 Poles, 16 Top 5’s, 23 Top 10’s)
– He has a 13.5 Avg. Finish in the 6 playoff races this year with just 1 Top 5, but 4 Top 10’s
– In the 6 playoff races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 91.63 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s only led 2% of his laps in the playoffs
– At Small tracks this year he has a 4.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 3 and a worst finish of 7th in 3 races
– In these 3 races he’s ran 95.54% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (110.53), and has led 7% of his laps ran
– Earlier this year at Phoenix Hill ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, led 22 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (115.8), and finished 7th
– This was his 3rd Xfinity race at Phoenix and in the 3 races he has an 11.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s
– In the 3 races here he’s ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15, led 4% of his laps, and has a decent 92.17 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Hill deserves to be in the Championship 4 based on his impressive 2023 stats, but his teammate made sure he wasn’t. However, based on his playoff stats this year he doesn’t deserve to be in the hunt for the championship anyway. This is a shame as Hill’s been pretty good at Small tracks this year and ran a good race at Phoenix this Spring. However, in his career at Phoenix he’s been just decent. So, with all this in mind I see Hill finishing between 5th and 12th this weekend.
– Austin Hill is notable because his of 2023 season stats
– Hill was an unfortunate victim of late race teammate tomfoolery as he and Sheldon Creed got into it for the lead causing Hill to finish 21st
– This was his first finish out of the Top 20 since Bristol in mid September, which was another case of teammate shenanigans
– Only his 7 Top 3’s, 3 DNF’s, and 4 Stage Wins are worse than T4th in the 2023 Ranks above
– His best 2023 Ranks above are only (T)2nd (9.03 Avg. Finish, 4 Wins, 3 Poles, 16 Top 5’s, 23 Top 10’s)
– He has a 13.5 Avg. Finish in the 6 playoff races this year with just 1 Top 5, but 4 Top 10’s
– In the 6 playoff races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, has a 91.63 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s only led 2% of his laps in the playoffs
– At Small tracks this year he has a 4.67 Avg. Finish with 1 Top 3 and a worst finish of 7th in 3 races
– In these 3 races he’s ran 95.54% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (110.53), and has led 7% of his laps ran
– Earlier this year at Phoenix Hill ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15, led 22 laps, had the 3rd best Driver Rating (115.8), and finished 7th
– This was his 3rd Xfinity race at Phoenix and in the 3 races he has an 11.0 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s
– In the 3 races here he’s ran 76% of his laps in the Top 15, led 4% of his laps, and has a decent 92.17 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Hill deserves to be in the Championship 4 based on his impressive 2023 stats, but his teammate made sure he wasn’t. However, based on his playoff stats this year he doesn’t deserve to be in the hunt for the championship anyway. This is a shame as Hill’s been pretty good at Small tracks this year and ran a good race at Phoenix this Spring. However, in his career at Phoenix he’s been just decent. So, with all this in mind I see Hill finishing between 5th and 12th this weekend.
6th in Points – Sammy Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.56 | 11th of 30 | T87th of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 91.45% | 20th of 30 | 159th of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 67.98% | 12th of 30 | 91st of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 87.1 | 10th of 30 | 73rd of 266‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 105 | T53rd of 855 |
| Poles | 1 | T8th of 105 | T34th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 105 | T68th of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T7th of 105 | T57th of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T10th of 105 | T70th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T10th of 105 | T71st of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T15th of 30 | T128th of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 105 | T59th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 34 | 9th of 105 | T54th of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 163 | 10th of 105 | 54th of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T6th of 105 | T43rd of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 8.67(3rd), 92.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 102.82(4th), Best 3rd, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.84%, Led 12.03% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 9 Stage T10’s, 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, 1 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 4.0(T2nd), 84.32% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 117.67(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 18.15% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 1st, Started 11th, Led 92 laps (46.0%), Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 190 Laps in Top15 (95.0% of laps he ran), had 148.6 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 5.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 85.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 20th)
- 122.4 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 25.5% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 6.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Sammy Smith is notable because of his stats here at Phoenix in his 2 Xfinity Series starts
– Sammy led 57% of the laps last week at Martinsville and won Stage 2, but alas he could only muster up a 3rd place finish
– He’s finished 5 of the last 6 races in the Top 11
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T10th or better including his 87.1 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Top 3’s, 14 Top 10’s, 34 Stage T10’s, and 7 Playoff Pts
– Even with his 3rd place finish last week he still has more DNF’s (5) than Top 3 finishes (4)
– He has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating in the 6 playoff races (102.82), ran 92% of his playoffs laps in the Top 15, and has earned 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 6 races he has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (8.67) while leading 12% of his laps and getting 2 Top 3 finishes
– His worst finish in 3 Small track races this year is just 6th and his 4.0 Avg. Finish is tied for 2nd best
– In the 3 races he’s ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 18% of his laps, and he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (117.67)
– This Spring at Phoenix Sammy ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (148.6), led 46% of the race, and won his only race of the year
– In his 2 races here at Phoenix he has a 5.5 Avg. Finish with finishes of 1st and 10th
– He’s ran 85% of his laps at Phoenix in the Top 15, led 25.5% of his laps, and has an incredible 122.4 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy Smith had a strong run at Martinsville, but just missed a Championship 4 appearance. The 2023 stats say he didn’t deserve it anyway, but his playoff stats have been good enough to say he might should be in the Championship 4 this weekend. What’s even more unfortunate is that he’s been spectacular on Small tracks this year, and he won the Phoenix race earlier this year. With all these good stats above I see Sammy coming home with a finish between 1st and 7th.
– Sammy Smith is notable because of his stats here at Phoenix in his 2 Xfinity Series starts
– Sammy led 57% of the laps last week at Martinsville and won Stage 2, but alas he could only muster up a 3rd place finish
– He’s finished 5 of the last 6 races in the Top 11
– 11 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T10th or better including his 87.1 Avg. Driver Rating, 4 Top 3’s, 14 Top 10’s, 34 Stage T10’s, and 7 Playoff Pts
– Even with his 3rd place finish last week he still has more DNF’s (5) than Top 3 finishes (4)
– He has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating in the 6 playoff races (102.82), ran 92% of his playoffs laps in the Top 15, and has earned 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the 6 races he has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (8.67) while leading 12% of his laps and getting 2 Top 3 finishes
– His worst finish in 3 Small track races this year is just 6th and his 4.0 Avg. Finish is tied for 2nd best
– In the 3 races he’s ran 84% of his laps in the Top 15, has led 18% of his laps, and he has the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating (117.67)
– This Spring at Phoenix Sammy ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15, had the best Driver Rating (148.6), led 46% of the race, and won his only race of the year
– In his 2 races here at Phoenix he has a 5.5 Avg. Finish with finishes of 1st and 10th
– He’s ran 85% of his laps at Phoenix in the Top 15, led 25.5% of his laps, and has an incredible 122.4 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy Smith had a strong run at Martinsville, but just missed a Championship 4 appearance. The 2023 stats say he didn’t deserve it anyway, but his playoff stats have been good enough to say he might should be in the Championship 4 this weekend. What’s even more unfortunate is that he’s been spectacular on Small tracks this year, and he won the Phoenix race earlier this year. With all these good stats above I see Sammy coming home with a finish between 1st and 7th.
10th in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.84 | 13th of 30 | 93rd of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.65% | 14th of 30 | 119th of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 78.41% | 5th of 30 | 66th of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.03 | 8th of 30 | 66th of 266‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 105 | T53rd of 855 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 105 | T15th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 105 | T68th of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T12th of 105 | T76th of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T8th of 105 | T55th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 12 | 12th of 105 | T79th of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 7 | T21st of 30 | T193rd of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 105 | T59th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 43 | 5th of 105 | T32nd of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 196 | 6th of 105 | T43rd of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T6th of 105 | T43rd of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 15.83(T12th), 77.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.27(9th), Best 4th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 89.3%, Led 2.1% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 10 Stage T10’s, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 10th longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.67(5th), 92.73% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 100.07(7th), Best 2nd, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 99.83%, Led 1.98% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 5th, Started 6th, Led 2 laps (1.0%), Finished 10th in Stage 1, ran 167 Laps in Top15 (83.5% of laps he ran), had 94.6 Driver Rating (ranked 11th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 1 Race
- 5.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T3rd)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 5th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 83.5% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 22nd)
- 94.6 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 15th)
- Led 1.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 17th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 50.0% (% ranks T18th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chandler Smith is notable because of well he’s performed on Small tracks this year
– Chandler had engine trouble at Phoenix that caused him to run just 187 laps and finish 36th
– He’s now finished 2 straight races out of the Top 30, his longest streak this year
– 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T8th or better including his 78.41 Laps in Top 15%, 89.03 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Poles, and 196 Stage Pts
– His 3 Poles are tied for 15th most thru 32 races since 2016
– In the 6 playoff races he has a 15.83 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 5’s, but also 2 finishes out of the Top 20
– He’s ran 77% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, has a 90.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s gotten 10 Stage T10’s in 12 stages
– This year he has a 6.67 Avg. Finish in the 3 Small track races with 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 5’s
– He’s ran 93% of his Small track laps in the Top 15, has a pretty good 100.07 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 2% of his laps
– At Phoenix this Spring Chandler ran 83.5% of his laps in the Top 15, led 2 laps, had the 11th best Driver Rating (94.6), and finished 5th
– This is his only career Xfinity race at Phoenix
Outlook for this weekend
Chandler Smith had very bad luck in the Round of 8, but his 2023 overall and playoff stats say he shouldn’t have made the Championship 4 anyway. This is unfortunate as he’s ran well on Small tracks this year and performed decent in his one career Phoenix start this Spring. All of these stats tell me that Chandler will close out his Xfinity rookie campaign with a finish between 4th and 12th.
– Chandler Smith is notable because of well he’s performed on Small tracks this year
– Chandler had engine trouble at Phoenix that caused him to run just 187 laps and finish 36th
– He’s now finished 2 straight races out of the Top 30, his longest streak this year
– 8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T8th or better including his 78.41 Laps in Top 15%, 89.03 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Poles, and 196 Stage Pts
– His 3 Poles are tied for 15th most thru 32 races since 2016
– In the 6 playoff races he has a 15.83 Avg. Finish with 3 Top 5’s, but also 2 finishes out of the Top 20
– He’s ran 77% of his playoff laps in the Top 15, has a 90.27 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s gotten 10 Stage T10’s in 12 stages
– This year he has a 6.67 Avg. Finish in the 3 Small track races with 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 5’s
– He’s ran 93% of his Small track laps in the Top 15, has a pretty good 100.07 Avg. Driver Rating, and has led 2% of his laps
– At Phoenix this Spring Chandler ran 83.5% of his laps in the Top 15, led 2 laps, had the 11th best Driver Rating (94.6), and finished 5th
– This is his only career Xfinity race at Phoenix
Outlook for this weekend
Chandler Smith had very bad luck in the Round of 8, but his 2023 overall and playoff stats say he shouldn’t have made the Championship 4 anyway. This is unfortunate as he’s ran well on Small tracks this year and performed decent in his one career Phoenix start this Spring. All of these stats tell me that Chandler will close out his Xfinity rookie campaign with a finish between 4th and 12th.
13th in Points – Riley Herbst
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 32 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.28 | 10th of 30 | 86th of 266 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 89.71% | 22nd of 30 | 181st of 266 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 71.53% | 9th of 30 | 82nd of 266 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 86.43 | 11th of 30 | 77th of 266‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 105 | T53rd of 855 |
| Poles | 0 | T13th of 105 | T90th of 855 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T6th of 105 | T52nd of 855 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T12th of 105 | T76th of 855 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | 7th of 105 | T49th of 855 |
| Top 10’s | 16 | 9th of 105 | T61st of 855 |
| DNF’s¹ | 7 | T21st of 30 | T193rd of 266 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 105 | T59th of 730* |
| Stage T10s | 38 | T6th of 105 | T44th of 730* |
| Stage Pts | 168 | 8th of 105 | 50th of 730* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T6th of 105 | T43rd of 730* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 32 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff start, 37 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 9.33(5th), 75.41% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.3(5th), Best 1st, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 83.82%, Led 10.04% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 7 Stage T10’s, 2.17 Stage Pts Per Stage, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.0(T16th), 64.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.13(15th), Best 4th, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 99.67%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Spring Phoenix race
- Finished 4th, Started 10th, Led 0 laps, Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, ran 169 Laps in Top15 (84.5% of laps he ran), had 106.7 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix, 80 drivers)
- 8 Races
- 13.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 24th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 38th
- Completed 86.52% of laps (% ranks 66th)
- 74.73% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 25th)
- 78.56 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 31st)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 3’s
- 3 Top 5’s, 37.5% (% ranks 12th)
- 6 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks T23rd)
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks T29th)
- 1 DNF, 12.5% (% ranks 54th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 5 Stage T10’s, 31.25% (% ranks 23rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Riley Herbst is notable because of how well he did in the Spring Phoenix race
– Herbst ran all but 5 laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville last week and avoided the late race carnage to get only his 9th Top 5 this year, finishing 4th
– He has now finished 4 straight races in the Top 5
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T10th or better including his 15.28 Avg. Finish, 1 Win, 3 Top 2’s, 16 Top 10’s, and 38 Stage T10’s
– 56% of his 16 Top 10 finishes this year have also been Top 5’s
– He has the 5th best Avg. Finish in the playoffs (9.33) and has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating (96.3)
– In the 6 playoff races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 4 Top 5’s with 1 Win
– This year in the 3 Small track races he’s ran only 65% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 84.13 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s led 0 laps
– In these 3 races he has a 15.0 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 5 and 1 finish out of the Top 20
– Herbst ran 84.5% of his laps in the Top 15 this Spring at Phoenix getting the 5th best Driver Rating (106.7) and finishing 4th
– This was his 3rd Top 5 in 8 Phoenix races and overall he has a 13.5 Avg. Finish here
– In his 8 races here he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has gotten only 5 Stage T10’s in 16 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Herbst picked up his first win this year which has helped his playoff stats look really good, even Championship 4 worthy, but his 2023 overall stats aren’t as good. What’s also not good is his Small track stats this year as he’s struggled in the 3 races. However, the one good race he did have was at Phoenix and overall here he’s done decent, except in stages. Based on all of this above I expect Herbst to do decent this weekend, finishing between 6th and 15th.
– Riley Herbst is notable because of how well he did in the Spring Phoenix race
– Herbst ran all but 5 laps in the Top 15 at Martinsville last week and avoided the late race carnage to get only his 9th Top 5 this year, finishing 4th
– He has now finished 4 straight races in the Top 5
– 10 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are T10th or better including his 15.28 Avg. Finish, 1 Win, 3 Top 2’s, 16 Top 10’s, and 38 Stage T10’s
– 56% of his 16 Top 10 finishes this year have also been Top 5’s
– He has the 5th best Avg. Finish in the playoffs (9.33) and has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating (96.3)
– In the 6 playoff races he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, and has 4 Top 5’s with 1 Win
– This year in the 3 Small track races he’s ran only 65% of his laps in the Top 15, has an 84.13 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s led 0 laps
– In these 3 races he has a 15.0 Avg. Finish with just 1 Top 5 and 1 finish out of the Top 20
– Herbst ran 84.5% of his laps in the Top 15 this Spring at Phoenix getting the 5th best Driver Rating (106.7) and finishing 4th
– This was his 3rd Top 5 in 8 Phoenix races and overall he has a 13.5 Avg. Finish here
– In his 8 races here he’s ran 75% of his laps in the Top 15, led 0 laps, and has gotten only 5 Stage T10’s in 16 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Herbst picked up his first win this year which has helped his playoff stats look really good, even Championship 4 worthy, but his 2023 overall stats aren’t as good. What’s also not good is his Small track stats this year as he’s struggled in the 3 races. However, the one good race he did have was at Phoenix and overall here he’s done decent, except in stages. Based on all of this above I expect Herbst to do decent this weekend, finishing between 6th and 15th.
