Welcome, in this article series we will be reviewing and rating how each driver in the NASCAR Xfinity 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 Playoffs started in 2016. 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, and Superspeedway (drafting tracks) 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.
Up next we have the most prominent Toyota teams in the Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing and Sam Hunt Racing.
Joe Gibbs Racing Drivers
John Hunter Nemechek – 4th in Driver points/4th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.52 | 2nd of 31 | 30th of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.67% | 1st of 31 | 24th of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 89.24% | 1st of 31 | 21st of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 111.21 | 1st of 31 | 11th of 269‡ |
| Wins | 7 | 1st of 105 | T5th of 858 |
| Poles | 2 | T7th of 105 | T24th of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 12 | 1st of 105 | T5th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 15 | 1st of 105 | T5th of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 17 | 1st of 105 | T9th of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 24 | T1st of 105 | T14th of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T6th of 31 | T54th of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 11 | 2nd of 105 | T7th of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 50 | T2nd of 105 | T18th of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 343 | 2nd of 105 | 13th of 733* |
| Playoff Pts² | 46 | 1st of 105 | 4th of 733* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 33 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: A+
If you don’t agree with an A+ then you’re a hater. All but 2 of his 2023 Ranks are 1st or 2nd and only a few Ranks Thru 33 Races are worse than 20th. So, yeah A+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 9.0(4th), 94.53% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 111.34(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.78% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 4 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 12 Stage T10’s, 5.21 Stage Pts Per Stage, 7 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: A
His stats are similar in stature to Allgaier’s who I also gave just an A, but they are way better than Herbst who I gave an A-. So Nemechek gets an A.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Wins (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 15th longest streak in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 26th longest streak in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 29th longest streak in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A+
He was the only driver to have back-to-back wins this year and he also had a 4 race Top 3 streak and 7 straight Top 10’s.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(2nd), 92.05% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 114.9(1st), Best 1st, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 25.0% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 5.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A+
His stats are just so great he has to get an A+, the only thing that made an A even worth considering is that he had just 3 Top 15’s. But, he had 3 Top 3’s with 1 being a win so he gets an A+.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(T8th), 95.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 123.48(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 27.48% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A
He had just 1 Top 3, but that was a win and he did get 3 Top 10’s while leading over a quarter of the laps! Then throw in his amazing Avg. Driver Rating and you get an A.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 3.22(3rd), 94.44% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 126.5(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 27.01% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 2 Poles, 6 Top 3’s, 7 Top 5’s, 9 Top 10’s, 9 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 6 Stage Wins, 7.61 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: A+
His stats are just stupid. Seriously, a worst finish of 6th in 9 races? That’s insane and his 126.5 Avg. Driver Rating is crazy. Just all of them blow my mind. Easiest A+ ever.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.33(T11th), 78.57% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 123.2(1st), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.18%, Led 31.32% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 6.17 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A
If he didn’t have that one 32nd place finish this would be another A+ easily. However, this knocked him down to an A, but he did stayed at A because of his Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Wins, and Stage Pts.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 14.5(15th), 80.76% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 94.06(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 96.33%, Led 1.06% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: B-
He did get 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage and had 4 Top 10’s, but he had 0 Wins, 1 Top 5, a mediocre Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating. Plus he didn’t lead many laps so he gets a B-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 14.2(12th), 84.87% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 91.16(10th), Best 1st, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 93.17%, Led 3.28% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B+
He got 1 Win and had a good Laps in Top 15%, Avg. Driver Rating, and 2 Top 3’s. However, he only had 3 Top 15’s and 1.8 Stage Pts Per Stage so he gets a B+.
Overview
– Nemechek had a great season, but couldn’t close the deal ending 4th in points
– The 2023 overall stats for Nemechek were the best of anyone this year
– He ran well in the playoffs, but only got 1 Win
– He was the only driver this year to win 2 straight races
– Short tracks were one of his best tracks as he ran incredibly well and got 3 Top 3’s in 4 races
– His runs on Small tracks were incredible, but his finishes were just pretty good
– Nemechek’s best tracks were Intermediates where he dominated all the stats
– He was amazing on Big tracks picking up 2 Wins in 3 races, but his other finish was 32nd
– He ran decent on Road Courses, but this was the only style he didn’t win on and overall he didn’t finish great
– Again he was decent on Superspeedway’s, but some of his finishes were lacking
– Nemechek had a great season, but couldn’t close the deal ending 4th in points
– The 2023 overall stats for Nemechek were the best of anyone this year
– He ran well in the playoffs, but only got 1 Win
– He was the only driver this year to win 2 straight races
– Short tracks were one of his best tracks as he ran incredibly well and got 3 Top 3’s in 4 races
– His runs on Small tracks were incredible, but his finishes were just pretty good
– Nemechek’s best tracks were Intermediates where he dominated all the stats
– He was amazing on Big tracks picking up 2 Wins in 3 races, but his other finish was 32nd
– He ran decent on Road Courses, but this was the only style he didn’t win on and overall he didn’t finish great
– Again he was decent on Superspeedway’s, but some of his finishes were lacking
Final Grade: A
Sammy Smith – 6th in Driver points/6th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.36 | 11th of 31 | 87th of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 91.79% | 19th of 31 | 155th of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 67.74% | 12th of 31 | 94th of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 87.13 | 10th of 31 | 74th of 269‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 105 | T54th of 858 |
| Poles | 2 | T7th of 105 | T24th of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 105 | T69th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | T7th of 105 | T59th of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T11th of 105 | T74th of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T10th of 105 | T71st of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T15th of 31 | T127th of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 105 | T61st of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | 9th of 105 | T54th of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 168 | 9th of 105 | 51st of 733* |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T6th of 105 | T46th of 733* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 33 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: B
For a rookie getting a Win is a good accomplishment. However, his stats aren’t great, but they are respectable which is why I gave him a B.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 8.71(3rd), 88.01% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 100.73(4th), Best 3rd, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 11.1% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 10 Stage T10’s, 3.14 Stage Pts Per Stage, 1 Playoff Pt earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: A-
He didn’t get a win which hurt his grade, but he had a 100.73 Avg. Driver Rating, ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15, and got 2 Top 3’s with 10 Stage T10’s. This is all very impressive for a rookie.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series, tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year, and tied 10th longest all-time)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: B+
For a rookie ending the season on a 2 race Pole and 3 race Top 10 streak is pretty good. However, he did not have back-to-back Top 5’s this year so he gets a B+.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 8.25(5th), 79.92% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.45(4th), Best 2nd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 18.28% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A-
His Laps in Top 15% and 0 Wins are the only thing really lacking as he ran great and finished half his races in the Top 3. So, for a rookie he gets an A-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.25(T2nd), 78.71% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.3(5th), Best 1st, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.98% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A
What kept him from an A+ is his mediocre Laps in Top 15%, however he got a win, finished all 4 races in the Top 10, got 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage, and had a great Avg. Driver Rating. So, he still gets the A.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(27th), 77.01% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.11(18th), Best 3rd, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 86.11%, Led 0.14% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.44 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C
He only had 3 Top 10’s in the 9 races and finishes most of his races out of the Top 15 even. His Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% weren’t too bad though so he gets a C.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(T26th), 77.08% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.77(19th), Best 6th, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 68.94%, Led 5.53% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C
Being a rookie definitely saved his grade as his Avg. Finish is pretty bad and his Avg. Driver Rating isn’t too great either. However, he got 1 Top 10 and was good in stages, so he gets a C.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 17.13(T20th), 62.92% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.33(19th), Best 4th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 97.76%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C-
His lack of laps in the Top 15 is what bumped him from a C to C-. Other than this his stats aren’t really good either, mediocre at best even for a rookie. So that’s why he gets a C-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 20.0(28th), 56.76% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 73.48(23rd), Best 10th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 91.42%, Led 0.64% 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: D
His lack of Stage Pts is what gets him the D instead of D+. He really just didn’t run well on these tracks at all and only got 1 Top 15 in the 5 races, which even for a rookie isn’t good.
Overview
– Smith had an up and down year that ended with a major up of him finishing 6th in points
– Smith’s rookie year was able to produce a Win, but overall he ran decent
– He ran really strong in the playoffs and was able to pull out a couple of great finishes
– He ended the year on a 2 race Pole and 3 race Top 10 streak
– At Short tracks he ran very well and finished half his races in the Top 3
– Small tracks were his best track, picking up a win and finishing no worse than 9th
– Smith ran decent at Intermediates, but he finished less than half his races in the Top 15
– Big tracks were like Intermediates, decent to good runs and not so good of finishes
– He didn’t run great at Road Courses and he had just 1 Top 5 in 8 races
– Superspeedway’s were his worst track as he ran poor and usually finished out of the Top 15
– Smith had an up and down year that ended with a major up of him finishing 6th in points
– Smith’s rookie year was able to produce a Win, but overall he ran decent
– He ran really strong in the playoffs and was able to pull out a couple of great finishes
– He ended the year on a 2 race Pole and 3 race Top 10 streak
– At Short tracks he ran very well and finished half his races in the Top 3
– Small tracks were his best track, picking up a win and finishing no worse than 9th
– Smith ran decent at Intermediates, but he finished less than half his races in the Top 15
– Big tracks were like Intermediates, decent to good runs and not so good of finishes
– He didn’t run great at Road Courses and he had just 1 Top 5 in 8 races
– Superspeedway’s were his worst track as he ran poor and usually finished out of the Top 15
Final Grade: B
Joe Gibbs Racing Overall Team Grade: B+
Sam Hunt Racing Drivers
Kaz Grala – 17th in Driver points/19th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 19.06 | 17th of 31 | 133rd of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.04% | 18th of 31 | 151st of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 39.28% | 16th of 31 | 128th of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 68.91 | 16th of 31 | 131st of 269‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 105 | T109th of 858 |
| Poles | 0 | T13th of 105 | T91st of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T22nd of 105 | T167th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T23rd of 105 | T193rd of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T17th of 105 | T129th of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | T14th of 105 | T105th of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 7 | T22nd of 31 | T192nd of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 105 | T128th of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T18th of 105 | T143rd of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 25 | 20th of 105 | T124th of 733* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T15th of 105 | T98th of 733* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 33 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: C
He’s in a tier 2 car and in his first full-time Xfinity season so this skews his grade a bit. However, even with this his stats are still average (nothing great). So he gets a C.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(21st), 44.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 73.23(16th), Best 5th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 87.1%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s, 0.57 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: C+
He ran close to half his playoff laps in the Top 15 and had 3 Top 10’s in the 7 races! However, he also finished every other race out of the Top 20 and barely got any Stage Pts. So, he gets a C+.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C+
Having back-to-back Top 10’s for a 2nd tier team as a rookie is not bad at all. So, he gets a C+.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 14.25(16th), 51.39% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 80.75(17th), Best 4th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 98.77%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B-
Based on the way I graded others he either gets a C+ or B-. I ended up going with B- since a rookie on a 2nd tier team running over 50% of laps in the Top 15 and getting 2 Top 10’s is quite impressive.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 17.25(20th), 34.49% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 70.45(19th), Best 10th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 99.75%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: C
He did get 1 Top 10 and 3 Top 15’s, but his Stage Pts are poor, his Laps in Top 15% isn’t anything special and his Avg. Driver Rating is on the low side. So, he gets a C.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 21.78(40th), 47.89% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 65.57(35th), Best 9th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 89.72%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.11 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C-
He had just 2 Top 15’s in the 9 races and had a meh Avg. Driver Rating. So, overall he just didn’t cut it on Intermediates, but he’s a rookie and with Sam Hunt so he gets a C-.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.67(T24th), 30.14% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 65.0(24th), Best 13th, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 99.46%, 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, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: D+
What saved him from a lower grade was the fact he got 1 Top 15 as his in-race stats and other finishes weren’t all that great.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 15.38(16th), 55.69% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.26(20th), Best 5th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 98.37%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C+
He ran a good amount of laps in the Top 15 and had a decent Avg. Driver Rating. Add to this that he got 1 Top 5 and 4 Top 10’s and you get a C+ for a rookie with this team.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 25.0(T39th), 17.46% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.6(39th), Best 14th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 69.91%, 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, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: F+
This was a toss up between F and F+ because of his very poor Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15%, but he had 1 Top 15 and another Top 20 finish so he barely gets an F+.
Overview
– The 2023 season wasn’t too bad for Grala as he ended up 17th in driver points
– Grala was able to pull together 9 Top 10’s this year
– He ran better in the playoffs than he did overall this year and got 33% of his Top 10’s
– The only streak he had was a 2 race Top 10 streak
– On Short tracks he ran over half his laps in the Top 15 and finished half the races in the Top 10
– He didn’t run too great at Small tracks, but he did get 3 Top 15 finishes in the 4 races
– Grala didn’t run particularly well at Intermediate tracks and didn’t finish well in most of them either
– His in-race stats on Big tracks were pretty bad, but he managed 1 Top 15 finish
– Road Courses were one of his better tracks as he ran good and finished half the races in the Top 10
– He was pretty awful on Superspeedway’s, neither finishing or running well
– The 2023 season wasn’t too bad for Grala as he ended up 17th in driver points
– Grala was able to pull together 9 Top 10’s this year
– He ran better in the playoffs than he did overall this year and got 33% of his Top 10’s
– The only streak he had was a 2 race Top 10 streak
– On Short tracks he ran over half his laps in the Top 15 and finished half the races in the Top 10
– He didn’t run too great at Small tracks, but he did get 3 Top 15 finishes in the 4 races
– Grala didn’t run particularly well at Intermediate tracks and didn’t finish well in most of them either
– His in-race stats on Big tracks were pretty bad, but he managed 1 Top 15 finish
– Road Courses were one of his better tracks as he ran good and finished half the races in the Top 10
– He was pretty awful on Superspeedway’s, neither finishing or running well
Final Grade: C
Connor Mosack – 28th in Driver points/25th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 26.13 | 28th of 31 | 209th of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 86.05% | 28th of 31 | 215th of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 15.43% | 20th of 31 | 156th of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 56.27 | 21st of 31 | 172nd of 269‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 105 | T109th of 858 |
| Poles | 0 | T13th of 105 | T91st of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T22nd of 105 | T167th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T23rd of 105 | T193rd of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T19th of 105 | T164th of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T27th of 105 | T208th of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 9 | T30th of 31 | T232nd of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 105 | T128th of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T33rd of 105 | T226th of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 8 | 27th of 105 | T183rd of 733* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T15th of 105 | T98th of 733* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 33 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: D-
I spared him of an F because his Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating rank 20th and 21st, but 9 DNF’s in just 24 races is really, really bad. So, he gets a really bad grade in a D-.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 25.5(31st), 12.97% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 57.63(24th), Best 14th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 95.27%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D
His Avg. Driver Rating was 24th best and he had a best finish of 14th, but he DNF’d half of his playoff races and got 0 Stage Pts in 12 stages. So, I was generous with this D grade.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: F+
Having no streaks is essentially an automatic F, however a rookie with a 2nd tier team did have two 1 race Top 10 “streaks” so he avoids an F or F-.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 26.5(37th), 5.69% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 52.7(31st), Best 14th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 93.28%, 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, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: D-
He gets a D- instead of F+ because he had 1 Top 15 finish. However, his Laps in Top 15%, Avg. Finish, and Avg. Driver Rating are pretty bad which is why he’s in the D range.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 28.0(T35th), 14.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 51.83(30th), Best 24th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 95.89%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: F+
Even running with Sam Hunt and being a rookie, a best finish of 24th in 3 races is pretty bad. What saved him from a lower grade is that he ran almost 15% of his laps in the Top 15.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 24.4(46th), 15.47% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 54.7(43rd), Best 14th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 84.95%, 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, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: D-
He gets a D- because his Laps in Top 15% wasn’t awful awful and he got 1 Top 15 with only 3 finishes out of the Top 20.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 35.0(T46th), 36.29% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 49.6(33rd), Best 34th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 57.14%, 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, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: F
He ran one of these races with Joe GIbbs, so that makes these stats even worse. What saved him was his Laps in Top 15% and the fact he got Stage Pts. Otherwise it’d be an F-.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 22.25(34th), 42.27% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 66.11(27th), Best 5th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 98.78%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: D+
He almost ran half his laps in the Top 15, had 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s. With that said, his stats are still lacking (5 finishes out of the Top 20) so he gets a D+.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 33.5(54th), 35.45% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 41.25(49th), Best 30th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 40.29%, 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, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: F-
Superspeedway’s are suppose to be an equalizer, so getting 2 DNF’s in 2 races and running so few laps in the Top 15 and having an awful Avg. Driver Rating. F- it is.
Overview
– Mosack didn’t run every race this year, but finished 28th in driver points
– Mosack didn’t run particularly good this year and had too many DNF’s
– Half of his playoff races were DNF’s and he only ran 13% of his laps in the Top 15
– He had 2 one race Top 10 “streaks” this year, but that’s it
– He pulled out 1 Top 15 at Short tracks, but other than that he ran awful
– His best finish in his 3 Small track races was only 24th
– Intermediates weren’t great for Mosack as he didn’t run or finish great mostly
– In the 2 Big track races he ran he DNF’d in both, but his runs weren’t awful
– Road Courses were his best tracks as he got 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s in 8 races
– He was awful at Superspeedway’s picking up 2 DNF’s in 2 races
– Mosack didn’t run every race this year, but finished 28th in driver points
– Mosack didn’t run particularly good this year and had too many DNF’s
– Half of his playoff races were DNF’s and he only ran 13% of his laps in the Top 15
– He had 2 one race Top 10 “streaks” this year, but that’s it
– He pulled out 1 Top 15 at Short tracks, but other than that he ran awful
– His best finish in his 3 Small track races was only 24th
– Intermediates weren’t great for Mosack as he didn’t run or finish great mostly
– In the 2 Big track races he ran he DNF’d in both, but his runs weren’t awful
– Road Courses were his best tracks as he got 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10’s in 8 races
– He was awful at Superspeedway’s picking up 2 DNF’s in 2 races
Final Grade: D-
Sam Hunt Racing Overall Team Grade: D+
If you liked this article (or even if you didn’t) go check out the season reviews for Cup and Xfinity 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.
