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.
This article is the only article that managed to have every driver be a playoff driver featuring, Richard Childress Racing and Kaulig Racing.
Richard Childress Racing Drivers
Austin Hill – 5th in Driver points/5th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.97 | 1st of 31 | T18th of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.69% | 3rd of 31 | 40th of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.2% | 3rd of 31 | 45th of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.35 | 4th of 31 | 33rd of 269‡ |
| Wins | 4 | T2nd of 105 | T17th of 858 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 105 | T15th of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 105 | T26th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T5th of 105 | T34th of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 16 | 2nd of 105 | T14th of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 24 | T1st of 105 | T14th of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T6th of 31 | T54th of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T5th of 105 | T30th of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 47 | 4th of 105 | T25th of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 302 | 4th of 105 | 23rd of 733* |
| Playoff Pts² | 24 | T3rd of 105 | T16th 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+
These stats would only be good for an A normally, but don’t forget this was only Hill’s 2nd season in the Xfinity Series. So, with the less experience he gets an A+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 12.57(9th), 78.61% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 94.54(7th), Best 4th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 94.11%, Led 3.2% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 10 Stage T10’s, 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B
He didn’t run bad in the races, in fact most of his in-race stats are good. However, he had just 1 Top 5 and only led 3% of his laps. So, he gets a B only.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A+
He had an impressive 7 race Top 10 streak and also a 3 race Top 3 streak. All of his streaks above are pretty good, especially for a 2nd year driver so he gets an A+.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 19.75(25th), 61.52% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.73(20th), Best 9th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 92.05%, Led 3.09% 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, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: C-
He had just 1 Top 10 finish and ran pretty poor at Short tracks this year, so he gets a grade below average.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.25(T2nd), 96.66% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 110.9(4th), Best 3rd, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 7.55% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A+
He had the 2nd best Avg. Finish, 4 Top 10’s, the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating, and 5 Stage Pts Per Stage. All of his stats are great which is why even without a win he gets an A+.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 4.22(4th), 93.91% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 108.89(6th), Best 1st, Worst 7th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 3.07% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 7 Top 5’s, 9 Top 10’s, 9 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 5.22 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: A+
His stats aren’t close to as good as Nemechek who got an A+ also. However, his stats are still great, 9 Top 10’s, 7 Top 5’s, and great in-race stats. So, he also gets an A+.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(5th), 89.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 105.5(6th), Best 1st, Worst 11th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.63% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A
He barely missed out on an A+, but his stats just aren’t good enough. He had 1 Win, but that was his only Top 5 and he had just 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 10.63(T10th), 94.98% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 98.93(9th), Best 3rd, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 93.28%, Led 0.87% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.56 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A
He only had 1 Top 3, but he finished half his races in the Top 5, finished 7 of 8 in the Top 15, and ran an incredible 95% of his laps in the Top 15. So, he still gets an A.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 11.0(8th), 89.52% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 115.22(1st), Best 1st, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 99.85%, Led 28.09% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 3 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 7.6 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: A
His in-race stats are absolutely incredible, but even with 2 Wins he had just 2 Top 10’s. If he could have had one more Top 10 this is an A+, but without it it’s just an A.
Overview
– Hill was one of the best drivers all year, however an unfortunate Martinsville race left him 5th in points
– Of the 15 2023 Ranks in the 2023 stats Hill was 4th or better in 12 of them
– He struggled to finish Top 5 and run Top 15 in the playoffs, but otherwise was good
– This year he had a 3 race Top 3 streak, 4 race Top 5 streak, and a 7 race Top 10 streak
– Short tracks were the only tracks he was bad at, but he was pretty bad on them
– He ran great at Small tracks and finished every race between 3rd and 7th
– Hill’s worst finish at an Intermediate was 7th, and he ran nearly 94% of his laps in the Top 15
– He ran pretty good on Big tracks and had 1 Win, but that was his only Top 5
– His runs on Road Courses were good and he had 4 Top 5’s, but also just 1 Top 3
– He ran great in all 5 Superspeedway races, but it was either win or finish out of the Top 10
– Hill was one of the best drivers all year, however an unfortunate Martinsville race left him 5th in points
– Of the 15 2023 Ranks in the 2023 stats Hill was 4th or better in 12 of them
– He struggled to finish Top 5 and run Top 15 in the playoffs, but otherwise was good
– This year he had a 3 race Top 3 streak, 4 race Top 5 streak, and a 7 race Top 10 streak
– Short tracks were the only tracks he was bad at, but he was pretty bad on them
– He ran great at Small tracks and finished every race between 3rd and 7th
– Hill’s worst finish at an Intermediate was 7th, and he ran nearly 94% of his laps in the Top 15
– He ran pretty good on Big tracks and had 1 Win, but that was his only Top 5
– His runs on Road Courses were good and he had 4 Top 5’s, but also just 1 Top 3
– He ran great in all 5 Superspeedway races, but it was either win or finish out of the Top 10
Final Grade: A
Sheldon Creed – 7th in Driver points/8th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.52 | T8th of 31 | T73rd of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.59% | 7th of 31 | 62nd of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 76.32% | 6th of 31 | 73rd of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.77 | 7th of 31 | 64th of 269‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 105 | T109th of 858 |
| Poles | 1 | T9th of 105 | T36th of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T4th of 105 | T26th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T5th of 105 | T34th of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 7 | 10th of 105 | T62nd of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | T10th of 105 | T71st of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T2nd of 31 | T23rd of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | T5th of 105 | T30th of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 39 | T6th of 105 | T44th of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 221 | 5th of 105 | 38th of 733* |
| Playoff Pts² | 4 | 11th of 105 | T66th 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+
His grade was almost a B since his stats are very similar to Josh Berry, but he did pretty darn well in stages which bumped him to a B+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 10.57(6th), 75.6% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.7(9th), Best 2nd, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.79%, Led 0.63% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 5 Stage T10’s, 2.29 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B-
He had 2 Top 3’s in the playoffs, but also just 4 Top 10’s. However, his runs were pretty good mostly, so he gets a B-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: A
He had a long Top 10 streak of just 5 races, but he did finish the year on a 2 race Top 2 streak which is impressive enough for an A.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.5(9th), 77.27% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 87.95(13th), Best 2nd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.09% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B-
He had one great finish, but overall his finishes were okay, he didn’t lead many laps, and his runs were good but nothing special so he gets a B-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 9.25(7th), 83.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.75(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 99.75%, Led 5.58% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 4.13 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B+
He had an impressive 2 Top 3 finishes, but also just 2 Top 10’s. However, his in-race stats are pretty good so he still holds on to a B+ grade.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 15.44(T20th), 74.9% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 82.5(23rd), Best 3rd, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 99.59%, Led 0.24% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.89 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C
He had only 4 Top 10’s in the 9 races and didn’t do too well in stages. However, he wasn’t bad in the races either and was just average mostly 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 15.33(18th), 77.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.53(15th), Best 11th, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 4.09% 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, 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C
Again he ran not too bad at these tracks, but his best finish was only 11th. So, putting this all together I see he was average for an RCR car and gets a C.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 10.5(9th), 88.19% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 96.99(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 13.03% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A-
What kept him from an A is that he had just 1 Top 5 finish, but otherwise his stats are really good. Especially his Laps led% and Stage Pts
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 18.8(T23rd), 81.07% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 90.32(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 76.02%, Led 11.66% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 6.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B+
2 of his Top 3’s this year came on a Superspeedway, but his other 3 finishes were out of the Top 20. however, he did run pretty good and did great in stages so he gets a B+.
Overview
– Creed’s 2nd and final year at RCR ended poorly, but he did finish 7th in points
– Creed did great at finishing Top 3 and running well, but his Top 5’s and Top 10’s weren’t as good
– His playoffs were a mixed bag of good finishes and bad finishes, but he overall didn’t do well in stages
– He had a 5 race Top 10 streak this year and ended on a 2 race Top 2 streak
– Most of his runs and finishes at Short tracks were just mediocre
– Small tracks were one of his better tracks as he ran well and then finished great in half the races
– The Intermediates for Creed were a good mix of good and bad runs/finishes
– He did not get a single Top 10 in the 3 Big track races, but he didn’t run bad
– Road Courses were his best track as he ran well and finished over half his races in the Top 10
– He had 2 great finishes in the 5 Superspeedway races, but the other 3 were awful
– Creed’s 2nd and final year at RCR ended poorly, but he did finish 7th in points
– Creed did great at finishing Top 3 and running well, but his Top 5’s and Top 10’s weren’t as good
– His playoffs were a mixed bag of good finishes and bad finishes, but he overall didn’t do well in stages
– He had a 5 race Top 10 streak this year and ended on a 2 race Top 2 streak
– Most of his runs and finishes at Short tracks were just mediocre
– Small tracks were one of his better tracks as he ran well and then finished great in half the races
– The Intermediates for Creed were a good mix of good and bad runs/finishes
– He did not get a single Top 10 in the 3 Big track races, but he didn’t run bad
– Road Courses were his best track as he ran well and finished over half his races in the Top 10
– He had 2 great finishes in the 5 Superspeedway races, but the other 3 were awful
Final Grade: B
Richard Childress Racing Overall Team Grade: A-
Kaulig Racing Drivers
Daniel Hemric – 8th in Driver points/15th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.52 | T8th of 31 | T73rd of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.35% | 11th of 31 | 89th of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 73.62% | 8th of 31 | 78th of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.01 | 9th of 31 | 69th of 269‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T16th of 105 | T109th of 858 |
| Poles | 0 | T13th of 105 | T91st of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T7th of 105 | T55th 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 | 18 | T6th of 105 | T55th of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T6th of 31 | T54th of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 105 | T128th of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 33 | T10th of 105 | T58th of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 160 | 11th of 105 | T59th 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: B-
His stats above aren’t great as he didn’t get a win, but his 2023 Ranks are mostly between 7th and 11th which isn’t terrible. Hence why he gets a B-.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 10.71(7th), 77.98% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.11(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.65%, Led 2.67% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 5 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 2.64 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B-
He gets a B- because none of his stats stand out, but many are above average. I mean he got 5 Top 10’s which is pretty good, but also just 1 Top 5 which isn’t so great.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: B+
He did have a 3 race Top 5 streak this year and 5 straight Top 10’s which isn’t bad. However, it’s not really good either for someone with his experience in this car.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 56 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 9.75(6th), 82.65% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.73(12th), Best 2nd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 3.13% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B
Just like his stats above nothing here is great, but he did get 1 Top 3, 3 Top 10’s, and had good in-race stats so he gets a B.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 11.25(12th), 76.86% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.6(15th), Best 4th, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.5% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.25 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B-
Same song different verse. He had 1 Top 5 and 3 Top 10’s, in fact he had the same Stage Pts Per Stage at Small and Short tracks. Overall it’s a little worse so he gets a B-.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 15.44(T20th), 71.71% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 87.37(13th), Best 6th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 94.86%, Led 0.12% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C
He had 0 Top 5 finishes which is not good. However, half his races were finished in the Top 10 and his Avg. Driver Rating is pretty decent as well. So, he ends up with a C.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.67(10th), 75.75% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.77(13th), Best 5th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: C+
He finished most of his races out of the Top 10, but did finish every race 15th or better. However, he led 0 laps and overall was just okay.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 15.88(17th), 72.27% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 85.09(14th), Best 6th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 93.28%, Led 0.66% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C-
He finished less than half his races out of the Top 10, but over half his races in the Top 15. Moreover, his Avg. Finish wasn’t great and his in-race stats were only so-so, so he gets a C-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 12.8(10th), 87.94% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 93.36(8th), Best 2nd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 83.14%, Led 2.62% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: A-
He finished over half the race in the Top 3 which is so good, but he also didn’t finish the other races at all. However, his in-race stats are good enough to get him that A-.
Overview
– Hemric wound up 8th in driver points, but 15th in owners since he drove most his races in the 11 car
– 2023 was not the year for lots of Top 5 finishes for Hemric, but he still ran decent
– He had just 1 Top 5 in the playoffs and overall ran decently average
– He had 3 straight Top 5’s this year and 5 straight Top 10’s
– His finishes were decently good at Short tracks and he ran well too
– His Avg. Finish and runs at Small tracks were a little worse than Short tracks, but otherwise they were very similar
– Half of Hemric’s finishes at Intermediates were Top 10’s, but most others were out of the Top 20
– He didn’t run terrible at Big tracks, or great either, and his finishes were decent
– He finished less than half his Road Course races out of the Top 10
– While he didn’t finish all of the Superspeedway races, when he did he finished Top 3
– Hemric wound up 8th in driver points, but 15th in owners since he drove most his races in the 11 car
– 2023 was not the year for lots of Top 5 finishes for Hemric, but he still ran decent
– He had just 1 Top 5 in the playoffs and overall ran decently average
– He had 3 straight Top 5’s this year and 5 straight Top 10’s
– His finishes were decently good at Short tracks and he ran well too
– His Avg. Finish and runs at Small tracks were a little worse than Short tracks, but otherwise they were very similar
– Half of Hemric’s finishes at Intermediates were Top 10’s, but most others were out of the Top 20
– He didn’t run terrible at Big tracks, or great either, and his finishes were decent
– He finished less than half his Road Course races out of the Top 10
– While he didn’t finish all of the Superspeedway races, when he did he finished Top 3
Final Grade: B-
Chandler Smith – 9th in Driver points/9th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 33 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.61 | 12th of 31 | 91st of 269 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 93.9% | 14th of 31 | 114th of 269 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 79.26% | 5th of 31 | 63rd of 269 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 89.48 | 8th of 31 | 66th of 269‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T7th of 105 | T54th of 858 |
| Poles | 3 | T2nd of 105 | T15th of 858 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T10th of 105 | T69th of 858 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T12th of 105 | T76th of 858 |
| Top 5’s | 8 | T8th of 105 | T58th of 858 |
| Top 10’s | 13 | 12th of 105 | T76th of 858 |
| DNF’s¹ | 7 | T22nd of 31 | T192nd of 269 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 105 | T61st of 733* |
| Stage T10s | 45 | 5th of 105 | T32nd of 733* |
| Stage Pts | 210 | 6th of 105 | 42nd 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+
Getting a win as a rookie is really good, and overall his in-race stats are very respectable too. However, he just needed to do better at finishing higher and he’d have gotten an A-.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 40 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 14.71(11th), 80.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.2(8th), Best 4th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 90.81%, Led 1.78% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 12 Stage T10’s, 3.86 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B
His Avg. Finish is what hurt him as it was only 11th best. However, he still ran really good in the playoffs and did get 3 Top 5’s. So, he still gets a good grade at a B.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak this year and tied longest in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: B
He got 2 straight Poles as a rookie which is impressive, as is 3 straight Top 5’s, however 3 straight Top 10’s as your longest streak isn’t great 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 13.0(T14th), 95.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 104.08(6th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 93.47%, Led 8.41% 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, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4.38 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A-
Wow, he ran 96% of his laps in the Top 15, had 4.38 Stage Pts Per Stage, and picked up a win. However, his one bad finish hurt his Avg. Finish which is why he gets an A-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(4th), 94.55% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 101.0(7th), Best 2nd, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 99.88%, Led 1.49% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A-
Again his in-race stats are pretty incredible for a rookie, but just a little worse than his Short tracks. However, his Avg. Finish was better so he gets an A-.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 74 drivers)
- 9 Races, Avg. Finish 16.67(T25th), 82.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 92.28(10th), Best 3rd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 90.72%, Led 14.01% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.44 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: B-
He finished a third of his races in the Top 5, but those were his only Top 10’s which hurt his grade (and his Avg. Finish). However, he got a decent amount of Stage Pts and led a lot of laps which got him his B-.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 53 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 14.67(T16th), 89.92% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 88.33(11th), Best 4th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.27% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: B-
He got 1 Top 5 in the 3 races, but that was his only Top 15. However, he ran well in the races so he still gets a solid B- grade.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 66 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 16.75(19th), 46.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 73.74(22nd), Best 8th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 92.87%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.19 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: D+
He had a Top 10 in less than half of his races and ran less than half his laps in the Top 15. Even for a rookie that’s not good, but he is just a rookie so he gets a D+.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 59 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 21.4(T29th), 81.22% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.44(12th), Best 12th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 92.88%, Led 1.1% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 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, 4.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C+
His finishing stats are pretty bad, getting just 1 Top 15. However, he ran extremely well, especially for a rookie, and got 4.8 Stage Pts Per Stage so he ends up with a C+.
Overview
– In his rookie campaign in the Xfinity Series Smith ended up 9th in points
– Smith pulled out a win this year and had really good in-race stats for a rookie
– The playoffs were sink or swim as he had 3 Top 5’s, but also 2 DNF’s
– He had 2 straight Poles and 3 straight Top 5 finishes at some point this year
– Short tracks were one of his better tracks as he picked up his only win and ran pretty darn good
– Small tracks were another good track as he finished all the races in the Top 15 and ran great
– Intermediates weren’t great overall for Smith, but he ran well and had 3 Top 5’s in 9 races
– At Big tracks he had one good finish, but his in-race stats were very good
– Road Courses were his worst track as he didn’t even run half his laps in the Top 15
– He didn’t get good finishes at Superspeedway’s, but he ran tremendously well
– In his rookie campaign in the Xfinity Series Smith ended up 9th in points
– Smith pulled out a win this year and had really good in-race stats for a rookie
– The playoffs were sink or swim as he had 3 Top 5’s, but also 2 DNF’s
– He had 2 straight Poles and 3 straight Top 5 finishes at some point this year
– Short tracks were one of his better tracks as he picked up his only win and ran pretty darn good
– Small tracks were another good track as he finished all the races in the Top 15 and ran great
– Intermediates weren’t great overall for Smith, but he ran well and had 3 Top 5’s in 9 races
– At Big tracks he had one good finish, but his in-race stats were very good
– Road Courses were his worst track as he didn’t even run half his laps in the Top 15
– He didn’t get good finishes at Superspeedway’s, but he ran tremendously well
Final Grade: B
Kaulig Racing Overall Team Grade: B-
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.
