Welcome, in this article series we will be reviewing and rating how each driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series has done in the 2023 season (min. 10 races started). Each part will contain 3-4 drivers and have them grouped by organization/satellite team or truck 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, Superspeedway (drafting tracks), and Dirt track statistics. I will grade each section and give a brief reason why, then give a short overview ending with an overall grade A+ thru F- based on a weighted formula from the grades above. To sum up each team, at the end of their last driver I will give an overall team grade based on the grades for each driver. All grades may take into account underfunded/well-funded trucks and experience.
Up next is a team that had just one driver make the playoffs, but that driver was also the best driver all year long, TRICON Garage.
TRICON Garage Drivers
Corey Heim – 4th in Driver points/3rd in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 6.77 | 1st of 30 | 5th of 236 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.29% | 6th of 30 | 42nd of 236 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 90.46% | 1st of 30 | 9th of 238 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 114.36 | 1st of 30 | 2nd of 238‡ |
| Wins | 3 | T3rd of 112 | T15th of 864 |
| Poles | 4 | 2nd of 112 | T5th of 864 |
| Top 2’s | 6 | 2nd of 112 | T10th of 864 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | 3rd of 112 | T15th of 864 |
| Top 5’s | 12 | 1st of 112 | T7th of 864 |
| Top 10’s | 19 | 1st of 112 | T2nd of 864 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 30 | T20th of 236 |
| Stage Wins | 8 | 1st of 112 | T8th of 754* |
| Stage T10s | 35 | 1st of 112 | 11th of 754* |
| Stage Pts | 247 | 1st of 112 | 2nd of 754* |
| Playoff Pts² | 23 | T2nd of 112 | T10th of 754* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: A+
8 of his 15 2023 Ranks above are 1st, 10 of the 15 categories rank T10th or better since 2016, and he also ran just 22 of 23 races this year. This is an obvious A+ as he was great.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 33 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 6.14(1st), 93.84% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 115.83(1st), Best 1st, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 18.11% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 5 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 14 Stage T10’s, 6.29 Stage Pts Per Stage, 8 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: A+
He finished every stage in the Top 15, had a crazy number of points, finished all but 2 in the Top 5, and was just great. Another obvious A+.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Poles (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year and tied 13th longest streak all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year)
- 5 straight Top 5 finishes (tied longest streak in Truck Series this year and tied 30th longest all-time)
- 15 straight Top 10 finishes (in races he ran)
- 10 straight Top 10 finishes (longest streak in Truck Series this year and tied 21st longest all-time)
2023 Streaks Grade: A+
Just look at the streaks above and try to make an argument against an A+. If you come up with one it’s a weak argument.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 61 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 4.4(4th), 98.44% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 124.3(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 18.52% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 8.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: A+
He ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15, finished a worst of 8th, and was incredible in stages. So, yeah he gets another A+.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 51 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 11.0(8th), 88.7% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 112.4(3rd), Best 4th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 23.16% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: A
He was so good that it’s hard to remember this was only his 2nd year running a majority of the races. Taking this into account he gets an A with some pretty good stats here, but not stellar.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 69 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 4.25(3rd), 94.17% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 119.7(3rd), Best 2nd, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 24.52% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 3 Top 3’s, 6 Top 5’s, 8 Top 10’s, 8 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 4 Stage Wins, 6.69 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: A+
He may not have won a race, but he finished all 8 races 8th or better with 6 Top 5’s. He also did great in stages and ran exceptionally well. Thus, he gets another A+.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 2.0(2nd), 93.33% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 125.3(2nd), Best 2nd, Worst 2nd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 45.0% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A+
The only driver to finish better and have a better Avg. Driver Rating than him in the one Big track race was Kyle Busch. Really, the only bad stats is his Stage Pts since he had to pit to keep good running position.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 3.5(3rd), 91.74% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 121.8(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 6th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 27.52% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 6.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: A+
Again he was just impressive. His worst finish in the 2 races was 6th, he managed to get 6 Stage Pts Per Stage still, and ran 92% of his laps in the Top 15. Another obvious A+.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 57 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 15.67(18th), 83.52% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 89.87(8th), Best 5th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 82.86%, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: B+
He wasn’t too great on these tracks as he had just 1 Top 5 finish, but he did have 2 Top 10’s and his Avg. Driver Rating was still pretty good. So, he gets a solid B+ grade.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 15.0(15th), 54.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 73.5(15th), Best 15th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: C+
Finishing 15th isn’t that great and neither is running barely above 50% of the laps in the Top 15. However, it’s not awful so he gets a C+.
Overview
– After the season Heim had he finished a very disappointing 4th in points
– Most of Heim’s 2023 stats above ranked 1st this year and 10th or better since 2016
– He ran extremely well in the playoffs and finished over half the races in the Top 5
– Not including races he missed, he had a 15 race Top 10 streak this year
– In 5 Short track races he had a worst finish of 8th and ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15
– The race he missed was a Small track race, but he ran well and had 1 Top 5 in the 2 races he ran
– Heim’s worst finish in 8 Intermediate races was 8th and he led a whopping 25% of his laps
– The only one who bested him in the 1 Big track race was Kyle Busch
– His worst finish in 2 Road Course races was 6th and he still got 6 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He got 2 Top 10’s in 3 Superspeedway races and 1 DNF, but his in-race stats are all pretty good
– The one Dirt track race wasn’t that great as he was pretty much just average
– After the season Heim had he finished a very disappointing 4th in points
– Most of Heim’s 2023 stats above ranked 1st this year and 10th or better since 2016
– He ran extremely well in the playoffs and finished over half the races in the Top 5
– Not including races he missed, he had a 15 race Top 10 streak this year
– In 5 Short track races he had a worst finish of 8th and ran 98% of his laps in the Top 15
– The race he missed was a Small track race, but he ran well and had 1 Top 5 in the 2 races he ran
– Heim’s worst finish in 8 Intermediate races was 8th and he led a whopping 25% of his laps
– The only one who bested him in the 1 Big track race was Kyle Busch
– His worst finish in 2 Road Course races was 6th and he still got 6 Stage Pts Per Stage
– He got 2 Top 10’s in 3 Superspeedway races and 1 DNF, but his in-race stats are all pretty good
– The one Dirt track race wasn’t that great as he was pretty much just average
Final Grade: A+
Tanner Gray – 14th in Driver points/16th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.65 | 15th of 30 | 117th of 236 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.44% | 10th of 30 | 62nd of 236 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 62.27% | 13th of 30 | 105th of 238 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 73.16 | 17th of 30 | 117th of 238‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 112 | T96th of 864 |
| Poles | 1 | T7th of 112 | T30th of 864 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T9th of 112 | T79th of 864 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 112 | T78th of 864 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T10th of 112 | T93rd of 864 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T14th of 112 | T104th of 864 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T18th of 30 | T102nd of 236 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 112 | T98th of 754* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | T11th of 112 | T78th of 754* |
| Stage Pts | 65 | 13th of 112 | 85th of 754* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 112 | T91st of 754* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: C-
What hurt him was the fact he had just 6 Top 10’s and a not too great of Avg. Finish with an Avg. Driver Rating that was the same. However, he did get a Top 2 and 2 Top 3’s.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 33 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 18.0(15th), 67.08% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.64(16th), Best 9th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 98.84%, Led 1.81% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 6 Stage T10’s, 1.21 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D+
Again his Avg. Finish hurt him, and so did his 1 Top 10 he had. However, his runs weren’t too bad and that helped his grade to be a D+ instead of worse.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: D-
He did get 2 straight Top 10 finishes which is something, but in tier 1 equipment with the experience he has that’s not something good.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 61 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 16.6(25th), 55.13% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 71.2(23rd), Best 5th, Worst 29th, Laps Completed 99.71%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: C-
He got 1 Top 5 but also just 1 Top 10 and most of his finishes were out of the Top 15. However, it’s not like his runs were terrible and all but one finish was in the Top 20. So, C- seems fair.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.67(T10th), 81.59% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 77.0(T14th), Best 9th, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: C
I gave Matt Crafton a C, the difference in their stats is Gray has a better Laps in Top 15% and a little better Stage Pts, but Crafton has a better Avg. Driver Rating and a Top 5. So, they get the same grade.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 69 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(T26th), 68.49% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.5(22nd), Best 3rd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 98.52%, Led 1.24% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 4 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.19 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C-
His runs weren’t too bad, but even with 1 Pole and 1 Top 3 finish he only had 1 Top 10 finish with 4 Top 15’s. So, his finishes are what drag him down to getting a C- grade.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 36.0(36th), 66.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 23.3(6th), Best 36th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 5.0%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: F-
He only ran 3 laps before getting in a crash, so it’s kind of hard to give him anything but an F-.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 14.0(13th), 55.96% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.85(13th), Best 8th, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C+
He got 1 Top 10, didn’t finish either race out of the Top 20, and had a pretty good Avg. Driver Rating. However, he got 0 Stage Pts and barely ran half his laps in the Top 15. So, he gets a grade just above average.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 57 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(T35th), 45.93% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 78.3(16th), Best 2nd, Worst 25th, Laps Completed 97.46%, Led 3.91% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C
He had just 1 Top 20 finish in 3 races, but that 1 was a 2nd place finish. However, even with this he didn’t run a good percentage of laps in the Top 15, but he did have a decent Avg. Driver Rating. So, he gets a C.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 8.0(8th), 70.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 75.8(14th), Best 8th, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: B-
He did finish 8th which is good and got 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage. However, he ran 71% of his laps in the Top 15 and had an average Avg. Driver Rating. So, he gets a B-.
Overview
– Tanner ended his season a career tying 14th in points
– Tanner ended with 2 Top 3 finishes, but only 6 Top 10’s and a subpar Avg. Driver Rating
– He got just 1 Top 10 in the playoffs, but he ran a little better than he did overall this year
– His only streak this year was a 2 race Top 10 streak
– He finishes less than half his Short track races in the Top 15 and ran barely more than half his laps in the Top 15
– His runs on Small tracks were rather good, but he only had 1 Top 10 to show for it
– On Intermediates Tanner didn’t run terrible, but also didn’t finish all that well
– He ran just 3 laps in the one Big track race before crashing out
– His Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t too bad on Road Courses, but he had just 1 Top 10
– He ran less than half his laps in the Top 15 at Superspeedways, but he did finish 2nd in a race
– In the one Dirt track race he ran well and finished 8th
– Tanner ended his season a career tying 14th in points
– Tanner ended with 2 Top 3 finishes, but only 6 Top 10’s and a subpar Avg. Driver Rating
– He got just 1 Top 10 in the playoffs, but he ran a little better than he did overall this year
– His only streak this year was a 2 race Top 10 streak
– He finishes less than half his Short track races in the Top 15 and ran barely more than half his laps in the Top 15
– His runs on Small tracks were rather good, but he only had 1 Top 10 to show for it
– On Intermediates Tanner didn’t run terrible, but also didn’t finish all that well
– He ran just 3 laps in the one Big track race before crashing out
– His Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t too bad on Road Courses, but he had just 1 Top 10
– He ran less than half his laps in the Top 15 at Superspeedways, but he did finish 2nd in a race
– In the one Dirt track race he ran well and finished 8th
Final Grade: C-
Taylor Gray – 15th in Driver points/13th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.55 | 11th of 30 | T94th of 236 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.89% | 18th of 30 | 105th of 236 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 62.94% | 12th of 30 | 103rd of 238 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 77.82 | 12th of 30 | 103rd of 238‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 112 | T96th of 864 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 112 | T73rd of 864 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T9th of 112 | T79th of 864 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 112 | T78th of 864 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T10th of 112 | T93rd of 864 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T14th of 112 | T104th of 864 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T4th of 30 | T20th of 236 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 112 | T98th of 754* |
| Stage T10s | 14 | 14th of 112 | T86th of 754* |
| Stage Pts | 41 | 16th of 112 | 99th of 754* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 112 | T91st of 754* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: B-
He ran 3 less races than his brother and had everything but his stage stats and Poles be equal or better. Throw in the fact it is his rookie season and he gets quite a better grade than his brother.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 33 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 13.43(12th), 62.53% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.0(10th), Best 2nd, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 99.73%, Led 0.09% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 7 Stage T10’s, 2.07 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: B
His Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating weren’t bad, but his Laps in Top 15% wasn’t great. However, his stages were great and he got 2 Top 5’s which for a rookie is really good. So, he gets a B.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
2023 Streaks Grade: C+
Being a rookie helps his grade as 2 straight Top 5’s isn’t too bad for a rookie. So, he gets a pretty good grade in a C+.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 61 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 13.6(18th), 52.15% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 74.48(22nd), Best 5th, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 99.81%, 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, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: B-
He was able to get 1 Top 5 in the 5 races and more than half his finishes in the Top 15. In addition he ran pretty decent too so he gets a B-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 16.33(15th), 73.35% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 82.9(11th), Best 13th, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 99.61%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.67 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: B-
His finishes weren’t great, but he did end up with 2 Top 15’s. However, what got him up to a B- grade is how well he ran, Stage Pts, and his impressive Avg. Driver Rating.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 69 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 13.29(16th), 80.5% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 84.14(14th), Best 2nd, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.41%, Led 0.1% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.79 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: B-
He had a best finish of 2nd and 3 Top 10’s. He also ran pretty well and had a good Avg. Driver Rating, however what kept him from a better grade was that he didn’t do well in stages.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 3.0(3rd), 91.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 107.8(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 3rd, Laps Completed 99.41%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: A
The only reason he didn’t get an A+ is because he had just 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, other than that all of his stats are excellent. Especially for a rookie.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(12th), 47.71% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 69.2(20th), Best 11th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: C+
He almost had a B-, but his Laps in Top 15% was below 50%, his worst finish was barely a Top 15, and he got 0 Stage Pts. So, he gets stuck with a C+.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 57 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 18.0(T26th), 42.42% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 72.3(21st), Best 18th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.01% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C
He only ran one of the 3 races, but he ran less than half his laps in the Top 15 and finished decent. In addition he had some Stage Pts so he gets a C.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 34.0(34th), 0.00% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 27.8(34th), Best 34th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 5.33%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: F-
He only ran 8 laps in the Dirt race and none of them were even in the Top 15. So, he gets an F-.
Overview
– Despite missing the first 3 races Taylor still finished Top 15 in points
– Taylor ran pretty good in the races he ran and got a Top 10 finish in almost a third of his races
– His Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating were impressive in the playoffs and he got 1 Top 3 finish
– In his rookie campaign he had a 2 race Top 5 streak
– At Short tracks he finished in the Top 15 more times than not, but he barely ran half his laps in the Top 15
– He had 2 Top 15’s in 3 Small track races and got a good amount of Stage Pts with a really good Avg. Driver Rating
– Taylor’s best finish (2nd) came at an Intermediate track, and overall he did pretty well
– His best tracks (well track) were the one Big track race were he ran extremely well and finished 3rd
– He finished both Road Course races in the Top 15, but ran less than half his laps in the Top 15
– He only ran one Superspeedway race and he didn’t run amazing, but finished Top 20
– In the one Dirt race he wrecked out 8 laps into the race
– Despite missing the first 3 races Taylor still finished Top 15 in points
– Taylor ran pretty good in the races he ran and got a Top 10 finish in almost a third of his races
– His Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating were impressive in the playoffs and he got 1 Top 3 finish
– In his rookie campaign he had a 2 race Top 5 streak
– At Short tracks he finished in the Top 15 more times than not, but he barely ran half his laps in the Top 15
– He had 2 Top 15’s in 3 Small track races and got a good amount of Stage Pts with a really good Avg. Driver Rating
– Taylor’s best finish (2nd) came at an Intermediate track, and overall he did pretty well
– His best tracks (well track) were the one Big track race were he ran extremely well and finished 3rd
– He finished both Road Course races in the Top 15, but ran less than half his laps in the Top 15
– He only ran one Superspeedway race and he didn’t run amazing, but finished Top 20
– In the one Dirt race he wrecked out 8 laps into the race
Final Grade: B-
Dean Thompson – 20th in Driver points/23rd in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2023 Rank | ªRank Thru 23 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 22.3 | 24th of 30 | T177th of 236 |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 78.71% | 30th of 30 | 211th of 236 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 28.95% | 19th of 30 | 142nd of 238 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 63.0 | 19th of 30 | 139th of 238‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T12th of 112 | T96th of 864 |
| Poles | 0 | T11th of 112 | T73rd of 864 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T18th of 112 | T146th of 864 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T10th of 112 | T78th of 864 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T15th of 112 | T118th of 864 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T17th of 112 | T114th of 864 |
| DNF’s¹ | 10 | 30th of 30 | T229th of 236 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T17th of 112 | T98th of 754* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | T17th of 112 | T114th of 754* |
| Stage Pts | 32 | 17th of 112 | T107th of 754* |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T12th of 112 | T91st of 754* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 23 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
2023 stats Grade: D+
He DNF’d in almost half the races which had his Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating be very poor. However, he did get 2 Top 3’s and 5 Top 10’s so he wasn’t worse than a D+.
- 2023 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 3+ Playoff starts, 33 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 17.57(14th), 30.69% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 64.09(20th), Best 3rd, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 76.98%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s, 0.21 Stage Pts Per Stage, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2023 Playoff Grade: D+
He didn’t run all too well (just 31% of laps in the Top 15) but his Avg. Finish wasn’t bad and he had 2 Top 10’s. However, how he ran was just too much to ignore to give him a better grade.
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (best was 1 straight)
2023 Streaks Grade: D
He had no streaks over 1 straight race, but he did have 2 different times he finished Top 3 so I gave him a D.
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 61 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 29.6(50th), 4.88% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 48.96(38th), Best 21st, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 67.93%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Short track Grade: F-
He had 3 DNF’s in the 5 races, but even when he was finishing races he never finished in the Top 20. Also, when he was in the races he wasn’t running good. So, pretty obvious F-.
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 51 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 18.67(T23rd), 44.39% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 60.1(27th), Best 7th, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 72.48%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Small track Grade: D+
He did run a decent-ish chunk of his laps in the Top 15 and his finishes weren’t awful (except for the DNF). So, he gets a D+.
- 2023 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 69 drivers)
- 8 Races, Avg. Finish 19.0(T32nd), 50.49% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 73.38(24th), Best 3rd, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 88.35%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.81 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Intermediate Grade: C-
He had a 3rd place finish which is good, but he only had 3 Top 15’s and only half of his laps were run in the Top 15. However, all of his finishes out of the Top 20 were DNF’s, showing he didn’t do too bad.
- 2023 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 8.0(8th), 71.67% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 79.7(T12th), Best 8th, Worst 8th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Big track Grade: B+
He finished 8th, good. He ran 72% of his laps in the Top 15, good. He had a 79.7 Avg. Driver Rating, decent. He had 0 Stage Pts, not good. All of this is decently good so he gets a B+.
- 2023 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 46 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 34.0(T44th), 30.16% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 44.25(36th), Best 33rd, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 57.8%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Road Course Grade: F
He was tied for the 2nd worst Avg. Finish, but he ran a decent amount of laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Driver Rating wasn’t awful so he gets an F instead of F-.
- 2023 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 57 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 23.0(T41st), 62.4% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 65.63(28th), Best 3rd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 81.9%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Superspeedway Grade: C
He had a 3rd place finish which is really good, but the other finishes were out of the Top 20 leading to a bad Avg. Finish. However, his Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% aren’t too bad. So, overall he was average.
- 2023 Dirt track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Dirt track start, 36 drivers)
- 1 Race, Avg. Finish 12.0(12th), 18.0% of Laps ran in Top15, Avg. Driver Rating 71.8(17th), Best 12th, Worst 12th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage
2023 Dirt track Grade: C
Again, he gets an average grade because his finish plus bad Laps in Top 15%, and decent Avg. Driver Rating is average.
Overview
– Thompson finished his season barely Top 20 in points, finishing 20th
– Nearly half the races Thompson finished were in the Top 10, problem is he had 10 DNF’s
– Every playoff race he finished was Top 20, but only 2 were Top 10’s. Overall he didn’t run great though
– The best “streak” he had this year was 1 straight Top 3 finish
– He was awful at Short tracks finishing all 5 races out of the Top 20 and running very poor as well
– He didn’t run great at Small tracks, but he was able to get 2 Top 15’s
– Thompson ran decent at Intermediates and did have a best finish of 3rd
– His best tracks were Big tracks were in the one race he finished 8th after running well most the day
– He failed to finish either of the two Road Course races and didn’t run well either
– Overall he was average on Superspeedways as he ran pretty well, but didn’t finish well
– In the one Dirt race he didn’t run that well, but found a way to finish 12th
– Thompson finished his season barely Top 20 in points, finishing 20th
– Nearly half the races Thompson finished were in the Top 10, problem is he had 10 DNF’s
– Every playoff race he finished was Top 20, but only 2 were Top 10’s. Overall he didn’t run great though
– The best “streak” he had this year was 1 straight Top 3 finish
– He was awful at Short tracks finishing all 5 races out of the Top 20 and running very poor as well
– He didn’t run great at Small tracks, but he was able to get 2 Top 15’s
– Thompson ran decent at Intermediates and did have a best finish of 3rd
– His best tracks were Big tracks were in the one race he finished 8th after running well most the day
– He failed to finish either of the two Road Course races and didn’t run well either
– Overall he was average on Superspeedways as he ran pretty well, but didn’t finish well
– In the one Dirt race he didn’t run that well, but found a way to finish 12th
Final Grade: D+
TRICON Garage Overall Team Grade: C+
If you liked this article (or even if you didn’t) go check out the season reviews for Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks 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.
