Last week at Phoenix was hard to watch, especially if you’re not a Toyota fan as they dominated the race with Christopher Bell bringing home the win. This week we head to a fan favorite, Bristol, where we finally get back on concrete and where more action is sure to come than last week. I have picked 5 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on 2024 season stats, 1 based on Short track stats, 1 based on the last Bristol race, 1 based on their Next Gen Bristol stats, and 1 based on the highest in points that wasn’t already picked. Here is a look at those 5 notable drivers 2024 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2024 as well as ranking through 4 races since the Playoffs started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year and at Bristol, 2023 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Bristol statistics in the Next Gen car.
1st in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.0 | 3rd of 36 | T78th of 867 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 30th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.23% | T13th of 36 | T314th of 867 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.95% | T1st of 36 | T50th of 822‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.7 | 2nd of 36 | 74th of 822‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 44 | T73rd of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 44 | T72nd of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T1st of 44 | T30th of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 44 | T14th of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | 1st of 44 | T5th of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T1st of 44 | T21st of 1009 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T5th of 36 | T115th of 867 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 36 | T479th of 867 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T2nd of 44 | T15th of 355* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | 2nd of 44 | T15th of 355* |
| Stage Pts | 43 | T2nd of 44 | T12th of 355* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 8.25 | 3rd of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T5th of 44 | T38th of 355* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series and longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series and tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Bristol Streaks
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (2018.24-2019.24)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s (2018.24 s1-2019.24 s1) (tied 10th longest streak in Cup Series at Bristol all-time)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 14.0(T13th), 54.48% of Laps ran in Top15(17th), Avg. Driver Rating 83.82(13th), Best 1st, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 6.69% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2023 Bristol Race
- Finished 22nd, Started 11th, Led 0 laps, got 0 Stage T10’s, ran 241 Laps in Top 15(48.39% of laps ran), had 65.0 Driver Rating (ranked 18th)
- Notable Next Gen Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol since 2022, 32 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 26.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T27th)
- Best Finish: 22nd, Worst: 30th
- Completed 83.6% of laps (% ranks 24th)
- 39.71% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 19th)
- 59.6 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 20th)
- Led 1.08% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 0 Top 15’s
- 2 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T28th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 0 Stage T10’s
Main Points & Outlook
– Ryan Blaney is notable because he’s 1st in points thru 4 races
– Last week Blaney ran well at Phoenix, as usual, as he ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, got 9 Stage Pts, and narrowly beat Ross Chastain to the line for a 5th place finish
– On the year he has the most Top 5’s of anyone (3), the 3rd best Avg. Finish (10.0), the 3rd best Avg. Stage Finish (8.25), and is tied for 2nd most Stage Pts (43)
– After Phoenix he is now on a 3 race Top 5 streak and a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– His Bristol streaks aren’t as impressive as his only streaks are from 2018-2019 and the best is a 3 race Top 10 streak
– He was mediocre on Short tracks last year as he had just 2 Top 10’s, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, and ran only 54% of his laps in the Top 15; but he did get 1 Win
– Last Fall at Bristol Blaney ran poorly getting 0 Stage Pts, running less than half the race in the Top 15, and finishing 22nd
– In the 2 Next Gen races at Bristol he’s not done well, having a 26.0 Avg. Finish while only running 40% of his laps in the Top 15, and getting 0 Stage T10’s
Outlook for this weekend
Ryan Blaney had a good run last week, to no ones surprise, and he now leads the Cup Series points. He’s been really good this year in both running well and finishing well, but that may come to an end this weekend as we head to a Short track. On this style last year Blaney struggled to run or finish well. What’s worse is this weekend is Bristol where he’s done awful in the 2 Next Gen races. All in all Blaney has been good this year, but don’t expect too much from him this weekend based on the stats above.
– Ryan Blaney is notable because he’s 1st in points thru 4 races
– Last week Blaney ran well at Phoenix, as usual, as he ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, got 9 Stage Pts, and narrowly beat Ross Chastain to the line for a 5th place finish
– On the year he has the most Top 5’s of anyone (3), the 3rd best Avg. Finish (10.0), the 3rd best Avg. Stage Finish (8.25), and is tied for 2nd most Stage Pts (43)
– After Phoenix he is now on a 3 race Top 5 streak and a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– His Bristol streaks aren’t as impressive as his only streaks are from 2018-2019 and the best is a 3 race Top 10 streak
– He was mediocre on Short tracks last year as he had just 2 Top 10’s, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, and ran only 54% of his laps in the Top 15; but he did get 1 Win
– Last Fall at Bristol Blaney ran poorly getting 0 Stage Pts, running less than half the race in the Top 15, and finishing 22nd
– In the 2 Next Gen races at Bristol he’s not done well, having a 26.0 Avg. Finish while only running 40% of his laps in the Top 15, and getting 0 Stage T10’s
Outlook for this weekend
Ryan Blaney had a good run last week, to no ones surprise, and he now leads the Cup Series points. He’s been really good this year in both running well and finishing well, but that may come to an end this weekend as we head to a Short track. On this style last year Blaney struggled to run or finish well. What’s worse is this weekend is Bristol where he’s done awful in the 2 Next Gen races. All in all Blaney has been good this year, but don’t expect too much from him this weekend based on the stats above.
3rd in Points – Martin Truex Jr.
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.25 | 4th of 36 | T84th of 867 |
| Best Fin. | 7th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 15th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 36 | T1st of 867 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.95% | T1st of 36 | T50th of 822‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 101.95 | 1st of 36 | 71st of 822‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 44 | T73rd of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 44 | T72nd of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T9th of 44 | T132nd of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T11th of 44 | T189th of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T16th of 44 | T286th of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T4th of 44 | T92nd of 1009 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 867 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 867 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 44 | T45th of 355* |
| Stage T10s | 7 | 1st of 44 | T6th of 355* |
| Stage Pts | 34 | T4th of 44 | T31st of 355* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 7.13 | 2nd of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 44 | T61st of 355* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 6 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series and longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- Notable Bristol Streaks
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (2011.24-2012.04)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (2017.08 s1-2017.24 s1)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 10.4(T6th), 56.05% of Laps ran in Top15(16th), Avg. Driver Rating 85.4(10th), Best 3rd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 5.51% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2023 Bristol Race
- Finished 19th, Started 5th, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1, ran 128 Laps in Top 15(25.7% of laps ran), had 72.2 Driver Rating (ranked 16th)
- Notable Next Gen Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol since 2022, 32 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 27.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks T30th)
- Best Finish: 19th, Worst: 36th
- Completed 69.6% of laps (% ranks 32nd)
- 28.74% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 24th)
- 57.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 21st)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run (% ranks T9th)
- 0 Top 15’s
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T25th)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 4 races
– At Phoenix Truex got 7 Stage Pts and led 55 laps before having to make a green flag pit stop in Stage 3, but he still rallied for an impressive 7th place finish
– He has 0 Top 5’s in 4 races this year, but he sports the 4th best Avg. Finish (10.25), 2nd best Avg. Stage Finish (7.13), and the best Avg. Driver Rating (101.95)
– He is currently on a 2 race Top 10 streak and a 6 straight Stage T10 streak
– His Bristol streaks aren’t too great as the best he has is a 2 race Top 3/5/10 streak back in 2011-2012
– Last year he only ran 56% of his Short track laps in the Top 15 an had just 2 Top 10 finishes in 5 races, but he had a 10.4 Avg. Finish and the 10th best Avg. Driver Rating
– Truex was bad last Fall at Bristol as he only ran 26% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 16th best Driver Rating, and finished a measly 19th
– He’s been bad at Bristol in the Next Gen car as he has finishes of 19th and 36th in the 2 races with a 57.8 Avg. Driver Rating, and 0 laps led
Outlook for this weekend
Martin Truex Jr. has not been flashy this year by far, but he has some of the best overall 2024 stats and sits 3rd in points after a decent day at Phoenix. However, heading to a Short track may not be the best for him as he didn’t run great on them last year, but he did have some good finishes. However, this is Bristol where he’s been very bad in the Next Gen car. With this in mind don’t be surprised if Truex struggles this weekend to run and/or finish well.
– Martin Truex Jr. is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 4 races
– At Phoenix Truex got 7 Stage Pts and led 55 laps before having to make a green flag pit stop in Stage 3, but he still rallied for an impressive 7th place finish
– He has 0 Top 5’s in 4 races this year, but he sports the 4th best Avg. Finish (10.25), 2nd best Avg. Stage Finish (7.13), and the best Avg. Driver Rating (101.95)
– He is currently on a 2 race Top 10 streak and a 6 straight Stage T10 streak
– His Bristol streaks aren’t too great as the best he has is a 2 race Top 3/5/10 streak back in 2011-2012
– Last year he only ran 56% of his Short track laps in the Top 15 an had just 2 Top 10 finishes in 5 races, but he had a 10.4 Avg. Finish and the 10th best Avg. Driver Rating
– Truex was bad last Fall at Bristol as he only ran 26% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 16th best Driver Rating, and finished a measly 19th
– He’s been bad at Bristol in the Next Gen car as he has finishes of 19th and 36th in the 2 races with a 57.8 Avg. Driver Rating, and 0 laps led
Outlook for this weekend
Martin Truex Jr. has not been flashy this year by far, but he has some of the best overall 2024 stats and sits 3rd in points after a decent day at Phoenix. However, heading to a Short track may not be the best for him as he didn’t run great on them last year, but he did have some good finishes. However, this is Bristol where he’s been very bad in the Next Gen car. With this in mind don’t be surprised if Truex struggles this weekend to run and/or finish well.
8th in Points – Denny Hamlin
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.25 | T9th of 36 | T221st of 867 |
| Best Fin. | 8th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 23rd | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.9% | T5th of 36 | T113th of 867 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 81.42% | 3rd of 36 | 81st of 822‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 100.53 | 4th of 36 | T84th of 822‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 44 | T73rd of 1009 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 44 | T7th of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T9th of 44 | T132nd of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T11th of 44 | T189th of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T16th of 44 | T286th of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T13th of 44 | T245th of 1009 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T5th of 36 | T115th of 867 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 867 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 44 | T45th of 355* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T3rd of 44 | T38th of 355* |
| Stage Pts | 34 | T4th of 44 | T31st of 355* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 9.88 | 4th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 44 | T61st of 355* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Bristol Streaks
- 1 straight Win (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Poles (2013.24-2014.04) (tied 4th longest streak in Cup Series at Bristol all-time)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (2008.24-2009.05)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (2008.05-2009.05)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series at Bristol)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (2007.24-2009.24)
- 1 straight Stage T10 (active “streak”)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (2017.08 s1-2017.24 s2)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 6.0(3rd), 93.82% of Laps ran in Top15(1st), Avg. Driver Rating 118.42(1st), Best 1st, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 19.32% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 6.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2023 Bristol Race
- Finished 1st, Started 2nd, Led 142 laps(28.4%), Finished 4th in Stage 2, ran 444 Laps in Top 15(88.8% of laps ran), had 130.8 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Next Gen Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol since 2022, 32 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 5.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 5th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 88.6% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 114.75 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 14.2% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1 Stage T10, 25.0% (% ranks T16th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of how well he ran at Short tracks last year
– Last week at Phoenix Hamlin started on Pole, ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, and tied for most laps led en route to a disappointing 11th place finish
– He has just 1 Top 10 this year leading to a 15.25 Avg. Finish, but he is tied for the 4th most Stage Pts (34) and he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (100.53)
– The only streak he has this year is his 4 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– His Bristol streaks are quite different as he is on a 1 race Win “streak”, has 3 straight Top 10’s and in the late 2000’s had 4 straight Top 10’s here
– In 5 Short track races last year he had a 6.0 Avg. Finish, an astonishing 118.42 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Top 3’s, and 6.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Bristol last Fall Hamlin ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating, led 28% of the laps, and went on to win the race
– In the 2 Next Gen races at Bristol he has a Win and a 9th place finish with the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating among active drivers, but only 1 Stage T10 in 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Denny Hamlin has had a bit of a slow start this year, but he showed a lot of promise at Phoenix last week. While he still doesn’t have great finishes this year he’s ran well overall and with a Short track coming up this week the field should watch out. Hamlin was one of the best drivers on Short tracks last year and won the Bristol race last Fall. In fact, in the 2 Next Gen races at Bristol he’s yet to finish out of the Top 10. All in all, watch out for Hamlin this week as the stats say his mediocre finishes this year come to an end this weekend.
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of how well he ran at Short tracks last year
– Last week at Phoenix Hamlin started on Pole, ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, and tied for most laps led en route to a disappointing 11th place finish
– He has just 1 Top 10 this year leading to a 15.25 Avg. Finish, but he is tied for the 4th most Stage Pts (34) and he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (100.53)
– The only streak he has this year is his 4 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– His Bristol streaks are quite different as he is on a 1 race Win “streak”, has 3 straight Top 10’s and in the late 2000’s had 4 straight Top 10’s here
– In 5 Short track races last year he had a 6.0 Avg. Finish, an astonishing 118.42 Avg. Driver Rating, 3 Top 3’s, and 6.1 Stage Pts Per Stage
– At Bristol last Fall Hamlin ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, had the 2nd best Driver Rating, led 28% of the laps, and went on to win the race
– In the 2 Next Gen races at Bristol he has a Win and a 9th place finish with the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating among active drivers, but only 1 Stage T10 in 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Denny Hamlin has had a bit of a slow start this year, but he showed a lot of promise at Phoenix last week. While he still doesn’t have great finishes this year he’s ran well overall and with a Short track coming up this week the field should watch out. Hamlin was one of the best drivers on Short tracks last year and won the Bristol race last Fall. In fact, in the 2 Next Gen races at Bristol he’s yet to finish out of the Top 10. All in all, watch out for Hamlin this week as the stats say his mediocre finishes this year come to an end this weekend.
12th in Points – Christopher Bell
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.75 | T15th of 36 | T313th of 867 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 34th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 89.03% | 27th of 36 | 657th of 867 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 48.6% | 13th of 36 | 312th of 822‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 78.33 | 13th of 36 | T291st of 822‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T1st of 44 | T12th of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 44 | T72nd of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T1st of 44 | T30th of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 44 | T14th of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T2nd of 44 | T29th of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T4th of 44 | T92nd of 1009 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 2 | T16th of 36 | T342nd of 867 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 36 | T479th of 867 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T2nd of 44 | T15th of 355* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T13th of 44 | T112th of 355* |
| Stage Pts | 11 | 14th of 44 | T113th of 355* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 22.13 | T23rd of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | 2nd of 44 | T7th of 355* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (all one and done)
- Notable Bristol Streaks
- 1 straight Pole (active “streak”)
- 1 straight Top 3 finish (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Stage Wins (active streak, tied longest streak in Cup Series at Bristol all-time)
- 6 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series at Bristol and tied 6th longest streak in Cup Series at Bristol all-time)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(5th), 71.4% of Laps ran in Top15(6th), Avg. Driver Rating 96.54(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 99.95%, Led 9.69% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 3.8 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2023 Bristol Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 1st, Led 187 laps(37.4%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 134.6 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Next Gen Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol since 2022, 32 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 3.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks T2nd)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 4th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 97.6% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 132.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 33.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Pole, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 5’s. 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 75.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 9.75 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Christopher Bell is notable because of his race last Fall here at Bristol
– Last week Bell ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, won Stage 2, and led 50 laps including the final 41 to pick up his first win of the season
– He’s had an up and down 2024 season as he has 2 Top 3’s with 1 Win, but also a 17.75 Avg. Finish with a 22.13 Avg. Stage Finish
– He has no streaks that are over 1 in a row this year
– At Bristol he currently has 2 straight Top 5’s, 3 straight Stage Wins, and 6 straight Stage T10’s
– At Short tracks last year he had the 5th best Avg. Finish, 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Top 5’s, and 3 Top 10’s in 5 races
– Bell dominated the Bristol race last Fall winning the Pole, both stages, running all 500 laps in the Top 15, and getting the best Driver Rating; but he finished 3rd
– His 3.5 Avg. Finish in the Next Gen at Bristol is tied 2nd best, but every other rank in the Bristol stats above is 1st or T1st. However, he hasn’t been able to win
Outlook for this weekend
Christopher Bell was able to pick up his first win of the season last week at Phoenix, but his 2024 has overall been a mixed bag as his stats indicate. Some good news for Bell is that this weekend is a Short track where he was pretty good last year, but he only had a best finish of 3rd in the 5 races. However, this is Bristol where he’s been dominate in the Next Gen, but again his best finish is only 3rd in the 2 races. This weekend the stats say Bell will have a great race and, if he can put it all together, have a great shot at the win too.
– Christopher Bell is notable because of his race last Fall here at Bristol
– Last week Bell ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, won Stage 2, and led 50 laps including the final 41 to pick up his first win of the season
– He’s had an up and down 2024 season as he has 2 Top 3’s with 1 Win, but also a 17.75 Avg. Finish with a 22.13 Avg. Stage Finish
– He has no streaks that are over 1 in a row this year
– At Bristol he currently has 2 straight Top 5’s, 3 straight Stage Wins, and 6 straight Stage T10’s
– At Short tracks last year he had the 5th best Avg. Finish, 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Top 5’s, and 3 Top 10’s in 5 races
– Bell dominated the Bristol race last Fall winning the Pole, both stages, running all 500 laps in the Top 15, and getting the best Driver Rating; but he finished 3rd
– His 3.5 Avg. Finish in the Next Gen at Bristol is tied 2nd best, but every other rank in the Bristol stats above is 1st or T1st. However, he hasn’t been able to win
Outlook for this weekend
Christopher Bell was able to pick up his first win of the season last week at Phoenix, but his 2024 has overall been a mixed bag as his stats indicate. Some good news for Bell is that this weekend is a Short track where he was pretty good last year, but he only had a best finish of 3rd in the 5 races. However, this is Bristol where he’s been dominate in the Next Gen, but again his best finish is only 3rd in the 2 races. This weekend the stats say Bell will have a great race and, if he can put it all together, have a great shot at the win too.
16th in Points – Chris Buescher
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 4 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.5 | 13th of 36 | T270th of 867 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 37th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 76.9% | 35th of 36 | 784th of 867 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 42.25% | 21st of 36 | 346th of 822‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 72.88 | 18th of 36 | T366th of 822‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 44 | T73rd of 1009 |
| Poles | 0 | T4th of 44 | T72nd of 1009 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T1st of 44 | T30th of 1009 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T3rd of 44 | T51st of 1009 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T5th of 44 | T104th of 1009 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T4th of 44 | T92nd of 1009 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T5th of 36 | T115th of 867 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 36 | T479th of 867 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 44 | T45th of 355* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T13th of 44 | T112th of 355* |
| Stage Pts | 2 | T26th of 44 | T176th of 355* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 20.13 | 20th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T10th of 44 | T61st of 355* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 4 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Loop Data started in 2005, Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year
- none (all one and done)
- Notable Bristol Streaks
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 1 straight Stage T10 (active “streak”)
- 2023 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 42 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 11.4(8th), 57.55% of Laps ran in Top15(15th), Avg. Driver Rating 85.72(9th), Best 1st, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.91%, Led 4.05% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Bristol Statistics
- 2023 Bristol Race
- Finished 4th, Started 20th, Led 1 lap(0.2%), Finished 7th in Stage 2, ran 411 Laps in Top 15(82.2% of laps ran), had 104.1 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Next Gen Bristol Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Bristol since 2022, 32 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 2.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 4th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 86.0% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 118.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 17.0% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 5’s 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finish outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chris Buescher is notable because of how he’s performed at Bristol in the Next Gen
– In Phoenix Buescher only ran 56% of his laps in the Top 15, but he was able to pick up 1 Stage Pt and finish the race in 2nd place
– The start of 2024 has been a bit of a struggle as he has a 16.5 Avg. Finish with just 2 Stage Pts and a 20.13 Avg. Stage Finish, but he does have 2 Top 10’s with only 1 finish out of the Top 20
– He has no streaks this year more than just 1 straight
– His Bristol streaks aren’t a ton better as all he has is 2 straight Top 5 finishes and 1 straight Stage T10
– At Short tracks last year he had 1 Win, 3 Top 10’s, the 8th best Avg. Finish, and the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating in 5 races; but he also had just 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last Fall at Bristol Buescher ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 6th best Driver Rating, but he led just 1 lap en route to a 4th place finish
– Since the Next Gen introduction he has the best Avg. Finish at Bristol of any active driver (2.5) and the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (118.7) with 1 Win
Outlook for this weekend
Chris Buescher has had an overall rocky start to his 2024 season, but last week he was able to finish high on the peak as he was able to finish 2nd. This momentum could carry on to this weekend as he was good at Short tracks last year, but he struggled in stages. However, this is Bristol where even though he hasn’t been great in stages he has been terrific at running well and finishing great. In all Buescher might not be the first person that comes to mind when thinking of a winner for this week, but the stats say he could be a factor.
– Chris Buescher is notable because of how he’s performed at Bristol in the Next Gen
– In Phoenix Buescher only ran 56% of his laps in the Top 15, but he was able to pick up 1 Stage Pt and finish the race in 2nd place
– The start of 2024 has been a bit of a struggle as he has a 16.5 Avg. Finish with just 2 Stage Pts and a 20.13 Avg. Stage Finish, but he does have 2 Top 10’s with only 1 finish out of the Top 20
– He has no streaks this year more than just 1 straight
– His Bristol streaks aren’t a ton better as all he has is 2 straight Top 5 finishes and 1 straight Stage T10
– At Short tracks last year he had 1 Win, 3 Top 10’s, the 8th best Avg. Finish, and the 9th best Avg. Driver Rating in 5 races; but he also had just 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
– Last Fall at Bristol Buescher ran 82% of his laps in the Top 15 and had the 6th best Driver Rating, but he led just 1 lap en route to a 4th place finish
– Since the Next Gen introduction he has the best Avg. Finish at Bristol of any active driver (2.5) and the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (118.7) with 1 Win
Outlook for this weekend
Chris Buescher has had an overall rocky start to his 2024 season, but last week he was able to finish high on the peak as he was able to finish 2nd. This momentum could carry on to this weekend as he was good at Short tracks last year, but he struggled in stages. However, this is Bristol where even though he hasn’t been great in stages he has been terrific at running well and finishing great. In all Buescher might not be the first person that comes to mind when thinking of a winner for this week, but the stats say he could be a factor.
