At Las Vegas last week we got to see someone other than Chevy win this year as JGR dominated the Xfinity race leading 86.5% of the race with John Hunter Nemechek picking up the win. This week we head to one of the more important tracks in the regular season as it hosts the Championship Race this Fall, Phoenix. I have picked 5 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on 2024 season stats, 1 based on Small track stats, 1 based on the last Phoenix race, 1 based on their Phoenix stats over the last 5 Xfinity seasons, and 1 based on the highest in 2024 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 3 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year and at Phoenix, 2023 Small track (1.0-1.3 miles) statistics and Phoenix statistics from the past 5 Xfinity seasons.
1st in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 3 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 2.0 | 1st of 38 | T1st of 422 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 4th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 92.23% | T6th of 38 | T35th of 332 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 115.33 | 1st of 38 | 13th of 332‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 1st of 46 | T1st of 455 |
| Poles | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T16th of 455 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | 1st of 46 | T1st of 455 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T3rd of 455 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T1st of 455 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T1st of 455 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | 3rd of 46 | T15th of 397* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T3rd of 46 | T13th of 397* |
| Stage Pts | 35 | 2nd of 46 | T13th of 397* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 5.83 | 2nd of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 1st of 46 | 2nd of 397* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 3 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year/active streaks
- 2 straight Wins (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year and tied 15th longest streak all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series and tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes this year (active streak, tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Phoenix Streaks
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Phoenix)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.25(T2nd), 96.66% of Laps ran in Top15(2nd), 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
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Fall Phoenix Race
- Finished 7th, Started 2nd, Led 21 laps(10.4%), Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 202 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 112.0 Driver Rating (ranked 4th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix since 2019, 35 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 7th, Worst: 17th
- Completed 99.88% of laps (% ranks 13th)
- 82.15% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 97.13 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 5.37% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 3 Top 10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T6th)
- 3 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks 11th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2.88 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Austin Hill is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 3 races
– Last week at Las Vegas Hill ran 199 of 200 laps in the Top 15, but he only led 6 laps en route to a 4th place finish
– He has the best Avg. Finish in 2024 and is 1st in 11 of 17 2024 Ranks above with a worst 2024 Rank of only T6th (92.23 Laps in Top 15%)
– He is currently on a 3 race Top 5 streak, 4 race Top 10 streak, and 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– Here at Phoenix he is on a 3 race Top 10 streak and 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– Last year at Small tracks he was alright as he finished all 4 races between 3rd and 7th with the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating and 5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the Championship race at Phoenix, last Fall, Hill ran every lap in the Top 15, finished 4th in both stages, and finished 7th in the race
– He’s ran 4 races here at Phoenix and has 3 Top 10’s in the 4 races with a decently good 97.13 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Austin Hill started the year 2 for 2 in the win column, but that streak came to an end last week with a 4th place finish at Las Vegas. Overall he’s been the best driver this year, but this week we head to a style where he was just okay last year. At Small tracks Hill ran well, but didn’t even have a Top 2 finish. What’s more is that he has no Top 5’s at Phoenix in 4 races, but 3 Top 10’s. This weekend don’t expect big things from Hill, but a solid run and finish is in the cards.
– Austin Hill is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 3 races
– Last week at Las Vegas Hill ran 199 of 200 laps in the Top 15, but he only led 6 laps en route to a 4th place finish
– He has the best Avg. Finish in 2024 and is 1st in 11 of 17 2024 Ranks above with a worst 2024 Rank of only T6th (92.23 Laps in Top 15%)
– He is currently on a 3 race Top 5 streak, 4 race Top 10 streak, and 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– Here at Phoenix he is on a 3 race Top 10 streak and 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– Last year at Small tracks he was alright as he finished all 4 races between 3rd and 7th with the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating and 5 Stage Pts Per Stage
– In the Championship race at Phoenix, last Fall, Hill ran every lap in the Top 15, finished 4th in both stages, and finished 7th in the race
– He’s ran 4 races here at Phoenix and has 3 Top 10’s in the 4 races with a decently good 97.13 Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Austin Hill started the year 2 for 2 in the win column, but that streak came to an end last week with a 4th place finish at Las Vegas. Overall he’s been the best driver this year, but this week we head to a style where he was just okay last year. At Small tracks Hill ran well, but didn’t even have a Top 2 finish. What’s more is that he has no Top 5’s at Phoenix in 4 races, but 3 Top 10’s. This weekend don’t expect big things from Hill, but a solid run and finish is in the cards.
2nd in Points – Chandler Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 3 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 3.33 | 2nd of 38 | 11th of 422 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 5th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 91.82% | 8th of 38 | 37th of 332 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 102.77 | 4th of 38 | 35th of 332‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T25th of 455 |
| Poles | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T16th of 455 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T8th of 455 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T1st of 46 | T3rd of 455 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T1st of 455 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T1st of 46 | T1st of 455 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | 2nd of 46 | T2nd of 397* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T11th of 46 | T64th of 397* |
| Stage Pts | 25 | 5th of 46 | T29th of 397* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 9.5 | 9th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 3rd of 46 | T17th of 397* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 3 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year/active streaks
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series and tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series and tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes this year (active streak, tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (active streak, tied longest streak in Xfinity series this year)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Phoenix Streaks
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 7.0(4th), 94.55% of Laps ran in Top15(5th), 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
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Fall Phoenix Race
- Finished 8th, Started 6th, Led 0 laps, Finished 3rd in Stage 1 and 5th in Stage 2, ran 202 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 103.8 Driver Rating (ranked 6th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix since 2019, 35 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 6.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 8th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 91.79% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 7th)
- 99.2 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 7th)
- Led 0.5% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T3rd)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 3.75 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chandler Smith is notable because he is 2nd place in points
– At Las Vegas Chandler led 37% of the race and won Stage 1 and Stage 2, but could only muster up a 3rd place finish in the race
– He’s done well in races this year having the 2nd best Avg. Finish (3.33) and 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.77), but he’s struggled in stages getting just 3 Stage T10’s
– In terms of streaks he is currently on a 2 race Top 3 streak, 3 race Top 5 streak, 4 race Top 10 streak, 2 straight Stage Wins streak, and 3 straight Stage T10’s streak
– He’s only ran 2 races at Phoenix, but he is currently on a 2 straight Stage T10’s streak and 2 straight race Top 10 streak
– In 2023 he was decent on Small tracks as he had the 4th best Avg. Finish and 7th best Avg. Driver Rating with 3 Top 10’s in 4 races
– Last Fall at Phoenix Chandler ran all 202 laps in the Top 15 en route to the 6th best Driver Rating and an 8th place race finish
– In his 2 races here he has finishes of 5th and 8th with a 99.2 Avg. Driver Rating and 3 Stage T10’s in 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Chandler Smith is one of just two drivers to finish all 3 Xfinity races in the Top 5 and Top 10 so it’s no wonder he is 2nd in points. The only part that is hurting him in 2024 is his stages, but he did just win 2 straight. Heading to a Small track this weekend isn’t a bad thing as he was decent on them and in his 2 career races here at Phoenix he has also been decent. Based on the stats expect a decent weekend from Chandler this weekend with a decent finish.
– Chandler Smith is notable because he is 2nd place in points
– At Las Vegas Chandler led 37% of the race and won Stage 1 and Stage 2, but could only muster up a 3rd place finish in the race
– He’s done well in races this year having the 2nd best Avg. Finish (3.33) and 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.77), but he’s struggled in stages getting just 3 Stage T10’s
– In terms of streaks he is currently on a 2 race Top 3 streak, 3 race Top 5 streak, 4 race Top 10 streak, 2 straight Stage Wins streak, and 3 straight Stage T10’s streak
– He’s only ran 2 races at Phoenix, but he is currently on a 2 straight Stage T10’s streak and 2 straight race Top 10 streak
– In 2023 he was decent on Small tracks as he had the 4th best Avg. Finish and 7th best Avg. Driver Rating with 3 Top 10’s in 4 races
– Last Fall at Phoenix Chandler ran all 202 laps in the Top 15 en route to the 6th best Driver Rating and an 8th place race finish
– In his 2 races here he has finishes of 5th and 8th with a 99.2 Avg. Driver Rating and 3 Stage T10’s in 4 stages
Outlook for this weekend
Chandler Smith is one of just two drivers to finish all 3 Xfinity races in the Top 5 and Top 10 so it’s no wonder he is 2nd in points. The only part that is hurting him in 2024 is his stages, but he did just win 2 straight. Heading to a Small track this weekend isn’t a bad thing as he was decent on them and in his 2 career races here at Phoenix he has also been decent. Based on the stats expect a decent weekend from Chandler this weekend with a decent finish.
5th in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 3 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.33 | 5th of 38 | T51st of 422 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 16th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.8% | T6th of 38 | T49th of 332 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 94.89% | 3rd of 38 | 20th of 332 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 95.77 | 8th of 38 | 59th of 332‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T25th of 455 |
| Poles | 1 | 2nd of 46 | T6th of 455 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T8th of 455 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T3rd of 46 | T16th of 455 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T5th of 46 | T34th of 455 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T11th of 46 | T82nd of 455 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T4th of 46 | T34th of 397* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | T5th of 46 | T35th of 397* |
| Stage Pts | 19 | 9th of 46 | T50th of 397* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 8.5 | 7th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 46 | T34th of 397* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 3 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year/active streaks
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Phoenix Streaks
- 1 straight Win (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (2019.04-2019.32)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes (2017.32-2019.32) (tied 10th longest streak in Xfinity Series at Phoenix all-time)
- 1 straight Stage Win (active “streak”)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (2018.04 s2-2018.32 s2 & 2019.04 s2-2019.32 s2)
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.5(10th), 95.17% of Laps ran in Top15(4th), Avg. Driver Rating 113.98(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 99.88%, Led 18.22% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.75 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Fall Phoenix Race
- Finished 1st, Started 7th, Led 96 laps(47.52%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 202 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 141.0 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix since 2019, 35 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 4.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 12th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 95.64% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 118.68 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 17.46% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Win, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Pole, 25.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 2 Top 2’s, 50.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 3 Top 5’s, 75.0% (% ranks 2nd)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 2nd)
- 6 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 3.13 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Cole Custer is notable because of how he performed in the last Phoenix Xfinity race
– Last week at Las Vegas Custer ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 and finished 2nd in the race after starting on Pole, but he ended up with the 6th best Driver Rating (108.4)
– He has just 1 Top 10 finish in 3 races this year, but he still has the 5th best Avg. Finish (10.33), 3rd best Laps in Top 15% (94.89%), and 7th best Avg. Stage Finish (8.5)
– Due to his struggles in finishing this year the only streak he has this year is an active 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– In terms of Phoenix streaks he is on a 1 race Stage Win and race Win streak, and in his career here he had 5 straight Xfinity races finish in the Top 10 in the late 2010’s
– Small tracks weren’t good to him overall in 2023 in terms of finish, having the 10th best Avg. Finish, but he did have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating with 1 Win in 4 races
– Custer pretty much dominated the Xfinity Championship race at Phoenix last Fall as he led 48% of the laps, won Stage 2, had a 141.0 Driver Rating, and won the race
– In the last 5 years he’s had 4 races at Phoenix with 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, and a 118.64 Avg. Driver Rating. Most of his stats in the last 5 years here rank either 1st or 2nd among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Cole Custer may not have won at Las Vegas, but he was the best finishing Xfinity regular. This was his first Top 10 and his 2024 overall stats aren’t too impressive. Furthermore heading to a Small track may not be the best way to continue his momentum he’s on. Last year on these tracks he ran well, but only finished 1 race in the Top 5. However, he picked the right race to get it as it came in the form of a win in the Championship race at Phoenix. All in all the stats say Custer will most likely have a good run this weekend, but the finish may not be as good.
– Cole Custer is notable because of how he performed in the last Phoenix Xfinity race
– Last week at Las Vegas Custer ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 and finished 2nd in the race after starting on Pole, but he ended up with the 6th best Driver Rating (108.4)
– He has just 1 Top 10 finish in 3 races this year, but he still has the 5th best Avg. Finish (10.33), 3rd best Laps in Top 15% (94.89%), and 7th best Avg. Stage Finish (8.5)
– Due to his struggles in finishing this year the only streak he has this year is an active 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– In terms of Phoenix streaks he is on a 1 race Stage Win and race Win streak, and in his career here he had 5 straight Xfinity races finish in the Top 10 in the late 2010’s
– Small tracks weren’t good to him overall in 2023 in terms of finish, having the 10th best Avg. Finish, but he did have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating with 1 Win in 4 races
– Custer pretty much dominated the Xfinity Championship race at Phoenix last Fall as he led 48% of the laps, won Stage 2, had a 141.0 Driver Rating, and won the race
– In the last 5 years he’s had 4 races at Phoenix with 1 Win, 2 Top 2’s, and a 118.64 Avg. Driver Rating. Most of his stats in the last 5 years here rank either 1st or 2nd among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Cole Custer may not have won at Las Vegas, but he was the best finishing Xfinity regular. This was his first Top 10 and his 2024 overall stats aren’t too impressive. Furthermore heading to a Small track may not be the best way to continue his momentum he’s on. Last year on these tracks he ran well, but only finished 1 race in the Top 5. However, he picked the right race to get it as it came in the form of a win in the Championship race at Phoenix. All in all the stats say Custer will most likely have a good run this weekend, but the finish may not be as good.
6th in Owner Points – John Hunter Nemechek
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 3 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.33 | 8th of 38 | T74th of 422 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 32nd | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.18% | 17th of 38 | T109th of 332 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 69.12% | 14th of 38 | 97th of 332 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 105.53 | 3rd of 38 | 25th of 332‡ |
| Wins | 1 | 2nd of 46 | T4th of 455 |
| Poles | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T16th of 455 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T2nd of 46 | T8th of 455 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T3rd of 46 | T16th of 455 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T5th of 46 | T34th of 455 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T3rd of 46 | T20th of 455 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T9th of 38 | T75th of 332 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T4th of 46 | T34th of 397* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T11th of 46 | T64th of 397* |
| Stage Pts | 0 | T17th of 46 | T126th of 397* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 14.83 | 14th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th 46 | T34th of 397* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 3 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year/active streaks
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Phoenix Streaks
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (2018.32-2019.32)
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (2021.33 s1-2022.04 s2)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 10.0(T8th), 95.42% of Laps ran in Top15(3rd), Avg. Driver Rating 123.48(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 27.48% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.88 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Fall Phoenix Race
- Finished 28th, Started 3rd, Led 66 laps(32.67%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 201 Laps in Top 15(99.5% of laps ran), had 115.1 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix since 2019, 35 drivers)
- 6 Races
- 9.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 7th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 28th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 97.93% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 110.4 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 11.19% of laps he’s run (% ranks 4th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 33.33% (% ranks T8th)
- 5 Top 10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 4th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 16.67% (% ranks 10th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 8.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 10 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of how well he ran at Small tracks in 2023
– Nemechek was one of just two drivers to run all 200 laps last week in the Top 15 en route to his 1st win of the season
– The 2024 Xfinity season hasn’t been great to him as he has just the 8th best Avg. Finish and 14th best Avg. Stage Finish, but he does have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating
– The only Xfinity streak he has this year is his 2 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– He is on a 2 straight Stage T10 streak here at Phoenix and at one point had 3 straight Top 10 finishes here in an Xfinity car
– His 10.0 Avg. Finish on Small tracks last year was only good for 8th best, but he ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15 and had 1 Win with an incredible 123.48 Avg. Driver Rating
– Nemechek ran all but one lap in the Top 15 last Fall at Phoenix, but that one was the last one as he ended up finishing 28th after leading 33% of the race
– Since the beginning of 2019 he’s ran 6 Xfinity races at Phoenix compiling a 9.67 Avg. Finish while running 98% of his laps in the Top 15 and having all Top 10 finishes until the race last Fall
Outlook for this weekend
John Hunter Nemechek picked up the win last week in dominating fashion of sorts as he led just under half the race. However, even with this his 2024 Xfinity stats still aren’t great overall. This week we head to a track style that he was very good on last year, but just didn’t pick up great finishes every time. Better news is that this is Phoenix where Nemechek has ran well in the last 5 years and has had Top 10’s every race except the last one here. Overall this week will be another where the Xfinity guys have to contend heavily with the Cup guy for the win.
– John Hunter Nemechek is notable because of how well he ran at Small tracks in 2023
– Nemechek was one of just two drivers to run all 200 laps last week in the Top 15 en route to his 1st win of the season
– The 2024 Xfinity season hasn’t been great to him as he has just the 8th best Avg. Finish and 14th best Avg. Stage Finish, but he does have the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating
– The only Xfinity streak he has this year is his 2 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– He is on a 2 straight Stage T10 streak here at Phoenix and at one point had 3 straight Top 10 finishes here in an Xfinity car
– His 10.0 Avg. Finish on Small tracks last year was only good for 8th best, but he ran 95% of his laps in the Top 15 and had 1 Win with an incredible 123.48 Avg. Driver Rating
– Nemechek ran all but one lap in the Top 15 last Fall at Phoenix, but that one was the last one as he ended up finishing 28th after leading 33% of the race
– Since the beginning of 2019 he’s ran 6 Xfinity races at Phoenix compiling a 9.67 Avg. Finish while running 98% of his laps in the Top 15 and having all Top 10 finishes until the race last Fall
Outlook for this weekend
John Hunter Nemechek picked up the win last week in dominating fashion of sorts as he led just under half the race. However, even with this his 2024 Xfinity stats still aren’t great overall. This week we head to a track style that he was very good on last year, but just didn’t pick up great finishes every time. Better news is that this is Phoenix where Nemechek has ran well in the last 5 years and has had Top 10’s every race except the last one here. Overall this week will be another where the Xfinity guys have to contend heavily with the Cup guy for the win.
8th in Points – Sammy Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 3 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 13.67 | 9th of 38 | T78th of 422 |
| Best Fin. | 8th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 23rd | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.8% | T6th of 38 | T49th of 332 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 92.23% | T6th of 38 | T35th of 332 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 94.3 | 10th of 38 | 64th of 332‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T25th of 455 |
| Poles | 0 | T3rd of 46 | T16th of 455 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T6th of 46 | T48th of 455 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T8th of 46 | T65th of 455 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T10th of 46 | T95th of 455 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T3rd of 46 | T20th of 455 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T9th of 38 | T75th of 332 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 332 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T4th of 46 | T34th of 397* |
| Stage T10s | 3 | T11th of 46 | T64th of 397* |
| Stage Pts | 16 | 11th of 46 | T61st of 397* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 10.67 | T10th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T4th of 46 | T34th of 397* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 3 races
²Earned from races only, does not reflect penalties
*Stage racing started in 2017
‡Max Driver Rating is 150.0
- Notable Streaks this year/active streaks
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Phoenix Streaks
- 1 straight Pole (active “streak”)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Phoenix)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s (2022.33 s1-2023.33 s1)
- 2023 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Small track start, 53 drivers)
- 4 Races, Avg. Finish 5.25(T2nd), 78.71% of Laps ran in Top15(13th), Avg. Driver Rating 110.3(5th), Best 1st, Worst 9th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.98% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 4.63 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Phoenix Statistics
- 2023 Fall Phoenix Race
- Finished 9th, Started 1st, Led 11 laps(5.45%), Finished 6th in Stage 1, ran 125 Laps in Top 15(61.88% of laps ran), had 88.2 Driver Rating (ranked 11th)
- Notable Phoenix Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Phoenix since 2019, 35 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 6.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 4th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 77.24% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 12th)
- 111.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 18.77% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Win, 33.33% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Pole, 33.33% (% ranks 1st)
- 3 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 5 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks T3rd)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Sammy Smith is notable because of stats at Phoenix over the last 5 years
– Last week at Las Vegas Sammy started 8th, ran all but 9 laps in the Top 15, and finished 8th in his #8 car
– On the season he has the 9th best Avg. Finish at 13.67, 10th best Avg. Driver Rating at 94.3, and is tied 10th best Avg. Stage Finish at 10.67
– Currently he is riding a 2 race Top 10 finish streak
– At Phoenix he had a 5 straight Stage T10 streak until Stage 2 of the 2023 Championship race and is currently on a 3 race Top 10 streak
– He exceled on Small tracks last year getting the 2nd best Avg. Finish, 5th best Avg. Driver Rating, and a Top 10 in all 4 races. All of this despite having the 13th best Laps in Top 15%
– In the Fall Phoenix race Sammy started 1st and led 11 laps, but he only ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 9th
– He’s ran 3 races here at Phoenix and in them has 3 Top 10’s with 1 Win, 5 Stage Pts Per Stage, and the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating among active drivers since 2019 at 111.0
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy Smith’s season didn’t get off to a great starts and he still only has a best finish of 8th, but he’s got back-to-back Top 10’s already. This momentum he has may be trouble for the field since this week is a Small track where he was one of the best drivers last year. Even worse for the field is this is Phoenix where he has his only win and has never finished out of the Top 10 in 3 starts. Overall this may be a new team Sammy is with, but I expect the same old results this weekend for him as he should be a shoe-in for a Top 10.
– Sammy Smith is notable because of stats at Phoenix over the last 5 years
– Last week at Las Vegas Sammy started 8th, ran all but 9 laps in the Top 15, and finished 8th in his #8 car
– On the season he has the 9th best Avg. Finish at 13.67, 10th best Avg. Driver Rating at 94.3, and is tied 10th best Avg. Stage Finish at 10.67
– Currently he is riding a 2 race Top 10 finish streak
– At Phoenix he had a 5 straight Stage T10 streak until Stage 2 of the 2023 Championship race and is currently on a 3 race Top 10 streak
– He exceled on Small tracks last year getting the 2nd best Avg. Finish, 5th best Avg. Driver Rating, and a Top 10 in all 4 races. All of this despite having the 13th best Laps in Top 15%
– In the Fall Phoenix race Sammy started 1st and led 11 laps, but he only ran 62% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 9th
– He’s ran 3 races here at Phoenix and in them has 3 Top 10’s with 1 Win, 5 Stage Pts Per Stage, and the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating among active drivers since 2019 at 111.0
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy Smith’s season didn’t get off to a great starts and he still only has a best finish of 8th, but he’s got back-to-back Top 10’s already. This momentum he has may be trouble for the field since this week is a Small track where he was one of the best drivers last year. Even worse for the field is this is Phoenix where he has his only win and has never finished out of the Top 10 in 3 starts. Overall this may be a new team Sammy is with, but I expect the same old results this weekend for him as he should be a shoe-in for a Top 10.
