Last week at Richmond we saw our fair share of controversy as Denny Hamlin showed us it’s ok to break the rules in overtime, and that NASCAR isn’t too lazy to police track limits on Road Courses but is too lazy to police them everywhere else. This week we head to the 2nd straight Short track and there will no doubt be controversy or hurt feelings or both at Martinsville. 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 Martinsville race, 1 based on their Next Gen Martinsville 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 7 races since the Playoffs started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year and at Martinsville, 2023/24 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Martinsville statistics in the Next Gen car.
Note: any driver in 4 straight Cup outlook articles is not in consideration for the next two, or any driver in 4 of 5 Cup outlook articles is not in consideration for the next one. This resets after they are put back into consideration.
This week not in consideration: Kyle Larson (4 out of 5), Martin Truex Jr. (4 in a row)
This week not in consideration: Kyle Larson (4 out of 5), Martin Truex Jr. (4 in a row)
3rd in Points – Denny Hamlin
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.0 | 4th of 36 | T87th of 882 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 23rd | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.95% | T2nd of 36 | T63rd of 882 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 85.05 | 2nd of 36 | 48th of 838‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 105.96 | 2nd of 36 | T44th of 838‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T1st of 48 | T5th of 1073 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 48 | T20th of 1073 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T1st of 48 | T23rd of 1073 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T2nd of 48 | T43rd of 1073 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T6th of 48 | T109th of 1073 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T8th of 48 | T159th of 1073 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T4th of 36 | T57th of 882 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 882 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 48 | T31st of 385* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T3rd of 48 | T50th of 385* |
| Stage Pts | 54 | 4th of 48 | T37th of 385* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 9.43 | 3rd of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 1st of 48 | T5th of 385* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 7 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
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 3 straight Wins (2009.32-2010.32) (tied 2nd longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 4 straight Top 2 finishes (2009.06-2010.32) (tied 3rd longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 1 straight Top 3 finish (active “streak”)
- 4 straight Top 3 finishes (2009.06-2010.32) (tied 6th longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series at Martinsville)
- 6 straight Top 5 finishes (2008.06-2010.32) (tied 7th longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 9 straight Top 10 finishes (2006.32-2010.32) (tied 8th longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (2022.35 s1&s2) (tied 2nd longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 6 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series at Martinsville and tied 9th longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 8 straight Stage T10’s (2018.06 s1-2019.33 s2) (tied 4th longest streak in Cup Series at Richmond all-time)
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 1.0(1st), 91.73% of Laps ran in Top15(T2nd), Avg. Driver Rating 127.55(1st), Best 1st, Worst 1st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 19.85% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 9.0
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 4th, Led 156 laps(31.2%), Finished 1st in Stage 1 and 2nd in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 131.1 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Next Gen Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2022, 36 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 10.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 6th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 28th
- Completed 99.83% of laps (% ranks T11th)
- 77.94% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 4th)
- 105.55 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 21.94% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 25.0% (% ranks T4th)
- 3 Top 5’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Top 15’s, 75.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks T11th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Stage Wins, 37.5% (% ranks 1st)
- 6 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 6.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats on Short tracks this year
– Last week Hamlin ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15 and got a great jump on the last restart to pick up the win at Richmond
– On the year he has 2 Wins, but also just 3 Top 10’s. However, 15 of his 17 2024 Ranks above are T4th or better showing how good he’s been in races this year
– The only streak he’s had this year is a 4 straight Stage T10 streak earlier this year
– He has many Martinsville streaks in his career including 3 straight Wins in 08-09, an active streak of 3 straight Top 5’s, and an active streak of 8 straight Stage T10’s
– In the 2 Short track races this year he has 2 Wins and the best Avg. Driver Rating (127.55), but an Avg. Stage Finish of 9th in the 4 stages
– Last Fall at Martinsville Hamlin led 31% of the race, ran all 500 laps in the Top 15, and ended with the 2nd best Driver Rating; but he finished 3rd
– His best finish in the 4 Next Gen races here is 3rd, but he does have 3 Top 5’s with a 105.55 Avg. Driver Rating and his 21.94 Laps Led% is best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Denny Hamlin pulled off his 2nd win of the year last week at Richmond, but despite good runs he’s mostly Win or bust this year. However, we head to the style of track where he’s been win win this year, Short tracks. Even worse for the competition is this is Martinsville where he’s been great in his career, but while he’s been good here in the Next Gen he hasn’t been able to win. Based on the stats that could change this weekend as he’s the definite favorite to win this weekend.
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his stats on Short tracks this year
– Last week Hamlin ran 87% of his laps in the Top 15 and got a great jump on the last restart to pick up the win at Richmond
– On the year he has 2 Wins, but also just 3 Top 10’s. However, 15 of his 17 2024 Ranks above are T4th or better showing how good he’s been in races this year
– The only streak he’s had this year is a 4 straight Stage T10 streak earlier this year
– He has many Martinsville streaks in his career including 3 straight Wins in 08-09, an active streak of 3 straight Top 5’s, and an active streak of 8 straight Stage T10’s
– In the 2 Short track races this year he has 2 Wins and the best Avg. Driver Rating (127.55), but an Avg. Stage Finish of 9th in the 4 stages
– Last Fall at Martinsville Hamlin led 31% of the race, ran all 500 laps in the Top 15, and ended with the 2nd best Driver Rating; but he finished 3rd
– His best finish in the 4 Next Gen races here is 3rd, but he does have 3 Top 5’s with a 105.55 Avg. Driver Rating and his 21.94 Laps Led% is best among active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
Denny Hamlin pulled off his 2nd win of the year last week at Richmond, but despite good runs he’s mostly Win or bust this year. However, we head to the style of track where he’s been win win this year, Short tracks. Even worse for the competition is this is Martinsville where he’s been great in his career, but while he’s been good here in the Next Gen he hasn’t been able to win. Based on the stats that could change this weekend as he’s the definite favorite to win this weekend.
4th in Points – Ty Gibbs
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 9.0 | 2nd of 36 | T46th of 882 |
| Best Fin. | 3rd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 17th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.95% | T2nd of 36 | T63rd of 882 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 74.78 | 4th of 36 | 117th of 838‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 93.39 | 4th of 36 | 138th of 838‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 48 | T115th of 1073 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 48 | T105th of 1073 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 48 | T200th of 1073 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T2nd of 48 | T43rd of 1073 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 48 | T44th of 1073 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T1st of 48 | T26th of 1073 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 882 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 36 | T1st of 882 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T2nd of 48 | T14th of 385* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T10th of 48 | T88th of 385* |
| Stage Pts | 37 | 6th of 48 | T67th of 385* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 13.5 | 7th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 6th of 48 | T52nd of 385* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 7 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 5 finishes
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes (longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year and tied 14th longest streak in Cup Series all-time)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 12.5(11th), 83.89% of Laps ran in Top15(7th), Avg. Driver Rating 92.25(7th), Best 9th, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 99.89%, Led 15.12% 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, 2 Stage Wins, 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 8.5
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 18th, Started 2nd, Led 0 laps, Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 6th in Stage 2, ran 272 Laps in Top 15(54.51% of laps ran), had 82.3 Driver Rating (ranked 10th)
- Notable Next Gen Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2022, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 18.33 Avg. Finish (Ranks T15th)
- Best Finish: 18th, Worst: 19th
- Completed 99.79% of laps (% ranks 13th)
- 29.78% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 21st)
- 67.0 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 19th)
- Led 0.00% of laps he’s run
- 0 Top 15’s
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 33.33% (% ranks 13th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ty Gibbs is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 7 races
– At Richmond Gibbs ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15, but he got 0 Stage Pts and ended up finishing 16th
– In 2024 he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating and is tied for 1st in Top 5’s and Top 10’s, but he has the 7th best Avg. Stage Finish
– This year he’s had streaks of 5 straight Top 10 finishes and 2 straight Stage Wins
– The only streak he has at Martinsville is his 2 straight Stage T10’s he got in last Fall’s race
– In the 2 Short track races this year he has a best finish of 9th, but 2 Stage Wins and an Avg. Stage Finish of 8.5
– Last Fall at Martinsville Gibbs started 2nd and got 9 Stage Pts, but he ran only 54% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 18th
– In his 3 Next Gen races here at Martinsville he has finishes of 18th (twice) and 19th while only running 30% of his laps in the Top 15 and leading 0 laps
Outlook for this weekend
In his Sophomore year Ty Gibbs has gotten off to a pretty good start, but as good as his finishes have been he hasn’t been as good in stages. However, his 2 Stage Wins this year have come at Short tracks, which is where he head this week, but his finishes haven’t been as good. Additionally this is Martinsville where Gibbs has ran pretty bad and has had mediocre finishes in all 3 races he’s ran here. In all, based on these stats it’s hard to make a clear cut call how he’ll do this weekend. So, don’t be surprised if he finishes Top 10 or out of the Top 20
– Ty Gibbs is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 7 races
– At Richmond Gibbs ran 73% of his laps in the Top 15, but he got 0 Stage Pts and ended up finishing 16th
– In 2024 he has the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating and is tied for 1st in Top 5’s and Top 10’s, but he has the 7th best Avg. Stage Finish
– This year he’s had streaks of 5 straight Top 10 finishes and 2 straight Stage Wins
– The only streak he has at Martinsville is his 2 straight Stage T10’s he got in last Fall’s race
– In the 2 Short track races this year he has a best finish of 9th, but 2 Stage Wins and an Avg. Stage Finish of 8.5
– Last Fall at Martinsville Gibbs started 2nd and got 9 Stage Pts, but he ran only 54% of his laps in the Top 15 and finished 18th
– In his 3 Next Gen races here at Martinsville he has finishes of 18th (twice) and 19th while only running 30% of his laps in the Top 15 and leading 0 laps
Outlook for this weekend
In his Sophomore year Ty Gibbs has gotten off to a pretty good start, but as good as his finishes have been he hasn’t been as good in stages. However, his 2 Stage Wins this year have come at Short tracks, which is where he head this week, but his finishes haven’t been as good. Additionally this is Martinsville where Gibbs has ran pretty bad and has had mediocre finishes in all 3 races he’s ran here. In all, based on these stats it’s hard to make a clear cut call how he’ll do this weekend. So, don’t be surprised if he finishes Top 10 or out of the Top 20
5th in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.43 | 7th of 36 | T127th of 882 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 30th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.5% | T13th of 36 | T206th of 882 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 64.55 | 8th of 36 | 197th of 838‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.54 | 5th of 36 | 161st of 838‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 48 | T115th of 1073 |
| Poles | 1 | T2nd of 48 | T20th of 1073 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T4th of 48 | T67th of 1073 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T2nd of 48 | T43rd of 1073 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 48 | T44th of 1073 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T8th of 48 | T159th of 1073 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T4th of 36 | T57th of 882 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 36 | T390th of 882 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 48 | T31st of 385* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T3rd of 48 | T50th of 385* |
| Stage Pts | 57 | 3rd of 48 | 33rd of 385* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 12.29 | 4th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 48 | T61st of 385* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 7 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 (longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 1 straight Win (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (2020.11-2020.35)
- 4 straight Top 5 finishes (2019.06-2020.35)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 1 straight Stage Win (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (2021.08 s1&s2) (tied 2nd longest streak in Cup Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 7 straight Stage T10’s (2017.06 s1-2018.33 s1) (tied 6th longest streak in Cup Series at Richmond all-time)
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 17.5(16th), 42.43% of Laps ran in Top15(15th), Avg. Driver Rating 74.3(13th), Best 16th, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.78%, Led 1.55% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 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, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.5
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 1st, Started 11th, Led 145 laps(29.0%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 499 Laps in Top 15(99.8% of laps ran), had 133.5 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Next Gen Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2022, 36 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 3.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks T1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 7th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 94.01% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 109.9 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 8.32% of laps he’s run (% ranks T5th)
- 1 Win, 25.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 3’s, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 3 Top 5’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 4 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 12.5% (% ranks 4th)
- 6 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 4.88 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ryan Blaney is notable because of how he did in last Fall’s Martinsville race
– Blaney was bad last week as he only ran 11% of his laps en route to a 19th place finish
– This year he has a 12.29 Avg. Stage Finish, a 12.43 Avg. Finish in races, a 91.54 Avg. Driver Rating, and he has the 3rd most Stage Pts this year at 57
– This year he’s had streaks of 2 straight Top 3 finishes, 3 straight Top 5 finishes, and 4 straight Stage T10’s
– In his career at Martinsville he’s had a 4 straight Top 5 finish streak in 2019-20 and is on an active 4 straight Top 10 finish streak
– He’s struggled on Short tracks this year running just 42% of his laps in the Top 15, getting a 17.5 Avg. Finish, and even worse a 20.5 Avg. Stage Finish
– At Martinsville last Fall Blaney led 29% of the laps, got 19 Stage Pts, ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, and finished the race in 1st
– He’s been great at Martinsville in the Next Gen car as he’s tied for the best Avg. Finish, while being the best in Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Reigning champion Ryan Blaney isn’t having a great starts to 2024 as he only has 3 Top 10’s in 7 races, but he’s doing pretty well in stages. However, a lot of his struggles have come on Short tracks, including last weekend, which is unfortunately where we are at this weekend. Then again, this is Martinsville. He’s been great here in the Next Gen car both running and finishing good here. This is another driver where the stats contradict each other. So, if he runs like he has at Short tracks this year it’s probably a bad finish, but if it’s like his Next Gen Martinsville stats it’s probably going to be a good weekend for Blaney.
– Ryan Blaney is notable because of how he did in last Fall’s Martinsville race
– Blaney was bad last week as he only ran 11% of his laps en route to a 19th place finish
– This year he has a 12.29 Avg. Stage Finish, a 12.43 Avg. Finish in races, a 91.54 Avg. Driver Rating, and he has the 3rd most Stage Pts this year at 57
– This year he’s had streaks of 2 straight Top 3 finishes, 3 straight Top 5 finishes, and 4 straight Stage T10’s
– In his career at Martinsville he’s had a 4 straight Top 5 finish streak in 2019-20 and is on an active 4 straight Top 10 finish streak
– He’s struggled on Short tracks this year running just 42% of his laps in the Top 15, getting a 17.5 Avg. Finish, and even worse a 20.5 Avg. Stage Finish
– At Martinsville last Fall Blaney led 29% of the laps, got 19 Stage Pts, ran all but 1 lap in the Top 15, and finished the race in 1st
– He’s been great at Martinsville in the Next Gen car as he’s tied for the best Avg. Finish, while being the best in Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating
Outlook for this weekend
Reigning champion Ryan Blaney isn’t having a great starts to 2024 as he only has 3 Top 10’s in 7 races, but he’s doing pretty well in stages. However, a lot of his struggles have come on Short tracks, including last weekend, which is unfortunately where we are at this weekend. Then again, this is Martinsville. He’s been great here in the Next Gen car both running and finishing good here. This is another driver where the stats contradict each other. So, if he runs like he has at Short tracks this year it’s probably a bad finish, but if it’s like his Next Gen Martinsville stats it’s probably going to be a good weekend for Blaney.
6th in Points – Christopher Bell
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 12.71 | T8th of 36 | T137th of 882 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 34th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 94.29% | 28th of 36 | T544th of 882 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 66.88 | 7th of 36 | 177th of 838‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 91.21 | 6th of 36 | 164th of 838‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 48 | T30th of 1073 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 48 | T105th of 1073 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T1st of 48 | T23rd of 1073 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | 1st of 48 | T20th of 1073 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T1st of 48 | T44th of 1073 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T1st of 48 | T26th of 1073 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 2 | T12th of 36 | T187th of 882 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 36 | T390th of 882 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T2nd of 48 | T14th of 385* |
| Stage T10s | 6 | T7th of 48 | T66th of 385* |
| Stage Pts | 35 | 7th of 48 | T69th of 385* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 16.71 | 14th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | 4th of 48 | T15th of 385* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 7 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 Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 1 straight Top 10 finish (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s (2021.35 s2-2022.35 s2)
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 8.0(T6th), 86.31% of Laps ran in Top15(5th), Avg. Driver Rating 102.65(4th), Best 6th, Worst 10th, Laps Completed 99.89%, Led 4.19% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 9.25
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 7th, Started 7th, Led 0 laps, Finished 6th in Stage 1 and 10th in Stage 2, ran 498 Laps in Top 15(99.6% of laps ran), had 106.9 Driver Rating (ranked 5th)
- Notable Next Gen Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2022, 36 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 11.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T7th)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 20th
- Completed 99.94% of laps (% ranks T6th)
- 76.75% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 6th)
- 99.43 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 8.32% of laps he’s run (% ranks T5th)
- 1 Win, 25.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 6 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 3.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 6th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Christopher Bell is notable because he’s 6th in points thru 7 races
– At Richmond last week Bell’s team used different strategies that helped him overcome a speeding penalty and have him run 72% of his laps in the Top 15, finishing 6th
– He is only tied for the 8th best Avg. Finish so far this year and has the 14th best Avg. Stage Finish; but his 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s are all best or tied best this year
– He is currently on a 4 race Top 10 streak
– In terms of Martinsville streaks he’s had a 5 straight Stage T10 streak in his career and is on a 2 straight Stage T10 streak
– At Short tracks this year he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.65) and he has a 9.25 Avg. Stage Finish with 2 Top 10’s and a best finish of 6th
– In the last Martinsville race Bell ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15, but led 0 laps en route to a 7th place finish
– In the 4 Next Gen races here he has 2 Top 10’s with a Win and 0 finishes out of the Top 20; but he’s also finished out of the Top 15 twice
Outlook for this weekend
Christopher Bell has been strong this year, but his Avg. Stage Finish is pretty mediocre still. One place that’s helped his stage stats is Short tracks where he’s done well in the 2 races this year. In addition, he’s finished both Short track races in the Top 10 and has ran over 85% of his laps in the Top 15. Next up is Martinsville where in 4 Next Gen races he’s either finished Top 10 or out of the Top 15, but he’s ran pretty well overall. This weekend if strategy comes into play expect him to play a different one than others, in the end probably coming home with a Top 10.
– Christopher Bell is notable because he’s 6th in points thru 7 races
– At Richmond last week Bell’s team used different strategies that helped him overcome a speeding penalty and have him run 72% of his laps in the Top 15, finishing 6th
– He is only tied for the 8th best Avg. Finish so far this year and has the 14th best Avg. Stage Finish; but his 2 Top 2’s, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, and 5 Top 10’s are all best or tied best this year
– He is currently on a 4 race Top 10 streak
– In terms of Martinsville streaks he’s had a 5 straight Stage T10 streak in his career and is on a 2 straight Stage T10 streak
– At Short tracks this year he has the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.65) and he has a 9.25 Avg. Stage Finish with 2 Top 10’s and a best finish of 6th
– In the last Martinsville race Bell ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15, but led 0 laps en route to a 7th place finish
– In the 4 Next Gen races here he has 2 Top 10’s with a Win and 0 finishes out of the Top 20; but he’s also finished out of the Top 15 twice
Outlook for this weekend
Christopher Bell has been strong this year, but his Avg. Stage Finish is pretty mediocre still. One place that’s helped his stage stats is Short tracks where he’s done well in the 2 races this year. In addition, he’s finished both Short track races in the Top 10 and has ran over 85% of his laps in the Top 15. Next up is Martinsville where in 4 Next Gen races he’s either finished Top 10 or out of the Top 15, but he’s ran pretty well overall. This weekend if strategy comes into play expect him to play a different one than others, in the end probably coming home with a Top 10.
18th in Points – Chase Briscoe
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 7 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.43 | 13th of 36 | T270th of 882 |
| Best Fin. | 9th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 31st | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.86% | 21st of 36 | 298th of 882 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 45.63 | 15th of 36 | 343rd of 838‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 74.67 | 16th of 36 | T354th of 838‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 48 | T115th of 1073 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 48 | T105th of 1073 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 48 | T200th of 1073 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T15th of 48 | T268th of 1073 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T20th of 48 | T368th of 1073 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T13th of 48 | T262nd of 1073 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 2 | T12th of 36 | T187th of 882 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 36 | T390th of 882 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T11th of 48 | T66th of 385* |
| Stage T10s | 2 | T25th of 48 | T152nd of 385* |
| Stage Pts | 4 | T27th of 48 | T183rd of 385* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 18.93 | 19th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T13th of 48 | T81st of 385* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 7 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 1 and done)
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 37 drivers)
- 2 Races, Avg. Finish 15.5(T13th), 29.17% of Laps ran in Top15(23rd), Avg. Driver Rating 66.2(18th), Best 13th, Worst 18th, Laps Completed 99.78%, 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, Avg. Stage Finish 21.5
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 4th, Started 3rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 4th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 500 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 113.0 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Next Gen Martinsville Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2022, 34 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 6.75 Avg. Finish (Ranks 3rd)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 9th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 77.54% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 5th)
- 102.45 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 7.43% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 2 Top 5’s, 50.00% (% ranks T4th)
- 4 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, 62.5% (% ranks T5th)
- 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Chase Briscoe is notable because of his stats at Martinsville since the introduction of the Next Gen car
– Last week Briscoe ran just 2 laps in the Top 15 at Richmond and finished a disappointing 18th
– He’s been ice cold to start the season as he’s ran only 46% of the laps this year in the Top 15 with just 4 Stage Pts and a best race finish of 9th
– He has no streaks over 1 in a row this year
– His Martinsville streaks are a ton better as he is on a 2 race Top 5 streak, 4 race Top 10 streak, and a 4 straight Stage T10 streak
– In 2 Short track races this year he has a best finish of 13th, a 66.2 Avg. Driver Rating, 0 Stage T10’s, and he’s only ran 29% of his laps in the Top 15
– In the 2023 Fall race at Martinsville Briscoe ran every lap in the Top 15 and acquired 15 Stage Pts, but he led 0 laps and finished 4th
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish at Martinsville in the Next Gen car with 4 Top 10’s in 4 races, and he’s gotten 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage with the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.45)
Outlook for this weekend
Chase Briscoe has been the opposite of hot this year as he’s not ran particularly well or finished well for the most part. Even worse is that his Short track stats haven’t been particularly good either as he has ran less than 30% of his laps in the Top 15. However, this is Martinsville. In the 4 Next Gen races here Briscoe has been one of the best drivers as he’s not only finish good, but he’s ran well too. Briscoe is another driver with conflicting stats, but with how good his Martinsville stats are above there is reason for optimism this weekend.
– Chase Briscoe is notable because of his stats at Martinsville since the introduction of the Next Gen car
– Last week Briscoe ran just 2 laps in the Top 15 at Richmond and finished a disappointing 18th
– He’s been ice cold to start the season as he’s ran only 46% of the laps this year in the Top 15 with just 4 Stage Pts and a best race finish of 9th
– He has no streaks over 1 in a row this year
– His Martinsville streaks are a ton better as he is on a 2 race Top 5 streak, 4 race Top 10 streak, and a 4 straight Stage T10 streak
– In 2 Short track races this year he has a best finish of 13th, a 66.2 Avg. Driver Rating, 0 Stage T10’s, and he’s only ran 29% of his laps in the Top 15
– In the 2023 Fall race at Martinsville Briscoe ran every lap in the Top 15 and acquired 15 Stage Pts, but he led 0 laps and finished 4th
– He has the 3rd best Avg. Finish at Martinsville in the Next Gen car with 4 Top 10’s in 4 races, and he’s gotten 4.5 Stage Pts Per Stage with the 4th best Avg. Driver Rating (102.45)
Outlook for this weekend
Chase Briscoe has been the opposite of hot this year as he’s not ran particularly well or finished well for the most part. Even worse is that his Short track stats haven’t been particularly good either as he has ran less than 30% of his laps in the Top 15. However, this is Martinsville. In the 4 Next Gen races here Briscoe has been one of the best drivers as he’s not only finish good, but he’s ran well too. Briscoe is another driver with conflicting stats, but with how good his Martinsville stats are above there is reason for optimism this weekend.
