In a special race for Hendrick Motorsports last week at Martinsville we saw the team lead 57% of the race and finish 1-2-3 with William Byron beating Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott to the checkered flag. This week we go to another good track for Byron as he won here last Fall, Texas. I have picked 5 notable drivers to look at, 1 based on 2024 season stats, 1 based on Intermediate stats, 1 based on the last Texas race, 1 based on their Next Gen Texas 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 8 races since the Playoffs started in 2004. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year and at Texas, 2023/24 Intermediate (1.3-1.5 mile) statistics and Texas 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: Martin Truex Jr. (4 in a row, 2nd week)
This week not in consideration: Martin Truex Jr. (4 in a row, 2nd week)
1st in Points – Kyle Larson
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 10.63 | 3rd of 35 | T75th of 851 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 32nd | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.44% | 22nd of 35 | 307th of 851 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.38 | 3rd of 35 | 60th of 810‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 103.34 | 3rd of 35 | 63rd of 810‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T3rd of 49 | T38th of 1088 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 49 | T6th of 1088 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T2nd of 49 | T29th of 1088 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T1st of 49 | T24th of 1088 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T1st of 49 | T29th of 1088 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T7th of 49 | T121st of 1088 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T4th of 35 | T44th of 851 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T15th of 35 | T338th of 851 |
| Stage Wins | 4 | 1st of 49 | T3rd of 390* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | 2nd of 49 | T21st of 390* |
| Stage Pts | 92 | 1st of 49 | T7th of 390* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 6.25 | 1st of 35 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 9 | 3rd of 49 | T16th of 390* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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 Poles (active streak, longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series and tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year and tied 14th longest streak in Cup Series all-time)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Texas Streaks
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (2014.07-2014.34 & 2021.33-2022.30)
- 1 straight Stage Win (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (2021.33 s2-2022.30 s1) (tied longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 1 straight Stage T10 (active “streak”)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s (2017.07 s1-2018.07 s1) (tied 6th longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 2023/24 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 49 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 11.91(5th), 92.3% of Laps ran in Top15(1st), Avg. Driver Rating 116.78(1st), Best 1st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 97.06%, Led 26.77% of laps he ran, 3 Wins, 0 Poles, 5 Top 3’s, 7 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 7 Stage Wins, 5.83 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2023 Texas Race
- Finished 31st (crash), Started 11th, Led 99 laps(37.08%), Finished 1st in Stage 2, ran 241 Laps in Top 15(97.18% of laps ran), had 114.8 Driver Rating (ranked 3rd)
- Notable Next Gen Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas since 2022, 35 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 20.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T19th)
- Best Finish: 9th, Worst: 31st
- Completed 96.84% of laps (% ranks 25th)
- 85.91% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 108.05 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 1st)
- Led 20.27% of laps he’s run (% ranks 1st)
- 0 Top 5’s
- 1 Top 10, 50.0% (% ranks T5th)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T22nd)
- 2 Stage Wins, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T8th)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his stats on Intermediate tracks since the start of last year
– Last week at Martinsville Larson was able to lead the first 86 laps and win Stage 1, but then he never led again even though he ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15 and finished 2nd
– He’s ran well in 2024 having the 3rd best Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating with the best Avg. Stage Finish (6.25), but he has only 4 Top 10’s with a 10.63 Avg. Finish
– He is currently on a 2 race Pole streak, 2 race Top 3 streak, and a 4 straight Stage T10 streak
– His Texas streaks aren’t as impressive as his longest Top 10 streak here is just 2 races, but he did have a 5 straight Stage T10 streak from 2017-2018
– In the last 11 Intermediate races he has the best Laps in Top 15% (92.3) and Avg. Driver Rating (116.78) with 3 Wins, but also 3 DNF’s
– Last year at Texas Larson led 37% of the laps and ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, but an unfortunate incident late caused him to DNF in 31st place
– In the 2 Next Gen races at Texas he has the best Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% of any active driver, and he has 2 Stage Wins; but he has a best finish of just 9th
Outlook for this weekend
Kyle Larson has been on a hot streak of late finishing 2 straight races in the Top 3, and on the year he’s done great in stages but has mostly been Top 5 or bust in race finishes. The same can be said about Intermediates as he has 7 Top 5’s with 7 Stage Wins in the last 11 races, but also 3 DNF’s. Again, the same can be said for Larson at Texas with the Next Gen car as he’s ran extremely well, but hasn’t found a way to finish that well. The stats are pretty clear about how Larson will fare this weekend, he’ll run well but will either finish Top 5 or out of the Top 15.
– Kyle Larson is notable because of his stats on Intermediate tracks since the start of last year
– Last week at Martinsville Larson was able to lead the first 86 laps and win Stage 1, but then he never led again even though he ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15 and finished 2nd
– He’s ran well in 2024 having the 3rd best Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating with the best Avg. Stage Finish (6.25), but he has only 4 Top 10’s with a 10.63 Avg. Finish
– He is currently on a 2 race Pole streak, 2 race Top 3 streak, and a 4 straight Stage T10 streak
– His Texas streaks aren’t as impressive as his longest Top 10 streak here is just 2 races, but he did have a 5 straight Stage T10 streak from 2017-2018
– In the last 11 Intermediate races he has the best Laps in Top 15% (92.3) and Avg. Driver Rating (116.78) with 3 Wins, but also 3 DNF’s
– Last year at Texas Larson led 37% of the laps and ran 97% of his laps in the Top 15, but an unfortunate incident late caused him to DNF in 31st place
– In the 2 Next Gen races at Texas he has the best Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% of any active driver, and he has 2 Stage Wins; but he has a best finish of just 9th
Outlook for this weekend
Kyle Larson has been on a hot streak of late finishing 2 straight races in the Top 3, and on the year he’s done great in stages but has mostly been Top 5 or bust in race finishes. The same can be said about Intermediates as he has 7 Top 5’s with 7 Stage Wins in the last 11 races, but also 3 DNF’s. Again, the same can be said for Larson at Texas with the Next Gen car as he’s ran extremely well, but hasn’t found a way to finish that well. The stats are pretty clear about how Larson will fare this weekend, he’ll run well but will either finish Top 5 or out of the Top 15.
3rd in Points – Denny Hamlin
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.0 | 4th of 35 | T78th of 851 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 23rd | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.96% | T1st of 35 | T32nd of 851 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 87.61 | 1st of 35 | 25th of 810‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 106.34 | 1st of 35 | T36th of 810‡ |
| Wins | 2 | 2nd of 49 | T7th of 1088 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 49 | T24th of 1088 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T2nd of 49 | T29th of 1088 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T4th of 49 | T61st of 1088 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T8th of 49 | T135th of 1088 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T11th of 49 | 203rd of 1088 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T4th of 35 | T44th of 851 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 851 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T2nd of 49 | T17th of 390* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | T3rd of 49 | T38th of 390* |
| Stage Pts | 68 | 3rd of 49 | T29th of 390* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 8.75 | 3rd of 35 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 12 | 2nd of 49 | T4th of 390* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Texas Streaks
- 2 straight Wins (2010.08-2010.34) (tied 2nd longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 3 straight Top 2 finishes (2009.34-2010.34) (tied longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (2009.34-2010.34) (tied longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 1 straight Top 5 finish (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (2005.34-2007.07) (tied 14th longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (2021.33 s1-2022.30 s1)
- 2023/24 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 49 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 12.91(9th), 90.06% of Laps ran in Top15(2nd), Avg. Driver Rating 106.29(3rd), Best 1st, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 92.37%, Led 15.52% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 8 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 4 Stage Wins, 5.26 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2023 Texas Race
- Finished 5th, Started 10th, Led 0 laps, Finished 9th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2, ran 265 Laps in Top 15(99.25% of laps ran), had 115.7 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Next Gen Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas since 2022, 35 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 7.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks T2nd)
- Best Finish: 5th, Worst: 10th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 83.36% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 104.35 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 0.33% of laps he’s run (% ranks T19th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 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 T1st)
- 4.75 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 4th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 8 races
– At Martinsville last week Hamlin got 14 Stage Pts including a Stage 2 win, but a questionable call to pit on the last caution cost him a Top 10 as he finished 11th
– He has the best Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating this year, plus 2 Wins. However, he only has 3 Top 10’s
– He doesn’t have much for streaks this year, but he is on a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– He has many streaks at Texas including a 2 race Win streak and 4 race Top 10 streak in the later 2000’s, and he he is currently on a 2 race Top 10 streak
– Since the start of 2023 he’s ran 90% of his Intermediate laps in the Top 15 and has 3 Top 3’s in 11 races, but he has just 6 Top 10’s and a 12.91 Avg. Finish
– Hamlin ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 and had the 2nd best Driver Rating (115.7) at Texas last year, but he led 0 laps and finished 5th in the race
– In the 2 Next Gen Texas races he has finishes of 10th and 5th with a 104.35 Avg. Driver Rating and 3 Stage T10’s, but he’s only led 0.33% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Denny Hamlin has done very well this year in running good and finishing up front, but he’s struggled to finish well if he’s not winning. The same can be said about his last 11 Intermediate races as he’s ran very well, but half of his 6 Top 10’s have been Top 3’s. However, this is Texas where he’s gotten 2 Top 10’s in the 2 Next Gen races with good runs in both also. In all the stats say to look for a good run again from Hamlin this week, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t finish as well as he runs.
– Denny Hamlin is notable because of his 2024 stats thru 8 races
– At Martinsville last week Hamlin got 14 Stage Pts including a Stage 2 win, but a questionable call to pit on the last caution cost him a Top 10 as he finished 11th
– He has the best Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating this year, plus 2 Wins. However, he only has 3 Top 10’s
– He doesn’t have much for streaks this year, but he is on a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– He has many streaks at Texas including a 2 race Win streak and 4 race Top 10 streak in the later 2000’s, and he he is currently on a 2 race Top 10 streak
– Since the start of 2023 he’s ran 90% of his Intermediate laps in the Top 15 and has 3 Top 3’s in 11 races, but he has just 6 Top 10’s and a 12.91 Avg. Finish
– Hamlin ran all but 2 laps in the Top 15 and had the 2nd best Driver Rating (115.7) at Texas last year, but he led 0 laps and finished 5th in the race
– In the 2 Next Gen Texas races he has finishes of 10th and 5th with a 104.35 Avg. Driver Rating and 3 Stage T10’s, but he’s only led 0.33% of his laps
Outlook for this weekend
Denny Hamlin has done very well this year in running good and finishing up front, but he’s struggled to finish well if he’s not winning. The same can be said about his last 11 Intermediate races as he’s ran very well, but half of his 6 Top 10’s have been Top 3’s. However, this is Texas where he’s gotten 2 Top 10’s in the 2 Next Gen races with good runs in both also. In all the stats say to look for a good run again from Hamlin this week, but don’t be surprised if he doesn’t finish as well as he runs.
4th in Points – William Byron
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.25 | 6th of 35 | T87th of 851 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 35th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.67% | T9th of 35 | T140th of 851 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 56.9 | 11th of 35 | 255th of 810‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.36 | 4th of 35 | 149th of 810‡ |
| Wins | 3 | 1st of 49 | T1st of 1088 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 49 | T24th of 1088 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | 1st of 49 | T9th of 1088 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T1st of 49 | T24th of 1088 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 49 | T67th of 1088 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T1st of 49 | T54th of 1088 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T4th of 35 | T44th of 851 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 851 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T11th of 49 | T68th of 390* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | T3rd of 49 | T38th of 390* |
| Stage Pts | 40 | 8th of 49 | 71st of 390* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 14.19 | 9th of 35 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 15 | 1st of 49 | T2nd of 390* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Cup Series)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Texas Streaks
- 1 straight Win (active “streak”)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s (2021.33 s1-2023.30 s1) (tied 6th longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 2023/24 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 49 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 4.91(1st), 79.88% of Laps ran in Top15(5th), Avg. Driver Rating 109.58(2nd), Best 1st, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.38% of laps he ran, 3 Wins, 1 Pole, 5 Top 3’s, 7 Top 5’s, 10 Top 10’s, 11 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 3 Stage Wins, 4.61 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2023 Texas Race
- Finished 1st, Started 18th, Led 6 laps(2.25%), Finished 4th in Stage 1, ran 143 Laps in Top 15(53.56% of laps ran), had 97.9 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Next Gen Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas since 2022, 35 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 4.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 7th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 76.37% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 8th)
- 107.45 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 2nd)
- Led 7.99% of laps he’s run (% ranks 5th)
- 1 Win, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 2 Top 10’s, 100% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 3 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 5.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T2nd)
Main Points & Outlook
– William Byron is notable because of his stats at Texas since the introduction of the Next Gen car
– Last week Byron finished 8th in both stages, but he ended up leading the most laps in the race and running 96% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to the win
– He may have the most Wins, Top 2’s, and Top 3’s this year; but he has just the 6th best Avg. Finish with only the 9th best Avg. Stage Finish and 4th best Avg. Driver Rating
– The only streaks he has are his active 3 race Top 10 finish streak and 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– At Texas he is on a 3 race Top 10 finish streak and before the last stage competed here he was on a 5 straight Stage T10 streak
– He’s finished 10 of the last 11 Intermediate races in the Top 10 with half of those finishes being Top 3’s. He also has 3 Wins, and the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (109.58)
–Last year at Texas Byron only ran 54% of his laps in the Top 15, but he was there when it mattered as he ended up leading the final 6 laps and winning the race
– He’s raced in both Next Gen races here at Texas with finishes of 7th and 1st, a 107.45 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s led 8% of the laps he’s run; but he has 0 Stage Wins
Outlook for this weekend
William Byron has been the best driver this year in terms of wins as he picked up his 3rd win last week at Martinsville, but he’s not been near the best in races. The good news for Byron (and bad for everyone else) is that this weekend is an Intermediate track where he’s only finished 1 of the last 11 races out of the Top 10. Even better is that this week is Texas where Byron won last year, but he didn’t exactly have a good race overall as he ran poorly. However, overall he’s ran well here in the Next Gen car. Based on the stats expect a good finish from Byron this weekend, even if he does have a bad race overall.
– William Byron is notable because of his stats at Texas since the introduction of the Next Gen car
– Last week Byron finished 8th in both stages, but he ended up leading the most laps in the race and running 96% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to the win
– He may have the most Wins, Top 2’s, and Top 3’s this year; but he has just the 6th best Avg. Finish with only the 9th best Avg. Stage Finish and 4th best Avg. Driver Rating
– The only streaks he has are his active 3 race Top 10 finish streak and 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– At Texas he is on a 3 race Top 10 finish streak and before the last stage competed here he was on a 5 straight Stage T10 streak
– He’s finished 10 of the last 11 Intermediate races in the Top 10 with half of those finishes being Top 3’s. He also has 3 Wins, and the 2nd best Avg. Driver Rating (109.58)
–Last year at Texas Byron only ran 54% of his laps in the Top 15, but he was there when it mattered as he ended up leading the final 6 laps and winning the race
– He’s raced in both Next Gen races here at Texas with finishes of 7th and 1st, a 107.45 Avg. Driver Rating, and he’s led 8% of the laps he’s run; but he has 0 Stage Wins
Outlook for this weekend
William Byron has been the best driver this year in terms of wins as he picked up his 3rd win last week at Martinsville, but he’s not been near the best in races. The good news for Byron (and bad for everyone else) is that this weekend is an Intermediate track where he’s only finished 1 of the last 11 races out of the Top 10. Even better is that this week is Texas where Byron won last year, but he didn’t exactly have a good race overall as he ran poorly. However, overall he’s ran well here in the Next Gen car. Based on the stats expect a good finish from Byron this weekend, even if he does have a bad race overall.
5th in Points – Ryan Blaney
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 11.5 | T7th of 35 | T95th of 851 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 30th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.59% | 11th of 35 | T154th of 851 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 65.87 | 5th of 35 | 186th of 810‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 92.19 | 5th of 35 | 152nd of 810‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 49 | T126th of 1088 |
| Poles | 1 | T3rd of 49 | T24th of 1088 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T5th of 49 | T88th of 1088 |
| Top 3’s | 2 | T4th of 49 | T61st of 1088 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T1st of 49 | T29th of 1088 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T7th of 49 | T121st of 1088 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T4th of 35 | T44th of 851 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T15th of 35 | T338th of 851 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T5th of 49 | T39th of 390* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T5th of 49 | T58th of 390* |
| Stage Pts | 57 | 4th of 49 | T45th of 390* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 12.75 | 5th of 35 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T7th of 49 | T64th of 390* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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 (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes (longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Texas Streaks
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (2018.07-2018.34) (tied 13th longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 5 straight Top 10 finishes (2019.34-2022.30) (tied 8th longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 2 straight Stage Wins (2017.07 s1&s2 and 2020.18 s1&s2) (tied longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, longest active streak in Cup Series at Texas)
- 6 straight Stage T10 (2020.18 s1-2021.33 s2) (tied 2nd longest streak in Cup Series at Texas all-time)
- 2023/24 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 49 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 12.27(7th), 87.34% of Laps ran in Top15(3rd), Avg. Driver Rating 94.92(5th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 94.96%, Led 7.16% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, 8 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 4.09 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2023 Texas Race
- Finished 28th (crash), Started 23rd, Led 0 laps, Finished 7th in Stage 1 and 4th in Stage 2, ran 142 Laps in Top 15(55.04% of laps ran), had 68.5 Driver Rating (ranked 18th)
- Notable Next Gen Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas since 2022, 35 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 16.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks T12th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 28th
- Completed 98.5% of laps (% ranks 23rd)
- 70.1% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 86.6 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 11th)
- Led 4.9% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 1 DNF, 50.0% (% ranks T22nd)
- 1 Stage Win, 25.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 3 Stage T10’s, 75.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 5.25 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Ryan Blaney is notable because he’s 5th in points thru 8 races
– Blaney had a somewhat uncharacteristic Martinsville last week as he got 0 Stage Pts and ran just 72% of his laps in the Top 15, but he found a way to finish 5th
– He has an 11.5 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 5’s in 2024, but also just 4 Top 10’s thru 8 races. He also has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating and 5th best Laps in Top 15%
– The only streaks he has this year are a 2 race Top 3 streak, 3 race Top 5 streak, and a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– Before last year’s Texas race he was on a 5 race Top 10 streak here at Texas and is currently on a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– The last 11 Intermediate races have seen him get just 3 Top 5’s to 2 DNF’s, but he does have 1 Win and the 3rd best Laps in Top 15%
– Last year at Texas Blaney didn’t have too great of a race as he ran just 55% of his laps in the Top 15 and got involved in a late crash to finish 28th
– He’s finished 4th and 28th in the 2 Next Gen Texas races while only running 70% of his laps in the Top 15, but he does have the best Stage Pts Per Stage (5.25)
Outlook for this weekend
Ryan Blaney has had an average start to the defense of his 2023 Championship, but he was also pretty average last year until he needed to step up late in the playoffs. Some good news for him is that this weekend is an Intermediate track where he’s ran well and had a few decent finishes, but not a great amount in the last 11 races. In fact last year at Texas was one of the not great races, and overall his Next Gen stats here aren’t exhilarating. In all, this weekend is a bit of a conundrum based on the stats as Blaney could do well or poor, so we’ll see.
– Ryan Blaney is notable because he’s 5th in points thru 8 races
– Blaney had a somewhat uncharacteristic Martinsville last week as he got 0 Stage Pts and ran just 72% of his laps in the Top 15, but he found a way to finish 5th
– He has an 11.5 Avg. Finish with 4 Top 5’s in 2024, but also just 4 Top 10’s thru 8 races. He also has the 5th best Avg. Driver Rating and 5th best Laps in Top 15%
– The only streaks he has this year are a 2 race Top 3 streak, 3 race Top 5 streak, and a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– Before last year’s Texas race he was on a 5 race Top 10 streak here at Texas and is currently on a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– The last 11 Intermediate races have seen him get just 3 Top 5’s to 2 DNF’s, but he does have 1 Win and the 3rd best Laps in Top 15%
– Last year at Texas Blaney didn’t have too great of a race as he ran just 55% of his laps in the Top 15 and got involved in a late crash to finish 28th
– He’s finished 4th and 28th in the 2 Next Gen Texas races while only running 70% of his laps in the Top 15, but he does have the best Stage Pts Per Stage (5.25)
Outlook for this weekend
Ryan Blaney has had an average start to the defense of his 2023 Championship, but he was also pretty average last year until he needed to step up late in the playoffs. Some good news for him is that this weekend is an Intermediate track where he’s ran well and had a few decent finishes, but not a great amount in the last 11 races. In fact last year at Texas was one of the not great races, and overall his Next Gen stats here aren’t exhilarating. In all, this weekend is a bit of a conundrum based on the stats as Blaney could do well or poor, so we’ll see.
12th in Points – Bubba Wallace
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 8 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.25 | 11th of 35 | T215th of 851 |
| Best Fin. | 4th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 35th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.3% | T16th of 35 | T215th of 851 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 58.71 | 10th of 35 | 240th of 810‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 79.39 | 12th of 35 | 297th of 810‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T6th of 49 | T126th of 1088 |
| Poles | 0 | T7th of 49 | T117th of 1088 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T12th of 49 | T210th of 1088 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T16th of 49 | T280th of 1088 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 49 | T67th of 1088 |
| Top 10’s | 3 | T11th of 49 | T203rd of 1088 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 2 | T11th of 35 | T145th of 851 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 35 | T1st of 851 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T11th of 49 | T68th of 390* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T5th of 49 | T58th of 390* |
| Stage Pts | 42 | 7th of 49 | T65th of 390* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 15.13 | 12th of 35 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T13th of 49 | T84th of 390* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 8 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
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (active streak)
- Notable Texas Streaks
- 1 straight Pole (active “streak”)
- 1 straight Top 3 finish (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Stage T10 (active streak)
- 2023/24 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate start, 49 drivers)
- 11 Races, Avg. Finish 11.64(3rd), 65.8% of Laps ran in Top15(13th), Avg. Driver Rating 90.7(9th), Best 3rd, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 99.47%, Led 4.19% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 5 Top 5’s, 7 Top 10’s, 9 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.7 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Texas Statistics
- 2023 Texas Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 1st, Led 111 laps(41.57%), Finished 10th in Stage 1 and 9th in Stage 2, ran 267 Laps in Top 15(100% of laps ran), had 128.8 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Next Gen Texas Statistics (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Texas since 2022, 35 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 14.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 11th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 25th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 57.24% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 15th)
- 89.8 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 9th)
- Led 18.47% of laps he’s run (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Pole, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Top 2’s
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T9th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 2 Stage T10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T8th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Bubba Wallace is notable because of his incredible race last year at Texas
– Wallace was one of the better drivers last week at Martinsville as he got 18 Stage Pts and ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15 en route to a 4th place finish
– He doesn’t have great stats this year as his best ones are his 3 Top 5’s and 8 Stage T10’s in the 2024 stats above, but he hasn’t been bad as most of his 2024 Ranks above are T12th or better
– The only streaks he has this year are his 2 race Top 5 streak earlier this year and his 4 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– The only real streak he has at Texas is his 2 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– In the last 11 Intermediate races he has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (11.64) with 5 Top 5’s and 7 Top 10’s, but he has just 1.7 Stage Pts Per Stage and 0 race Wins
– At Texas last year Wallace was great having the best Driver Rating, running all 267 laps in the Top 15, and leading 42% of the race; but he finished 3rd
– He’s finished 25th and 3rd in the 2 Next Gen races at Texas while running only 57.24% of his laps in the Top 15, but he has led 18% of his laps here
Outlook for this weekend
Bubba Wallace has had some high moments in 2024, but as he has 3 Top 10’s this year he also has 2 finishes out of the Top 20 with 0 DNF’s. However, there is good news on the horizon in that this week is an Intermediate track. In the last 11 races on this track style he’s ran well and has had some good finishes. Nevertheless the best news is that this weekend is Texas where he dominated last year, but couldn’t pick up the W and didn’t do great in the other Next Gen race here. Based on all of this don’t be surprised if Wallace has a great race this weekend and gets another Top 10, or better.
– Bubba Wallace is notable because of his incredible race last year at Texas
– Wallace was one of the better drivers last week at Martinsville as he got 18 Stage Pts and ran all but 3 laps in the Top 15 en route to a 4th place finish
– He doesn’t have great stats this year as his best ones are his 3 Top 5’s and 8 Stage T10’s in the 2024 stats above, but he hasn’t been bad as most of his 2024 Ranks above are T12th or better
– The only streaks he has this year are his 2 race Top 5 streak earlier this year and his 4 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– The only real streak he has at Texas is his 2 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– In the last 11 Intermediate races he has the 3rd best Avg. Finish (11.64) with 5 Top 5’s and 7 Top 10’s, but he has just 1.7 Stage Pts Per Stage and 0 race Wins
– At Texas last year Wallace was great having the best Driver Rating, running all 267 laps in the Top 15, and leading 42% of the race; but he finished 3rd
– He’s finished 25th and 3rd in the 2 Next Gen races at Texas while running only 57.24% of his laps in the Top 15, but he has led 18% of his laps here
Outlook for this weekend
Bubba Wallace has had some high moments in 2024, but as he has 3 Top 10’s this year he also has 2 finishes out of the Top 20 with 0 DNF’s. However, there is good news on the horizon in that this week is an Intermediate track. In the last 11 races on this track style he’s ran well and has had some good finishes. Nevertheless the best news is that this weekend is Texas where he dominated last year, but couldn’t pick up the W and didn’t do great in the other Next Gen race here. Based on all of this don’t be surprised if Wallace has a great race this weekend and gets another Top 10, or better.
