In the first Short track race of the Xfinity season, last week at Richmond, we saw JGR domination as their drivers led 68% of the race, won both stages with Aric Almirola, and won the race with Chandler Smith. This week we head to another Short track where we’ll see if JGR can dominate again, 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 Martinsville 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 6 races since the Playoffs started in 2016. We will also highlight notable streaks accomplished through the year and at Martinsville, 2023/24 Short track (under 1 mile) statistics and Martinsville statistics from the past 5 Xfinity seasons.
Note: any driver in 4 straight Xfinity outlook articles is not in consideration for the next two, or any driver in 4 of 5 Xfinity outlook articles is not in consideration for the next one. This resets after they are put back into consideration.
This week not in consideration: Chandler Smith (4 in a row)
This week not in consideration: Chandler Smith (4 in a row)
2nd in Points – Austin Hill
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 3.33 | T1st of 38 | T5th of 342 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 8th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 100% | T1st of 38 | T1st of 342 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 92.76% | 4th of 38 | 22nd of 342 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 107.72 | 2nd of 38 | 23rd of 342‡ |
| Wins | 2 | T1st of 62 | T4th of 543 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 62 | T30th of 543 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T1st of 62 | T3rd of 543 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | 2nd of 62 | T6th of 543 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T1st of 62 | T1st of 543 |
| Top 10’s | 6 | T1st of 62 | T1st of 543 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 342 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 342 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 62 | T27th of 475* |
| Stage T10s | 8 | T4th of 62 | T33rd of 475* |
| Stage Pts | 45 | 5th of 62 | 37th of 475* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 8.0 | 5th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 11 | 2nd of 62 | T4th of 475* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 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 in Xfinity Series all-time)
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 5 straight Top 5 finishes (longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 7 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 6 straight Top 10 finishes this year (active streak, tied longest streak in Xfinity Series this year)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes (2022.08-2022.32)
- 2 straight Stage T10’s (2022.32 s1&s2)
- 2023/24 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 67 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.4(29th), 66.86% of Laps ran in Top15(20th), Avg. Driver Rating 79.74(22nd), Best 8th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 93.57%, Led 2.45% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.9 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 21st (crash), Started 9th, Led 22 laps(8.59%), Finished 4th in Stage 1, ran 163 Laps in Top 15(63.92% of laps ran), had 76.7 Driver Rating (ranked 15th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2019, 36 drivers)
- 4 Races
- 12.5 Avg. Finish (Ranks 9th)
- Best Finish: 4th, Worst: 21st
- Completed 99.9% of laps (% ranks 13th)
- 62.32% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 13th)
- 82.58 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 13th)
- Led 2.9% of laps he’s run (% ranks 6th)
- 0 Top 3’s
- 1 Top 5, 25.0% (% ranks 10th)
- 2 Top 10’s, 50.0% (% ranks T7th)
- 2 Top 15’s, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 25.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 1 DNF, 25.0% (% ranks T22nd)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T11th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Austin Hill is notable because of his 2024 stats
– Last week at Richmond Hill ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15, but only got 4 Stage Pts and led 0 laps en route to an 8th place finish
– In the 6 races this year he has a 3.33 Avg. Finish with 5 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, and his worst 2024 Rank above is just 5th (0 Poles, 45 Stage Pts, 8.0 Avg. Stage Finish)
– He is currently on a 7 race Top 10 streak dating back to the Championship race last year, and before last week was on a 5 race Top 5 streak
– The only Martinsville streaks he has were from 2022, 2 straight Top 10 finishes and 2 straight Stage T10’s
– In the 5 Short track races since the start of 2023 he’s only ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 29th best Avg. Finish (17.4), and the same amount of DNF’s as Top 10’s (2)
– At Martinsville last Fall Hill ran just 64% of his laps in the Top 15, but he was in position to win until the RCR teammate fiasco happened causing him to finish 21st
– In 4 races here at Martinsville he has as 12.5 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s, and only 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Austin Hill has gotten off to a great start in 2024 being one of two drivers to finish all 6 races in the Top 10. However, this weekend is a Short track where he has struggled to run or finish well in the last 5 races, getting just 2 Top 10’s. Then again, this is Martinsville where he was in position to win last Fall and in his career he hasn’t ran awful. Based on the stats as a whole don’t expect Hill to be great this weekend or even compete for the win necessarily, but expect a solid day from him.
– Austin Hill is notable because of his 2024 stats
– Last week at Richmond Hill ran 88% of his laps in the Top 15, but only got 4 Stage Pts and led 0 laps en route to an 8th place finish
– In the 6 races this year he has a 3.33 Avg. Finish with 5 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, and his worst 2024 Rank above is just 5th (0 Poles, 45 Stage Pts, 8.0 Avg. Stage Finish)
– He is currently on a 7 race Top 10 streak dating back to the Championship race last year, and before last week was on a 5 race Top 5 streak
– The only Martinsville streaks he has were from 2022, 2 straight Top 10 finishes and 2 straight Stage T10’s
– In the 5 Short track races since the start of 2023 he’s only ran 67% of his laps in the Top 15, has the 29th best Avg. Finish (17.4), and the same amount of DNF’s as Top 10’s (2)
– At Martinsville last Fall Hill ran just 64% of his laps in the Top 15, but he was in position to win until the RCR teammate fiasco happened causing him to finish 21st
– In 4 races here at Martinsville he has as 12.5 Avg. Finish with 2 Top 10’s, and only 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Austin Hill has gotten off to a great start in 2024 being one of two drivers to finish all 6 races in the Top 10. However, this weekend is a Short track where he has struggled to run or finish well in the last 5 races, getting just 2 Top 10’s. Then again, this is Martinsville where he was in position to win last Fall and in his career he hasn’t ran awful. Based on the stats as a whole don’t expect Hill to be great this weekend or even compete for the win necessarily, but expect a solid day from him.
3rd in Points – Cole Custer
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 8.33 | 3rd of 38 | T27th of 342 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 16th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 99.8% | T4th of 38 | T46th of 342 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 93.96% | 2nd of 38 | 16th of 342 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 100.35 | 4th of 38 | 42nd of 342‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 62 | T43rd of 543 |
| Poles | 2 | T1st of 62 | T3rd of 543 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 62 | T24th of 543 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T5th of 62 | T40th of 543 |
| Top 5’s | 3 | T3rd of 62 | T16th of 543 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T3rd of 62 | T25th of 543 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 342 |
| DNF’s¹ | 0 | T1st of 38 | T1st of 342 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T4th of 62 | T27th of 475* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | 3rd of 62 | T18th of 475* |
| Stage Pts | 52 | 4th of 62 | T30th of 475* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 7.25 | 4th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T5th of 62 | T34th of 475* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 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 Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville and tied 2nd longest streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 2023/24 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 67 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 8.2(9th), 94.87% of Laps ran in Top15(7th), Avg. Driver Rating 112.2(3rd), Best 3rd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 9.35% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 6.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 19th, Started 3rd, Led 1 lap(0.39%), Finished 2nd in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, ran 227 Laps in Top 15(88.67% of laps ran), had 98.4 Driver Rating (ranked 7th)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2019, 36 drivers)
- 2 Races
- 11.0 Avg. Finish (Ranks 8th)
- Best Finish: 3rd, Worst: 19th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 93.87% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 3rd)
- 109.45 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 4th)
- Led 1.19% of laps he’s run (% ranks 8th)
- 1 Pole, 50.0% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 Top 3, 50.0% (% ranks T2nd)
- 1 Top 15, 50.0% (% ranks T12th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 Stage Wins
- 4 Stage T10’s, 100% (% rank T1st)
- 7.0 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks T1st)
Main Points & Outlook
– Cole Custer is notable because he’s 3rd in points
– Custer was able to lead 7 laps last week at Richmond and ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 10th place finish with good pit strategy late
– He has 2 Poles this year and the 3rd best Avg. Finish (8.33). In addition, his worst 2024 Rank above is only T5th (0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Playoff Pt)
– Coming into Richmond he was on a 3 race Top 5 streak and is currently on a 4 race Top 10 streak while also having a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– The only streaks he has here at Martinsville is the 4 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– In the last 5 Xfinity Short track races he has the 9th best Avg. Finish, 7th best Laps in Top 15%, and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating; but only 1 Top 3 finish
– At Martinsville last Fall Custer ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, but he only led 1 lap and was caught up in the last lap mayhem causing him to finish 19th
– He’s only ran in 2 Xfinity races at Martinsville in the last 5 years and has 1 Pole, an 11.0 Avg. Finish, and he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15
Outlook for this weekend
Cole Custer isn’t exactly off to a great start, but he’s off to a good start in 2024. However, even with 2 Poles he only has 1 Top 3 finish this year. The good news is that this weekend is a Short track where he has been good in the last 5 races, his only finish out of the Top 10 in those races was the last lap RCR teammate kerfuffle last Fall at Martinsville. This is what we mostly have to go off of as his only races here in the last 5 years was last year where he ran well and would have finished decent. Overall, expect Custer to be a contender for the win this weekend and probably end with a Top 10.
– Cole Custer is notable because he’s 3rd in points
– Custer was able to lead 7 laps last week at Richmond and ran 90% of his laps in the Top 15 en route to a 10th place finish with good pit strategy late
– He has 2 Poles this year and the 3rd best Avg. Finish (8.33). In addition, his worst 2024 Rank above is only T5th (0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Playoff Pt)
– Coming into Richmond he was on a 3 race Top 5 streak and is currently on a 4 race Top 10 streak while also having a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– The only streaks he has here at Martinsville is the 4 straight Stage T10 streak he is currently on
– In the last 5 Xfinity Short track races he has the 9th best Avg. Finish, 7th best Laps in Top 15%, and the 3rd best Avg. Driver Rating; but only 1 Top 3 finish
– At Martinsville last Fall Custer ran 89% of his laps in the Top 15, but he only led 1 lap and was caught up in the last lap mayhem causing him to finish 19th
– He’s only ran in 2 Xfinity races at Martinsville in the last 5 years and has 1 Pole, an 11.0 Avg. Finish, and he’s ran 94% of his laps in the Top 15
Outlook for this weekend
Cole Custer isn’t exactly off to a great start, but he’s off to a good start in 2024. However, even with 2 Poles he only has 1 Top 3 finish this year. The good news is that this weekend is a Short track where he has been good in the last 5 races, his only finish out of the Top 10 in those races was the last lap RCR teammate kerfuffle last Fall at Martinsville. This is what we mostly have to go off of as his only races here in the last 5 years was last year where he ran well and would have finished decent. Overall, expect Custer to be a contender for the win this weekend and probably end with a Top 10.
7th in Points – Justin Allgaier
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 16.5 | 14th of 38 | T125th of 342 |
| Best Fin. | 8th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 29th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.69% | 15th of 38 | 115th of 342 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 94.27% | 1st of 38 | 14th of 342 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 98.88 | 5th of 38 | 51st of 342‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 62 | T43rd of 543 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 62 | T30th of 543 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T9th of 62 | T74th of 543 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T12th of 62 | T99th of 543 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T16th of 62 | T142nd of 543 |
| Top 10’s | 2 | T11th of 62 | T94th of 543 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 2 | T12th of 38 | T120th of 342 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 38 | T134th of 342 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 62 | T59th of 475* |
| Stage T10s | 10 | T1st of 62 | T7th of 475* |
| Stage Pts | 58 | 2nd of 62 | T19th of 475* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 7.17 | 3rd of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 62 | T52nd of 475* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 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)
- 8 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 1 straight Win (active “streak”)
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville and tied 13th longest streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 3 straight Stage T10’s (2022.32 s1-2023.08 s1) (tied 7th longest streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 2023/24 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 67 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 6.4(7th), 88.43% of Laps ran in Top15(12th), Avg. Driver Rating 110.36(5th), Best 1st, Worst 13th, Laps Completed 99.92%, Led 12.8% of laps he ran, 2 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 5.3 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 1st, Started 2nd, Led 21 laps(8.2%), Finished 1st in Stage 1, ran 198 Laps in Top 15(77.34% of laps ran), had 112.1 Driver Rating (ranked 2nd)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2019, 36 drivers)
- 7 Races
- 8.14 Avg. Finish (Ranks 2nd)
- Best Finish: 1st, Worst: 29th
- Completed 99.94% of laps (% ranks 12th)
- 83.26% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 9th)
- 102.67 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 5th)
- Led 1.84% of laps he’s run (% ranks 7th)
- 1 Win, 14.29% (% ranks T3rd)
- 2 Top 2’s, 28.57% (% ranks 4th)
- 4 Top 5’s, 57.14% (% ranks 2nd)
- 6 Top 10’s, 85.71% (% ranks 1st)
- 1 finish outside Top 20, 14.29% (% ranks T7th)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 7.14% (% ranks 5th)
- 8 Stage T10’s, 57.14% (% ranks T7th)
- 4.21 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 5th)
Main Points & Outlook
– Justin Allgaier is notable because of how he ran and finished at the Martinsville race last Fall
– At Richmond Allgaier led 11% of the race and ran all but 1 of his laps in the Top 15, but he didn’t pit when other did which caused him to finish 1 lap down in 11th
– His 2024 season is off to a bit of a rocky start as he has a best finish of 8th with a 16.5 Avg. Finish, but he does have the best Laps in Top 15% and 3rd best Avg. Stage Finish in the 2024 Ranks above
– He was on an 8 straight Stage T10 streak earlier this year and is currently on a 2 straight Stage T10 streak
– In terms of Martinsville streaks he is on a 3 race Top 10 finish streak and between 2022 and 2023 was on a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– In the last 5 Xfinity Short track races he has 2 Wins with a decently good 6.4 Avg. Finish, but he also has just 3 Top 10’s
– Allgaier ran 77% of his laps in the Fall Martinsville race in the Top 15 and won Stage 1. He also led 21 laps and benefited from the wild ending to win the race
– He’s ran all 7 Xfinity Martinsville races since the start of 2019 and in them has 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, a 102.67 Avg. Driver Rating, and the 2nd best Avg. Finish (8.14) amongst active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
If it weren’t for bad luck in 2024 Justin Allgaier would have no luck as last week was another finish out of the Top 10 thanks to no caution coming in the last 67 laps of the race. The rest of the stats are good news for him as this weekend is a Short track where he ran well and picked up 2 Wins in the last 5 races. This includes last Fall at Martinsville where he was able to win, and overall his Martinsville stats above aren’t too shabby. In all Allgaier will definitely be one to reckon with this weekend and could go back-to-back in Martinsville races.
– Justin Allgaier is notable because of how he ran and finished at the Martinsville race last Fall
– At Richmond Allgaier led 11% of the race and ran all but 1 of his laps in the Top 15, but he didn’t pit when other did which caused him to finish 1 lap down in 11th
– His 2024 season is off to a bit of a rocky start as he has a best finish of 8th with a 16.5 Avg. Finish, but he does have the best Laps in Top 15% and 3rd best Avg. Stage Finish in the 2024 Ranks above
– He was on an 8 straight Stage T10 streak earlier this year and is currently on a 2 straight Stage T10 streak
– In terms of Martinsville streaks he is on a 3 race Top 10 finish streak and between 2022 and 2023 was on a 3 straight Stage T10 streak
– In the last 5 Xfinity Short track races he has 2 Wins with a decently good 6.4 Avg. Finish, but he also has just 3 Top 10’s
– Allgaier ran 77% of his laps in the Fall Martinsville race in the Top 15 and won Stage 1. He also led 21 laps and benefited from the wild ending to win the race
– He’s ran all 7 Xfinity Martinsville races since the start of 2019 and in them has 4 Top 5’s, 6 Top 10’s, a 102.67 Avg. Driver Rating, and the 2nd best Avg. Finish (8.14) amongst active drivers
Outlook for this weekend
If it weren’t for bad luck in 2024 Justin Allgaier would have no luck as last week was another finish out of the Top 10 thanks to no caution coming in the last 67 laps of the race. The rest of the stats are good news for him as this weekend is a Short track where he ran well and picked up 2 Wins in the last 5 races. This includes last Fall at Martinsville where he was able to win, and overall his Martinsville stats above aren’t too shabby. In all Allgaier will definitely be one to reckon with this weekend and could go back-to-back in Martinsville races.
9th in Points – Sammy Smith
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.83 | 11th of 38 | T109th of 342 |
| Best Fin. | 8th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 36th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.49% | T17th of 38 | T125th of 342 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 82.09% | 8th of 38 | 70th of 342 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 88.22 | 12th of 38 | 87th of 342‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 62 | T43rd of 543 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 62 | T30th of 543 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T9th of 62 | T74th of 543 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T12th of 62 | T99th of 543 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T16th of 62 | T142nd of 543 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T3rd of 62 | T25th of 543 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 2 | T12th of 38 | T120th of 342 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 38 | T134th of 342 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T8th of 62 | T59th of 475* |
| Stage T10s | 5 | T8th of 62 | T73rd of 475* |
| Stage Pts | 26 | 11th of 62 | T73rd of 475* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 12.33 | 10th of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T8th of 62 | T52nd of 475* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 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 Top 10 finishes
- 3 straight Stage T10’s
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- 1 straight Pole (active “streak”)
- 2 straight Top 3 finishes (active streak, longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville and tied 7th longest streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville and tied 10th longest streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 1 straight Stage Win (active “streak”)
- 4 straight Stage T10’s (active streak, tied longest active streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville and tied 2nd longest streak in Xfinity Series at Martinsville all-time)
- 2023/24 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 67 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 8.4(10th), 82.01% of Laps ran in Top15(15th), Avg. Driver Rating 104.46(8th), Best 2nd, Worst 19th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 14.78% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 3.4 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- Finished 3rd, Started 1st, Led 147 laps(57.42%), Finished 5th in Stage 1 and 1st in Stage 2, ran 253 Laps in Top 15(98.83% of laps ran), had 139.2 Driver Rating (ranked 1st)
- Notable Martinsville Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2019, 36 drivers)
- 3 Races
- 7.67 Avg. Finish (Ranks 1st)
- Best Finish: 2nd, Worst: 18th
- Completed 100% of laps (% ranks T1st)
- 96.65% of Laps ran in Top15 (% ranks 1st)
- 119.7 Average Driver Rating (Ranks 3rd)
- Led 19.87% of laps he’s run (% ranks 3rd)
- 0 Wins
- 1 Pole, 33.33% (% ranks 2nd)
- 1 Top 2, 33.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 2 Top 3’s, 66.67% (% ranks 1st)
- 2 Top 15’s, 66.67% (% ranks 8th)
- 0 finishes outside Top 20, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 0 DNF’s, 0.00% (% ranks T1st)
- 1 Stage Win, 16.67% (% ranks 3rd)
- 5 Stage T10’s, 83.33% (% ranks 3rd)
- 6.33 Stage Pts Per Stage (Ranks 3rd)
Main Points & Outlook
– Sammy Smith is notable because of how good his stats are here at Martinsville
– At Richmond Smith ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 and got just 1 Stage Pt before finishing 9th in the race
– He only has the 12th best Avg. Driver Rating this year and 0 Top 5’s, but he does have 4 Top 10’s and the 8th best Laps in Top 15% this year
– The only streaks he has this year are his 3 straight race Top 10’s and 3 straight Stage T10’s earlier this year
– He has many streaks at Martinsville, but notably he has a 2 race Top 3 streak here and a 4 straight Stage T10 streak here
– In the last 5 Xfinity Short track races he has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 10’s, and he’s led 15% of his laps; but he also has 0 Wins and just 1 Stage Win
– Last Fall at Martinsville Smith started on Pole, led 57% of the race, won Stage 2, and had the best Driver Rating (139.2); but he wound up 3rd at the finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran here at Martinsville he has 2 Top 3 finishes, the best active Laps in Top 15% (96.65), best Avg. Finish (7.67), and an incredible 6.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy Smith hasn’t started the 2024 season out great as he has 0 Top 5’s, but he has been good as he has 4 Top 10’s in 6 races. What’s better news is that this weekend is a Short track where he’s ran pretty well over the last year or so and has found ways to finish well too. However, the best news is that this is Martinsville where he’s been great at running in the Top 15 and leading laps in his 3 races. Overall, this weekend could be the Sammy Smith show if his track stats are any indication of how he’ll do this weekend.
– Sammy Smith is notable because of how good his stats are here at Martinsville
– At Richmond Smith ran 91% of his laps in the Top 15 and got just 1 Stage Pt before finishing 9th in the race
– He only has the 12th best Avg. Driver Rating this year and 0 Top 5’s, but he does have 4 Top 10’s and the 8th best Laps in Top 15% this year
– The only streaks he has this year are his 3 straight race Top 10’s and 3 straight Stage T10’s earlier this year
– He has many streaks at Martinsville, but notably he has a 2 race Top 3 streak here and a 4 straight Stage T10 streak here
– In the last 5 Xfinity Short track races he has 2 Top 3’s, 4 Top 10’s, and he’s led 15% of his laps; but he also has 0 Wins and just 1 Stage Win
– Last Fall at Martinsville Smith started on Pole, led 57% of the race, won Stage 2, and had the best Driver Rating (139.2); but he wound up 3rd at the finish
– In the 3 races he’s ran here at Martinsville he has 2 Top 3 finishes, the best active Laps in Top 15% (96.65), best Avg. Finish (7.67), and an incredible 6.33 Stage Pts Per Stage
Outlook for this weekend
Sammy Smith hasn’t started the 2024 season out great as he has 0 Top 5’s, but he has been good as he has 4 Top 10’s in 6 races. What’s better news is that this weekend is a Short track where he’s ran pretty well over the last year or so and has found ways to finish well too. However, the best news is that this is Martinsville where he’s been great at running in the Top 15 and leading laps in his 3 races. Overall, this weekend could be the Sammy Smith show if his track stats are any indication of how he’ll do this weekend.
19th in Points/4th in Owner Points (20 car) – Aric Almirola
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 6 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.0 | T8th of 38 | T102nd of 342 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 31st | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 92.21% | 24th of 38 | 210th of 342 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 84.43% | 7th of 38 | 57th of 342 |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 104.93 | 3rd of 38 | 29th of 342‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T5th of 62 | T43rd of 543 |
| Poles | 0 | T5th of 62 | T30th of 543 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T3rd of 62 | T8th of 543 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T5th of 62 | T40th of 543 |
| Top 5’s | 1 | T8th of 62 | T74th of 543 |
| Top 10’s | 1 | T16th of 62 | T142nd of 543 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 1 | T6th of 38 | T47th of 342 |
| DNF’s¹ | 1 | T17th of 38 | T134th of 342 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | 3rd of 62 | T11th of 475* |
| Stage T10s | 4 | T13th of 62 | T94th of 475* |
| Stage Pts | 35 | 7th of 62 | T49th of 475* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 5.83 | 2nd of 38 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 2 | 4th of 62 | T28th of 475* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2016
¹Ranks of drivers to start 45% of races thru 6 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 Wins (active streak)
- Notable Martinsville Streaks
- none (he hasn’t raced here in Xfinity Series before)
- 2023/24 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 1+ Short track start, 67 drivers)
- 1 Races, Avg. Finish 2.0(1st), 97.6% of Laps ran in Top15(3rd), Avg. Driver Rating 136.2(1st), Best 2nd, Worst 2nd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 38.0% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 2 Stage Wins, 10.0 Stage Pts Per Stage
- Martinsville Statistics
- 2023 Fall Martinsville Race
- did not race
- Notable Martinsville Statistics over last 5 years (Ranks are of drivers with 1+ start this year and 1+ start at Martinsville since 2019, 36 drivers)
- 0 Races
Main Points & Outlook
– Aric Almirola is notable because of his stats on Short tracks since the start of 2023
– At Richmond last week Almirola spent 98% of his laps in the Top 15, winning Stage 1 and 2, and acquiring the best Driver Rating; but he finished 2nd in the race
– Even though he’s only ran 3 races this year he’s tied for the 3rd most Top 2’s, has the 3rd most Stage Wins, and has the 7th most Stage Pts
– The only streaks he has this year are his 2 Stage Wins/T10’s from last weeks race
– He hasn’t ran an Xfinity race at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series, so he has no streaks here
– Last week was the only Short track race he’s ran in the Xfinity Series since the start of 2023, so his stats are pretty good
– Almirola did not race in the 2023 Xfinity Series at Martinsville
– He has not raced at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series since the start of 2019
Outlook for this weekend
Aric Almirola has run well in his part time Xfinity season, but last week he finally got the results he deserved, although he would have preferred a win. However, it was good enough to get him in this article as his Short track stats are very good. Then again, he’s never ran an Xfinity race here at Martinsville, but with as well as he did in the Cup Series here last year I believe Almirola will once again be up front and battling for the win this weekend.
– Aric Almirola is notable because of his stats on Short tracks since the start of 2023
– At Richmond last week Almirola spent 98% of his laps in the Top 15, winning Stage 1 and 2, and acquiring the best Driver Rating; but he finished 2nd in the race
– Even though he’s only ran 3 races this year he’s tied for the 3rd most Top 2’s, has the 3rd most Stage Wins, and has the 7th most Stage Pts
– The only streaks he has this year are his 2 Stage Wins/T10’s from last weeks race
– He hasn’t ran an Xfinity race at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series, so he has no streaks here
– Last week was the only Short track race he’s ran in the Xfinity Series since the start of 2023, so his stats are pretty good
– Almirola did not race in the 2023 Xfinity Series at Martinsville
– He has not raced at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series since the start of 2019
Outlook for this weekend
Aric Almirola has run well in his part time Xfinity season, but last week he finally got the results he deserved, although he would have preferred a win. However, it was good enough to get him in this article as his Short track stats are very good. Then again, he’s never ran an Xfinity race here at Martinsville, but with as well as he did in the Cup Series here last year I believe Almirola will once again be up front and battling for the win this weekend.
