Welcome, in this article series we will be reviewing and rating how each driver in the NASCAR Cup series has done in the 2024 season (min. 15 races started). Each part will contain 3-4 drivers and have them grouped by organization/satellite team or car manufacturer teammate as best as possible. The review will include the drivers 2024 season statistics, along with ranks among drivers in 2024 with season ranking since the Chase started in 2004. We will also highlight playoff stats, notable streaks accomplished through the year, 2024 Short track (under 1 mile), Small track (1-1.3 mile), Intermediate (1.3-1.5 mile), Big track (2-2.5 mile), Road Course (left and right turns), and Superspeedway (drafting tracks) statistics. I will grade each section and give a brief reason why, then give a short overview, all ending with an overall grade A+ thru F- based on a weighted formula from the grades above. To sum up each team, at the end of their last driver I will give an overall team grade based on the grades for each driver. All grades may take into account underfunded/well-funded cars and driver experience.
The next teams are a couple of Ford teams that didn’t quite have the seasons they had wanted, RFK Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
RFK Racing Drivers
Brad Keselowski – 13th in Driver points/13th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 15.61 | 12th of 36 | 262nd of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 36th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.42% | 12th of 36 | T217th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 53.17 | 14th of 36 | 294th of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 79.01 | 14th of 36 | 314th of 817‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 62 | T163rd of 1492 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 62 | T297th of 1492 |
| Top 2’s | 5 | T7th of 62 | T93rd of 1492 |
| Top 3’s | 7 | T6th of 62 | T113th of 1492 |
| Top 5’s | 9 | 8th of 62 | T166th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T10th of 62 | T242nd of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 13 | T13th of 36 | T356th of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T7th of 36 | T232nd of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T14th of 62 | T103rd of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 31 | T10th of 62 | T91st of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 164 | 10th of 62 | 82nd of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 15.25 | 14th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 6 | T12th of 62 | T92nd of 514* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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
2024 stats Grade: B
His stage stats weren’t the best and cost him a B+ grade, but what got him the B grade was his 5 Top 2 finishes, 7 Top 3 finishes, and 1 Win with a tier 2 team.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 19.5(20th), 39.71% of Laps ran in Top15(17th), Avg. Driver Rating 70.52(17th), Best 2nd, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 93.48%, Led 7.09% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 5 Stage T10’s, 1.25 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.0, 1 Playoff Pt earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: C-
His Playoff stats tell why he finished 13th in points as he didn’t run many laps in the Top 15, didn’t have a good Avg. Finish, and had just 2 Top 10’s while also finishing half of the races out of the Top 20.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 3 finishes (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year)
- 5 straight Stage T10’s
- 2 straight DNF’s
2024 Streaks Grade: B
Having a 3 straight Top 3 finish streak is really good, but unfortunately that was his longest Top 10 streak as well. So, add in his other streaks above and he gets a B.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 13.71(12th), 54.55% of Laps ran in Top15(14th), Avg. Driver Rating 79.1(13th), Best 3rd, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 99.87%, Led 5.72% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 4 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 2.29 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 14.64
2024 Short track Grade: B-
He was able to finish over half the Short track races in the Top 10, but he barely ran over half his laps in the Top 15 and his Avg. Finish and Avg. Driver Rating weren’t quite worthy of better than a B-.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(T13th), 43.49% of Laps ran in Top15(18th), Avg. Driver Rating 77.96(14th), Best 3rd, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 98.92%, Led 1.1% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.8 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.0
2024 Small track Grade: C
He didn’t run more than half his laps in the Top 15 and he didn’t finish more than half his races in the Top 10, but the 2 he did were Top 5’s. However, his Avg. Stage Finish is what took him from C+ to C.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 14.3(11th), 61.17% of Laps ran in Top15(13th), Avg. Driver Rating 81.98(12th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 93.72%, Led 1.91% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 3 Top 3’s, 3 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.1 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 12.57
2024 Intermediate Grade: B
He ran pretty darn good on Intermediates this year and had a decent Avg. Finish with a Win. However, he only had 3 Top 10’s which is not ideal even with them being all Top 3’s. So, he gets a B.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 11.0(4th), 67.54% of Laps ran in Top15(9th), Avg. Driver Rating 94.97(6th), Best 5th, Worst 21st, Laps Completed 100%, Led 10.69% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.33 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 13.5
2024 Big track Grade: B+
With another Top 15 and a better Avg. Stage Finish he probably gets an A-, but he didn’t run all that bad on these tracks and his Avg. Finish is what helped him get a B+.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 22.6(27th), 41.42% of Laps ran in Top15(T22nd), Avg. Driver Rating 64.28(25th), Best 13th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 100%, 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, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 16.4
2024 Road Course Grade: D-
Road Courses are not his forte and it shows with these stats as he got just 1 Top 15 in 5 races while also getting a not so good Avg. Driver Rating and Avg. Finish.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 16.17(9th), 53.36% of Laps ran in Top15(11th), Avg. Driver Rating 79.15(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 95.99%, Led 1.39% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.58 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 16.58
2024 Superspeedway Grade: B
His Avg. Finish, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating all rank 11th or better, then he also got 2 Top 3’s. However, he also had 0 Wins and just 3 Top 10’s which is why he ends up with a B.
Overview
– Thanks to Tyler Reddick messing up himself and Chris Buescher at Darlington, Keselowski was able to make the playoffs and finish 13th in points
– Keselowski was able to finish great quite a bit, however he also almost finished outside the Top 20 more times than in the Top 10
– The Playoffs were a struggle for him to run or finish well, but he did have 1 great finish
– He was able to be tied for the longest Top 3 streak this year at 3 races
– He didn’t have great runs or finishes at Short tracks, but he did run decent and finish Top 10 more times than not
– On Small tracks he was able to finish great a few times, but his runs weren’t great overall
– Keselowski was able to run well on Intermediates and finish great a few times, however those great finishes were his only Top 10’s
– In 2 of the 3 Big track races Keselowski was able to run and finish really good, but his other was a finish out of the Top 20
– He’s not known for being good on Road Courses and his stats showed that this year
– More of the same happened for him at Superspeedways as he was most boom or bust in the finishes
– Thanks to Tyler Reddick messing up himself and Chris Buescher at Darlington, Keselowski was able to make the playoffs and finish 13th in points
– Keselowski was able to finish great quite a bit, however he also almost finished outside the Top 20 more times than in the Top 10
– The Playoffs were a struggle for him to run or finish well, but he did have 1 great finish
– He was able to be tied for the longest Top 3 streak this year at 3 races
– He didn’t have great runs or finishes at Short tracks, but he did run decent and finish Top 10 more times than not
– On Small tracks he was able to finish great a few times, but his runs weren’t great overall
– Keselowski was able to run well on Intermediates and finish great a few times, however those great finishes were his only Top 10’s
– In 2 of the 3 Big track races Keselowski was able to run and finish really good, but his other was a finish out of the Top 20
– He’s not known for being good on Road Courses and his stats showed that this year
– More of the same happened for him at Superspeedways as he was most boom or bust in the finishes
Final Grade: B-
Chris Buescher – 17th in Driver points/17th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.31 | 7th of 36 | 183rd of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 37th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.82% | 17th of 36 | T273rd of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 48.64 | 15th of 36 | 323rd of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 80.41 | 13th of 36 | 302nd of 817‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 62 | T163rd of 1492 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 62 | T297th of 1492 |
| Top 2’s | 3 | T9th of 62 | T159th of 1492 |
| Top 3’s | 4 | 11th of 62 | T200th of 1492 |
| Top 5’s | 6 | T12th of 62 | T247th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 15 | 9th of 62 | T219th of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 7 | 2nd of 36 | T83rd of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T1st of 36 | T98th of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 3 | T8th of 62 | T67th of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 22 | 15th of 62 | T121st of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 107 | 15th of 62 | 120th of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 16.9 | 15th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 8 | 9th of 62 | T72nd of 514* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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
2024 stats Grade: B-
What helped his grade were his Top 2 and Top 3 finishes along with his Avg. Finish and finishes out of the Top 20, but what hurt it were his Avg. Stage Finish and Laps in Top 15%.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.0(10th), 38.77% of Laps ran in Top15(19th), Avg. Driver Rating 76.06(13th), Best 1st, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 97.66%, Led 1.14% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 4 Stage T10’s, 1.3 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.5, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: C
He picked up his 1 Win in the Playoffs, but he had a poor Laps in Top 15% with only 3 Top 10’s and an 18.5 Avg. Stage Finish. So, that’s why he got a C grade.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 4 straight Stage T10’s
2024 Streaks Grade: B-
If you go back and look at Bubba Wallace’s streaks the only difference is that Buescher had 1 race longer Top 10 streak and Wallace had a 2 stage longer Stage T10 streak. So, they get the same grade.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 15.86(13th), 36.54% of Laps ran in Top15(19th), Avg. Driver Rating 69.83(17th), Best 7th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 99.77%, Led 1.07% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.36 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 19.36
2024 Short track Grade: C
His Avg. Finish wasn’t too bad thanks to his 4 Top 15’s and just 1 finish out of the Top 20, but he didn’t have a good Laps in Top 15% and his Avg. Stage Finish wasn’t good either. So, he gets a C.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 9.4(3rd), 53.09% of Laps ran in Top15(14th), Avg. Driver Rating 81.3(11th), Best 2nd, Worst 17th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.6 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 15.6
2024 Small track Grade: B
His Avg. Finish was really good as was his worst finish being just 17th. However, his Laps in Top 15%, Avg. Driver Rating, and stage stats brought his grade down to a B.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 15.4(T14th), 66.4% of Laps ran in Top15(8th), Avg. Driver Rating 81.9(13th), Best 2nd, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 91.51%, Led 2.95% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 4 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 1.95 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 14.86
2024 Intermediate Grade: B-
The Avg. Finish, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating leave Buescher and his teammate above at a similar grade, but Keselowski had a Win with more Top 3’s and Top 5’s which is why Buescher gets a bit lower grade.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 13.0(T6th), 47.84% of Laps ran in Top15(16th), Avg. Driver Rating 82.23(12th), Best 6th, Worst 22nd, Laps Completed 100%, Led 3.56% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage Pt Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 22.83
2024 Big track Grade: C
His Avg. Finish was pretty good, but he only ended up with 1 Top 10 in the 3 races, plus his Avg. Stage Finish wasn’t good and he ran less than half his laps in the Top 15. This leaves him at a C.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 9.8(2nd), 46.0% of Laps ran in Top15(T20th), Avg. Driver Rating 92.74(6th), Best 1st, Worst 20th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 11.67% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1 Stage Pt Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 19.1
2024 Road Course Grade: A-
He had a great Avg. Finish on Road Courses and a really good Avg. Driver Rating with 0 Finishes out of the Top 20, a Win, and 2 Top 3’s. However, what kept him from a better grade was his poor Laps in Top 15%.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 19.17(19th), 49.01% of Laps ran in Top15(13th), Avg. Driver Rating 78.35(13th), Best 9th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 95.21%, Led 2.39% 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, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 2.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 13.92
2024 Superspeedway Grade: C+
This was the opposite of most of his stats above, his Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating weren’t too bad, but he ended up with 0 Top 5’s and just 2 Top 15’s which is why he gets a C+.
Overview
– Buescher was so close to making the Playoffs but he had to settle for 17th in points
– Buescher did well at finishing in the Top 10 this year with some great finishes, but his runs and stages were just okay
– He again didn’t have good in-race stats or stage stats in the Playoffs, but he did pick up a Win and a few Top 10’s
– His streaks were decent this year, but nothing was too great
– He didn’t always run the best at Short tracks and he didn’t finish great in any of the 7 races
– His Avg. Finish on Small tracks was really good, but his in-race stats were middle of the pack
– Intermediates were a good style for Buescher as he both ran and finished decent in most races
– On Big tracks Buescher’s Avg. Finish was really good compared to others, but his Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Stage Finish were not
– His only Win came on a Road Course this year and he finished really good in over half the races, but didn’t run Top 15 much overall
– He was middle of the pack on Superspeedways this year in the way he ran and the way he finished
– Buescher was so close to making the Playoffs but he had to settle for 17th in points
– Buescher did well at finishing in the Top 10 this year with some great finishes, but his runs and stages were just okay
– He again didn’t have good in-race stats or stage stats in the Playoffs, but he did pick up a Win and a few Top 10’s
– His streaks were decent this year, but nothing was too great
– He didn’t always run the best at Short tracks and he didn’t finish great in any of the 7 races
– His Avg. Finish on Small tracks was really good, but his in-race stats were middle of the pack
– Intermediates were a good style for Buescher as he both ran and finished decent in most races
– On Big tracks Buescher’s Avg. Finish was really good compared to others, but his Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Stage Finish were not
– His only Win came on a Road Course this year and he finished really good in over half the races, but didn’t run Top 15 much overall
– He was middle of the pack on Superspeedways this year in the way he ran and the way he finished
Final Grade: C+
RFK Racing Overall Team Grade: B-
Front Row Motorsports Drivers
Todd Gilliland – 22nd in Driver points/22nd in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 20.86 | 23rd of 36 | 473rd of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 6th | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 36th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.07% | 7th of 36 | T137th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 33.28 | 22nd of 36 | 430th of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 64.25 | 22nd of 36 | 487th of 817‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T19th of 62 | T306th of 1492 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 62 | T297th of 1492 |
| Top 2’s | 0 | T25th of 62 | T427th of 1492 |
| Top 3’s | 0 | T29th of 62 | T501st of 1492 |
| Top 5’s | 0 | T34th of 62 | T597th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 4 | T27th of 62 | T498th of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 17 | T21st of 36 | T500th of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 3 | T7th of 36 | T232nd of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T24th of 62 | T137th of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 12 | T20th of 62 | T158th of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 49 | 22nd of 62 | T161st of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 21.25 | 24th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 0 | T25th of 62 | T160th of 514* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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
2024 stats Grade: C-
What kept him from a better grade was the fact he had 0 Top 5’s, but getting 4 Top 10’s while being a 3rd year driver with a tier 3 team is quite the feat. So, he gets a decent C- grade.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 24.0(30th), 20.58% of Laps ran in Top15(28th), Avg. Driver Rating 54.72(32nd), Best 16th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.57%, Led 0.14% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage T10’s, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 25.85, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: D
He didn’t get a Top 10 in any of the Playoff races while he also ran a poor percentage of his laps in the Top 15 and got 0 Stage Pts. However, 4 of his 10 races did finish in a Top 20 so he gets a D.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Stage T10’s
2024 Streaks Grade: F+
He didn’t have any Top 10 streak and his only streak was just a 2 straight Stage T10 streak, but he didn’t have any DNF streaks so he gets an F+.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 21.0(25th), 28.85% of Laps ran in Top15(21st), Avg. Driver Rating 63.59(20th), Best 12th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 99.71%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.57 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.71
2024 Short track Grade: C-
His stats aren’t too great, but for a tier 3 team and a 3rd year driver to have the 20th best Avg. Driver Rating, 2 Top 15’s, and run 29% of his laps in the Top 15 is worthy of a C-.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 19.2(20th), 34.39% of Laps ran in Top15(22nd), Avg. Driver Rating 58.76(24th), Best 12th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 98.6%, Led 2.59% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 25.3
2024 Small track Grade: C-
When you compare his Short track and Small track stats his Avg. Finish and Laps in Top 15% are a little better at Small tracks, but his Avg. Driver Rating and Avg. Stage Finish are worse. So, he gets the same grade.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 21.3(25th), 24.61% of Laps ran in Top15(26th), Avg. Driver Rating 57.65(26th), Best 14th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.86%, Led 0.28% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.24 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 22.95
2024 Intermediate Grade: D
None of his stats above are all too impressive, but he did get 2 Top 15’s and finished over half his races in the Top 20 which isn’t too too bad for a tier 3 organization.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 25.33(T31st), 28.79% of Laps ran in Top15(24th), Avg. Driver Rating 49.27(33rd), Best 6th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 74.3%, Led 0.25% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 28.0
2024 Big track Grade: D-
The only thing that helped his grade some was his 1 Top 10 and his Laps in Top 15%, other than that his Avg. Finish, Avg. Driver Rating, and Avg. Stage Finish were bad at best.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 15.4(T15th), 46.0% of Laps ran in Top15(T20th), Avg. Driver Rating 71.36(19th), Best 7th, Worst 26th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.4 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 15.6
2024 Road Course Grade: B-
For a 3rd year driver with a tier 3 team getting a 15.4 Avg. Finish along with 2 Top 10’s in 5 races is pretty impressive, the only reason his grade isn’t higher is because of his lack of Top 15’s.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 23.67(34th), 64.36% of Laps ran in Top15(6th), Avg. Driver Rating 82.17(9th), Best 8th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 98.74%, Led 6.44% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.42 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 16.83
2024 Superspeedway Grade: C+
His Laps in Top 15%, Avg. Driver Rating, and Avg. Stage Finish are pretty impressive, but he couldn’t finish off his good runs with good finishes which why he gets just a C+.
Overview
– Gilliland finished 22nd in points this year, the first time he’s finished Top 25 in his brief Cup Series career
– In 2024 Gilliland wasn’t able to get any great finishes, but he didn’t run terrible and he got the most Top 10’s in a season in his Cup career
– His Playoffs weren’t great as he ran and finished pretty bad compared to his season as a whole
– His only notable streak this year were his 2 straight Stage T10 streaks
– At Short tracks he didn’t run terrible, but unfortunately for him he couldn’t finish races as good as he ran
– He didn’t run or finish too good at Small tracks, but he avoided finishing terrible most of the time
– At Intermediates Gilliland didn’t run or finish particularly well, but he finished over half the races in the Top 10
– Big tracks were a struggle for Gilliland as even with a 6th place finish he had bad in-race and finishing stats
– His best tracks were Road Courses where he ran decent and picked up 2 Top 10 finishes
– He ran quite well on Superspeedways this year, but even with just 1 DNF he didn’t finish well in most races
– Gilliland finished 22nd in points this year, the first time he’s finished Top 25 in his brief Cup Series career
– In 2024 Gilliland wasn’t able to get any great finishes, but he didn’t run terrible and he got the most Top 10’s in a season in his Cup career
– His Playoffs weren’t great as he ran and finished pretty bad compared to his season as a whole
– His only notable streak this year were his 2 straight Stage T10 streaks
– At Short tracks he didn’t run terrible, but unfortunately for him he couldn’t finish races as good as he ran
– He didn’t run or finish too good at Small tracks, but he avoided finishing terrible most of the time
– At Intermediates Gilliland didn’t run or finish particularly well, but he finished over half the races in the Top 10
– Big tracks were a struggle for Gilliland as even with a 6th place finish he had bad in-race and finishing stats
– His best tracks were Road Courses where he ran decent and picked up 2 Top 10 finishes
– He ran quite well on Superspeedways this year, but even with just 1 DNF he didn’t finish well in most races
Final Grade: C-
Michael McDowell – 23rd in Driver points/23rd in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 21.31 | 25th of 36 | T489th of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 38th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.57% | 22nd of 36 | T398th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 37.95 | 19th of 36 | 392nd of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 68.29 | 19th of 36 | 436th of 817‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T19th of 62 | T306th of 1492 |
| Poles | 6 | 1st of 62 | T7th of 1492 |
| Top 2’s | 1 | T15th of 62 | T283rd of 1492 |
| Top 3’s | 1 | T18th of 62 | T357th of 1492 |
| Top 5’s | 2 | T21st of 62 | T407th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 7 | T19th of 62 | T410th of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 19 | T24th of 36 | T555th of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 7 | T32nd of 36 | T706th of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T14th of 62 | T103rd of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T22nd of 62 | T163rd of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 56 | 21st of 62 | T151st of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 20.78 | 22nd of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 1 | T20th of 62 | T136th of 514* |
ªSince Playoffs started in 2004
¹Ranks of drivers to start 40% of races thru 36 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
2024 stats Grade: C
7 Top 10’s with a tier 3 team is pretty good and 6 Poles is pretty incredible, but he didn’t do too well in stages and had a lot of DNF’s with a not so great Avg. Finish which is why he receives a C.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 21.9(25th), 33.77% of Laps ran in Top15(21st), Avg. Driver Rating 67.56(20th), Best 7th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 99.06%, Led 2.87% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 2 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage T10, 0.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.7, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: C-
When you look at his 2024 stats above and compare to his 2024 Playoff stats they are just a skosh off, which is why he got a little lower grade with a C-.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 10 finishes
- 3 straight DNF’s (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year and tied longest in Next Gen car)
2024 Streaks Grade: F
2 straight Top 10’s is pretty good for this team, but then getting 3 straight DNF’s is not good for any team plus he doesn’t have a Stage T10 streak. So, he gets an F.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 20.0(24th), 34.78% of Laps ran in Top15(20th), Avg. Driver Rating 62.87(21st), Best 11th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.51%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.36 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 22.86
2024 Short track Grade: C-
He didn’t run terrible on Short tracks, but even with 3 Top 15’s he got 0 Top 10’s which is why he got a grade just less than average.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 23.0(T29th), 36.41% of Laps ran in Top15(21st), Avg. Driver Rating 60.1(23rd), Best 8th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 92.42%, Led 2.76% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 22.6
2024 Small track Grade: C-
Small tracks were another track style he didn’t run too bad at, in fact he got a Pole, but he had just 1 Top 10 finish to 3 finishes out of the Top 20 with a not so good Avg. Finish and Avg. Stage Finish.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 22.2(27th), 37.74% of Laps ran in Top15(21st), Avg. Driver Rating 63.53(22nd), Best 10th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 91.97%, Led 1.56% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.19 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.9
2024 Intermediate Grade: C-
Intermediates were another track where he ran better than he finished, but having 5 finishes out of the Top 20 isn’t too bad. However, it was his Avg. Finish that once again brought his grade down.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 19.67(T21st), 26.93% of Laps ran in Top15(28th), Avg. Driver Rating 59.9(T23rd), Best 16th, Worst 24th, Laps Completed 99.62%, Led 0.19% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.83 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 21.0
2024 Big track Grade: D+
He didn’t run many laps in the Top 15, had 0 Top 15’s, and didn’t have the best Avg. Stage Finish. However, his Avg. Finish wasn’t bad as he just had 1 finish out of the Top 20 so he gets a D+.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 13.4(7th), 61.19% of Laps ran in Top15(9th), Avg. Driver Rating 79.24(14th), Best 2nd, Worst 38th, Laps Completed 96.11%, Led 1.67% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.7 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 17.2
2024 Road Course Grade: B+
There are a lot of stats in his Road Course stats above that helped his grade be as high as it is, but what hurt him from getting an A was his mediocre Avg. Driver Rating.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 27.33(45th), 58.38% of Laps ran in Top15(10th), Avg. Driver Rating 84.45(6th), Best 8th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 96.07%, Led 13.65% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 5 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 3 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.08 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 19.5
2024 Superspeedway Grade: C-
His Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% were really good and he got 5 of the 6 Poles which is why he didn’t get a lower grade. However, the reason he didn’t get a higher grade was his very poor Avg. Finish.
Overview
– McDowell wound up 23rd in points for the 3rd time in the past 5 seasons
– In 2024 McDowell had almost as many Top 10’s (7) as he did Poles (6), the 6 Poles were tied for 7th most in a Cup season since 2004
– His Playoffs weren’t great in terms of finishes, but he didn’t run too bad and he finished half the races in the Top 20
– His longest streak this year was his 3 race DNF streak
– He was pretty average on Short tracks this year with his runs and finishes
– His runs on Small tracks were about average, but his finishes weren’t always the best
– McDowell picked up a few good finishes on Intermediates and didn’t run too terrible on them either
– McDowell didn’t finish Top 15 in any of the 3 Big track races, but he also finished out of the Top 20 only once
– He did really good on Road Courses this year as he both ran and finished well in most races
– His runs on Superspeedways were really good, but his finishes (except 1 race) were pretty bad
– McDowell wound up 23rd in points for the 3rd time in the past 5 seasons
– In 2024 McDowell had almost as many Top 10’s (7) as he did Poles (6), the 6 Poles were tied for 7th most in a Cup season since 2004
– His Playoffs weren’t great in terms of finishes, but he didn’t run too bad and he finished half the races in the Top 20
– His longest streak this year was his 3 race DNF streak
– He was pretty average on Short tracks this year with his runs and finishes
– His runs on Small tracks were about average, but his finishes weren’t always the best
– McDowell picked up a few good finishes on Intermediates and didn’t run too terrible on them either
– McDowell didn’t finish Top 15 in any of the 3 Big track races, but he also finished out of the Top 20 only once
– He did really good on Road Courses this year as he both ran and finished well in most races
– His runs on Superspeedways were really good, but his finishes (except 1 race) were pretty bad
Final Grade: C-
Front Row Motorsports Overall Team Grade: C-
If you liked this article (or even if you didn’t) go check out the season reviews for Cup being done by Robert Cwik and Griffin Fuller on Pit Pass Network titled “2024 Season in Review: *team name*”. Compare and contrast between my numbers based review and their more eye test review with outlook for 2025 and overall team grade.
