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.
Next teams up are a couple of Chevy teams that were involved in plenty of controversy this year, Trackhouse Racing and Richard Childress Racing.
Trackhouse Racing Drivers
Daniel Suarez – 12th in Driver points/12th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 17.86 | 16th of 36 | T349th of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 40th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 98.47% | 4th of 36 | 96th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 31.37 | 23rd of 36 | 442nd of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 64.6 | 20th of 36 | 483rd of 817‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 62 | T163rd of 1492 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 62 | T297th of 1492 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T11th of 62 | T204th of 1492 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T12th of 62 | T238th of 1492 |
| Top 5’s | 4 | T17th of 62 | T307th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 9 | T17th of 62 | T354th of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 16 | T19th of 36 | T467th of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 2 | T1st of 36 | T98th of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T14th of 62 | T103rd of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 11 | T22nd of 62 | T163rd of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 64 | 19th of 62 | T142nd of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 20.63 | 21st 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: C-
His stage stats, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating are all pretty bad, showing he didn’t run well this year. However, he had a Win and a few great finishes, but ultimately 16 finishes out of the Top 20 to 9 Top 10’s drops his grade to a C-.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.7(13th), 28.86% of Laps ran in Top15(23rd), Avg. Driver Rating 66.66(25th), Best 2nd, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.71%, Led 2.39% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 0.85 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.55, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: C-
His Playoff stats aren’t too far off his overall 2024 stats, so it makes sense he gets the same grade.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2 straight Stage T10’s
2024 Streaks Grade: D+
Even though he is with a tier 2 team getting just 3 straight Top 10’s isn’t great, but what really hurt his grade was having a longest Stage T10’s streak of just 2 stages.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 19.29(21st), 28.04% of Laps ran in Top15(23rd), Avg. Driver Rating 64.66(19th), Best 9th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.71%, Led 3.58% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.29 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.79
2024 Short track Grade: C-
Overall he just didn’t run good at these tracks this year despite getting 1 Stage Win. However, he did get 2 Top 10’s which helped save his grade from being a D+.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 17.0(17th), 29.66% of Laps ran in Top15(26th), Avg. Driver Rating 58.32(25th), Best 10th, Worst 23rd, Laps Completed 99.94%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 2 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 23.0
2024 Small track Grade: D
His Laps in Top 15%, Avg. Driver Rating, and Avg. Stage Finish are all pretty bad, but he did have a decent Avg. Finish with 1 Top 10 and 2 Top 15’s which is why he gets a D instead of worse
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.3(17th), 29.29% of Laps ran in Top15(23rd), Avg. Driver Rating 63.62(21st), Best 3rd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 99.96%, Led 2.53% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.14 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 22.0
2024 Intermediate Grade: D
Again it was his in-race stats that are just so bad that they hurt his grade, then getting a Top 15 in less than half the races didn’t help his grade either. Once again, it was his Avg. Finish that saved him.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 10.67(3rd), 36.02% of Laps ran in Top15(21st), Avg. Driver Rating 68.63(16th), Best 8th, Worst 16th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 1.31% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.00 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.83
2024 Big track Grade: C
Despite his exceptional Avg. Finish his Laps in Top 15% and Avg. Driver Rating along with the fact he got 0 Stage Pts lessens the effect his good finishes have. So, so-so runs with good finishes is average, hence a C.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 19.8(21st), 49.08% of Laps ran in Top15(16th), Avg. Driver Rating 69.36(21st), Best 11th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.77%, 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, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 2.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.9
2024 Road Course Grade: C-
Road Courses were just the opposite of his other tracks, his in-race stats weren’t too bad in comparison to his 0 Top 10’s and subpar Avg. Finish. So, he gets a C-.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 21.5(28th), 43.13% of Laps ran in Top15(19th), Avg. Driver Rating 65.42(24th), Best 1st, Worst 40th, Laps Completed 89.24%, Led 1.76% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.92 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.75
2024 Superspeedway Grade: C
His only win this year came on a Superspeedway, but overall he didn’t run or finish too good on them. However, he did get 2 Top 3’s which is why he stays at a C despite overall being subpar on these tracks.
Overview
– Suarez made the Playoffs based off his win in one of the close finishes this year, at Atlanta, to finish 12th in points
– Overall this year Suarez did not run too well, but he was able to pull off a few great finishes
– His Playoffs were a struggle in terms of how he ran, but again he had a few great finishes
– The streaks he acquired this year were few, and not so great
– He didn’t pick up any Top 5’s in the 7 Short track races this year and he didn’t run all that well in the races either
– He struggled to run well on Small tracks, but his Avg. Finish wasn’t terrible despite his 1 Top 10 in 5 races
– Intermediates were a struggle for Suarez as he had as many Top 15 finishes as finishes out of the Top 20
– Despite a really good Avg. Finish at Big tracks, Suarez did not run that well in the races
– He lacked good finishes at Road Courses, but funny enough he actually ran decent in the races
– Superspeedways weren’t great for him this year overall, but he did have a Win and 2 Top 3’s in the 6 races
– Suarez made the Playoffs based off his win in one of the close finishes this year, at Atlanta, to finish 12th in points
– Overall this year Suarez did not run too well, but he was able to pull off a few great finishes
– His Playoffs were a struggle in terms of how he ran, but again he had a few great finishes
– The streaks he acquired this year were few, and not so great
– He didn’t pick up any Top 5’s in the 7 Short track races this year and he didn’t run all that well in the races either
– He struggled to run well on Small tracks, but his Avg. Finish wasn’t terrible despite his 1 Top 10 in 5 races
– Intermediates were a struggle for Suarez as he had as many Top 15 finishes as finishes out of the Top 20
– Despite a really good Avg. Finish at Big tracks, Suarez did not run that well in the races
– He lacked good finishes at Road Courses, but funny enough he actually ran decent in the races
– Superspeedways weren’t great for him this year overall, but he did have a Win and 2 Top 3’s in the 6 races
Final Grade: C-
Ross Chastain – 19th in Driver points/19th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 14.94 | 9th of 36 | T215th of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 40th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 97.80% | 9th of 36 | T166th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 60.36 | 11th of 36 | 242nd of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 83.58 | 10th of 36 | 253rd of 817‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 62 | T163rd of 1492 |
| Poles | 1 | T9th of 62 | T151st 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 | 6 | T12th of 62 | T247th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 14 | T10th of 62 | T242nd of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 9 | T5th of 36 | T169th of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 36 | T372nd of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 2 | T10th of 62 | T79th of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 23 | 14th of 62 | T116th of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 100 | 16th of 62 | T125th of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 14.25 | 11th of 36 | — |
| Playoff Pts² | 7 | T10th of 62 | T80th 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-
Overall he wasn’t that bad this year, had more Top 10’s than finishes out of the Top 20, and had a Win. However, he didn’t do well in stages and only had 1 Top 3 finish which is why he gets a B-.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 16.3(12th), 59.42% of Laps ran in Top15(10th), Avg. Driver Rating 87.31(8th), Best 1st, Worst 40th, Laps Completed 97.3%, Led 4.93% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 1 Pole, 1 Top 3, 2 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Win, 5 Stage T10’s, 1.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 14.0, 6 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: B
His Avg. Finish in the Playoffs wasn’t amazing, but his in-races stats were really good and he got a 14.0 Avg. Stage Finish. However, just 1 Top 3 and 2 Top 5’s isn’t good enough for anything better than a B.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 3 straight Top 10 finishes
- 2 straight Stage T10’s
2024 Streaks Grade: D+
He had the same notable streaks as his teammate above, so he gets the same grade as his teammate above.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 11.14(5th), 65.69% of Laps ran in Top15(10th), Avg. Driver Rating 82.43(11th), Best 5th, Worst 15th, Laps Completed 99.94%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 7 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.36 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 14.0
2024 Short track Grade: B
A few things that helped his grade were his Avg. Finish and his 7 Top 15’s in 7 races, however he wasn’t great in stages and he had just 1 Top 5 and 3 Top 10’s. So, he gets a B.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 11.8(6th), 47.48% of Laps ran in Top15(17th), Avg. Driver Rating 78.94(12th), Best 6th, Worst 19th, 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, 4 Top 15’s, 0 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.4 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 14.7
2024 Small track Grade: B-
What almost gave him a C+ was the fact he had 0 Top 5’s and ran less than half his laps in the Top 15, but his Avg. Finish, Avg. Driver Rating, and Top 15’s kept him at a B-.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 15.3(13th), 66.32% of Laps ran in Top15(9th), Avg. Driver Rating 87.96(8th), Best 1st, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 99.02%, Led 6.66% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 3 Top 5’s, 5 Top 10’s, 6 Top 15’s, 3 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.43 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 13.9
2024 Intermediate Grade: B
He got his only Win on an Intermediate track and overall he ran well, but he lacked great finishes and had a Top 10 in only half the races which is why he got a B instead of a higher grade.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 25.33(T31st), 48.47% of Laps ran in Top15(15th), Avg. Driver Rating 58.83(25th), Best 15th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 79.74%, Led 2.82% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1.67 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.83
2024 Big track Grade: D+
What saved him from a worse grade is that he’s with a tier 2 team because his stats above (i.e 1 Top 15 and subpar Avg. Driver Rating) just aren’t that good.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 13.2(6th), 69.79% of Laps ran in Top15(5th), Avg. Driver Rating 96.56(4th), Best 4th, Worst 28th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 13.96% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 3 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 1 Stage Win, 1.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 14.5
2024 Road Course Grade: A-
He was solid on Road Courses this year as his Avg. Finish, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating all ranked 6th or better, but without a Win or Top 3 the best he could get is an A-.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 17.67(14th), 60.99% of Laps ran in Top15(9th), Avg. Driver Rating 83.05(7th), Best 7th, Worst 40th, Laps Completed 94.03%, Led 4.18% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 4 Top 15’s, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 12.25
2024 Superspeedway Grade: B-
His runs at Superspeedways and Avg. Stage Finish are what really helped him out, but the fact he only had 1 Top 10 is the reason why his grade isn’t better than a B-.
Overview
– Chastain picked up a Win this year, but it was too little, too late in terms of making the Playoffs as he ended up 19th in points
– 9 of Chastain’s 17 2024 Ranks above are T10th or better, but only his 9 Finishes out of the Top 20 is ranked 5th or better
– He picked up his 1 Win in the Playoffs and overall he ran decently good, but didn’t always have the finishes to show it
– His longest Top 10 streak this year was only 3 races, and his longest Stage T10 streak was just 2 straight stages
– He finished every Short track race in the Top 15, but most of those were between 11th and 15th
– He didn’t run too great at Small tracks, but his finishes were good overall
– Chastain’s only Win came on an Intermediate track, but he lacked great finishes despite good runs
– Chastain struggled to run well or finish well on Big tracks this year
– His runs on Road Courses was very good, and his finishes weren’t too bad either
– He ran well on Superspeedways this year, but he only managed 1 Top 10 finish in the 6 races
– Chastain picked up a Win this year, but it was too little, too late in terms of making the Playoffs as he ended up 19th in points
– 9 of Chastain’s 17 2024 Ranks above are T10th or better, but only his 9 Finishes out of the Top 20 is ranked 5th or better
– He picked up his 1 Win in the Playoffs and overall he ran decently good, but didn’t always have the finishes to show it
– His longest Top 10 streak this year was only 3 races, and his longest Stage T10 streak was just 2 straight stages
– He finished every Short track race in the Top 15, but most of those were between 11th and 15th
– He didn’t run too great at Small tracks, but his finishes were good overall
– Chastain’s only Win came on an Intermediate track, but he lacked great finishes despite good runs
– Chastain struggled to run well or finish well on Big tracks this year
– His runs on Road Courses was very good, and his finishes weren’t too bad either
– He ran well on Superspeedways this year, but he only managed 1 Top 10 finish in the 6 races
Final Grade: B-
Trackhouse Racing Overall Team Grade: C
Richard Childress Racing Drivers
Kyle Busch – 20th in Driver points/20th in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 18.31 | T17th of 36 | T365th of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 2nd | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 35th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 96.66% | 18th of 36 | T286th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 40.89 | 18th of 36 | 372nd of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 75.11 | 16th of 36 | 357th of 817‡ |
| Wins | 0 | T19th of 62 | T306th of 1492 |
| Poles | 1 | T9th of 62 | T151st of 1492 |
| Top 2’s | 2 | T11th of 62 | T204th of 1492 |
| Top 3’s | 3 | T12th of 62 | T238th of 1492 |
| Top 5’s | 5 | T15th of 62 | T270th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 10 | 16th of 62 | T329th of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 16 | T19th of 36 | T467th of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 5 | T22nd of 36 | T526th of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 1 | T14th of 62 | T103rd of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 18 | T17th of 62 | T131st of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 93 | 17th of 62 | T130th of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 17.92 | 16th 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-
His finishing stats aren’t too bad even without a victory this year, but what got him a grade barely below a C was his stage stats and Laps in Top 15% as they were not too good for a tier 1 driver.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 20.6(23rd), 32.4% of Laps ran in Top15(22nd), Avg. Driver Rating 66.88(24th), Best 7th, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.78%, Led 2.24% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 5 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3 Stage T10’s, 0.75 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 19.85, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: D
A driver of Busch’s caliber with a tier 1 organization shouldn’t have just 1 Top 10 finish in the Playoffs nor an Avg. Stage Finish of 19.85. So, he gets a D.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Top 2 finishes
- 3 straight Top 5 finishes
- 4 straight Top 10 finishes
- 4 straight Stage T10’s
- 3 straight DNF’s (tied longest streak in Cup Series this year and tied longest in Next Gen car)
2024 Streaks Grade: B-
His streaks aren’t that great, but are not too bad either and would have gotten him a B most likely if he hadn’t gotten that 3 straight DNF streak.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 23.0(28th), 21.98% of Laps ran in Top15(25th), Avg. Driver Rating 62.83(22nd), Best 12th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 97.21%, Led 0.17% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 1 Top 15, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.14 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.86
2024 Short track Grade: D-
Getting just 1 Top 15 finish in 7 races is not good, and neither is running just 22% of his laps in the Top 15 with a 23.0 Avg. Finish. So, he deserves a D-.
- 2024 Small track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Small Track start, 44 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 23.4(32nd), 40.2% of Laps ran in Top15(19th), Avg. Driver Rating 71.22(T16th), Best 4th, Worst 35th, Laps Completed 88.15%, Led 3.54% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 1 Pole, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.9 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 20.7
2024 Small track Grade: D
Again his Avg. Finish on Small tracks was bad, and so was his Avg. Stage Finish. However, what saved him from a worse grade is that he didn’t run terrible and he got 1 Top 5 finish.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 17.7(20th), 46.9% of Laps ran in Top15(17th), Avg. Driver Rating 74.85(17th), Best 2nd, Worst 31st, Laps Completed 99.58%, Led 2.22% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 3 Top 10’s, 5 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 1 Stage Pt Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 17.52
2024 Intermediate Grade: D
In the 10 races he only got 3 Top 10’s with 1 Top 5 finish, but his Avg. Driver Rating and Laps in Top 15% weren’t terrible so that’s why he gets a D instead of something worse.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 20.33(T23rd), 50.81% of Laps ran in Top15(14th), Avg. Driver Rating 67.73(18th), Best 4th, Worst 32nd, Laps Completed 92.31%, Led 5.89% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 1 Top 5, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 2 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 1 Stage Wins, 2.5 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.67
2024 Big track Grade: C-
If he had ran less than 50% of his laps in the Top 15 then he probably would have received a D+ since his Avg. Finish isn’t too good. However, his Stage Win and 1 Top 5 also helped him get the C-.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 14.6(10th), 59.73% of Laps ran in Top15(10th), Avg. Driver Rating 80.48(12th), Best 9th, Worst 30th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 0.23% 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 Stage Pt Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 18.4
2024 Road Course Grade: C+
His stats weren’t that bad on Road Courses this year overall, but he did have just 2 Top 10’s in the 5 races with 0 Top 5’s which is why he gets a C+.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 11.67(3rd), 72.82% of Laps ran in Top15(3rd), Avg. Driver Rating 92.33(3rd), Best 2nd, Worst 27th, Laps Completed 100%, Led 6.52% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 2 Top 3’s, 2 Top 5’s, 3 Top 10’s, 4 Top 15’s, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 3.0 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 12.08
2024 Superspeedway Grade: A-
He had the 3rd best Avg. Finish, Laps in Top 15%, and Avg. Driver Rating; however despite his 2 Top 3’s he only had a Top 10 in half the races and a 12.08 Avg. Stage Finish. This is why he gets an A- instead of an A.
Overview
– Busch was close to winning at the end of the regular season, but alas he had to settle for 20th in points
– This year Busch was consistent, but not in the good way as 11 of his 17 2024 Ranks above are between 16th and 20th
– The Playoffs were a struggle for him as he didn’t run or finish well in most races
– He had some good notable streaks this year, but he also had a 3 race DNF streak as well
– Short tracks weren’t good for him as he ran poorly and usually finished even worse
– His Small track races were a little better than his Short track races, but not by much
– Busch didn’t run terrible on Intermediates this year, but his finishes usually weren’t the best
– Overall Busch didn’t run too bad at Big tracks, but he only had 1 Top 20 finish in 3 races
– His runs and finishes weren’t too bad on Road Courses, but he ended up finishing over half the races out of the Top 10
– Superspeedways were by far his best track as he ran very well on them, but he also finished just half the races in the Top 10
– Busch was close to winning at the end of the regular season, but alas he had to settle for 20th in points
– This year Busch was consistent, but not in the good way as 11 of his 17 2024 Ranks above are between 16th and 20th
– The Playoffs were a struggle for him as he didn’t run or finish well in most races
– He had some good notable streaks this year, but he also had a 3 race DNF streak as well
– Short tracks weren’t good for him as he ran poorly and usually finished even worse
– His Small track races were a little better than his Short track races, but not by much
– Busch didn’t run terrible on Intermediates this year, but his finishes usually weren’t the best
– Overall Busch didn’t run too bad at Big tracks, but he only had 1 Top 20 finish in 3 races
– His runs and finishes weren’t too bad on Road Courses, but he ended up finishing over half the races out of the Top 10
– Superspeedways were by far his best track as he ran very well on them, but he also finished just half the races in the Top 10
Final Grade: C-
Austin Dillon – 32nd in Driver points/33rd in Owner points
| Category | Statistic | 2024 Rank | ªRank Thru 36 Races |
| Avg. Fin.¹ | 22.56 | 27th of 36 | T531st of 861 |
| Best Fin. | 1st | — | — |
| Worst Fin. | 37th | — | — |
| Completed Laps%¹ | 95.69% | 21st of 36 | T384th of 861 |
| Laps in Top15%¹ | 21.82 | 28th of 36 | 500th of 817‡ |
| Avg. Driver Rating¹ | 55.50 | 29th of 36 | 579th of 817‡ |
| Wins | 1 | T8th of 62 | T163rd of 1492 |
| Poles | 0 | T16th of 62 | T297th 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 | 1 | T24th of 62 | T468th of 1492 |
| Top 10’s | 5 | T24th of 62 | T465th of 1492 |
| Finish out Top 20¹ | 23 | T33rd of 36 | T671st of 861 |
| DNF’s¹ | 4 | T14th of 36 | T372nd of 861 |
| Stage Wins | 0 | T24th of 62 | T137th of 514* |
| Stage T10s | 9 | 25th of 62 | T180th of 514* |
| Stage Pts | 42 | 24th of 62 | 167th of 514* |
| Avg. Stage Fin.¹ | 24.56 | 30th 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: D
If it wasn’t for his Win at Richmond he probably ends up with a D- because his stats above are not that good for a veteran with a tier 1 team. I mean, 5 Top 10’s to 23 finishes out of the Top 10. Yikes.
- 2024 Playoff Statistics (Avg. Fin. and Driver Rating rank among drivers with 5+ Playoff starts, 36 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 21.7(24th), 25.3% of Laps ran in Top15(26th), Avg. Driver Rating 57.54(28th), Best 7th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 92.4%, Led 0.04% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 2 Top 10’s, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 2 Stage T10’s, 0.35 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 24.75, 0 Playoff Pts earned in races
2024 Playoff Grade: D-
His stats are mostly worse than his teammate (Kyle Busch) above, but he did have 2 Top 10’s to Busch’s 1. However, his Avg. Stage Finish is what set him at a D- instead of D.
- Notable Streaks this year
- 2 straight Stage T10’s
- 2 straight DNF’s
2024 Streaks Grade: F-
A driver with his experience and with RCR getting no Top 10 streaks and having the streaks that he does have above is deserving of worse than an F- honestly.
- 2024 Short track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Short Track start, 43 drivers)
- 7 Races, Avg. Finish 18.57(20th), 28.42% of Laps ran in Top15(22nd), Avg. Driver Rating 62.8(23rd), Best 1st, Worst 34th, Laps Completed 99.74%, Led 1.14% of laps he ran, 1 Win, 0 Poles, 1 Top 3, 1 Top 5, 2 Top 10’s, 2 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.21 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 21.71
2024 Short track Grade: C-
His runs weren’t too too bad on Short tracks this year and he even got his only Win on this style, but his Avg. Stage Finish wasn’t great and neither is just 2 Top 10’s. 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 25.0(T33rd), 9.75% of Laps ran in Top15(32nd), Avg. Driver Rating 49.96(31st), Best 6th, Worst 33rd, Laps Completed 96.75%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.2 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 28.3
2024 Small track Grade: F
Running less than 10% of your laps in the Top 15 with a top tier team and having a 25.0 Avg. Finish with an awful Avg. Stage Finish is definitely worthy of an F.
- 2024 Intermediate Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Intermediate Track start, 49 drivers)
- 10 Races, Avg. Finish 22.5(30th), 22.75% of Laps ran in Top15(28th), Avg. Driver Rating 53.92(30th), Best 8th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 91.87%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 3 Top 15’s, 6 Finishes out of Top 20, 2 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.19 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 24.86
2024 Intermediate Grade: F+
His stats aren’t awful awful, but he did have 10 races to have them be better, and then in the 10 starts he only had 1 Top 10 and a 24.86 Avg. Stage Finish. So, he gets an F+.
- 2024 Big track Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Big Track start, 40 drivers)
- 3 Races, Avg. Finish 17.67(T13th), 28.89% of Laps ran in Top15(23rd), Avg. Driver Rating 59.9(T23rd), Best 13th, Worst 23rd, 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, 1 Finish out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 1.0 Stage Pt Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 21.0
2024 Big track Grade: D+
In the 3 races his best finish was only 13th, he had a not so good Avg. Stage Finish, and his other in-race stats weren’t great. But his Avg. Finish wasn’t bad which is why he gets a D+.
- 2024 Road Course Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Road Course start, 45 drivers)
- 5 Races, Avg. Finish 28.0(T34th), 12.64% of Laps ran in Top15(37th), Avg. Driver Rating 50.32(35th), Best 19th, Worst 36th, Laps Completed 83.3%, Led 0.00% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 0 Top 10’s, 0 Top 15’s, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 1 DNF, 0 Stage Wins, 0.6 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 24.0
2024 Road Course Grade: F-
He got 0 Top 15’s, had a best finish of 19th, ran a measly 13% of his laps in the Top 15, and had a pretty bad Avg. Finish. So, he gets an F-.
- 2024 Superspeedway Stats (Avg. Fin. rank among drivers with 1+ Superspeedway start, 48 drivers)
- 6 Races, Avg. Finish 23.17(32nd), 25.39% of Laps ran in Top15(30th), Avg. Driver Rating 56.33(30th), Best 8th, Worst 37th, Laps Completed 95.6%, Led 0.08% of laps he ran, 0 Wins, 0 Poles, 0 Top 3’s, 0 Top 5’s, 1 Top 10, 1 Top 15, 4 Finishes out of Top 20, 0 DNF’s, 0 Stage Wins, 0.58 Stage Pts Per Stage, Avg. Stage Finish 26.5
2024 Superspeedway Grade: F+
His Avg. Finish wasn’t great and neither were his runs, especially his Avg. Stage Finish, but he did get 1 Top 10 which is pretty much what saved him from an F or F-.
Overview
– Dillon’s last lap shenanigan’s at Richmond cost him a Playoff spot and resulted in him finishing 32nd in driver points
– Only 5 of Dillon’s 17 2024 Ranks above are 20th or better, but he did get a Win this year
– He had a few decent finishes in the Playoffs but overall he ran and finished poorly
– His streaks this year (or lack there of) were pretty bad for an RCR car
– His only Win of the year came on a Short track, but other than that he wasn’t great or terrible on them
– He did not run or finish good on Small tracks this year, but he did get 1 Top 10
– Dillon’s runs and finishes on Intermediates this year were most subpar, at best
– On Big tracks Dillon didn’t run the best, but his Avg. Finish wasn’t terrible in comparison to others
– His best finish on Road Courses was 19th, and to top it off he didn’t run well on them either
– Superspeedways are often unpredictable, but he had 0 DNF’s and still had a bad Avg. Finish and Avg. Stage Finish
– Dillon’s last lap shenanigan’s at Richmond cost him a Playoff spot and resulted in him finishing 32nd in driver points
– Only 5 of Dillon’s 17 2024 Ranks above are 20th or better, but he did get a Win this year
– He had a few decent finishes in the Playoffs but overall he ran and finished poorly
– His streaks this year (or lack there of) were pretty bad for an RCR car
– His only Win of the year came on a Short track, but other than that he wasn’t great or terrible on them
– He did not run or finish good on Small tracks this year, but he did get 1 Top 10
– Dillon’s runs and finishes on Intermediates this year were most subpar, at best
– On Big tracks Dillon didn’t run the best, but his Avg. Finish wasn’t terrible in comparison to others
– His best finish on Road Courses was 19th, and to top it off he didn’t run well on them either
– Superspeedways are often unpredictable, but he had 0 DNF’s and still had a bad Avg. Finish and Avg. Stage Finish
Final Grade: D-
Richard Childress Racing Overall Team Grade: D
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.
