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By Logan Morris The idea of “coming home” is something we all love and romanticize. We just polished off another year and one of the highlights of each holiday season is family coming back together. Sharing stories, catching up, and reminiscing about days gone by, all while making new memories. In sports, time and time again, we see somebody known for being on one team sign with another when they are typically nearing the end of their career. There are countless examples. Who could forget when Brett Favre spent a season with the New York Jets? It just felt strange. He felt even more out of place as he spent his final two seasons in a Minnesota Vikings uniform. But he came home to Green Bay and had his number retired and everything felt right. Motorsports, specifically NASCAR, isn’t any different. Jamie McMurray began his career in the Cup series with Chip Ganassi Racing. He scored one of the biggest upset wins in NASCAR history in 2002 when he filled in for an injured Sterling Marlin and won the UAW-GM Quality 500 at what was then called Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte. He was the 2003 Rookie of The Year, beating out Greg Biffle. He would go on to join Jack Roush Racing in 2006. It was a year to forget for McMurray, where he would finish 25th in the final point standings with just three Top-5s and seven Top-10s. 2007 was better for McMurray. He narrowly won the Pepsi 400 that year for his second career win and finished 17th in the point standings. 2008 was pretty ho-hum in terms of success. He finished 16th in the point standings that year. In 2009 he scored his 3rd career win, this time at the fall Talladega race. It would be his final win for Roush. He was released at the end of the season because of NASCAR’s four-car team rule and McMurray ended up being the odd man out. While that was the official reason, the pairing of Roush and McMurray never felt like the right fit in a lot of people's eyes. Perhaps there’s some hindsight bias in that statement, because the reality is that the deal didn’t have the success that was expected at the time. It would be fair to call it a disappointment. Jamie McMurray went on to ask his former boss Chip Ganassi for an opportunity. Ganassi brought Jamie McMurray back into the fold in 2010, replacing Martin Truex Jr. in the #1 car for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. He started 2010 in the best way possible - winning the Daytona 500. He then went on to win the Brickyard 400 as well as the Bank Of America 500. “Jamie Mac” was back where he belonged, and would remain there until his retirement from full-time competition in 2019. He ran Daytona that year for Ganassi/Spire Motorsports and finished 22nd. Spire and Ganassi would come together again in 2021 for the Daytona 500 in what is currently McMurray’s final Cup Series start. If Jamie McMurray never races in the Cup series again it’s only fitting that his final race was with Chip Ganassi in some form or another. Jamie McMurray is far from the only homecoming story in NASCAR history. Let’s shift our focus to a homecoming that we’re in the midst of. Jimmie Johnson retired from NASCAR after the 2020 season. He is, without question, one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport. He may in fact be the greatest. He retired with 7 championships, and 83 wins, including 5 back-to-back championship-winning seasons. He left a legacy that very few can even compare to. When he announced that he would be joining Chip Ganassi Racing to compete part-time in IndyCar in 2021 we all wished him well, but most fans were a little perplexed about the decision. He called racing in IndyCar a childhood dream and we should applaud anyone who chases their dreams. However, the idea of Jimmie Johnson proving himself at this stage of his career in an entirely different series just didn’t feel right to many people. The original deal that Johnson struck with Ganassi left open the possibility of a return to NASCAR in a few one-off races. But in 2021, Ganassi sold his NASCAR operations to Justin Marks, creating Trackhouse Racing. Johnson struggled mightily in 2021. He often was at the back of the pack, and was frequently caught up in incidents. Jimmie Johnson competed full-time in the IndyCar Series in 2022. By all accounts Johnson was much-improved, finishing 6th at Texas, and scoring a Top-5 at Iowa. He made his Indianapolis 500 debut and was the Rookie of the Race. 2022 was better. It may have even been considered a success if his name wasn’t Jimmie Johnson. However, the lofty legacy and myth that comes along with being Jimmie Johnson made these “little victories” feel somewhat hollow. He announced that he would be stepping away from full-time racing in 2023. In November of last year, it was announced he would return to NASCAR and become part-owner of Petty GMS Motorsports. With that, he would be running a limited schedule, beginning with the 2023 Daytona 500. It was a move that sent shockwaves. Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty were on the same team and Jimmie Johnson was coming home to NASCAR. Petty GMS Motorsports was rebranded as Legacy Motor Club and Johnson confirmed he would drive the #84. With that, his return was solidified. Not only is he back, but he also wants to have his fingerprints on the sport for years to come. We don’t know how Johnson will fare in his return on the track, but the idea of Jimmie Johnson being back home in NASCAR undoubtedly feels right. Even NASCAR will have its own “homecoming” moment in 2023 when the sport returns to North Wilkesboro Speedway for this year’s All-Star Race. While there is justified uncertainty about the on-track product, the idea of NASCAR returning to North Wilkesboro for the first time since 1996 brings up a lot of nostalgic emotions and it’s one that many fans are looking forward to. At this point, even I know a thing or two about “homecomings.” After spending 2022 with another publication, I am officially returning to Racing Refresh and I couldn’t be more excited to be back. I greatly enjoyed my time away and I’m thankful that I got to work with a group of people whom I consider friends and whom I love deeply. However, as 2022 came to a close, it became apparent that Racing Refresh is home to me. This is where I belong. I want to thank AJ Appeal, Adam Carabine, and the rest of this wonderful team for welcoming me back with open arms. We have a lot of exciting plans for 2023 and I look forward to being a part of them. I genuinely can’t wait to be back on air and make my debut at the track. Who says you can’t go home? After all, there’s no place like it.

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it , StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 17th Place – Martin Truex Jr. – 1,036 pts JOE GIBBS RACING – TOYOTA 1st Winless Season Since 2014 – Martin Truex Jr.’s last winless season dates back to his first year with Furniture Row Racing. That year only featured one Top-5, and five Top-10s. Eight years (and 29 wins) later, Truex Jr. found himself back in the winless column. This time, his season was much better statistically, including four Top-5s and 15 Top-10s. However, the most important finishing position of all eluded him. 572 Laps Led in 2022 – Ranking in the Top 10 of Cup Series charters, Martin Truex Jr.’s 572 laps led unfortunately just go to show how good his car was at times this season. In a season with many unknowns, and a new car coming in that was meant to even the playing field, Joe Gibbs Racing showed that they still knew how to build machines. Truex Jr.’s teammates combined for 6 wins, including Christopher Bell’s trip to the Final Four. 1,968 Quality Passes in 2022 – Another Top-10 stat for Martin Truex Jr. this year was his ability to make Green Flag passes while running in the Top-15 (aka a Quality Pass). 2022 certainly wasn’t all doom and gloom for Truex Jr. despite not getting a win. Consider that he had four wins in 2021, but actually had 115 less Quality Passes. Fans of Martin Truex Jr. don’t need to start worrying that his winning days are over just yet – he certainly still has many of the tools to do it. 95.86% Miles Completed in 2022 – Martin Truex Jr. ranked 4th of all Cup Series charters in this category. Many often look at laps completed, but miles is a more true indicator of success, as finishing a lap at Talladega, or at a road course takes a bit more skill than just a single lap at Bristol or Martinsville. Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, and eventual champ Joey Logano were the only other three to complete more miles in 2022. 4th – Best Finish in 2022 – It feels like Martin Truex Jr. came so close to winning multiple times last season – ie. the number of laps he led, the amount of time he spent near the front of the pack, etc. However, his best finishes on the year were only a 4th place finish, which he accomplished just twice (Richmond and New Hampshire). While Truex Jr. wasn’t the “King of the Winless” (stay tuned for Ryan Blaney in a few more days), it seems shocking that he never finished second or third. Look for Martin Truex Jr. to tighten that up in ’23. The question of whether Martin Truex Jr. was going to retire from NASCAR was quite the hot topic for a while there, but with a strong proclamation in the form of three words (a press release that simply stated “I’m coming back.”), look for a bounceback season from Truex Jr. in 2023. He will remain in the No. 19 Toyota. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Playoff drivers! We begin with Alex Bowman! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it , StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 18th Place – Erik Jones – 831 pts PETTY GMS MOTORSPORTS – CHEVROLET 147 Laps Led in 2022 – Compared to the measly 9 laps he led in 2011, this was a major improvement for Erik Jones. As has been pointed out in this series before, leading laps is not always the stat that shows the best driver, as there’s really only one lap per race that’s important to lead (the last one). However, the more you’re running near the front, the better chance you have of pulling off that last-minute pass for the lead. Surprisingly, only 23 of his led laps came at the Southern 500, the site of Jones’ singular win on the season. 13 Finishes Worse Than 20th in ‘22 – It was a wildly inconsistent season for Erik Jones in the No. 43 last season. It was either feast or famine, with some weeks bringing great finishes, and others leaving more to be desired. He had 13 finishes worse than 20th, strangely paired with 13 finishes in the Top-10 (including a win). The rest of the 10 races he finished between 11th and 20th. When you are in a car that isn’t always competitive for wins, maximizing finishes is paramount. Jones will want to find some more consistency in that area moving forward. 3rd Best Career Average Finish @ Darlington – Why Erik Jones seems to excel so much at Darlington is somewhat of a mystery. However, it is something for fans of the No. 43 to celebrate. With only 3 career Cup Series wins under his belt, Jones has won 2 of them at Darlington. He has an average finish there of 10.7 over 10 races, which is beat only by Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. +266 Pass Differential in 2022 – So not only did Erik Jones pass 266 more times than he was passed under green, it was another huge improvement for him over 2021. The previous year, his differential was only +10. Any time you can stay on the positive side of zero in this stat is good, but Jones’ 2022 Pass Differential put him in the Top 5 of all Cup Series charters. 9,234 Laps Completed in 2022 – Another Top-5 stat for Erik Jones in 2022, he completed the 5th–most laps of all the Cup Series charters. A concerted effort to finish races, try to stay on the lead lap, and to avoid collisions, issues, etc. is important when it comes to searching for the ever-elusive NASCAR Championship. Jones somehow managed this feat while still recording 5 DNFs on the year, and as pointed out above, 13 finishes outside the Top 20. Recently, Petty GMS Motorsports (under an expanded ownership group which now includes Jimmie Johnson) rebranded their name to Legacy Motor Club. LMC will continue in 2023 with Noah Gragson running for Rookie of the Year in the 42 car, and Erik Jones returning to the 43. Jones signed a multi-year extension last year. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Martin Truex Jr.! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 19th Place – Bubba Wallace – 762 pts 23XI RACING – TOYOTA 94 More Points in 2022 than the Previous Year – In his second year at 23XI Racing (and coincidentally also their second year of existence), Bubba Wallace showed quite an improvement across many stats. Most notably, Wallace gained nearly 100 points over his performance last year. Also worth considering, he did it in one less race than in ’21, as he was suspended for the Kyle Larson spin-cident at Las Vegas in October. 1 Win in 2022 – Doubling his career Cup Series win total, Bubba Wallace won at Kansas (during the playoffs, no less) this year. While he had already crossed his first Cup Series victory off the bucket list the year prior, there were plenty of doubters and nay-sayers, who claimed that because his first win was due to a rain-related cancellation, it somehow carried less weight or less clout. Wallace won a completely normal race this year in Kansas, perhaps silencing the haters (though probably not). 18.31 Average Finish in 2022 – It was a career year for Bubba Wallace as far as Average Finish goes. Maybe more impressive, is his ability to continue to get better each year. From his first full-time Cup Series season 5 years ago, he has steadily improved his Average Finish at a rate of 1.3 positions per year. He’ll need that number to keep dropping if he wants to compete for the playoffs, and eventually become a contender for a championship, but it certainly is promising for the 29-year-old. 10 Top 10s in 2022 – While 10 of a possible 35 Top 10s is not the greatest stat in the world (Ross Chastain had 21, Jeff Gordon once had 30 in a season), it’s important to note the context. Coming into 2022, Wallace had just 12 Top 10s. He nearly doubled that number in this one year alone, earning 10. Whether you chalk that up to the improvement of 23XI in their second year of competition or Wallace becoming a stronger and more consistent driver, the fact remains that he is trending in the right direction. 7 DNFs in 2022 – When looking at Bubba Wallace’s career year in ’22, an interesting wrinkle is that he accomplished all of this while still not finishing many races. The prior year he only had 4 DNFs. Pair that with his one-race suspension this year, and somehow Wallace pulled off an incredible year (comparatively). His 7 DNFs tied him for 26th out of all 36 Cup Series charters this year. He’ll want to clean that up to keep improving, for sure. In August of 2022, it was announced that Bubba Wallace had signed a multi-year extension to remain at 23XI Racing. Look for Bubba in the No. 23 Toyota this season, alongside new teammate Tyler Reddick. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Erik Jones! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 20th Place – Aric Almirola – 758 pts STEWART-HAAS RACING – FORD 17.83 Average Finish in 2022 – Though he finished second-lowest in the standings of the four Stewart-Haas cars (after Cole Custer), Aric Almirola’s year wasn’t all that bad by his own standards. Of his 11 nearly full-time seasons, this was his 4th best. It was better than last year by more than 2 positions, despite having won in ’21. His best year was 2018, which also just so happened to be his first year at Stewart-Haas after a lengthy stay at with Richard Petty Motorsports. 1 Pole in 2022 – At the Bristol Night Race, despite not being in the playoffs, Aric Almirola scored his one and only pole of the season. He led 36 laps in that race (mind you, Bristol laps are pretty quick), but unfortunately was unable to complete the race due to a steering issue. He completed 418 of the 500 laps, and finished 29th. 1,515 Quality Passes in 2022 – A quality pass is a green flag pass made in the Top-15. Out of all 36 Cup Series charters, Aric Almirola scored the 16th most – slightly ahead of his 20th place points finish. That averages out to just over 42 per race, which is actually fairly impressive. He finished ahead of teammates Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe. -122 Pass Differential in 2022 – This is not a great number for Aric Almirola. Being passed by anyone is bad, but to be passed 122 more times than you passed others (while under green) is not great at all. On the bright side, it was still an improvement from 2021, where his pass differential was -165. If that number keeps trending in the right direction, he can continue to improve, but at this point in his career, he may be set in his ways. 141 (Average) Races per Win in his Career – It sometimes is easy to forget that Aric Almirola doesn’t have many career Cup Series wins. When you think of the veterans of the sport, he is certainly in the conversation. He started his Cup Series tenure with his first race in 2007. That’s a year before Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano broke onto the Cup scene. Keselowski is a champion with 35 wins, Logano is a two-time champ with 31. And yet, Almirola has just 3. What that means is that, on average, Almirola wins 1 in every 141 races. As he nears the end of his career, he’s going to have to hope they come a little quicker than that. Initially it was announced that 2022 would be Aric Almirola’s last year. He was going to retire at the end of the season and ride off into the sunset. However, in a strange bit of news, Almirola then changed his tune and signed a multi-year extension with Stewart-Haas and long-time sponsor Smithfield. Look for Aric to pilot the No. 10 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas in ’23. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Bubba Wallace! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 21st Place – Chris Buescher – 726 pts ROUSH FENWAY KESELOWSKI RACING – FORD 1 Race Missed due to Covid – The return of the NASCAR Cup Series to WWT-Gateway this year was missing one familiar face, as Chris Buescher had tested positive for Covid-19. Zane Smith was tapped to fill in (and finished with an admirable P17), and Buescher returned the following week in Sonoma. Note that Buescher’s 726 points are only based on the 35 races he completed. 194 Laps Led in 2022 – Making him Top-15 of the Cup Series charters, Chris Buescher led 194 laps, or 2.05% of all laps in 2022. Buescher’s season was filled with ups and downs, which could partially be blamed on the new co-owner, Brad Keselowski coming into the fold. Not to say Keselowski made things worse, but this was clearly meant to be a year of growth, while simultaneously learning as much as possible about the new Next-Gen car. Buescher’s 194 laps led were a bright point for the driver of the No. 17 Ford. 223 Races Between Victories for Buescher – In what had become somewhat of a strange playoffs, where non-playoff drivers were winning everywhere, Chris Buescher won the Bristol Night Race in 2022. This brought his Cup Series win total up to two. His only other win had happened 223 races prior, in 2016, when he won what was then called the Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway. Buescher is hoping some changes in ownership and some positive momentum can have that number be quite a bit smaller next time he wins. -323 Pass Differential in 2022 – The only driver/charter that had a worse pass differential (number of passes you make under green minus the number of times you’re passed under green) was Cole Custer. Neither of the two are names you’d expect to see at the bottom of this list. It’s crazy to think that Buescher scored a huge win at a difficult track in Bristol, yet was one of the worst passers in the field all season. The two stats don’t seem to coincide. If he cleans this up, though, Buescher could be a much bigger threat to make the playoffs. 41 Stage Points Scored in 2022 – Stage points are not the be-all and end-all in NASCAR, so they’re not necessarily indicative of success. They are interesting to look at, as it points to strategy calls made by the team. Some teams are okay with getting one or two stage points, because hey, every point matters. Other teams feel that’s not worth it and might pit earlier to jump the stage and try for better track position (which could then lead to a better overall finish). Buescher’s 41 stage points in 2022 point to a team that either was not often running in the Top-10, or a team that just didn’t prioritize stage points. Coming into 2022, Chris Buescher had signed an extension into 2024, so he will remain in the No. 17 car for the next two years. Alongside teammate and co-owner Brad Keselowski, the two will hope to keep growing their program together. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Aric Almirola! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 22nd Place – Justin Haley – 698 pts KAULIG RACING – CHEVROLET 77 Point Lead over teammate(s) in the #16 Car – When you think Cup Series, Kaulig Racing, 2022, I think the overwhelming first thought would be AJ Allmendinger in the #16. In fact, between the two, the 16 finished ahead of Justin Haley 20 times of 36. What that ultimately points to is that Haley had a more consistently solid season. While the 16 may have been a bit flashier at times, competing for wins, Justin Haley held his own and put up solid, consistent numbers – leading to him earning more points than his teammate(s). +1.74 Start/Finish Differential in 2022 – Putting him in the Top-10 in this category, it Justin Haley often outperformed his qualifying position this year. In fact, he outperformed his average running position. On average, Justin Haley was running around 21st place this year. However, his average finish on the year was 18.4, meaning he gained an average of nearly 3 spots leading up to the end of races. Whether that shows an ability to ramp it up as the pressure grows near the end of the race, or the ability to avoid late-race trouble, it is a promising stat for a car that is traditionally mid-pack. 94 Fast Laps in 2022 – Unfortunately, despite Kaulig Racing’s success in the Xfinity Series, they still have some learning to do in Cup. Ranking 27th of all Cup Series charters, Justin Haley’s 94 fast laps this year just are not enough to cut it, when it comes to vehicle speed. Haley did an admirable job with what he was given, but Kaulig’s going to have some work to do in order to compete with the big guns next year. 2 DNFs in 2022 – Again, demonstrating what a nice and consistent season Justin Haley had, he only had 2 DNFs all year. That tied him for 2nd of all Cup Series charters this year, a stat that’s only beat by Joey Logano’s single DNF. He may not have always had the speed to contend for wins, but keeping the car clean is a great indicator of a driver who is in control, and is comfortable behind the wheel. As Kaulig continues to grow its Cup Series program, look for Justin Haley to gain momentum. 3rd Finish at Darlington in Spring 2022 – Widely seen as one of the most challenging of the ovals on the Cup Series circuit, Darlington happens to be where Justin Haley scored one of his two best finishes of the year (he also was third at Texas). Because of its asymmetrical design, Darlington is much harder to get into a rhythm, and is seen as a true ‘driver’s track.’ Whether Justin Haley deserved the singular Cup Series win he famously got at Daytona a few years back or not, it’s clear there’s a good driver in there. And at age 23, watch for him to keep growing. Justin Haley is staying with Kaulig for more than just one year, as he signed a multi-year deal alongside newly-full-time teammate AJ Allmendinger. Justin will once again pilot the No. 31 Chevrolet for Kaulig, as they continue to grow their program in the Cup Series. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Chris Buescher! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 23rd Place – Brad Keselowski – 670 pts ROUSH FENWAY KESELOWSKI RACING – FORD 100 Point Penalty after the Spring Atlanta Race – In his first year with a new team (of which he is now part owner), Brad Keselowski got off to a rough start. In just the 5th race of the season, Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford was found to be in violation of the rules. It would appear that the rear fascia did not meet the original specifications set out by the rule book, meaning that RFK Racing in some way altered the part. The gaffe cost Keselowski 100 driver and owner points, as well as 10 playoff points. 770 Points (Without the Penalty) – It’s hard to determine whether the penalty set a completely different set of circumstances in motion within the No. 6 team. Keselowski may have pushed for wins, rather than being okay with earning plenty of points, as the penalty would have made pointing his way into the playoffs much more difficult. Regardless, even the 770 points he could have had without the penalty did not place him in the Top 16, meaning it was likely he still would have missed the playoffs. 18.28 Average Finish in 2022 – It wasn’t Brad Keselowski’s best year, though it wasn’t quite as bad as his worst, either. His first full-time Cup Season (2010) featured a career-worst 22.36. 2022 was his second-worst year as far as Average Finish goes, but Keselowski also knew that things were going to be tough this year. In leaving the juggernaut that is Team Penske (featuring 2022 champion Joey Logano), Keselowski was moving to a team with lesser equipment. The goal for Keselowski was not to come and compete for championships immediately. His goal was to build a solid program up, to hopefully compete in the not-too-distant future. 224 Laps Led in 2022 – Not to get too doom and gloom on ol’ Brad, there were definitely some bright spots in his 2022 season! His 224 laps led put him in the Top 15 of that category, and he was still able to threaten for the lead in multiple races. The cars at RFK may not have had the speed he was used to at Penske, but at the end of the day, Keselowski’s a veteran with a lot of experience. And as he turns 39 (just before the Daytona 500), he’s definitely still got some gas in the tank! 139 Career Top 5s – Keselowski having earned 139 Top 5s puts him in the Top 30 in that category. And with drivers ahead of him on this list having been long-retired, there’s a real chance he could make his way into the Top 25 before his career is through (as a driver, at least). It’s clear that Brad is setting himself up for retirement to transition to a full-time owner with RFK, but it’s hard to imagine that he’s close to getting ready for it yet. As mentioned, since Brad Keselowski is part owner of the RFK Racing team, of course he will return again next year (and for the foreseeable future) in the No. 6 Ford. Teammate Chris Buescher also will return with him as they continue to keep growing the team, hoping to recapture some of the glory days of Roush Racing past! Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Justin Haley! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 24th Place – Michael McDowell – 662 pts FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS – FORD 9,380 Laps Completed in 2022 – Michael McDowell might not be the one you expected to complete the most laps in 2022. With only 2 DNFs, McDowell managed to keep his car clean all year, and that put him at the top of the field for laps completed. He failed to complete only 103 laps all year. The 2nd best in this category was eventual 2022 Champion, Joey Logano. 24 Lead Lap Finishes in 2022 – What makes the previous stat interesting is that Michael McDowell was clearly not the fastest car on the track this year. Having 24 lead lap finishes is nothing to scoff at, but it also ties for 15th of all Cup Series charters. So clearly McDowell was still getting lapped by the leaders (in 12 races, at least). What set him apart was his ability to limit his losses. Aside from the 2 DNFs on the year, he rarely finished more than one or two laps down. 16.72 Average Finish in 2022 – This was the best average finish of Michael McDowell’s career… and it wasn’t even close. This is his 3rd consecutive career-best average finish, and last year’s now 2nd best average finish was 20.47. When McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500, it was clear that some things were starting to click for him and his team. While he still remains winless since, his overall performance continues to improve. Can he make 2023 another best year? 12 Top-10s in 2022 – Again another milestone for the driver of the No. 34, McDowell’s previous career high was 2021, where he only scored 5. A big deal was made about the Next-Gen car evening the playing field for some of the smaller teams. While not every smaller team improved as drastically, the crew at Front Row Motorsports clearly figured something out. 0.23% Career Winning Percentage – Michael McDowell’s lone Cup Series win came at the 2021 Daytona 500. With now 427 Cup Series races under his belt, that puts him at a winning percentage of 0.23%, which is in the Bottom-5 All-Time! It’s hard to believe that the same Michael McDowell who was finishing with 29 DNFs on a season and an average finish of around 39 from ten years ago is now occasionally competing for wins and putting up career numbers. Only 4 other drivers started more races with a single win, and they are all retired. If McDowell continues driving for a few more years (and remains winless), he may be able to take the all-time crown. Here’s hoping (for McDowell’s sake) that he gets another win soon to put this theory to bed! Michael McDowell will return in 2023 to the No. 34 Ford for Front Row Motorsports. McDowell’s crew chief from 2022, Blake Harris, has been scooped up by Hendrick Motorsports to crew chief for Alex Bowman next year, so Travis Peterson will be atop the pit box for McDowell in 2023. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Brad Keselowski! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 25th Place – Cole Custer – 638 pts STEWART-HAAS RACING – FORD 1 Pole in 2022 – Cole Custer earned the pole at Bristol Dirt in April this year. It was his only pole of the year, and unfortunately it didn’t translate to a win. Custer earned 0 stage points, and finished 13th on the day. -509 Pass Differential in 2022 – Ranking dead last of all 36 Cup Series charters, Cole Custer had the worst pass differential in 2022. This means that Custer was passed 509 more times than he passed others. When you consider that the best pass differential this year belonged to Denny Hamlin, at +431, that’s a difference of almost 1,000 passes. In 2021, Custer’s PD was only -97. 3 Top-10s in 2022 – Cole Custer’s rookie year (3 seasons ago now) remains his best average finish in a full-time Cup Series season. That year he scored 7 Top-10s. With only 3 this year (one 8th, and two 9ths), that’s a trend heading in the wrong direction. His best finish came at the Bristol Night Race in the later half of the year. 89.63% Miles Completed in 2022 – While Cole Custer might be the first to tell you that this season was a bit disappointing for the young driver, there were also some positives. Custer finished more miles than both Kyle Busch and Tyler Reddick, amounting to just under 90% of the miles run in 2022. 11.50 Career Average Finish @ Dover – 3rd best of all Cup Series charters, Cole Custer seems to have a knack for Dover. Earlier in 2022, Custer earned a 15th place finish. While it wasn’t the best finish of his year, the fact that he still remains in the Top-5 of drivers at Dover after a P15 shows how well he performs there. His one Cup Series win came at Kentucky, which is no longer on the schedule, so his best current track is now Dover. Shortly after the end of this season, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Cole Custer would not be returning to the Cup Series in 2023. Ryan Preece has been moved to the #41 Ford for next year’s Cup season. Custer will move to the Xfinity Series, where he will pilot the #00, also for Stewart-Haas Racing. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Michael McDowell! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit - Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 26th Place – #16 Car – 621 pts KAULIG RACING – CHEVROLET AJ Allmendinger (18 Races) – Noah Gragson (10 races) – Daniel Hemric (8 races) 1,014 Quality Passes in 2022 – Collectively, the three drivers of the #16 Chevrolet in 2022 combined for 1,014 quality passes (green flag passes while in the Top-15). An average of just over 28 per race is pretty respectable, especially without the consistency of having a full-time driver on board. Considering that the #16 had an average finish outside of the Top-15 (20.22 this year), it’s clear that the finishes didn’t always match the running position. 12.33 Average Finish at Road Courses in 2022 – AJ Allmendinger is no slouch when it comes to the NASCAR road course. His two Cup Series victories are at Watkins Glen and the Indianapolis Road Course. This year was no exception, as Allmendinger was tasked with all of the road courses (among other tracks too). While he didn’t earn Kaulig Racing a Cup Series win in 2022, he is consistently a threat when it comes to turning both right and left. 9 Top-10s in 2022 – When you consider that 2022 was the #16 Car’s first full-time year in the Cup Series, that’s a solid number of Top-10 finishes. Aside from Daniel Hemric earning a 9th place finish at Auto Club Speedway, the remainder of Top-10s came from Allmendinger. 7 DNFs in 2022 – While not a great stat for the #16 Car, it can hardly be chalked up to the drivers. Unfortunately, of the 7 DNFs, 5 of them were related to failures of the car, not wrecks. Issues with brakes, suspension, throttle, etc. plagued the 16 machine throughout the season. In order to contend next year, they’ll want to clean that part of their operation up. 50% Lead Lap Finishes in 2022 – Again, not a stat that looks great for the #16 Car, but for a program that’s still in its relative infancy, this isn’t a glaring red flag. Tied for 26th of all Cup Series charters, 18 lead lap finishes were not the worst of the field, by far. However, it’s just hard to consistently earn points when you’re finishing laps down. Daniel Hemric will return to the Xfinity #11 for Kaulig Racing next year - the same ride he drove full-time this year. Noah Gragson will make the step up to the Cup Series in ’23, running in the Petty-GMS Motorsports #42, replacing Ty Dillon. AJ Allmendinger will pilot the Cup Series #16 for Kaulig Racing full-time next year, giving the ride some much-needed stability. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Cole Custer! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 27th Place – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 579 pts JTG-DAUGHERTY RACING – CHEVROLET 87 less points than in 2021 – 2022 wasn’t Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s best year. In fact, it was his 2nd worst since he started racing in the Cup Series full-time. 2021 saw him earn 666 points, with a 22nd place overall finish. This year, Stenhouse Jr. dropped 5 spots in the standings, and finished with 579 points. While many of the smaller teams made strides this year with the development of the next-gen car, it seems JTG-Daugherty was one of the few teams that took a step back. +292 Pass Differential in 2022 – This year was not a complete write-off for Ricky Stenhouse Jr., however. There were plenty of positives along the way as well. His +292 Pass Differential (in other words, passing others 292 more times than he was passed) ranked 4th of all the charters in 2022. He may not have had all the finishes he wanted, but he certainly is able to get by others on the track, which is a recipe for success. 6.25 Average Finish over a stretch of 4 races in 2022 – While Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s bread and butter has always been seen as Super Speedways, or “plate racing style” tracks, his best stretch of the season came at completely different tracks. Through the month of May, he finished 2nd at Dover, 8th at Darlington and Kansas, and finally 7th at the Coca-Cola 600. A single good finish could be written off as a lucky break, or a fluke, but 4 Top-10s in a row (at some difficult races, too) shows there’s more to Stenhouse Jr. than his Super Speedway acumen. 9 DNFs in 2022 – Unfortunately for Ricky, that ranks as the highest of all Cup Series chartered cars this year. That likely contributes to his underperforming this year compared to last. Many factors can contribute to DNFs, and not all of them are directly the driver’s fault. Of Stenhouse Jr.’s 9 DNFs, only 2 were not crash-related. A drivetrain issue at COTA, and an engine at the 2nd Atlanta race took him out early. The rest of the DNFs of 2022 are listed as “crashes,” though that can also be just bad luck – being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 77 Laps Led in 2022 – Obviously, the most important lap to lead is always the final one, but there is certainly much more pressure when you’re the leader – everyone is chasing you at that point. Not only did Ricky Stenhouse Jr. lead 77 laps this year, it was 42 laps more than 2021, despite a worse average finish. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is officially returning to JTG-Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 in 2023, as he signed a multi-year extension with them this year. He will have a new crew chief in 2023, as his former crew chief Brian Pattie will join KBM’s No. 51 in the Crafstman Truck Series. Mike Kelley (who has been with JTG-Daugherty since 2020 in a competition director role) will be his crew chief next year. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – #16 Car – Kaulig Racing! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 28th Place – Harrison Burton – 572 pts WOOD BROTHERS RACING – FORD 2nd (of 3) in Rookie of the Year standings – Harrison Burton and Todd Gilliland were in a tough fight for 2nd in the RotY standings, as Austin Cindric’s Daytona 500 win essentially gave him the title. For the first 17 races, Gilliland was firmly in 2nd place, but a poor performance at Road America by Gilliland turned the tides. Burton never looked back, and stayed ahead of Gilliland for the remainder of the season. 35 Laps Led in 2022 – Starting with 3 laps led at the Daytona 500, Harrison Burton led a smattering of laps in a handful of races throughout the season. All of which added up to 35 laps led. His best stretch of the season was races 18 through 21, where he led 17 laps. He led 1 lap at Road America, then 9 at Atlanta, 3 at New Hampshire, followed by 4 at Pocono. 1,265.76 Less Miles Completed in 2022 than Todd Gilliland – In the previous article about Todd Gilliland, it was pointed out that Gilliland had a knack for keeping his equipment clean, and running near the front at times during the season, but often failed to equate that into good finishes. Harrison Burton had nearly double the DNFs that Gilliland had, but still managed to beat him in points. Neither rookie had a perfect season, but Harrison Burton’s ability to maximize his finishes is promising for his future. 18 Lead Lap Finishes in 2022 – 50% of the points races this season, Harrison Burton finished on the lead lap. That’s not a bad stat for a rookie in the Cup Series. That’s more than now-veteran drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Corey LaJoie, and only one less than Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace. From races 12 to 19, he finished on the lead lap for 8 straight races. 1 Top-5 in 2022, at the Indianapolis Road Course – As pointed out a few days ago, Corey LaJoie earned his first ever career Top-5 this year, in his 5th full-time Cup Series season. It took LaJoie 168 races to get his first Top-5. It was Harrison Burton’s 23rd ever Cup Series race where he finished 3rd, earning his first (and so far, only) Top-5. While an official announcement has not been made yet, it is thought to be quite unlikely that Harrison Burton doesn’t return to the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing. Wood Brothers has an affiliation with Team Penske, but all three Penske drivers have already signed long-term deals. Look for Burton to return to the 21 in 2023! Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 29th Place – Todd Gilliland – 530 pts FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS – FORD 3rd (of 3) in Rookie of the Year standings – Todd Gilliland’s inaugural Cup Series season certainly wasn’t a failure, by any means. However, he did fare the worst of the three eligible RotY drivers. Austin Cindric essentially clinched the title by winning the first race of the year and advancing to the playoffs, since it’s rare for drivers to win in their first Cup Series season. That being said, without his playoff appearance, Cindric still earned just over 300 more points than Gilliland in 2022. 4th Finish @ Indianapolis Road Course – Todd Gilliland’s best finish of the year was at the Indianapolis Road Course, where he finished 4th. He also finished 6th in the first stage, earning him an additional 5 points on the race. He finished with 38 points on the day, by far the best of his rookie campaign. 750 Quality Passes in 2022 – Quality passes are a metric measured by NASCAR which mean a green flag pass while also being in the Top-15. Considering Todd Gilliland’s average running position through the 2022 season was around 24th place, having 750 quality passes (or just under 21 per race) is a solid stat for a young rookie. When you get to the back of the pack, it’s much easier to pass the cars that are stuck back there, as they’re often not as fast as the contending teams. Being able to make your way to the Top-15, and then to be able to pass others while there – that’s something worth celebrating for Todd Gilliland this year. 4 DNFs in 2022 – A DNF rate of 11%, albeit with a small sample size, ranks just around the Top 60 all-time. It’s better than Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Erik Jones, and a little-known driver who went by the name of JEFF GORDON. Now, whether Todd Gilliland can continue that trend over future seasons remains to be seen, but he’s off to an impressive start so far when it comes to keeping his equipment clean. 31 Stage Points Earned in 2022 – Pair this with Gilliland’s number of quality passes, and it shows he had a knack for running up near the front at various points in the season. What seems to be missing from his Cup racing equation is his ability to close out races. It’s one thing to be able to run well, but all the points come from finishing. Todd shouldn’t worry too much, though, as it was just his rookie year. Earlier this month, Front Row Motorsports announced that their 2022 driver lineup would remain the same for 2023, meaning both Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland would be returning to the 34 and 38 cars, respectively. Look for Gilliland to improve on a respectable rookie season. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Harrison Burton! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!

(Cover Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images) By Adam Carabine In case you missed it, StatChat is counting down the days ‘til the 2023 Daytona 500. Every two days, we will have a new article featuring one of the 36 charters of 2022. 30th Place – Ty Dillon – 517 pts PETTY GMS MOTORSPORTS – CHEVROLET 12 Races finishing better than teammate Erik Jones – With Petty GMS being only a two-car team, it’s only natural to compare the two drivers as they are presumably running in similar equipment. Unfortunately, Ty Dillon’s 12 races only amount to 1/3rd of the races, meaning Erik Jones had better finishes 66% of the time. 2 Laps Led in 2022 – Over the course of the entire season, Ty Dillon led two laps. One was at the 3rd race of the year, Las Vegas. The second was at the final regular season race at Daytona. Fans of Ty may know that his two laps led this year were both under caution. However, a lap led still counts, no matter whether the flag is green or yellow! -305 Pass Differential in 2022 – As mentioned above, comparing different drivers can be tough if they’re not from the same team. Of course, each car gets a different plan based on the crew chief and driver, but the closest comparison in somewhat equal equipment is comparing teammates. Ty Dillon’s -305 Pass Differential wasn’t only 3rd worst of the Cup Series Charters in 2022, it was also 571 spots worse than teammate Erik Jones (+266). Such a discrepancy in performance for two cars on the same team is certainly concerning. 20th Best Miles Completed in 2022 – With 11,751.96 miles complete (or 90.31% of them) in 2022, Ty Dillon managed to complete more racing than 16 other Cup Series Charters did. Drivers he bested in this category include Austin Cindric, Cole Custer, Kyle Busch, and Tyler Reddick. 15.20 Career Average Finish at Talladega – Putting him in 3rd place of all the charters, Ty Dillon’s most successful track is Talladega. With a career average finish of 15.20 over the course of 10 races, only Chase Elliott and Austin Cindric have better records there. Also of note, Austin CIndric’s average finish is only based on 2 cup starts, so the small sample size could see Dillon taking over 2nd place easily next season, depending on how Cindric does. It was announced in July of 2022 that Ty Dillon would not return to Petty GMS in 2023. Despite having only joined the team in 2022, the two reportedly mutually agreed to go their separate ways after the season. In October, it was announced that Ty Dillon would move full-time to the #77 Car for Spire Motorsports. Coming up next in the Countdown to Daytona series – Todd Gilliland! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all of your Racing Refresh Merch from our online store! Is there an error? Something missing that you’d like to see? Let us know!