The facts and stats to know from the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season – USREPORT

With the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season now in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to take a look at the stats that tell the story of the year. Here are the things to know from Ryan Blaney’s title-winning season.

• Ryan Blaney is the third driver in the last four seasons to win his first Cup Series title. Since Jimmie Johnson won his sixth title in 2013, eight drivers have won championships (including Johnson in 2016).

• Blaney’s eight top-five finishes are the fewest of any Cup Series champion in NASCAR’s modern era (1972-present). The previous low for a champion was Tony Stewart’s nine top fives in 2011.

• William Byron led the Cup Series with six wins. It’s the second straight season that just one driver had five or more wins.

• Byron and Kyle Larson had the most top-five finishes with 15 apiece. Only eight drivers had 10 or more top fives.

• Eight drivers had at least 10 top-five finishes. All eight scored a victory.

• Byron led the Cup Series with 21 top-10 finishes. He was the only driver to have more than 20 top 10s. It’s the first time since 1992 that multiple drivers didn’t have at least 20 top-10 finishes.

• Brad Keselowski finished eighth in the standings and was tops among winless drivers. Ryan Blaney finished eighth a season ago and was also the highest-ranked winless driver. Just saying.

• Byron led the Cup Series with an 11.0 average finish. Chris Buescher was second at 12.1.

• Blaney’s average finish was seventh among full-time Cup Series drivers (Chase Elliott included) at 14.1.

• Elliott gained an average of 4.2 positions per race. Both Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Corey LaJoie gained four spots per race.

• Christopher Bell led the Cup Series with an average starting position of 9.6. Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick tied for second at 10.2. Reddick lost 5.5 spots per race while Bell lost 3.3 positions per race and Hamlin only lost 2.2.

• Bell led the Cup Series with six pole positions. Fifteen drivers got at least one pole in 2023 and eight had multiple pole positions.

• LaJoie was the only driver who finished every race. Buescher and Kevin Harvick finished all but one race.

• Buescher led the Cup Series with 32 lead-lap finishes. His Roush Fenway teammate Brad Keselowski was second at 31.

• Buescher also completed the most miles in the Cup Series at 12,480.04.

• Among drivers who competed in all 36 races, Austin Dillon had the most DNFs. Dillon failed to finish 10 races in 2023.

• Those DNFs contributed to the worst season of Dillon’s career. He finished 29th in the Cup Series standings. His previous worst season came in 2019 when he was 21st.

• Bubba Wallace finished a career-best 10th in the points standings after making the playoffs for the first time.

• Ty Dillon scored the fewest points of any driver who competed in all 36 races. Dillon averaged just 10.1 points per race. Elliott finished 17th in the standings and was the top non-playoff driver. Elliott averaged 28.3 points per race.

• Todd Gilliland was the only driver to compete in all 36 races and not lead a lap. Gilliland, Ty Dillon and Harrison Burton were the only full-time drivers to not score a top-five finish.