NASCAR Stat: Hendrick Motorsports is not the best team in the average starting position in 2024

Hendrick Motorsports has had its ace, Kyle Larson, consistently topping the charts, with all four drivers on the team landing in the top 10 of the NASCAR driver standings. Yet, despite its strong performance, Rick Hendrick's squad doesn't boast the best average starting position—that title goes to its closest competitor.

This 2024 season, Hendrick Motorsports has celebrated nine victories across 22 races. On the other hand, the Joe Gibbs Racing team has had six wins—three from Denny Hamlin and three by Christopher Bell. However, Joe Gibbs Racing has edged out the competition in average starting positions, leading the pack this year.

According to the latest statistics released by Trey Ryan, NASCAR Cup team Joe Gibbs Racing’s drivers have had an average starting position of 11.13 so far in 2024. Hendrick Motorsports isn’t far behind, securing the second-best average start at 11.17, with six pole positions this season.

Trailing the two leading teams, the Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing team holds its own with an average starting position of 12.16. Following closely behind is Team Penske at 13.67.

Further down the list, Front Row Motorsports sits at 17.64, while Trackhouse Racing edges in at 18.05. RFK Racing finds itself with an average starting slot of 19.40, just ahead of Richard Childress Racing at 19.68. Rounding out the top ten are Stewart-Haas Racing with 21.64 and Spire Motorsports at 23.17.

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A look at NASCAR Cup teams' performance up until the Olympic break

1. Hendrick Motorsports has clinched about 41% of this season's races, leading 1,192 out of the 5,824 total laps. The team hasn’t gone more than three races without a win.

2. Joe Gibbs Racing has captured 27.2% of the points races and boasts a series-high 20 stage wins. It's also led the pack this season, topping the charts with 2,180 laps led, which accounts for 37.4% of the total.

3. 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick won one of the 22 races held so far, at Talladega. Behind the wheel of the #45 Toyota Camry, he has scored eight top-10s in his last nine NASCAR Cup races. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace finds himself just shy of a playoff position with only four races left in the regular season.

4. Team Penske has been on a tear, winning four of the last eight points races with victories by Austin Cindric at World Wide Technology Raceway, Joey Logano at Nashville, and Ryan Blaney at Iowa and Pocono. Like Hendrick Motorsports, all of Team Penske's drivers have secured spots in the playoffs.

5. Over at RFK Racing, Brad Keselowski won at Darlington, while his teammate Chris Buescher has been knocking on victory’s door without breaking through. Together, they've amassed 12 top-five finishes this season.

6. Trackhouse Racing has seen Daniel Suarez lock in a playoff berth with his victory in Atlanta, while Ross Chastain, though winless, is in NASCAR playoff contention. Suarez's eighth-place finish at Indianapolis stands as Trackhouse Racing’s strongest showing in the last six races.