By Vincent Delforge, Special to Kickin’ the Tires
After a superb 2023 season in the ARCA Menards West Series, it’s time to take a last look at the numbers. The 2023 season saw a new champion and Rookie of the Year with Sean Hingorani.
While Venturini Motorsports’ Hingorani took the honor of the West Series’ driver’s championship, the team did not win the owner’s title. McGowan-Cook Racing Technologies won the owner’s title with Landen Lewis behind the wheel throughout the first half of the season and Kaden Honeycutt driving the final four races. Lewis and Honeycutt combined to earn three victories for the team in 2023.
In the 12-race season, Hingorani earned four victories. The Toyota Racing driver effectively ran away with the championship after Lewis was replaced in the No. 17 Chevrolet. The Team Hornaday Development driver was just one point behind Hingorani at the time.
Here is a selection of the statistics:
-1,586 = number of race laps (no driver completed all the laps)
-1,568 = number of race laps of Tyler Reif = 98.9% (the most of all drivers)
-1,033.245 = number of race miles
-1,016 = the all-time number of races in history
-1,008.94 = number of race miles completed by Tyler Reif = (98.9% (the most of all drivers)
-637 = the total points of MMI Racing, the owner’s championship winning team (Steve McGowan and Bruce Cook Racing Technologies)
-626 = the total points of Sean Hingorani, the champion (+36 over Tyler Reif)
-392 = biggest number of laps lead (Sean Hingorani)
-343 = the number of laps under yellow flags
-160 = the number of miles of the longest race of the season (Phoenix I)
-125 = number of career starts by Johnny Borneman III (the most of all active drivers)
-76 = the number of drivers who have participated in at least one race this season.
-70 = 70th season in history
-64 = the number of cautions
-50 = the number of miles of the shortest races of the season (Roseville and Madera)
-43 = number of drivers with at least one top-10 finish.
-36 = the number of points ahead of the champion Sean Hingorani on his runner-up Tyler Reif.
-32 = biggest field (Phoenix I).
-24 = number of drivers with at least one top-five finish.
-15 = smallest field (Evergreen).
-12 = the number of drivers who participated in all races this season.
-12 = number of races this season.
-11 = the number of points ahead of MMI Racing, the championship winning team (Steve McGowan and Bruce Cook Racing Technoligies) on runner-up Venturini Motorsports.
-10 = number of races on oval this season.
-9.675 = in second the biggest margin of Victory (Sonoma)
-9 = Bradley Erickson’s number of Top-10s this season. He’s the one who has the most.
-8 = number of drivers with at least one win.
-8 = the most leader changes in a race (Phoenix I)
-8 = the worst position at the start of a race for the winner (Dylan Cappello at LVMS Bullring)
-7 -= number of driver with at least one pole position.
-7 = the number of drivers who obtained their first career pole pole in 2023.
-7 = the number of Top-fives for Sean Hingorani this season the most top-five finishes by any driver in the West Series in 2023.
-6.3 = best average finishing position for a driver who has done the full season (Sean Hingorani)
-6 = the number of first time race winners (Tyler Reif, Sean Hingorani, Ryan Preece, Kaden Honeycutt, Dylan Cappello and William Sawalich)
-5 = the number of free passes obtained by Takuma Koga this season (the most of all drivers)
-4 = the number of victories of Sean Hingorani this season, the most of any driver throughout the 2023 West Series season.
-3.8 = best average starting position for a driver who has done the full season (Sean Hingorani)
-3 = the number of times the pole sitter has won the race (Landen Lewis at Portland, Ryan Preece at Sonoma and William Sawalich at Phoenix II)
-3 = number of manufacturers in Victory Lane (Toyota 5 ; Ford 4 ; Chevrolet 3)
-3 = number of manufacturers on pole (Ford 5 ; Toyota 4 ; Chevrolet 3)
-2 = the number of pole positions obtained this season by Sean Hingorani, Tyler Reif, Trevor Huddleston, Landen Lewis and William Sawalich.
-2 = number of races extended by an overtime finish. (Phoenix I and LVMS Bullring)
-2 = number of races on road courses this season.
-1 = fewest lead changes in a race (Bakersfield, Shasta, Evergreen, Roseville and Madera).
-0.288 = the smallest margin of victory (Phoenix I).
-First time in history, two different brothers finish second in the championship in consecutive seasons. Tanner Reif in 2022 and Tyler Reif in 2023.