It took 59 attempts for Daryn Pittman to win his first race of the season in one of the top levels of his discipline, and that was a little disappointing for a driver who has flirted with double-digit wins for most of his career.

Then again, that is understandable when the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series was dominated by Donny Schatz and David Gravel with 20 and 18 wins, respectively — which increasingly left the remainder of the field fighting for second.

There is an adage in racing that says second place is just the first loser, but racers know that is untrue. The best of them run as hard to gain each position possible, and there is a reason most statisticians track podium finishes. Pittman was the runner-up 10 times in 80 starts this year. He finished third on another five occasions, which combined with his two victories to allow him to stand on the podium in more than 20 percent of his starts.

Pittman’s pair of victories came outside of the limelight, and that might have him flying under the radar for many casual fans. His first win of the season came in the Big Sky Brawl at Billings (MT) Motorsports Park on Aug. 26. His second win was earned a week later in the Outlaw Energy Showdown at Skagit (WA) Speedway.

But that simply makes the Flo50 an important tool to track and reward drivers for strong efforts during the season. Pittman’s 28 top fives (35 percent of his starts) and 56 top 10s (70 percent) in an incredibly competitive series means he was rarely out of sight of the leaders.

Still, two wins is a far cry from the eight he recorded in 2016 or the double-digit campaigns he banked with regularity early in the 2010s. With 67 career Outlaw wins to his credit and a championship in 2013 when he led the points from start to finish, more is expected of Pittman in 2018.

Flo 50

*Percentage points utilize the baseline belief that a win is a win in the major series covered. One hundred points is awarded to first and the points decrement below that as a percentage of the field. For example, in a 25-car field, each position behind the winner is worth four fewer points. In races with incredibly large fields, the points decrement to a less extreme degree. A 50-car field decrements two points per position, and drivers earn points even if they fail to make the A-main.

Introducing The Flo 50