F1 Driver Performance Index
CompleteComposite statistical index ranking F1 drivers across eras (1950–2025), adjusting for car performance, era, and teammate context using a 16-indicator Bayesian methodology.
Hi, I'm
Nick Sumnicht
Data Analyst
Senior Research Analyst by day. Building analyses and dashboards about whatever I'm obsessed with by night.
About Me
Photo coming soon
I'm a Senior Research Analyst at AIR, based in Littleton, Colorado (just south of Denver), which I've called home since 2019 and have zero plans of leaving. I work remotely alongside my wife and our three dogs, Marshall, Milo, and Maestro, which makes for a pretty great office setup.
I've spent the past decade in healthcare government contracting, building data visualizations, coding measures and indices, and developing validation pipelines for clients like CMS, CMMI, ACHP, MACPAC, and QSRS. The visualization and validation work is what I genuinely love most, but I'm ready for the next challenge. I want to move into the statistical methodology side of data science and develop measures myself, not just implement them. That's really the whole reason this site exists: to document that journey, the learning, and honestly, the mistakes along the way.
When I'm not staring at data, I'm usually outside. I've been rock climbing since high school and got into mountaineering around 2017. Summits so far include Mount Rainier, Mount Adams (twice), Eldorado Peak, and Mount Olympus, with Shasta, Whitney, and Baker still on the list. Away from the mountains, my interests are what I'd call wonderfully eclectic: Formula 1, D&D, Legos, crochet, trashy reality TV, sports statistics, and plenty more that will probably surface as projects accumulate here.
Python
SQL / PostgreSQL
Tableau
Power BI
Statistical Modeling
ETL Pipelines
Healthcare Data
Bayesian Analysis
Projects
Healthcare ED Utilization Pipeline
In ProgressEnd-to-end ELT pipeline linking CDC PLACES, CMS hospital data, Census ACS, and EPA Walkability to analyze what drives emergency department utilization across communities.
NFL Injury Rate Analysis
In ProgressStatistical investigation into whether playing surface independently affects NFL injury rates across 84,667 player-game observations from 2009 to 2024. Section 1 complete: the aggregate artificial vs. natural comparison masks real differences between specific surface products.
More projects in progress — check back soon.
Dashboards
Dashboard Coming Soon
Interactive visualizations from project work will be embedded here.
Dashboard Coming Soon
Interactive visualizations from project work will be embedded here.
Tableau dashboards and interactive tools will appear here as projects complete.
Writing
Does NFL Turf Actually Cause More Injuries? I Looked at 84,000 Player-Games to Find Out.
The NFLPA has pushed the turf narrative for years. I pulled 16 seasons of injury reports to see if the data actually supports it. The answer depends heavily on which surface you are talking about.
Building the F1 Driver Performance Index
How I built a 16-indicator Bayesian index to rank every F1 driver from 1950 to 2025 — era-adjusted z-scores, Bayesian shrinkage, bootstrap confidence intervals, and why the answer is more complicated than you'd think.
Resume
Download PDF ↓Core Skills
Visualization
Tableau (10+ yrs), Power BI (5+ yrs), Excel
Programming
Python (pandas, NumPy, SciPy, Spark), SQL, Databricks
Data Engineering
PostgreSQL, ETL pipelines, data validation frameworks
Domain
Healthcare analytics, payment model evaluation, CMS/CMMI data, quality measurement
Experience
Senior Research Analyst
American Institute for Research (AIR)
- Led analytic workflows for healthcare payment models, migrating 30,000+ lines of SAS to Python/Databricks.
- Verified the Community Deprivation Index (CDI) for a CMS payment model, validating multi-factor calculations impacting hospital reimbursement.
- Built automated data quality and validation frameworks ensuring accuracy and reproducibility across large healthcare datasets.
- Designed and maintained Tableau and Power BI dashboards delivering performance metrics to internal teams and external stakeholders including CMS, CMMI, ACHP, MACPAC, and QSRS.
- Serves as AIR's primary SME on data visualization best practices, training junior staff and guiding teams on impactful data storytelling.
Senior Research Analyst
IMPAQ International, LLC
- Analyzed CMS healthcare datasets for performance measurement, utilization tracking, and program evaluation.
- Led migration of reporting workflows from Tableau to Power BI, rebuilding data models and designing DAX measures.
- Developed public-facing Tableau dashboards on food accessibility, diabetes risk, and COVID-19 clinical trials.
Analyst / Research Analyst
IMPAQ International, LLC
- Supported healthcare program evaluation through data validation, quality assurance, and performance reporting.
- Developed interactive dashboards for CMMI reporting 50+ measures across 7 dashboards for stakeholder reporting.
- Managed a team of 3 QA testers for the Quality Safety and Review System (QSRS) using Agile and Jira.
Education
B.A. Economics, Minor in Mathematics
Colorado State University
Get In Touch
I'm always happy to talk data, methodology, F1, or whatever you're building. The best way to reach me is email.