NASCAR: 5 Drivers to Watch at Bristol and 5 Who Will Struggle

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Thunder Valley this week to take on the high-banked half-mile track at Bristol. There will be a lot of beating and banging this week as drivers try to make their way through the field to win the race.

If there were ever a track set up for a green-white-checker finish, Bristol is it. Sometimes the only way to the front is to go through another driver. It will happen on Sunday to someone.

Bristol is a driver’s racetrack. Drivers are either really good at the track, or they struggle to make it to the finish. Tempers will flare this week as drivers get cut off and possibly dumped in the final laps of the race.

Here is my list of five drivers who will have success at Bristol and five drivers who will struggle…

5 Drivers Who Will Dominate

Kyle Busch

When people think of Bristol the first name that usually comes to mind is Kyle Busch.

Busch has won four of the last six races at Bristol and has five career wins at the track. If you take away his two starts at Bristol in his rookie season (every rookie struggles at Bristol), his average finish is No. 5. Busch has led 1,375 laps in his career at Bristol and in 2008 he led 415 of the 500 laps in the race.

Busch became the first driver to win a Camping World Truck race, Nationwide race, and Sprint Cup race in the same weekend when he won all three at Bristol in August of 2010.

Busch is the one driver who is guaranteed to be up front this week at Bristol.

Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson has also had success at Bristol. Johnson has finished in the top 10 in 11 of his 20 starts at the track. He has one win, one pole, and has led 737 laps in his career at Bristol.

Some fans may overlook Johnson this week because of the possible suspension of his Crew Chief, Chad Knaus. Hendrick Motorsports appealed the suspension on Tuesday and NASCAR upheld their six-race suspension on Knaus. Hendrick Motorsports appealed the suspension to the next level so Knaus will be allowed to serve as the crew chief for the No. 48 car until the appeal is heard. That means Knaus will be on the pit box this weekend at Bristol.

The No. 48 team performs at their best when facing adversity. After two straight top-5 finishes, Johnson will be looking to add a second victory at Bristol to his resume. I would not bet against him.

Matt Kenseth

Sometimes slow and steady wins the race. That is the story of Matt Kenseth’s career at Bristol.

Some drivers try to pass 10 cars on one lap. That is not the way Kenseth drives at Bristol. Kenseth usually qualifies in the middle of the pack at Bristol (average starting position is No. 17), which means he must pass many cars to make it to the front. Kenseth passes them one at a time and usually finishes up front.

In his 24 career starts at Bristol, Kenseth has 16 top-10 finishes, nine top-5 finishes, two wins and one pole. He has led 852 laps in his career at Bristol.

Kenseth is off to a good start this year (No. 5 in the point standings). I look for his success to continue on Sunday.

Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards did not get his nickname “Concrete Carl” for nothing. At one time in his career Edwards was the dominant driver at Bristol. He is still good, but Busch has stolen some of his thunder.

In his 15 career starts at Bristol, Edwards has seven top-10 finishes, four top-5 finishes, two wins and two poles. Edwards has also led 300 laps at Bristol in his career.

Edwards needs a strong finish on Sunday to help him improve on his No. 6 place in the point standings. Edwards came into the 2012 season with expectations of winning the championship. A win on Sunday could give him the momentum he needs for the rest of the year.

Ryan Newman

The easiest way to win at Bristol is to start up front and stay up front. No one knows more about starting up front at Bristol than Ryan Newman.

Newman has three career poles at Bristol and his average starting position is No. 9. Newman is not only good at qualifying at Bristol, he is also good at remaining up front for most of the race. Although Newman has never won a race at Bristol, he has finished in the top 10 in six of his last seven starts at the track. He will be another driver to watch on Sunday.

5 Drivers Who Will Struggle

Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon has a good record at Bristol, but I selected him for this list because Gordon does not seem to be on his game this year.

For each race, Gordon has been heard on the radio complaining about his car. The other Hendrick Motorsports cars have been very strong in every race, but Gordon and his crew chief Alan Gustafson do not seem to be able to hit on the set up of the car.

Gordon could dominate this week at Bristol because he has done it before at this track, but I am not counting on it. I think the story of Gordon having problems with his car will continue for another week.

Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart drove a brilliant race last week at Las Vegas. On the restarts he blew away the competition. Most fans would think his success will continue at Bristol. I would not count on it.

Stewart was very good at Bristol early in his career. Recently Stewart has struggled at the half-mile track. In his last three races at Bristol, Stewart has finished No. 28, No. 19 and No. 27.

Stewart dominated in the Chase last year. The track he struggled with the most during his Chase run was at Bristol. Stewart finished the race three laps down. He did not lose his laps because of a wreck or engine problems. He was passed three times by the leader in the race.

Stewart could bounce back and be up front for most of the race on Sunday, but history shows that he will struggle.

A.J. Allmendinger

Bristol has not been one of A.J. Allmendinger’s best tracks. In his nine starts at Bristol, Allmendinger has an average starting position of No. 24 and an average finishing position of No. 28. He has never finished in the top 10 at Bristol.

The only thing Allmendinger has going for him this week is that he is now driving for Penske Racing. Penske Racing has been one of the most dominate teams at Bristol. Rusty Wallace drove the No. 2 Penske Racing car to victory eight times. Last year Brad Keselowski drove the Blue Deuce to victory at Bristol. Maybe some of the Penske success will rub off on Allmendinger, but I would not count on it.

Regan Smith

Regan Smith has his tracks that he is very good at. Bristol is not one of them.

In his eight career starts at Bristol, Smith has an average starting position of No. 16 and an average finishing position of No. 25. He has never finished in the top 10 and has never led a lap at Bristol.

Smith is one of the drivers who will be happy to see the series move to Fontana next week.

Paul Menard

Paul Menard is on the verge of a breakthrough season in NASCAR. The race on Sunday will not be the race that moves him up the NASCAR point standings.

In his nine starts at Bristol, Menard has an average starting position of No. 22 and an average finishing position of No. 22. His only success at Bristol came in last year’s Food City 500. Menard started the race No. 4 and finished the race No. 5. He also led 35 laps in the race.

I consider last year’s success at Bristol a fluke. He backed up his No. 5 finish with a No. 30 finish in the fall race at Bristol. If Menard finishes strong this week I will move him off of this list. I do not think it will happen.

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