Bristol Backlash: Sprint Cup Drivers with the Most to Lose at the Bullring

The fastest half-mile track on the NASCAR circuit is all about throttle control, balance on the car, driver rhythm and smart calls from the pits. It is a game-changing track, and failure at Bristol is not an option for some.

Qualifying is important at Bristol because passing is difficult. Those who capture prime real estate on the starting grid may have the advantage they need.

Drivers who start mid-pack and beyond find themselves in harm's way from the drop of the green flag. Being patient can be costly because a driver risks being lapped, so laying back doesn't work.

It is only the fourth race of the season, but the start of the short tracks can make for big changes in the points. Some drivers just can't afford the hit in points that could easily come from trading paint.

Bristol may be the track that changes the fortunes for those who need a boost in the standings. In no particular order, these drivers may have the most to lose if they flounder at the colosseum.

Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon has not had the results he expected so far this season, but he did gain ground in the point standings by five slots to 17th place at Las Vegas.

Gordon qualified his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet in fourth position for the Food City 500. This may bode well for a driver who has led 2,646 laps at Bristol.

This Hendrick Motorsports driver has five wins at the "World's Fastest Half-Mile." Gordon also has 15 top-five finishes and an average finish of 11.5. This may be the track that gets him back in the game.

Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski qualified his No. 2 Penske Dodge in fifth place on the grid at Bristol Motor Speedway. Of his four career wins, one was at BMS. His average finish there is 12.8.

Keselowski lost ground at Las Vegas with fuel pick-up problems and dropped nine slots to 21st in points. The driver of the Blue Deuce needs a win or top finish to avoid getting too deep in the standings.

Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson suffered the wrath of NASCAR with the loss of 25 points prior to the Daytona 500 for a rules infraction with the No. 48 Chevrolet.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver made strides in the standings by gaining 14 markers to put him 23rd in the standings.

Of his 55 career wins, only 10 have been on short tracks and one of those was at Bristol. It is not an especially good track for him—his average finish is 14.9.

Johnson starts pretty deep in the field after qualifying 22nd. He will be in the danger zone of getting caught up in a wreck.

He also faces the loss of his crew chief, Chad Knaus, and car chief, Ron Malec, for up to six weeks pending the final appeal that may be heard next week.

A bad finish at BMS could be costly in the points department and this is hardly the time for that.

Kasey Kahne

Kasey Kahne was expected to come out strong this season with his new ride in the Hendrick Motorsports Farmers Insurance No. 5 Chevrolet, but that hasn't been the case.

Currently, Kahne is 26th in the standings, and Bristol may not be especially kind to him. Of his 12 career wins, only one has been on a short track. His average finish at BMS is 18.7.

Kahne is starting 10th on the grid, which is pretty good at a track that can get a little wild. Should he not have a good finish in the Food City 500, it won't be looking too good for him in the points department.

A.J. Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger is feeling pretty frisky after putting his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge on the outside of the front row for the Food City 500.

He really needs a good run with his Penske ride to get him out of his 30th-place slot in the point standings. He had fuel problems, much like his teammate at Las Vegas, that dropped him five places.

With nothing but clean air in front of him when the green flag drops, this is a chance for him to strut his stuff for Penske Racing.

He may get a top-10 finish, but if anything goes wrong he will be heading for dangerous territory in the standings.

Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch is plowing through his season of fun in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet, but currently he is 29th in the point standings.

There were two kinds of tracks he expected to do well on, superspeedway and short tracks. The Daytona 500 didn't turn out too good, and he starts well back in the field at 27th for the Food City 500.

Busch really needs to finish well at the tracks where the team thinks they can best perform so he doesn't fall to the bottom of the standings. He will be forced to win some races to get in the wild-card slot.

Of his 24 career wins, five of them came at Bristol, where he has 13 top-10 finishes and an average of 12.9. Those stats came with first class equipment, so this will be a real test for the Cup champion.